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SCIENTIA
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CAR PLURIBUS UMUT!
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SI-QUÆRIS-PENINSULAM-AMŒNAM”
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است
م الله المالية
FOOTE.
SERMONS
ON
VARIOUS SUBJECTS
OF
:
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE AND DUTY.
By NATHANAEL EMMONS, D. D.
PROVIDENCE:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY BARNUM FIELD & CO,
1826.
Volumes of Sermons by Dr. Emmons.
Vol. I. Printed by N. & B. Heaton, Wrentham,
-Reprinted by Armstrong, Boston,
Vol. II Printed by Armstrong, Boston,
Vol. III. Printed by Armstrong, Boston,
Vol. IV. Printed by Miller & Hutchens, Providence,
Vol. V. Printed by Barnum Field & Co. Providence,
Vol. VI. Printed by Barnum Field & Co. Providence,
1800
1815
1812
1813
1823
1825
1826
1
CONTENTS.
1
Page.
SERMON I.
Faithful ministers avow their religious sentiments.
Acts xxiv. 14.-But this I confess unto thee, that after
the way, which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my
fathers; believing all things which are written in the law and
the prophets.
SERMON II.
The right of private judgment.
ACTS XVII. 11.-These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readi-
ness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so.
SERMON III.
True knowledge the foundation of true love.
PHILIPPIANS 1. 9.—And this I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judg-
nent.
SERMON IV.
The work of creation.
GENESIS II. 1, 2. Thus the heavens and the earth were
finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day
God ended his work, which he had made: and he rested on
the seventh day from all his work, which he had made.
SERMON V.
God most fully displays his glory on earth.
ISAIAH VI. 3.—And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his
glory.
317318
9
27
45
62
80
2
·
IV
SERMON VI.
The sovereignty of God in the formation of man
ROMANS IX. 20.-Nay, but O man, who art thou that re-
pliest against God? Shall the thing formed, say unto him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
SERMON VII.
A warning to youth.
ECCLESIASTES. XI. 9.-Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth
and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and
walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes;
but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee
into judgment.
SERMON VIII.
Death in the midst of life.
PSALM CII. 24.-I said, O my God, take me not away in the
midst of my days.
SERMON IX.
98
114
131
God hates sinners.
PSALM V. 5.-Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
SERMON X.
The vindictive justice of God.
I'SAMUEL XV 33.-And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces
before the Lord in Gilgal.
Į
SERMON XI.
The doctrine of the Trinity.
147
-
163
II. CORINTHIANS XIII. 14.-The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy
Ghost be with you all, Amen.
SERMON XII.
The necessity of the atonement.
ROMANS III. 26.-That he might be just, and the justifier
180
of him, who believeth in Jesus.
194
V.
SERMON XIII.
The Mosaic dispensation abolished by the christ-
ian dispensation.
HEBREWS X. 9.-He taketh away the first, that he may es-
tablish the second.
SERMON XIV.
Disinterested Benevolence.
÷
LUKE X. 36.—Which now of these three, thinkest thou,
was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves.
SERMON XV.
The reward of Moses.
HEBREWS XI. 26.-For he had respect unto the recompense
of reward.
SERMON XVI.
The death of sinners not pleasing to God.
EZEKIEL XVIII. 32.-For I have no pleasure in the death
of him that dieth, saith the Lord God.
SERMON XVII.
Saints desire God to punish sinners.
PSALM XXVIII. 4.- Give them according to their deeds, and
according to the wickedness of their endeavors; give them af-
ter the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
SERMON XVIII.
The perdition of Judas.
210
231
249
267
284
MATTHEW XXVI. 24.—It had been good for that man if he had
not been born.
SERMON XIX.
The Song of Heaven.
REVELATION XIX. 3.—And again they said, Alleluia.
SERMON XX.
Reflections of sinners in hell.
LUKE XVI. 25.—But Abraham said, Son, remember that
thou, in thy life time, receivedst thy good things and likewisc
Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and thou art
tormented.
·
303
321
339
VI.
SERMON XXI.
Constant joy in God the duty of Christians.
PHILIPPIANS IV. 4.-Rejoice in the Lord always and again
I say rejoice.
:
354
SERMON XXII.
Divine Agency.
ISAIAH XLV. 7. I, the Lord, do all these things.
371
SERMON XXIII.
The blessedness of God.
ROMANS 1. 25.-Who is blessed forever.
387
Bescheide

ERRATA.
Page 22, 17th line from the top, for fail read are a foil. P. 62, 6th line from the
bottom insert nôt'after does. F. 165, 5th line from the bottom, for deeds read duels.
P. 267, in the text of Sermon xvi. insert the death of. P. 336, 17th line from bot-
tom for unjust read just. P. 391, 17th line from top, for external rend eternal. P.
394, 6th line from bottom, omit to after not.
SERMON I.
FAITHFUL MINISTERS AVOW THEIR RELIGIOUS
SENTIMENTS.
ACTS, XXIV. 14.—But this I confess unto thee,
that after the way, which they call heresy, so wor-
ship I the God of my fathers; believing all things,
which are written in the law and the prophets.
After Paul returned from Greece to Jerusalem, he
went into the temple to preach; but the Asiatic Jews
stirred up all the people and laid hands on him and
would have killed him, if the chief captain had not tak-
en him out of their hands and led him to the castle.
When he came upon the stairs, he requested and
obtained leave of the captain to make his defence be-
fore the people. After this, the chief captain carried
him before the Sanhedrim, the highest ecclesiastical
court in the nation. In pleading before them, he so
wisely managed his cause, as to disunite them in opin-
ion, which defeated their design to condemn him.---
But though the council dismissed him, yet a number of
the people conspired against him and bound them-
selves, by an oath, that they would not eat, nor drink,
till they had slain him. When this was made known
to the chief captain, he sent a band of soldiers to con-
duct him in safety to Felix, the governor. Felix im-
mediately sent to Jerusalem for Ananias with the el-
ders, to come and exhibit their complaints against Paul.
When they were come, they employed one Tertullus,
an orator, to be their advocate. He opened their cause
with peculiar address; and exhibited their complaints.
After the governor had heard them, he beckoned to
Paul to make a reply. In his reply, he absolutely de-
nied the charges, which had been alleged against him.
****
1
r
9
10
SERMON I.
+2
But he turned to the governor and said, "This I con-
fess unto thee, that after the way, which they call her-
esy, so worship I the God of my fathers; believing
all things, which are written in the law and the proph-
ets." Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, which he
preached, nor afraid to profess his belief of its great
and essential doctrines, though he knew they were call-
ed, by the greatest men in the nation, an absurd and
fatal heresy. Hence we conclude,
That those, who preach the true doctrines of the
gospel, are not afraid to avow their religious senti-
ments, though they know, that they are called heresy
by others.
I. I shall show, that the true doctrines of the gos-
pcl are very often called heresy; And,
II. Show why those, who preach them, are not
afraid to avow their religious sentiments.
I. I am to show, that the true doctrines of the gos-
pel are very often called heresy.
The gospel was essentially preached to Adam, and
from Adam to Abraham; and from Abraham to Mo-
ses; and from Moses to Christ. But through all that
long tract of time, it was generally misunderstood and
misrepresented by all the heathen nations; and by
many who professed to acknowledge its truth and di-
vinity. When Christ came and preached the gospel,
with greater purity and plainness, not only the Gen-
tiles, but the Jews disbelieved, misrepresented and re-
jected it. Both the Pharisees and Sadducees hated and
opposed him and finally put him to death, for preach-
ing the plain and important truths of the gospel. And
wherever the apostles preached the same doctrines,
they were generally represented, by Jews and Gentiles,
as a mean and contemptible sect, who propagated gross
heresies and delusions. Tertullus, in his plea against
Paul, said, "We have found this man, a pestilent fel-
low and a mover of sedition among all the Jews,
throughout the world; and a ring-leader of the sect
of the Nazarenes." As Christ was brought up in
Nazareth, an obscure place, his enemies reproachful-
SERMON I.
11
༈
ly called him, a Nazarene, and his followers, Naza-
renes; and Paul, a ring-leader of that despicable sect.
And when Paul came to Rome and called upon Chris-
tians to come and see him, "They said unto him,
We neither received letters out of Judea concerning
thee, neither any of the brethren, that came, shewed,
or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of
thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this
sect, we know that every where it is spoken against."
James and Stephen were early put to death, by the
Jews, for preaching the gospel in Judea; and the oth-
er apostles, who went round the world preaching the
gospel to Jews and Pagans were every where oppos-
ed, abused and finally persecuted unto death. The
primitive Christians suffered no less than ten bloody
persecutions. And ever since those times, such Chris-
tians, as have embraced and maintained the pure doc-
trines of the gospel, have been more, or less opposed
and persecuted by heathens and by multitudes, who
professed to believe the gospel. The Sabellians, Ari-
ans and Socinians were the earliest sectarians, that
arose in the church in the third and fourth century,
who disbelieved and denied some of the essential doc-
trines of the gospel. Since their day a flood of secta-
rians have sprung up in the Christian world, who have
opposed, misrepresented and denied some, or all of the
fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Among nom-
inal Christians, at the present time, there are Antino-
mians, Arminians, Methodists, Universalists and Uni-
tarians, besides a number of minor sectarians, who
unite in calling the pure doctrines of the gospel, which
Paul preached, gross heresies if not blasphemies.-
Though the ministers in New England generally pro-
fess to believe and maintain the same doctrines, which
their fathers who planted these churches, professed and
maintained; yet many of them do not preach the same
doctrines, nor approve of others, who do preach them.
There are indeed some, who preach the same doctrines,
plainly and fully, that Paul preached and that the first
ministers in New-England preached; but they are eve-
*
12
SERMON I.
A
ry where spoken against in names and terms of reproach;
and represented as an ignorant and bigotted sect,
who ought to be rejected and avoided by every religious
society. It appears from the whole current of sacred
and ecclesiastical history, that the prophets, Christ,
the apostles and their successors in the ministry, who
have preached the same pure doctrines of the gospel,
that they preached, have always been considered
and represented, by the great majority of mankind as
propagators of error, delusion and heresy.
But though the doctrines of the cross have been so
generally hated, opposed and misrepresented; yet the
faithful ministers of the gospel have never been afraid
to avow their religious sentiments; and to preach
them, plainly, before an unbelieving and frowning
world. Paul was not afraid to acknowledge before
the Roman governor and the whole Jewish council,
that he embraced and taught the pure doctrines of the
gospel, though he knew that they were every where
spoken against and called heresy. He said to the
elders of Ephesus "Ye know from the first day that
I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with
you at all seasons; and how I kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you. Wherefore I take you to
record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all
men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all
the counsel of God." Peter and the rest of the apos-
tles never shrunk from avowing their religious senti-
ments, though they knew, that both Jews and Gen-
tiles viewed them as teaching most false, absurd and
pernicious doctrines. And all faithful ministers, who
imbibe their spirit and embrace their doctrines, are
not afraid to avow their religious sentiments, though
they know the world will reproach them for it. This
leads me to show,
II. Why those, who preach the great and essential
doctrines of the gospel are not afraid to avow their re
ligious sentiments, which are so generally stigmatized
with every approbious epithet.
I. One reason is, because they know they are true.
SERMON I.
13
Paul knew, that his religious sentiments were true,
because they were founded on the infallible word of
God; and this knowledge gave him confidence to
avow his sentiments before Felix, the governor, and
the grand council of the Jewish Sanhedrim. "But this
I confess unto thee, that after the way, which they call
heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers; believing
all things, which are written in the law and the proph-
ets." The law and the prophets contained the whole
of the Old Testament, which was the whole Bible,
that God had then put into the hands of the Jews;
and which they, as well as Paul, acknowledged to be
of divine inspiration. He told them, that he built his
religious sentiments upon the Bible; and therefore
knew them to be true and he was willing to avow
them before the world. He said to the Galatians,
"I marvel, that ye are so soon removed from him,
that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another
gospel which is not another; but there be some,
that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any
other gospel unto you, than that, which we have
preached unto you; let him be accursed. For do I
now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please
men? for if I yet please men, I should not be the ser-
vant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the
gospel, that was preached of me, was not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
He says
66
to the Corinthians, Therefore, seeing we have this
ministry, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden
things of dishonesty; not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully; but by mani-
festation of the truth, commending ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God." The apostle
knew, that he had derived his religious sentiments from
the Old and New Testaments; and therefore he was
not afraid to avow them and to preach any and every
doctrine of the gospel, however displeasing to the hu-
man heart. Though the heart might hate them, yet
-
y
+
14
SERMON I.
he knew that the understanding and conscience would
approve them. On this ground he confidently said,
"We also believe; and therefore speak." He was
not afraid to speak what he believed and knew was di-
vine truth. The apostle Peter also was not afraid to
avow his religious sentiments, because he knew they
were true.
He says,
"We have not followed cun-
ningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eye-witnesses of his glory." The great and es-
sential doctrines of the gospel may be as certainly
known by ministers at this day, as they were by the
apostles; and those who do certainly know them, are
not afraid to profess and preach them, plainly and ful-
ly, though the offence of the cross has not ceased.
Those, who know that the doctrines of the gospel are
divinely true, know that they are no heresy ; and there-
fore are not afraid to avow and preach them without
the least hesitancy, or reserve, in their full latitude and
extent.
2. Those, who preach the pure doctrines of the
gospel, are not afraid to avow their religious senti-
ments, because they feel satisfied, that they may be
completely maintained against all, who dispute, or de-
ny them. Truth can be maintained and defended, but
error cannot. Those, who know, that their religious
sentiments are founded on the word of God, know, that
they can be maintained and defended against all the
learning, sophistry and subtilty of those, who dispute,
or deny them. Plain and infallible arguments may
always be drawn from the Bible, in support of the
doctrines contained in it and in refutation of every false
scheme of religion. Christ forewarned those, who em-
braced and preached the peculiar doctrines of the gos-
pel, that they should be brought before kings and ru-
lers, for his name's sake: but he told them for their
consolation, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom,
which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay,
or resist." By faith in this promise and by confidence
in the truths of the gospel, they preach, the apostles
·
SERMON F.
15
were not afraid to meet the most ingenious and learn-
ed opposers of their doctrines, whether among Jews,
or Gentiles. "When there arose certain of the syna-
gogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines
and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of them of Ci-
licia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen, they were
not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which
he spake." And while Paul waited for Silas and
Timotheus at Athens, the most renowned city in the
Roman Empire for learning and eloquence, his spirit
was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given
to idolatry. "Therefore disputed he in the syna-
gogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and
in the market daily with them that met with him.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of
the Stoicks encountered him. And some said, what
will this babler say? other some, He seemeth to be a
setter forth of strange gods: because he preached un-
to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took
him and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May
we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speak-
est, is?" Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill
and demonstrated the being and perfections of God,
and the duty men owe to him so clearly that he con-
verted Dionysious, and a number of others. Paul also
disputed against the Grecians, against Elymas, the
sorcerer and against all, who opposed his doctrines in
the school of Tyrannus. He always knew, that he
preached the truth and was always confident, that he
could support the truth against all the prejudices of the
Jews and all the learning, philosophy, and eloquence
of the heathen priests and sages. He was, therefore,
always ready to confess, that he was a Christian and
preached the true doctrines of Christ. And those
ministers, who at this day understand and believe the
true doctrines of the gospel and possess the spirit of it,
feel satisfied, as Paul did, that they are able to meet
and refute all gainsayers and opposers; and of course,
they are not afraid to avow their religious sentiments
fully and frankly.
[
16
SERMON I.
3. Those, who preach the distinguishing doctrines
of the gospel, are not afraid to avow their religious
sentiments, because they view them as infinitely impor-
tant. They view the great and fundamental doctrines
of the gospel, as absolutely necessary to be known, in
order to embrace the gospel and to understand and
practice the duties of it, so as to secure the salvation
of the soul. The duties of the gospel cannot be right-
ly understood and practised, without understanding the
first principles of the gospel, upon which all its duties
are founded. The apostles primarily and principally
taught the great and distinguishing doctrines of the
gospel, as the means of converting sinners and bringing
them to exercise all the christian graces and virtues.
Their most common mode of preaching was much more
sentimental, or doctrinal, than what is commonly called
practical. The apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, that
it was his general practice to preach sentimentally. "And
I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with ex-
cellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you
the testimony of God. For I determined to know
nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him cruci-
fied." And he says, it was by this mode of preaching
he became successful in converting sinners among
Jews and Gentiles. "For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleas-
ed God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them
that believe. We preach Christ crucified, unto the
Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolish-
ness; but unto them, that are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wis-
dom of God. Now thanks be to God, who always
causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.-
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in
them that are saved and in them that perish: to the
one we are a savour of death unto death: and to the
other, the savour of life unto life. For we are not as
many who corrupt the word of God: but as of sinceri-
ty, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in
SERMON I.
17
דין
Christ." The same great doctrines of the gospel,
which the apostles preached with most success, have
been preached with most success, by faithful ministers
ever since. And it appears, by universal observation,
that those who seldom preach sentimentally and gen-
erally preach practically, are rarely very successful.
It is by preaching the peculiar doctrines of the gospel,
which are most offensive to the natural heart, that the
most powerful and saving effects are produced. Those
therefore, who feel the vast importance of the pecul-
iar doctrines of the gospel are not afraid to profess and
preach them fully and plainly, though the world may
call them error, delusion, or heresy. They believe,
that no other doctrines can be preached, which will
make men wise unto salvation. They are willing to
have it known, that they believe no other doctrines and
mean to preach no others.
4. Those, who believe and love the gospel, are not
afraid openly to profess and plainly preach their relig
ious sentiments, because it belongs to their official
character, to watch and guard their people against all
false and dangerous errors and delusions. God said
to the prophet Ezekiel, “O son of man, I have set thee
a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou
shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from
me." Paul said to the Elders of Ephesus, "Take
heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood. For I know this, that after my departing
shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your ownselves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them." And to Titus he said, "A bishop must hold
fast the faithful word, that he may be able by sound doc-
trine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.---
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceiv-
ers, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole
houses, teaching things that they ought not, for filthy
luere's sake." He likewise expressly said to the Ephe-
|
3
18
SERMON I.
:
sians, that "Christ gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ that we henceforth be no more children, tossed
to and fro and carried about with every wind of doc-
trine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive." All true minis-
ters of the gospel feel themselves thus divinely authoriz-
ed and required to avow their religious sentiments and
preach them plainly, that by sound doctrine they may
exhort, convince and stop the mouths of all gainsayers.
They are, by office, spiritual watchmen ; and it is their
proper business to watch and guard their people against
all their spiritual enemies. They ought to stand in the
front, in fighting the good fight of faith. It belongs to
them to detect, to refute and to condemn those, who lie
in wait to deceive and to destroy. If they unfurl their
colors and make it appear to their enemies, that as they
are set for the defence of the gospel, so they mean to de-
fend it, they will be more apt to retreat than to attack
them. Does not universal observation show, that all
sectarians are more disposed to attack those ministers,
who conceal their religious sentiments than those, who
openly avow them and plainly preach them? For this
and the other reasons, that have been mentioned, the
true ministers of Christ have no ground to fear avowing
their religious sentiments and preaching them plainly.
Though some of their people should fear to stand with
them, and should forsake them; yet they may have
ground to expect, the Lord will stand with them and
strengthen them against all opposition, that the gospel
may have free course and run and be glorified.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If the true ministers of the gospel preach their
sentiments openly and boldly; then it is natural to
SERMON I.
19
+
suppose, that false teachers will use every artifice to
conceal their sentiments. Accordingly, we find that
the inspired writers represent them, as seducers, de-
ceivers, evil workers, who lie in wait to deceive, and
employ every artifice to captivate the hearts rather than
to enlighten the understandings, and convince the con-
sciences of their hearers. The apostle Paul abun-
dantly exhorts Christians to view false teachers as
such odious characters; and to guard themselves
against all their arts of deception. In his epistle to
the Romans, he says, "Now I beseech you, breth-
ren, mark them, who cause divisions and offences,
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them. For they, that are such, serve not our
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good
words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the sim-
ple." He says to Timothy, "This know, that in the
last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be
lovers of their ownselves, having the form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.
The time will come, when they will not endure sound
doctrines; but after their own lusts, shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they
shall turn their ears from the truth and shall be turned
unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist and make full
proof of thy ministry." And he says to the Hebrews,
"Be not carried about with divers and strange doc-
trines." Peter says to Christians in general, "There
shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them; and bring upon themselves swift des-
truction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil
spoken of." The apostle John says, Many deceiv-
ers are entered into the world, who confess not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver
and an antichrist. He that abideth in the doctrine of
If there
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive
(6
-
1
3
L
20
SERMON I
+
him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.
For he that biddeth him God speed, is a partaker of
his evil deeds." All false teachers imbibe the spirit of
the first and great deceiver and never fail to discover
a peculiar skill in the arts of deception. They learn
to conceal their sentiments, by good words, fair speeches
and ambiguous expressions. They learn how to im-
prove the most favourable seasons of pouring their
false instructions into the minds of the ignorant, un-
learned and unsuspecting, by familiar conversation and
more public discourses. They act upon the principle,
that the end sanctifies the means; so that they allow
themselves to employ any means of deception and se-
duction, which they think will be the most successful.
This is exactly the representation of false teachers,
which is given in the texts I have cited. And this
representation is fully confirmed by stubborn and well
known facts. Dr. Chauncy concealed his false doc-
trine of universal salvation, from every body, but his
intimate friends, for more than forty years; and he
never published them in America, but only in England,
just before he left the world. Dr. Huntington con-
cealed his scheme of universal salvation a long time
and never suffered it to be published, till after his
death. When Mr. Murray, the Universalist, first came
to America, he preached occasionly in some of the
largest and best congregations in New England, be-
fore he avowed his corrupt sentiments. There have
been Unitarians, in this State, of various forms, de-
grees, or shades of difference, above fifty years; but
they generally concealed their sentiments, till very
lately they have been reluctantly compelled to avow
them. The Methodists are notorious for conceal-
ing their sentiments and using the arts of deception to
corrupt and proselyte The Baptists, though general-
ly more correct in their doctrinal opinions, are too
prone to use good words and fair speeches to bring
others over to their peculiar way of thinking on the sub-
ject of baptism. Though sectarians may boast of the
success they gain, by their arts of concealment and de-
1
SERMON I.
21
ception; yet they have no right to boast of their integ-
rity. Those and those only, who avow their religious
sentiments, as the primitive preachers of the gospel did,
have the claim of integrity, which none can justly deny
them. Transparency is a beautiful trait in any human
character. False teachers themselves would appear
to much better advantage, if they would renounce all
their arts of deception, and unfair, not to say unchris-
tian modes of dividing and corrupting religious soci-
eties.
2. We learn from what has been said, why the true
doctrines of the gospel have been so generally called
heresy. We have seen, that they were called so in the
days of the apostles by Jews and Gentiles; and they
are now generally called so, over the heathen and
christian world. But they cannot be called so, by any
of mankind, because they know them to be false, or can
prove them to be false, or can feel them to be false and
contrary to the dictates of their own conscience. They
have been known to be true and proved to be true and
felt to be true by all the godly men in the world, nearly
six thousand years. Why then have the great majority
of mankind called them error, delusion and heresy?
There is but one reason; and that is obvious. It is
because they have hated light and loved darkness, or
hated truth and loved error. To this cause our Sav-
ior ascribed it. He said to his hearers, that men loved
darkness rather than light and that they believed him
not, because he told them the truth. All natural men,
who are men of the world, love any religious error
better than any religious truth. They love false teach-
ers, who give a false character of God, a false charac-
ter of Christ and a false character of themselves, better
than those teachers, who exhibit the true character of
God, the true character of Christ and a true character
of their own hearts. Accordingly, the apostle John,
after describing false teachers, says, "They are of the
world; therefore speak they of the world and the world
heareth them." All, who believe and love and teach
false doctrines, are self-condemned; their reason and
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22
SERMON I.
¿
conscience condemn the errors they embrace and love.
They are really heretics; and an heretic the apostle
says, is one, who, knowing himself to be such, is
subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself,
God made man upright, but they have sought out many
inventions. They have wrecked their minds to discover
a vast many different schemes of religion, which are
more agreeable to their selfish hearts than the gospe!
scheme of salvation. But all their false schemes of re-
ligion are repugnant to their reason and conscience;
and are so many plain and conclusive arguments to
prove the total corruption of their hearts. This, how-
ever, they are not willing to allow, or to feel; and
therefore they call darkness light and light darkness.
They put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. They
call truth heresy and real heresy truth. All the religious
errors and delusions in the world fail to display
the beauty, the excellence and the importance of the
gospel. And the time is fast approaching, when all
false schemes of religion shall cease and the glorious
gospel of God shall fill the world with light and love;
and wisdom shall be justified of her children.
3. We learn from what has been said, why those,
who were afraid to avow their religious sentiments and
take pains to conceal them, are so ready to unite with
one another. Among the various denominations of
Christians, there are not a few, who are afraid to avow
their religious sentiments and wish to conceal them;
and all these are very much disposed to unite together,
though they are ignorant how much they differ from
each other in opinion. There has been a great deal
said and something done lately, in respect to forming
a great and general union among those, who are known
to entertain different opinions concerning the peculiar
doctrines of the gospel. Many are willing to say,
that this is proper and would have a happy tendency
to promote the great cause of true religion. But
are there not other reasons, which imperceptibly
warp their judgment? Do they not doubt of the truth
of their own religious sentiments? Do they not wish
{
ན་
SERMON I.
23
to be countenanced and supported in concealing their
doubtful sentiments? Do they not desire to form a
strong combination against those, who are so pre-
sumptuous, as to avow and preach the peculiar doc-
trines of the gospel, by which they implicitly condemn
their wavering opinions. But if this union could be
formed, would it not be an union in error, in opposition
to truth? Would it not tend to strengthen and in-
crease all the religious errors, which now exist, and
prepare the way for the spread of infidelity and scep-
ticism? Would it not be a violation of all the pre-
cepts of the gospel, which require Christians to be
united in the truth? The apostle recommends such
an union and no other. "Now, I beseech you, breth-
ren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions
among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment," But
how can those, who mutually conceal their religious
sentiments from each other, be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment? Those
and those only can be perfectly united in their religious
sentiments, who are not afraid to avow and wish not
to conceal their opinions concerning the peculiar doc-
trines of the gospel; but they cannot consistently and
honestly profess to be united with any others.
4. It appears from what has been said, that it high-
ly concerns ministers, at this day especially, to preach
the gospel with confidence, plainness and fidelity.
It is almost every where spoken against by false teach-
ers, sectarians, nominal Christians and the men of
the world. There appears a much greater zeal
among all sects and denominations to spread errors and
delusions, than to promote truth and vital piety.--.
There never was, in this country, so much party zeal
before, as abounds at the present day. No methods
are left unemployed to gain proselytes to gross and
dangerous errors and to bear down all, who boldly and
plainly preach the pure doctrines of the gospel. As
ministers are set for the defence of the gospel, it behoves
24
SERMON I.
them to preach the truth and the whole truth, without
fear, or favor; and expose and refute deceivers, seduc-
ers and vain talkers, who are attacking every essen-
tial doctrine of the gospel. It was by preaching the
peculiar doctrines of the gospel, that the apostles ex-
posed, refuted and silenced all gainsayers and opposers
among Jews and Gentiles. Hence Paul
Hence Paul says, "The
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty,
through God, to the pulling down of strong holds,
casting down imaginations and every high thing, that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ." It becomes ministers to set their faces as
a flint against all corruptors and opposers of the truth,
whether high, or low, learned, or unlearned, open, or
concealed. God said to Jeremiah, "Gird up thy
loins and arise and speak unto them all that I command
thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound
thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee
this day a defenced city and an iron pillar and brazen
walls, against the whole land; against the kings of
Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests
thereof and against the people of the land. And they
shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail
against thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to
deliver thee." This is a warrant and encouragement
to ministers to preach divine truths plainly and oppose
fatal errors boldly. Ministers must be responsible for
all the dangerous errors, which spring up among their
people, or which are either privately or publicly prop-
agated among them, unless they employ all proper
means in their power, to detect, refute and condemn
them. The prophet said, "he stood in his watch-
tower in the day time, and sat in his ward whole
nights," to espy danger. This is an example, which
every spiritual watchman ought to imitate. Ministers
are undoubtedly responsible for the flood of errors,
which threaten to overwhelm the land, by neglecting
to discover them seasonably and opposing them boldly.
They have been too much afraid of avowing and preach-
SERMON I.
25
:
+
ing the great doctrines of the gospel plainly and fully.
"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." But it
is now more important, though more difficult, to preach
the gospel plainly and by sound doctrine to refute and
silence gainsayers. Hence,
5. Ministers have great need of the prayers of their
people, that they may preach the gospel with confi-
dence and plainness. They are in great danger of
neglecting this duty, from their brethren, who conceal
their sentiments and from individuals among their
churches and congregations, who love error, better
than truth and take pains to propagate it, by unwar-
rantable means. It is hard and extremely difficult for
ministers to stand alone, without the aid and prayers
of those, who profess to love and hear the truth.
Even the apostles felt their need of the assistance and
prayers of their christian brethren and affectionately
called upon them to pray for them, that they might be
enabled to deliver divine truths with freedom and
plainness. The apostle Paul desired the Christians
at Ephesus, that they would pray for him, that utter-
ance might be given him, that he might open his
mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gos-
pel. He made a similar request to the Colossians ;
and to the Thessalonians he says, "Finally, brethren,
pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free
course and be glorified; and that we may be delivered
from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have
not faith." All ministers now need and all faithful
ministers now desire the prayers, assistance and coun-
tenance of the people of God, that they may have
courage, fortitude and zeal, to preach the gospel plain-
ly and boldly as they ought to preach it, in the face of
a frowning world, who unreasonably hate it and op-
pose it.
This reminds us, my hearers, of the mutual duties,
which we owe to one another.
It is forty nine years to-day, since I took the pas-
toral care of the Church and people in this place.
When I came here I found a respectable and exem-
4
26
SERMON I.
!
;
1
plary Church and a very regular people. And God
has been pleased at different times to appear and plead
his own cause. But on the whole, has not the cause of
truth, of piety, and of virtue declined ? Were there
forty nine years ago, many prayerless families in this
place? or many sabbath-breakers? or many profane
swearers? or any infidels, or any Unitarians, or any
Universalists? Why then are such persons to be
found here now? This the preacher ought to ask him-
self. Has he not stood in his watch-tower? Or has he
not descried any danger? or has he feared and neglect-
ed to give seasonable warning of the dangers he has de-
scried? Has he appeared to use any means to conceal
his sentiments, or to keep back, through fear, or favour,
any truths, any warnings, or admonitions? Or has
he, on the other hand, preached plainly and intelligibly
on the great doctrines of the gospel and fairly met and
attempted to refute every gross and fatal error and
corrupting practice ? If these things be so, why
have gross and dangerous errors and corrupt practices
existed so much of late years? There must have
been some criminal causes of these deplorable effects.
They must be chiefly ascribed to the preacher, or to
those, who have attended, or neglected to attend, hist
preaching. It belongs to you to judge of me and to
me to judge of you, with candor and impartiality.
To this duty I have called myself and have called you,
once every year. And to this duty I now call you
and myself. It is high time for you and for me, to look
forward to a day, which cannot be far from me and
may not be far from some of you, and prepare to
meet and give an account, how and what we have
spoken and how and what we have heard.
SERMON II.
THE RIGHT OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT.
ACTS, XVII. 11.-These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness of mind and searched the
scriptures daily whether those things were so.
The primitive preachers of the gospel considered
their hearers, as capable of judging of the truth of
what they heard. They not only taught the truth,
but exhibited clear and conclusive evidence to support
what they taught. This appears to have been Paul's
practice, from the two first verses of this chapter, in
which it is said, Paul, as his manner was, went into
the synagogue of the Jews and three sabbath days rea-
soned with them out of the scriptures. But though
he preached the gospel in this fair and candid manner,
yet some were highly displeased and violently opposed
him, which constrained him to leave Thessalonica
and go to Berea, where he met with a kind and candid
reception. The people there heard him with avidity
and candor. Their minds were open to divine truth;
and so far as they understood it, they received it in
love. And this fair, candid disposition led them, not
to place an implicit faith in the preacher, but to search
the scriptures, the only infallible standard of truth, to
see whether the doctrines he delivered were really con-
tained in the word of God. And this was so far from
displeasing the apostle, that he highly commended them
for it, in the text. "These were more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with
all readiness of the mind and searched the scriptures
daily, whether those things were so." This conduct
of the Bereans, in exercising their right of private
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1
28
SERMON II.
judgment, in forming their religious sentiments, was
agreeable to common sense and sanctioned by divine
authority. We may, therefore, justly draw this gen-
eral conclusion from it..
That men ought to exercise the right of private
judgment, in forming their religious sentiments.
I shall first show, what it is to exercise the right of
private judgment; and then show, that men ought to
exercise it, in forming their religious sentiments.
I. Let us consider what it is to exercise the right
of private judgment in forming our religious senti-
ments.
It is the right, which every man has, of seeing with
his own eyes, hearing with his own ears, and of exer-
cising his own reason, in forming his religious opin-
jons. When any man, without any compulsion, or
restraint, freely exercises his own natural abilities, in
forming his sentiments, he exercises all the right of
private judgment, that he can have, or enjoy.
this implies several things. In particular,
But
1. A right to hear what may be said upon the subject
to be decided. Men are often unprepared to form their
judgment upon a subject, without collecting informa-
tion from others. We have a right to hear what may
be said upon a subject proposed to our approbation, or
belief, before we either receive, or reject it. The Be-
reans had a right to hear the reasons the apostle had to
offer in favour of Christianity, before they either re-
ceived it as true, or rejected it as false. And this was
proper, in order to form a just opinion of what he de-
clared to be a Revelation from Heaven. We have a
right to collect evidence upon any subject, from any,
who are able to give us information about it. And in
many cases, before we have gained such information
we are not duly prepared to form a decisive opinion.
The more information men can collect from others, in
any case, the better they are prepared to judge correct-
ly and form an opinion according to truth. Private
judgment does not reject, but rightly improves all the
light and information obtained from others.
SERMON II.
29
2. This right implies a right to examine every sub-
ject for ourselves and employ all our rational powers
in investigating the truth. Though many things may
have been said and many volumes may have been
written upon any religious doctrine; yet we have a
right to think and reason upon it ourselves; and to
search the scriptures, to see whether it be there re-
vealed, or not. After the Bereans nad heard Paul
preach and reason out of the scriptures, they had a
right to reason and search the scriptures for them-
selves; and to gain more light, if they could, than
the apostle had exhibited. The greatest and best of
uninspired men are liable to err. And therefore we
are to use our own reason and knowledge, in con-
nection with theirs, in forming our religious opinions.
When we come to think seriously and accurately upon
a subject, which others have treated with great confi-
dence, we may find good reasons to differ from them in
opinion. They may have overlooked and we may have
found the real truth, in the case. The right of col-
lecting evidence and of weighing it after collected, is
necessarily involved in the right of private judgment.
Nor can we properly judge for ourselves, unless we
examine for ourselves. After we have read and con-
versed upon a difficult religious subject, we ought to
think and read the Bible, in order to unite with, or
differ from others, in opinion. This is the most es-
sential and important branch of the right of private judg-
ment. This is what others often wish to abridge us
of and what we are too apt to give up, or abuse. I
may add,
3. The right of private judgment involves the right
of forming our opinions according to the best light we
can obtain. After a man knows what others have said,
or written; and after he has thought and searched the
scriptures, upon any religious subject, he has a right
to form his own judgment exactly according to evi-
dence. He has no right to exercise prejudice, or
partiality; but he has a right to exercise impartiality,
in spite of all the world. After all the evidence is
!
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30
SERMON II.
=
4
!
collected from every quarter, then it is the proper
business of the understanding, or judgment, to com-
pare and balance evidence and to form a decisive
opinion,' or belief, according to apparent truth. We
have no more right to judge without evidence than we
have to judge contrary to evidence; and we have no
more right to doubt without, or contrary to evidence,
than we have to believe without, or contrary to evi-
dence. We have no right to keep ourselves in a
state of doubt, or uncertainty, when we have sufficient
evidence to come to a decision. The command is,
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
The meaning is, examine all things; and after exami-
nation, decide what is right. Having briefly described
the right of private judgment, I proceed,
II. To show that men ought to exercise it, in form-
ing their religious sentiments. And this will appear,
if we consider,
1. That God has made men capable of judging for
themselves, in matters of religion. He has made
them wiser than the beasts of the field and the fowls of
heaven; and his inspiration has given them under-
standing. He has given them not only the powers of
perception, volition and memory, which are common
to the lower species; but he has also endued them
with the higher powers of reason and conscience, by
which they are capable of judging what is right and
what is wrong, what is true and what is false. Men
are moral agents. They are capable of acting in the
view of moral motives. And this enables them to
judge for themselves, in the great and serious concerns
of religion, as well as in the common affairs of life. As
they are capable of judging for themselves and forming
their own religious sentiments, so it is their duty to do
it. Their capacity creates their obligation, which
they cannot dissolve, so long as their capacity remains.
As they are rational creatures, they are bound to act
rationally. This, indeed, is the only power, which
they have no right ever to resign. They may, when
necessary, give up their property, or civil liberty; but
SERMON II.
31
:
they may never give up their right of forming their own
religious sentiments and of serving God according to
the dictates of their conscience. This is a right, in its
own nature, unalienable; and since they cannot give it
away, they cannot neglect to use it, without injuring
both God and themselves. When the great and es-
sential doctrines of the gospel are preached to them,
they are obliged to judge of them, according to the best
evidence they are able to obtain, both from others and
from their own serious and impartial examination.---
They have no right to let their own depraved hearts,
northe false reasonings of others, warp their understand-
ing and obscure the real evidence of divine truth, which
is to be seen in the Bible. But they are bound to ex-
ercise their own rational powers impartially, in search-
ing the scriptures and other sources of information, in
forming their religious sentiments, which may have a
powerful influence upon their religious conduct and
future state.
2. God has given men, not only the proper powers,
but the proper means of forming their own religious
sentiments. The Bible, which he has put into their
hands, contains sufficient information in regard to all
the principal doctrines and duties of religion. God has
revealed all the great truths, which are necessary to
be known and believed in order to salvation, with
great plainness. The scriptures of truth are level to
every one's capacity, so that way-faring men, though
fools, cannot err therein, unless by prejudice, partial-
ity, or blindness of heart. By seriously and atten-
tively searching the scriptures, men of all ages, of all
characters, of all professions and of all capacities, may
discover the truth respecting all sentiments, or doc-
trines, which are delivered to them by their teachers,
or suggested and propagated by others. When the
apostles went forth among Jews and Gentiles, they
carried the scriptures with them, from which they pro-
fessed to derive their sentiments and to which they ap-
pealed for the truth of them. Just so it is now in the
christian protestant world, all, who claim the charaė-
f
32
SERMON II
+
5
1
ter of christian instructors, profess to preach the doc.
trines, which are contained in that sacred volume,
which lies in every one's hands. They profess to rea-
son out of the scriptures; and appeal to them for the
support of all the doctrines and duties, which they in-
culcate. Those, therefore, who have the Bible in
their hands, have ample means of information upon all
religious subjects. They may, as the apostle directs,
try the spirits, or examine the doctrines, which any
religious teachers bring to them as divinely revealed
truths. And since they have this ample source of in-
formation in their hands, they cannot, without great
impropriety and danger, neglect to search the scrip-
tures and to employ their own noble, rational powers,
in forming their own religious sentiments. Had they
no such means, as God has given, to come to the
knowledge of the truth; they might almost despair of
finding it, amidst the great variety and contrariety of
religious opinions, which are advanced and propagat-
ed in the world. But so long as they hold the the Bi-
ble in their hands and in their own language, they
have an infallible standard, by which they may try and
determine the truth, or falsehood of all the doctrines,
which are delivered by their teachers, or propagated
by others. And this source of information renders
them inexcusable, in neglecting to exercise their own
private judgment, in determining what is truth and
what is error. Neither the confidence, nor authority,
which any may display in propagating their sentiments,
nor the specious reasons they may offer to support
them, ought to lead men to neglect their own right to
judge for themselves. They have the power and the
means, which God has given them, to know the truth;
and these they are bound to improve for the great pur-
poses for which they are given. It is not only their
privilege, but their duty, to exercise their private judg-
ment in matters of religion and to believe and disbelieve
according to real evidence.
3. This is the duty of every man, because God has
appointed none to judge for him, in respect to his re-
SERMON II.
33
+
ligious opinions. It is true, God has appointed
teachers, but not judges. The preachers of the gos-
pel are to explain and inculcate the doctrines of it,
and place them in as clear, plain and convincing a
light as they can. But after all they have done to ex-
hibit and support the truth, the hearers are to judge for
themselves, whether those things they have heard be
the truth. They have the same sure word of Inspira-
tion, to assist them in determining what is truth, that
their teachers have; and they are obliged to consult
it. Teachers, indeed, have often been disposed to as-
sume the power and authority of dictating. And the
Christian Church has suffered great injury, for ages,
from the bigotry and usurpation of those, who have
sustained the office of sacred guides. But it was not
so from the beginning. The apostles and primitive
preachers of the gospel disclaimed all dominion over
men's faith and professed to be only helpers in pro-
moting their knowledge and holiness. And none, who
sustain the office of the ministry, have any right to im-
pose their own opinions upon their hearers, by virtue of
their sacred office. The Pope and all his hierarchy
are usurpers, whose pretentions to supreme power and
infallibility in the Church are to be treated with disdain,
as vile impositions. The people are their own proper
judges of religious truth and error and of ecclesiastical
power. Christian churches have a right to form their
own creeds and exercise their own discipline, indepen-
dently of any superior ecclesiastical power on earth.
As God has appointed none to judge and dictate for
them in these serious concerns, so they are under in-
dispensable obligations to exercise their own private
judgment.
4. God has forbidden men to take their religious sen-
timents from others, upon trust. His direction to his
ancient people was to appeal to the law and not to the
teachers of it, in order to distinguish truth from error.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them." And Christ forbade his followers to call any
5
34
SERMON II.
*
1
man Father.
He charged his disciples, "to take
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." We are commanded to prove, that is,
examine all things; and to hold fast that which is
good; and to buy the truth and sells it not. The apos-
tle charges Christians, "not to be carried about with
divers and strange doctrines." John tells believers, if
any man come to you and bring not this doctrine, mean-
ing the true gospel, receive him not into your house,
neither bid him God speed. And Paul tells the Gala-
tians to reject any false doctrines, though brought to
them by men, or angels. Such divine prohibitions
against receiving false teachers and false doctrines ne-
cessarily imply, that it is the duty of every man to
judge for himself, in matters of religion; and to adopt
no religious sentiment, without examination and satis-
factory evidence of its being a real truth. God knows
that the preachers of the gospel, as well as others, are
liable to err in their religious opinions; and therefore
forbids their hearers to place an implicit faith in what
they deliver as divine truth. And since God has for-
bidden them to place an implicit faith in the opinions
of those, whom he has appointed to instruct them, he
lays them under an imperious necessity to judge for
themselves, in forming their religious sentiments. Be-
sides,
5. Every man must feel the effects of his own relig
ious opinions; and consequently ought to exercise his
own judgment, in forming them. This is a matter of
too much consequence to put out of his own hands.---
Religion itself depends upon just views of the cardinal
doctrines of the gospel. Religious affections must be
exercised in the view of religious objects; and the na-
ture of religious affections is always similar to the objects
upon which they terminate. If men have false opinions
of God, of Christ and of themselves, their religious
affections, if they have any, will be correspondent to
their false sentiments. Men's religious exercises of
heart are always agreeable to their views of the nature
and character of the Supreme Being, whom they love
י
SERMON II.
35
and adore. Hence says the prophet Micah, "All
people will walk every one in the name of his god;
and we will walk in the name of our God forever."
The religious sentiments of the Heathens govern their
religious affections. The religious sentiments of the
Mahomedans govern their religious affections. The
religious sentiments of the Jews govern their religious
affections. The religious sentiments of Deists govern
their religious affections. The religious sentiments of
those, who call themselves Christians, govern their re-
ligious affections. And the religious sentiments of
each sect, or denomination of Christians, govern their
religious affections. True religious sentiments, there-
fore, are essential to true religion. Men cannot have
true religion, without having the true knowledge of
God and of the essential doctrines of the gospel. Ac-
cordingly, every man's religion will be affected by the
religious sentiments, which he cordially embraces.
It is, therefore, of as much importance to form our own
religious sentiments and to form them according to
truth, as to have true religion; and it is of as much
importance to have true religion, as it is to secure the
salvation of our souls. If we suffer others to form our
religious sentiments for us, yet God will not suffer us to
escape the effects of our folly and guilt. We must feel
the effects of our own principles, as well as of our own
practice. We must give an account of our faith, as
well as of our conduct. Not only our temporal, but our
eternal interests, are concerned in forming our religious
sentiments. Let us remember that we must all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ, who has told us,
"Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not
planted, shall be rooted up."
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If it be the duty of men to exercise their private
judgment, in the manner that has been mentioned;
then they may always know what they ought to be-
lieve and practice. If they collect all the evidence in
their power and judge according to it, they will cer-
36
SERMON II.
4
E
J
tainly know what it is they ought to believe and to do.
If they exercise their right in seeking for evidence and
exercise their right in judging according to it, they
will form a judgment, which they have a right to fol-
low; and which neither God, nor their own conscience,
will condemn. The Bereans could know their duty,
with respect to believing the doctrines which Paul
preached. They could hear him attentively and im-
partially; and after they had heard him, they could
search the scriptures attentively and impartially; and
after they had done these things, they could form their
judgment according to the evidence they had discover-
ed, which was the best evidence they could obtain.
And to judge, according to the best evidence they
could get, was doing their duty in the case, both in the
sight of God and in the sight of their own conscience.
This is a proper mode of judging what is right to be-
lieve; and equally a proper mode of judging what is
right to do. We are all very apt to complain, that
we know not what to believe, nor what to do, but our
complaint is always groundless. God never places
mankind in a situation, in which they cannot know and
do their duty. If it were possible to place them in
such a situation, they would not, for the time, be
moral agents, nor proper subjects of moral government.
But we have not been, nor can we be placed in such a
situation. It never was true, when we complained
that we could not know our duty, that we could not
know it. There never was any insurmountable diffi-
culty in knowing our duty, but what arose from our
unwillingness to know it. Our unwillingness to know
it might have arisen from our unwillingness to seek for
information; or our unwillingness to seek to those for
information, who we knew were able to inform us ;
or our unwillingness to examine the subject of doubt;
or our unwillingness to do our duty, though we knew it.
All, that God requires of us, is, to search for the best
evidence what our duty is; and then to act according
to that evidence. Though God does not require a
Heathen to search the scriptures to know his duty;


SERMON II.
37
yet he is morally obliged to consult his reason and con-
science to learn his duty and to act agreeably to the
dictates of these intellectual powers, which he knows
he ought to obey. There is no man in this world,
who is in his right mind, that cannot know what he
ought to believe and what he ought to do, in any given
instance. It is absurd for Christians, who have the
Bible in their hands, to plead in excuse for believing
and doing wrong, that they could not know what to
believe, or what to do; for they always may have evi-
dence, which makes it their duty to believe, or not to
believe; and to act or not to act.
>
2. If men ought to exercise their right of private
judgment, in the manner which has been mentioned,
then they may not only know that they have acted right
in forming their religious sentiments, but know that
they have formed them according to truth. Many im-
agine, because men may err in forming their religious
sentiments,that they never can know whether they have
formed them right in any case whatever. But they
have no right to draw this consequence from human
fallibility; for though men may judge wrong in some
cases, yet they may judge right in some cases. When
they judge wrong, they cannot know, that they judge
right; but when they do judge right, they may know,
that they judge right. Though they may sometimes
think, that they judge right, when they judge wrong;
yet when they do judge right, they may not only think,
that they judge right, but know that they do judge
right. It is easy to see why they so often think that
they judge right, when they judge wrong in forming
their religious sentiments. They may judge under the
undue influence of tradition, or education, or the opin-
ion of others, which directly tends to lead them insen-
sibly into error. But if they would exercise their own
private judgment, in forming their religious sentiments,
they would generally judge right; and of course, might
know that they had judged right. Men are naturally
unwilling to take the trouble of examining religious
subjects and of using the proper means of discovering
38
SERMON II.
طلي
the truth, by properly exercising their right of private
judgment. Not one in ten among the learned and
not one in fifty among the unlearned, properly exercise
their private judgment in forming their religious senti-
ments. People are taught at this day, that it is in
vain for them to exercise their right of private judg-
ment in matters of religion. One celebrated divine*
asserts in a sermon he published, that no Christian
can certainly know, that the gospel itself is of divine
Inspiration; and another ingenious divine † has stat-
ed, that he himself does not certainly know, that any
one of his religious sentiments is certainly true. But
is not this a false, groundless and dangerous opinion?
and did it not spring from the neglect of exercising pri-
vate judgment? The Bereans acted a wiser part.—
They exercised their private judgment and examined
and determined for themselves, whether the doctrines
they heard Paul preach were really true. They judg-
ed right; and no doubt, they knew that they judged
right. Paul first formed a wrong opinion of Christ
and verily thought it was a true opinion; but after he
had formed another and true opinion of Christ, he
knew, that his present opinion was right and his
former opinion was wrong. The right of private
judgment, in matters of religion, would be of no ser-
vice, if, by the proper exercise of it, we could not dis-
cover the real truth respecting religious subjects and
know that we discover it.
3. If the right of private judgment, in matters of
religion, be such as has been described; then it may
be greatly abused. Under the pretext of this right,
men may take the liberty of judging very erroneously, un-
reasonably and wickedly. This liberty of judging of
Paul's preaching at Thessalonica, the Jews grossly
abused. After he had reasoned with them three sabbath
days, out of the scriptures, opening and alledging, that
Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from
the dead and that he was the real Christ; they malic-
iously rose in a body and by violence, drove him out
of the city, charging him with the guilt of breaking the
President DWIGHT.
+NOAH WORCESTER.
SERMON II.
39
peace and rebelling against Cæsar, by preaching the
spiritual kingdom and authority of Christ. Thus the
Jews, under the influence of tradition, education and
prejudice, disbelieved and rejected the pure doctrines
of the gospel which Paul preached, while at the very
same time, a multitude of the Greeks candidly believ-
ed and cordially embraced them. This is far from be-
ing a solitary instance of men's abusing their right
of private judgment, in forming their religious senti-
ments. Wherever the gospel has been preached since
the apostles, it has been opposed, rejected, or pervert-
ed, by the great majority of the hearers, under the
pretext of the right of private judgment, unless this
right has been restrained by civil, or ecclesiastical ty-
ranny. This right we know is generally enjoyed in
Europe and universally enjoyed in this land of free-
dom. But what have been and what are now the
fruits and effects of men's enjoying the liberty of form-
ing their own religious sentiments? Have not the
great majority abused this liberty, by becoming scep-
tics, or Deists, or Universalists, or embracing error
under some name, or other? But though the right
of private judgment has been and still is, so extensive-
ly and grossly abused, it is far better to tolerate it, than
to restrain it, by any other means, than those which
are rational and spiritual. Christ's kingdom is not of
this world; and all his cordial subjects ought always
to act on the pure principles of truth and benevolence.
4. If the right of private judgment be such as has
been described; then we may easily see, how those,
who judge for themselves on religious subjects and
with the same degree of light before them, may judge
very differently. Different causes may operate differ-
ently on different men, to restrain them from weighing
the arguments for or against any religious truth, in an
even balance. One may pay more attention to the
arguments on one side of the question and another may
pay more attention to the arguments on the opposite
side of the question; or one may seek for arguments
on one side of the question and another may seek for
40
SERMON II.
arguments on the opposite side of the question; or one
may wish to find the truth in the case, and another, for
some sinister motive, may wish not to find it. These
men, therefore, will form different opinions on the sub-
ject examined. Such cases, as this, very frequently
occur in religious disputes. Men of equal abilities and
apparent candor, very seldom convince one another in
a religious dispute; though they may convince others
of what is truth and what is error. It is not strange,
therefore, that so few religious disputes are finally set-
tled by those, who are engaged in them. But still
these religious disputes tend to exhibit truth and to
expose error and give an opportunity to all the impar-
tial, to form their religious opinions according to
truth.
5. If the right of private judgment be such as has
been described; then it is consistent with all those
things which have been thought and said to militate
against it.
a
This right is consistent with the duty of parents to
give religious instruction to their children. It is said
by many, that children ought not to be instructed in
religious duties and doctrines, till they come to matu-
rity in their rational powers and are able to judge for
themselves, whether the Bible be the word of God,
and its doctrines and duties are true. This doctrine
was taught in France by Voltaire and Helvetius and
had a pernicious influence on the rising generations for
time. The same doctrine has been maintained and
propagated in this country and actually led parents and
schoolmasters to lay aside the Assembly's Catechism
and every religious book, the Bible not excepted; and
even the very form of religion. But God, who knows
the capacity of children, commands their parents to
teach them the duties and doctrines of Christianity
and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. Children are not required to exercise their
private judgment, until they are capable of it; but as
soon as they are capable, whether at four years old, or
at seven, or at ten, they are required to exercise it and
SERMON 11.
41
F
judge whether their parents, or other instructors teach
them the truth. The duties of parents and of children
are perfectly consistent with the right of private judg-
ment in things of religion.
The right of private judgment is consistent with the
duty of preachers. They are to declare the whole
counsel of God and exhibit every doctrine and duty re-
vealed in the Bible, as plainly and intelligibly as pos-
sible. But their hearers like the noble Bereans, are
to exercise their private judgment and form their own
opinion, whether their religious teachers exhibit truth,
or error. Preachers have no dominion over the faith of
their hearers. Paul disclaimed all such authority;
and commended his hearers for judging for them-
selves.
The right of private judgment is consistent with the
divine command to believe and embrace the gospel
immediately, or without the least delay. Christ did
command his apostles and their successors to go and
preach the gospel every where and call upon sinners
to repent and believe it immediately. The Author of
Christianity not founded on argument, presumes to
argue from this injunction, that Christianity is not
founded in reason; for if it were founded in reason,
men might and ought to reason upon it and judge for
themselves, whether it be a true, or false religion.
Dr. Doddridge calls this Author one of the most sub-
tile enemies of Christianity. His argument is both
false and sophistical. The apostles and all their faithful
successors have preached the gospel argumentatively.
They did not call upon men to believe and embrace
the gospel without any reason. They reasoned out
of the scriptures, that Christ was the promised Mes-
siah and Savior of the world. And after his resurrec-
tion, they stated public, notorious facts, to prove that
he had suffered and died the just for the unjust. And
then they called upon men to believe and trust in him
for salvation, upon plain and infallible evidence,
which was sufficient to convince every hearer, whose
mind was not barred by the depravity of his heart.
•
t
1
!
1
6
49
SERMON 11.
*
The apostles required men to believe upon the evidence
they exhibited and not to believe without evidence and
without judging for themselves, whether the gospel were
true, or false.
The right of private judgment is consistent with the
duty of Christians to be entirely united in their religious
sentiments. Paul enjoins this duty upon them.---
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing
and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the
same judgment." The proper exercise of private
judgment is so far from being a bar to the entire union
of Christians in their religious sentiments, that it is the
only thing, that can bring them to think, to speak, to
judge alike and be perfectly joined together in the be-
lief of the same essential doctrines of the gospel. The
proper exercise of private judgment is like a magnet,
to draw them together in their religious sentiments,
without the least condescension to each other.
The proper exercise of private judgment is consis
tent with the duty of those, who are sound in the faith,
to censure and reject such heretics, as run into gross
and fundamental errors, that are subversive of the gos-
pel. Those, who properly exercise their private
judgment, know how to distinguish fundamental errors
from fundamental truth, in the professors of religion;
and therefore can consistently perform the trying duty
of censuring and excluding from their communion such
as make shipwreck of their faith. Those, who abuse
their right of private judgment, have no reason to
complain of others for censuring them for the abuse
of it.
I may still further observe, under this head, that it
is consistent for God to condemn those, who abuse
their right of private judgment. He does condemn
those, who are under strong delusions to believe a lie.
They never would have run into such fatal errors, if
they had properly exercised their right of private judg-
ment. Though God allowed them to judge for them-
SERMON II.
48
selves, yet he never gave them a right to judge wrong.
All the doctrines and duties, which God has revealed; and
all the precepts and prohibitions he has given in his word,
are entirely consistent with the right and duty of pri-
vate judgment. And no man, who really understands
the nature of this right and duty, can raise a solid, or
even a plausible objection against it.
6. It appears from the whole tenor of this discourse,
that none, who believe the right of private judgment
in matters of religion, can believe the too common and
prevailing notion of universal catholicism. This no-
tion is altogether unscriptural and unreasonable. It
is built upon three false principles. One is, that the
doctrines and duties of Christianity are not consistent
with each other. A second principle is, that if they
are consistent, no man is able to see their consistency.
And a third principle is, that it is not necessary, that
any man should see their truth and consistency, in or-
der to embrace the gospel and be saved. Every one of
these principles is false. It is false, that the doctrines
and duties of Christianity are not consistent; for they
are perfectly consistent. It is false, that no man can
see their consistency; for every man can, if he would
properly exercise his judgment and conscience, see their
consistency. And it is false, that it is not necessary,
that any man should see their truth and consistency, in
order to embrace the gospel and be saved; for it is
only through the sanctification and belief of the truth,
that men can be saved. As all these principles are false,
so the notion of universal catholicism, which is founded
upon them, must be equally false. Nor is it merely
false, but extremely dangerous. It naturally tends to
lead men into Deism and downright scepticism. For-
if men cannot know, that the dictates of their own rea-
son and conscience are true, they cannot know, that
the Bible is true, or that any of its doctrines and duties
are true. They must be infidels. The notion of uni-
versal catholicism is a false and dangerous opinion,
greatly prevailing at the present day and producing the
most fatal effects.
44
SERMON II.
}
Finally, this subject calls upon three classes of men
to do their duty immediately.
First, it calls upon errorists, who have embraced
error instead of truth, to shew themselves men and
embrace truth instead of error. If they would on-
ly exercise their right of private judgment, as they
ought to do, it would effectually cure them of their
errors.
Secondly, this subject calls upon those, who hold
the truth in unrighteousness to renounce their enmity
and opposition to the great and important doctrines,
which they know to be true; and cordially embrace the
gospel. Let not this be their condemnation, that light
has come into the world and into their minds, but they
still love darkness rather than light.
Lastly, this subject calls upon those, who know and
love the truth, to contend earnestly for the faith once
delivered to the saints and employ every proper method
to preserve and promote it. Let them attend more,
than is the practice at the present day, to the first prin-
ciples of the oracles of God. This is a duty, which
Christians are in great danger of neglecting, while so
many are lying in wait to deceive the unwary and ung
guarded.

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I
SERMON III.
TRUE KNOWLEDGE THE FOUNDATION OF TRUE
LOVE.
PHILIPPIANS, 1. 9.-And this I pray, that
your love may abound yet more and more in knowl-
edge and in all judgment.
Philippi was a chief city in Macedonia, whither
Paul was called to preach the gospel by a vision, in
which "there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed
him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us."
Paul obeyed this heavenly vision and went to Philip-
pi, where he preached the gospel and converted Lydia,
the Jailor and others, whom he formed into a Chris-
tian Church. Though the members of this church were
few in number, yet they sustained a most excellent
character; and the apostle wrote this epistle to them,
not so much to reprove them, as to commend them for
their growth in knowledge and every christian grace.
He addresses them in language of high approbation
and esteem. "Grace be unto you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you; for
your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until
nów; being confident of this very thing, that he, who
hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meet for me to
think this of you all, because I have you in my heart,
inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defence
and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are par-
takers of my grace. For God is my record, how great-
ly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more
and more in knowledge and in all judgment." There
46
SERMON III.
$
can be no doubt, but these Philippian Christians both
knew and loved God. And what was true of them is
equally true of all other real Christians, which warrants
us to say,
That the true love which Christians exercise to-
wards God, is founded in the true knowledge of God,
I shall,
I. Consider what we are to understand by Christ-
ians having the true knowledge of God;
II. Show how they gain the true knowledge of God;
And,
III. Show that their love to God is founded in their
true knowledge of God.
I. Let us consider what we are to understand by
Christians having the true knowledge of God. It is
readily conceded, that this cannot mean, that Christ-
ians have a full and comprehensive knowledge of God.
For none by searching can find out God; none can
find out the Almighty unto perfection. No created
beings ever have had, or ever can have a full and com-
prehensive knowledge of their uncreated, self-existent,
independent, almighty and infinite Creator. Neither
men, nor angels are capable of acquiring,or even of re-
ceiving a full and comprehensive knowledge of God.
Nor can we conceive it to be possible for God to make
beings capable of having a full and comprehensive
knowledge of himself. For none, but a Deity, can
comprehend a Deity. It is not to be supposed, there-
fore, that Christians ever had, or ever can have a full
and comprehensive knowledge of God. But there
may be a true knowledge of God, which is not a full
and comprehensive knowledge of him. The differ-
ence between a perfect knowledge of God and a true
knowledge of God is very plain and intelligible. A
perfect knowledge of God implies a knowledge of all
things, which are true concerning God; but a true
knowledge of God implies the knowledge of some
things only which are true, concerning God.----
Though men do not know every thing, that is true,
in respect to, any created object; yet they know
SERMON III.
47
something, that is true, in respect to some created
objects. Though men do not know every thing that
is true, in respect to matter, or mind; yet they
know something, that is true, in respect to both mat-
ter and mind. And what they do know that is true,
in respect to either matter, or mind, is as real and true
knowledge, as if they knew every thing concerning
these objects. So what Christians know, that is true,
concerning God, is as true knowledge, as if they
knew every thing concerning God. They know that
it is true, that God is self-existent, or that he exists
of himself, without any external cause of his exist-
ence; though they do not know the ground of his
self-existence. They know that God is eternal, or
never had a beginning of existence; though they do
not know the ground of his eternal existence. They
know that God is omnipotent, or that he has almighty
power; though they do not know the ground of his
almighty power. They know that he is omniscient,
or that he knows all things, that can be known;
though they do not know the ground of his knowing
all things. They know that he is omnipresent, or
that he fills the whole circle of creation with his con-
stant presence; though they do not know the ground
of his constant and universal presence. They know
that he is perfectly benevolent, or has no mixture of ma-
levolence in his heart; though they do not know the
ground of his unmixed goodness. They know that he
is perfectly just and has no mixture of injustice in his
heart; though they do not know the ground of his un
mixed justice. They know that he is perfectly merci-
ful, or as merciful as any being can be ; though they do
not know the ground of his infinite mercy. The knowl-
edge, which Christians have of these things, that are
true concerning God, is as real and true knowledge of
God, as if they knew all things concerning God, or
could completely comprehend his being and perfections.
Again, Christians know something about the mode
of God's existence. They know that he exists a
Trinity in Unity; though they cannot comprehend
$
43
SERMON III.
J
-
1
The
the ground of this mode of existence. They know
that there is a personal distinction in his nature, which
lays a foundation for his being called Father, Son and
Holy Ghost. They know that the Father has the
personal properties of understanding, willing and act-
ing; that the Son has the personal properties of un-
derstanding, willing and acting; and that the Holy
Ghost has the personal properties of understanding,
willing and acting. They know these things, which
are true, concerning God's mode of existence; and
their knowledge of these things, which are true con-
cerning his mode of existence, is as real and true
knowledge, as if they could completely comprehend
every thing about the mysterious doctrine of the
Trinity. A partial knowledge of any object is as
real knowledge, as the perfect knowledge of it.
partial knowledge of the magnitude of the largest
mountain is as real knowledge, as the perfect knowl-
edge of the magnitude of a mole hill. A partial knowl-
edge of the sun, moon and stars is as real knowledge,
as a full, and comprehensive knowledge of all those
great and distant objects. No man knows every thing
about any thing, that exists. No man knows every
thing about himself, nor every thing about his fellow-
creatures, nor every thing about the world in which he
lives, nor about Him, who made the world. But every
man knows something about himself and something
about his fellow creatures and something about the
world in which he lives and something about Him, who
made the world. And this something, which he knows
about all these objects, is as real knowledge, as if he
knew every thing about them. Now, it is easy to see
what we are to understand by Christians having the
true knowledge of God. We are to understand noth-
ing more, nor less by it, than their knowing some things
which are true concerning God; though they can-
not comprehend the ground of his self-existence, nor
the ground of his natural and moral perfections, nor
the ground of his existing a Trinity in Unity. I now
proceed to show,
SERMON III.
49
II. How Christians gain this true, though partial
knowledge of God. Here then I would observe,
1. That they gain some true knowledge of God,
by the light of nature. The apostle points out this as
one source of the true knowledge of God. He repre-
sents the heathens, as deriving some true knowledge of
God from the works of creation. "For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are
without excuse." David also represents the light of
nature as teaching the true knowledge of God. He
says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament sheweth his handy work. Day unto day
uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowl-
edge. There is no speech, nor language where their
voice is not known." All Christians derive some true
knowledge of the being and perfections of God, from
the works of creation; which exhibit clear and
incontestable evidence of his existence, of his omnip-
otence, of his omniscience, of his omnipresence and of
his pure and universal goodness. Christians cannot
seriously and attentively contemplate upon themselves
and the objects around them, without gaining some
true knowledge of the being and perfections of their
Creator. Nor can they seriously and attentively con-
template the works of providence, without gaining more
true knowledge of the Creator, Preserver and Bene-
factor of the world. God displays himself more clear-
ly by his works of providence, than by his works of
creation. It must be allowed, however, that there
are many important things concerning God, of
which Christians cannot gain the knowledge, by the
works of creation and providence, or what is called the
light of nature. And this leads me to observe,
2. That Christians gain their knowledge of God,
principally, from divine revelation, which is contain-
ed in the sacred scriptures. These were given by di-
vine inspiration and teach the deep things of God,
which cannot be discovered by the light of nature.---
·
1
7
50
SERMON III..
at
""
Peter tells us, "The prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' And Paul
tells us, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works." These holy scriptures teach all things, which
are necessary to make men wise unto salvation. They
teach what men ought to believe concerning God and
what duty he requires of men. They teach the knowl-
edge of the character, perfections, designs and govern-
ment of God. They teach the knowledge of the myste-
rious mode of the divine existence in three persons.
They teach the knowledge of the personal properties
of these three divine persons. They teach the knowl-
edge of the covenant of redemption, in which each
person in the Godhead engaged to perform a distinct
part, in carrying that design into execution. They
teach the knowledge of the Incarnation of Christ, by
which he took human nature into a mysterious and
personal union with the divine. They teach the knowl-
edge of Christ's sufferings and death on the cross, to
make atonement for the sins of the world. They
teach the knowledge of the terms of salvation, and of
the duty of sinners to comply with the terms of the
gospel. They teach the knowledge of the danger
of rejecting the condescending terms of pardoning mer-
cy. They teach the knowledge of a future state beyond
the grave, in which the souls of men will be happy, or
miserable forever. Now, all Christians gain more, or
less true knowledge of these great and deep things of
God, from his word, where they are taught in a plain
and intelligible language, which they can and do under-
stand, as well as the language of any other book they
read. They can understand God speaking in their ow'.
language, as well as they can understand one another,
speaking in their own language. Though God cannot
tell them, in any language, all things about himself; yet
he can tell them some things about himself, in their own
language which they can understand. And when they
*
SERMON III.
51
look into his word, they find, that he has actually told
them, in their own language, something about his exist-
ing from eternity, something about his existing in three
persons, something about his own person, something
about the person of his Son, something about the per-
son of the Holy Ghost, something about their distinct
personal properties, excellencies and perfections, scme-
thing about their united and ultimate design, in creation,
providence and redemption, something about the means
of carrying this design into execution and something
about his own perfect blessedness, as one God in three
persons. Though God has told them something about
real mysteries in his word, but not every thing; yet
they can understand whatever he has told them about
real mysteries, as well as whatever he has told them
about themselves, or any other creature, or object in
nature. Thus it appears, that Christians may and
do gain the knowledge of some things, that are true
concerning God, both by his works and by his word ;
and this is as true and real knowledge of God, as if he
had revealed and they understood every thing about his
existence, perfections, purposes and works. It now
only remains to show,
III. That their true love to God is founded in their
true knowledge of God. The apostle plainly suppos-
es, that the Philippian Christians had actually ex-
ercised true love to God; and that their true love was
founded in their true knowledge of him. "And this
I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more
in knowledge and in all judgment." Their love had
abounded and abounded in knowledge and in all judg
ment. They had loved God for those supreme excel-
lencies, which he had exhibited in his works and word.
And what was true of the Philippians is true of all real
Christians. They do not not love, nor worship an un-
known God. They know and love the only true God
and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. They love God
for what they know concerning him; and not for what
they do not know concerning him. Their love to God
springs from a true knowledge of his being, perfections,
designs and government; and not from their ignorance
52
SERMON III.
*
ī
3
of these things. Knowledge and not ignorance, is the
mother of their devotion. This will appear, if we con-
sider,
1. That if Christians should love God, for what is
not true concerning him and what they do not know to
be true concerning him, they would love a false charac-
ter of God, which would not be true, but false love.
It would be the same, as loving a false god, which is
the essence of idolatry. The heathens love and worship
false gods, whom they know not and cannot know;
because they do not exist, but are only imaginary ob-
jects. And according to their imaginary ideas of them,
are very odious and detestable objects; so that their
supreme homage is the grossest idolatry. It is indeed
idolatry to love any created being supremely, however
virtuous and amiable he may be; but it is gross idola-
try to love any sinful creature supremely. There have
been and are now, as gross idolaters among those, who
call themselves Christians, as among heathens. For
those, who call themselves Christians, often have as
false ideas of the true God, as heathens have of their
false gods; and they love the true God for the same.
reasons, that heathens love their idols. They are,
therefore, guilty of as real idolatry, as the heathens are.
The true love, therefore, which Christians exercise
towards the true God, is not founded in the ignorance,
but in the knowledge of his true character. If their
love to God were founded in ignorance and falsehood,
it would be false and criminal love. For it is crim-
inal to love any moral character, which is not morally
excellent and amiable. The Philippians knew the dif-
ference between the true God and the false gods they
had worshipped.
2. It is the knowledge, which Christians have of the
real and supreme excellency and glory of God, that lays
them under moral obligation to love him supremely.
If he were not supremely excellent, they would not be
under moral obligation to love him supremely; or if
they did not know, that he is supremely excellent,
they would not be under moral obligation to love him
SERMON III.
53
supremely. But he is supremely excellent; and
Christians know, by his works and word, that he is su-
premely excellent and of course, feel themselves under
moral and indispensable obligations to abound in their
love to him, in knowledge and in all judgment. The
more they know of God, the more they feel themselves
bound to love him with all their heart. The true
knowledge of God is the only medium, through which
Christians increase and abound in love to him. Hence
Christ prayed to the Father for them, "Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth." Hence he ap-
pointed ministers to teach them divine knowledge.---
"And he gave some, apostles; some, prophets; some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry;
for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come
in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ." And the apostle
Peter exhorts Christians, "to grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
The true love, therefore, which Christians exercise, to-
wards God, is founded in their true knowledge of his
glorious and amiable character.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If Christians derive some true knowledge of
God from his works and word, they may have some
true knowledge of every doctrine, which God has re-
vealed in his word. It is generally believed and ac-
knowledged, that there are many truths and doctrines
revealed in the Bible, which all Christians may under-
stand. They are revealed so plainly, that every per-
son may understand them, or have some true and real
knowledge of them. But it is almost as generally
supposed, that there are some doctrines revealed in the
Bible, that no men, in this world, can really and truly
understand, though they may approximate a little to-
wards a real knowledge of them. Some make a larg-
er and some a smaller catalogue of dark, difficult,
54
SERMON III.
ฟริ
.
unintelligible and mysterious doctrines, which they
allow are revealed in the Bible and which they insist,
that no man can really and truly understand. But is
it not a plain absurdity to suppose, that God has reveal-
ed any thing to us in his word, concerning himself, or
concerning any of his creatures, which cannot be real-
ly known by us, in our present, imperfect state? If
we cannot understand God, speaking to us, in our
own language, why should he speak to us at all? If
we allow, then, that God does speak to us in his word,
we must suppose, that we are capable of understand-
ing what he says, whether he says more, or less upon
any subject whatever. None suppose, that God has
revealed all that he might have revealed upon plain
subjects; and much less that he has revealed all that
he might have revealed upon more difficult, deep and
abstruse subjects. But we must suppose, that what
he has revealed upon the darkest and deepest subjects,
is as easy to understand, as what he has revealed up-
on the plainest subjects. I will illustrate this point,
as clearly as I can. God has told us, that he existed
before the foundation of the world; that is, before
any creature, or object, existed besides himself; which
means his existing from eternity. This is a plain and
important truth, though he has not told us, how he ex-
isted from eternity. God has told us, that he created
the world and all that is in it, which is a plain and im-
portant truth, though he has not told us how he creat-
ed all things, or brought them out of nothing into ex-
istence. God has told us, that he hath hung the
earth upon nothing; which is a plain and important
truth; though he has not told us how he upholds, or
supports it every moment. God has told us, that he gov-
erns all things; which is a plain and important truth,
though he has not told us how he governs all things.
God has told us, that he constantly fills heaven and
earth and all places with his presence; which is a plain
and important truth, though he has not told us how
he fills the universe with his presence. God has told
us, that he has decreed all things, which is a plain and
SERMON III.
55
important truth, though he has not told us what and
how many things he has decreed. God has told us,
that he is absolutely immutable, which is a plain and
important truth; though he has not told us what is
the ground of his immutability. God has told us, that
he works in men both to will and do, which is a plain
and important truth, though he has not told us how he
constantly produces all their free and voluntary ex-
ercises. God has told us, that he is one God, but ex-
ists in three distinct persons, each of whom has the
properties of understanding, willing and acting, which
is a plain and important truth, though he has not
told us, what there is in his nature, that lays a found-
ation for this personal distinction.
Now, just so much as God has told us in his
word, concerning his existing from eternity; his cre-
ating the world; his upholding the world; his govern-
ing the world; his filling the world with his presence;
his decreeing all things; his perfect immutability; his
operating upon the hearts of men; and his existing a
Trinity in Unity, is as easy to be understood and cer-
tainly known, as any thing he has revealed concerning
less obscure and profound subjects. Whatever he has
revealed in the Bible, he has revealed in the plain and
intelligible language of men, who are capable of un-
derstanding the true meaning of every word, which
he has used upon every subject, about which he has re-
vealed any thing. It is reasonable to suppose, that
God has not revealed any thing in his word, which we
cannot understand; but it is absurd to suppose, that
he has revealed any thing in his word, which we can-
not understand. It is certain to a demonstration, that
if we cannot understand what he reveals upon the most
profound subjects, we cannot understand what he re-
veals upon the plainest subjects. It is a contradiction
in terms to say, that he reveals any thing in our lan-
guage
which we cannot understand, nor express prop-
erly in our own language. For on this supposition,
he does not reveal any thing. Nothing can be reveal-
ed to us, which no human language can express. The
•
56
SERMON III.
1
{
supposition, that we cannot understand all that God
has actually revealed concerning the doctrine of the
Trinity, casts a mist, a cloud and complete darkness
over all the doctrines of the Bible. It is absurd for
any man, to undertake to defend the doctrine of the
Trinity and at the same time tell us, that neither he,
nor any body else, can understand what God has ac-
tually revealed upon that mysterious subject. God
has told us, that he created men; that his Son died to
redeem men; and that the Holy Ghost sanctifies the
hearts of men. This implies, that he is a person, or
agent; and that his Son is a person, or agent; and
that the Holy Ghost is a person, or agent. And it
is as absurd to deny, that the Father is a person, or
that the Son is a person, or that the Holy Ghost is a
person, because they are not called persons in the
Bible; as to deny that God is a moral agent, because
he does not call himself a moral agent; or as to deny,
that mankind are moral agents, because God calls them
men and not moral agents. These observations will
apply to every doctrine, which God has revealed in the
Bible, in human language; for they can all be under-
stood and explained, by different words in the same
language, in which they are revealed.
2. If Christians can understand whatever God has
revealed in his word, concerning himself or any of his
creatures; then there is a propriety in preaching upon
any truth, or doctrine, that God has revealed in the
Bible. We often hear it said, that there are some
doctrines revealed in the Bible, that ought never to be
preached; such as the doctrine of the Trinity; the
doctrine of the divine and human nature in the person
of Christ; the doctrine of decrees; the doctrine of
election; the doctrine of divine agency in the produc-
tion of moral exercises in the hearts of men; and the
doctrine of the future and eternal punishment of the
finally impenitent; and many other doctrines. It is
said, that such doctrines as these, though revealed in
the Bible, are too dark, profound, or mysterious, to be
explained, proved and defended, by the fallible preach-
SERMON III.
57
+
ers of the gospel. But is not this a groundless and
hurtful opinion?
If Christians may have a true
knowledge of what God has revealed in his word;
then it seems, that Christian ministers may have a
true knowledge of whatever doctrine God has revealed
in the gospel; and consequently that they may and
ought to explain, prove and defend whatever doctrine
they find God has actually revealed.
That is to say,
they ought to explain, prove and defend so much con-
cerning any doctrine, as God has revealed and no
more. If he has revealed something concerning the
doctrine of the Trinity, they ought to explain, prove,
and defend that something. If he has revealed some-
thing concerning the doctrine of decrees, clection and
reprobation, they ought to explain, prove and defend
that something. If he has revealed something con-
cerning the doctrine of the divine and human nature of
Christ, they ought to explain, prove and defend that
something. If he has revealed something concerning
divine agency, future punishment, or any other doc-
trine of the gospel, they ought to explain, prove and
defend that something. But though ministers ought
to explain, prove and defend what God has revealed in
his word, yet they ought never to attempt to explain,
or prove, or defend what he has not revealed in his
word and what, for that reason, is really mysterious.
There is, however, a wide difference between what is
merely difficult and what is really mysterious, respect-
ing the revealed doctrines of the gospel. And it is
the proper duty and business of ministers to point out
this difference, by explaining what is difficult, and dis-
tinguishing a difficulty from a mystery. And it is in
all cases easy and practicable to discover and point
out and remove a difficulty and make it appear to be no
mystery. And when they have done this, in respect
to the doctrine of the Trinity, or the doctrine of de-
crees, or any other doctrine, concerning which God has
not revealed so much as he might have revealed, they
have done what they ought to do. Ministers may go
S
*
*
*
SERMON III.
58
1
just as far as revelation goes and not a step further, in
explaining, proving and defending any doctrine of the
gospel.
3. If Christians may have a true knowledge of
whatever God has revealed concerning any doctrine
of the Bible; then they have no right to disbelieve
and reject any doctrine of the Bible, merely because
there is something really mysterious in it. If we may
disbelieve whatever has something mysterious in it,
we may disbelieve every thing that exists. On this
principle, we may disbelieve our own existence; for
there is something in our own existence, which is mys-
terious and which we cannot comprehend. We may
disbelieve the existence of all our fellow creatures;
for there is something mysterious in their existence,
which we cannot comprehend. We may disbelieve
the existence of the world in which we live; for there
is something mysterious in its existence, which we
cannot comprehend. We may disbelieve the exist
ence of the Deity; for there is something mysterious
in his existence, which we cannot comprehend. But
though there is something mysterious in all these
and in all other beings, creatures and objects, that ex-
ist, which we cannot comprehend; yet there is some-
thing, that is not mysterious, but plain and intelligible
in them all. And it would be absurd to disbelieve
what is plain and intelligible, on account of what is
mysterious. And it is equally absurd for Christians to
disbelieve any, or all the doctrines of the gospel, be-
cause there is really something mysterious in them;
when, at the same time, there is something plain and
intelligible in them. For they may come to the true
knowledge of what is plain and intelligible in them,
either by the light of nature, or by the light of divine
revelation, or by the light of both. How many are
there at this day, who professedly disbelieve and rejec
the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of election
and many other essential doctrines of the gospel, be-
cause they discover something mysterious in them?
Mystery is the great stumbling-block, which heretics,
SERMON III.
59
deists and sceptics are throwing in the way of Chris-
tians, for the purpose of involving them in doubts and
darkness respecting all the doctrines of the gospel.
Common Christians ought to stand upon their guard,
and steadfastly turn a deaf ear to such deceivers and
seducers. Their sophistry is both absurd and crimi-
nal, though they may have deceived themselves
by it.
4. If Christians can come to the certain knowledge
of what God has revealed concerning the doctrines of
the gospel; then those, who have gained this certain
knowledge, ought to contend earnestly for the faith
once delivered to the saints. Those, who are super-
ficial and lax in their religious sentiments, are loudly
exclaiming against religious disputes. They say,
that neither side in a dispute know, that they are right.
They can only approximate towards the truth; no
body certainly knows it, respecting any doctrine of
the gospel. If this were true, it would be vain and
absurd to dispute upon religious subjects. But it has
been, perhaps, sufficiently shown, that Christians may
come to the real, certain knowledge of what God has
revealed concerning the doctrines of the gospel.---
And those, who have this knowledge of what God
has revealed, may know that they have it; and when
they know the truth and know that they know it, it is
their duty to contend earnestly for it. Unitarians are
crying peace, peace, when there is no peace; and
moderate men, on all sides, are crying peace, peace,
when there is no peace. It is while men sleep, that
the enemy sows tares. Corrupters always wish to
throw Christians off their guard. There were never,
perhaps more corrupters of the gospel, than at the
present day. Now is the proper time to put on the
Christian armour and fight the good fight of faith ;
which has always been defended and promoted by re-
ligious disputes.
5. If Christians may come to the knowledge of God
and divine truth; then they will have no excuse for
their religious errors. Many believe and maintain,
1
!
.
60
SERMON III.
!
that religious errors are very innocent and harmless.---
They suppose men may be saved, notwithstanding
any religious errors they imbibe, if they are only sin-
cere in the belief of their errors, that is, if they really
believe them to be the truth. But the Bible represents
gross error as not only dangerous, but absolutely des-
tructive. We read of those, who were under delusion
to believe a lie, that they might be damned.
And we
read, that error doth eat as a canker. Error is like poi-
son; to imbibe the smallest potion of it will be injuri-
ous; and a large potion will be eventually and eternal-
ly destructive. The most gross religious errors were
never more zealously and artfully propagated, than at
the present day, by which the souls of thousands and
millions are exposed to endless destruction. The prop-
agators of errors first endeavor to make men believe,
that no errors are dangerous and especially those, they
wish to propagate. And this opinion, that it is no
matter what religious sentiments men believe and em-
brace, is the most dangerous of all errors; because it
opens the door to all other errors, imperceptibly. Men
do not at once see the width of this door and the conse-
quences of entering into it. But those, who trust in
the innocency of error, will be sooner, or later awfully
disappointed. Paul once trusted in his sincere er-
rors, until he was well nigh destroyed. The scribes and
pharisees persisted in their belief of fatal errors, which
shut them out of the kingdom of heaven. Accordingly
Christ told his followers, "Except your righteousness
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
6. This subject calls upon all to inquire, whether
their love to God is founded in knowledge and in all
judgment. All men, without scarcely an exception,
think and say that they love God. Deists do, Unita-
rians do, Arminians do, Antinomians do, Universalists
do, and all professors of religion do. But the great
question is, whether their love to God is founded in the
true knowledge of him. Do they love God for what
he has revealed of himself in his word? Do they love
SERMON III.
61
him for being what he is? for existing in the manner
he does? for the designs he has formed and is execut-
ing and for his ultimate end in creation, which is his
own glory in the highest holiness and happiness of the
intelligent system? They, who truly love God, love
him for his own infinite greatness and goodness. And
they rejoice, he "has made all things for himself; yea,
even the wicked for the day of evil;" and that he has,
for his own glory, foreordained whatsoever comes to
pass. Let every person, then, carefully and candidly
inquire and know, whether he truly loves the only liv-
ing and true God, who says, "I am the Lord and there
is none else. I form the light and create darkness ; I
make peace and create evil: I, the Lord, do all these
things." And may the love of real Christians, who
truly know and love God, "abound yet more and
more in knowledge and in all judgment." AMEN.
I
1
SERMON IV.
THE WORK OF CREATION,
GENESIS, II. 1, 2.-Thus the heavens and the
earth were finished and all the hosts of them. And
on the seventh day God ended his work, which he
had made; and he rested the seventh day from
all his work, which he had made.
Men have always been disposed to be wise above
what is written and to lean to their own understanding,
rather than divine revelation. The astronomers,
who hold the highest rank among philosophers, have
made such great discoveries respecting the sun, moon
and stars, that they have called in question the ac-
count which God has given, by Moses, of the creation
of the world. They suppose, that the heavens and
earth, which Moses mentions, compose but a small
part of the works of creation; and that angels and
men compose but a small part of intelligent creatures.
They imagine, that all the fixed stars are centres of
so many distinct systems, just as the sun is the centre
of our system; and that all those material worlds are
as full of rational inhabitants as this world is. This
opinion is generally adopted by commentators and di-
vines, as well as by Mr. Stackhouse in particular, in
his History of the Bible. But it is a serious question
whether this opinion is not more philosophical than
scriptural; and whether it does bear hard against the
account which the great Creator himself has given of
his great work in our text. "Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished and all the hosts of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work, which
he had made; and he rested the seventh day from all
SERMON IV.
63
his work, which he had made."
suggest this general idea.
These words plainly
That God created all things in the space of six days.
I shall,
I. Consider what things God did create in the
period of six days; And,
II. Show that those things, which he created in
that period, comprise all his works of creation.
1. We are to consider what things God did create
in the period of six days.
This we may easily collect from the account which
Moses and other inspired writers have given us of the
works of creation. Moses tells us what God created
the first day, what he created the second day, what he
created the third day, what he created the fourth day,
what he created the fifth day, what he created the sixth
day and sums up the whole in the words of the text.
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and
all the hosts of them. And on the seventh day God
ended his work, which he had made; and he rested
the seventh day from all his work, which he had made."
It appears by this account, that the heavens and the
earth with their hosts, that is, with their inhabitants,
comprise all things, that were created in the space of
six days. By the heavens we are to understand the
upper and lower heaven, or the visible and invisible
heaven. The upper heaven is the invisible world,
where God and all perfectly holy beings reside; and
where all perfectly sinful beings are confined. The
lower or visible heaven contains the sun, moon and
stars; and the earth, with every thing that lives and
moves and exists, either upon it, or below its surface.
All these things contained in the heavens and the
earth were created at one and the same time, or in the
space of six days. This we may fairly collect, not or-
ly from the account, which Moses has given us of cre-
ation, but from the account, which other inspired wri-
ters have given us of that great work. In the twenti-
eth of Exodus we read, "In six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is ;" that
+
t
་*
64
SERMON IV.
༔
1
is, all the creatures, whether rational or irrational,
which are in heaven and earth. In the first of John
we read, "In the beginning was the Word; and the
Word was with God; & the Word was God. The same
was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by him; and without him was nothing made.". Here
God is said to create all things by Jesus Christ; and
to create nothing without him. As this refers to
Moses' account of the creation in six days, so it con-
fines the creation of all things to that particular period
of time. But it may be said, that none of the texts,
which have been cited, prove that angels were created
at the same period, when the heavens and the earth
were created. This however, is asserted by another
sacred writer. The apostle Paul declares, that Christ
is the image of the invisible God, the first born of ev-
ery creature.
For," he adds, "by him were all
things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dɔ-
minions, or principalities; all things were created by
him and for him." This passage puts it beyond doubt,
that not only the heavens and the earth, but all their
hosts of men and of angels were created by Christ and
that in the space of six days. I now proceed to
show,
II. That those things, which were created at that
one period of time, comprised, or included all things,
that ever were created. This will appear from various
considerations.
1. There is reason to think, that when God began
to create, he would not rest, until he had completely
finished his whole work of creation. This Moses rep-
resents him to have done in the text. He says he did
not rest, until he had created the heavens and the earth
and all that he intended to create at that time. We
are not to suppose, that God rested from creating the
heavens and the earth at the end of six days, because
his creating power was exhausted; but merely because
he had finished what he proposed to create. When
he began to create, he might have continued to create
SERMON IV.
65
from that time to this and may still continue to create
forever. But supposing he has been creating and will
be creating from eternity unto eternity, his works of
creation must nevertheless be limited. He cannot, to
speak with reverence, continue to create, till his pow-
er is exhausted and all space is filled; so that there is
no room left to make another world. His works of
creation, therefore, must be bounded, both by time
and space.
And if they must be bounded by time,
why not by six days, as well as by six years, or six
thousand years, or any longer space of time? He
was undoubtedly able to create all, that he ever de-
signed to create, in six days, as well as in any longer
period of duration. And if his works must be bound-
ed by space, which never can be filled, why should
they not be bounded by that proportion of space,
which the heavens and the earth now occupy, as well,
as any other? God was governed by his wisdom and
not by his power, in respect to creation. His wisdom
dictated how many things he should create and how
long he should be in creating them. And since he has
told us, that he finished the work of creation in six
days, we have reason to think, that he did create all
that he intended to create in that space of time. If
any imagine, that it would have been wiser and better,
if he had continued to create much longer and made
many more worlds and then rested; let them consider
where this mode of reasoning would carry them. Had
he created world after world for thousands, or millions
of years, it still might be asked, whether it would not
have been wiser and better to create as many more?
It is, therefore, just as reasonable to believe, that God
created all, that he ever did create, or ever intended to
create, in six days, as in any other space of time, that
could be mentioned, or conceived.
2. All the works of God must compose but one
whole, or perfect system. This we may safely con-
clude from the perfect wisdom of God. He could not
consistently begin, or continue to operate, before he
had formed a wise and benevolent design to be an-
}
*
-
9
66
SERMON IV.
I
+
*
↑
swered by creation. This design must have been one
and comprised the nature and number of all things,
that he ever should create; because it would not have
been wise to create any one thing, but what would
some way, or other, tend to promote his one great
and good design. Every house is built by some man;
and every wise builder forms, as nearly as he can, the
dimensions of the house he is going to build and fixes
in his own mind all the materials necessary to com-
plete his building. He means to provide as many and
no more articles, than he supposes are necessary to fin-
ish his house. Now, the apostle tells us, that "he, who
built all things, is God." If the only wise God made
all things, then he had a wise and good design in mak-
ing all things; and if he had a wise and good design
in making all things, then he made nothing more, nor
less, than he foresaw would have a tendency, some way
or other, to promote his one, connected and pefect de-
sign in creation. Suppose God had created a million
of worlds and no more; the reason would have been,
that so many worlds and no more and no fewer would
completely answer his design in creating. And all
these could not answer his one great design in creating
them, without composing one whole, or connected
system. For if they were not connected, there would
be no reason for creating just so many and no more.
Hence it appears, that all the works of creation, be
they more or less in number, must compose one whole,
made up of all its parts connected together. And if
this be true, it is reasonable to suppose, that God cre-
ated all things at once; or that when he began to
create, he continued to create, till he had created every
thing, which he foresaw would be necessary to carry
into effect his one, original and perfectly wise and
good design in creation. And he could create all
these things in six days, as well as in any other period
of time.
3. Those things, which we know God did create in
six days, compose a whole, or form a complete system.
The lower heaven is intimately connected with the
SERMON IV.
67
!
earth. The sun, the moon, the stars, the firmament,
the atmosphere, the heat, the cold, the clouds, and the
rain, were all made for the service and benefit of man-
kind; and are so necessary, that they could not sub-
sist without the kindly influence of these things, which
belong to the lower heaven. And it is no less evident,
that there is a constituted connection between the in-
habitants of the upper heaven and the inhabitants of
this lower world. The upper heaven was the first
place and the inhabitants of it the first intelligent
beings, that God brought into existence on the first
day of creation. This is strongly intimated by the
question God put to Job, "Where wast thou, when
I laid the foundations of the earth? when the morning
stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted
for joy?" There was an early communication between
angels and men. It was an evil angel, that tempted
our first parents to commit their first offence, which
ruined all their posterity. There were good angels,
who guarded the tree of life after the first apostacy.
And good angels have ever since been ministering
spirits to the heirs of salvation. But the great and
glorious schemes of redemption has formed a very im-
portant and inseparable connection between the upper
and lower worlds and all things, which were created in
six days. This the apostle Paul teaches in several
places. In one place he says, "Unto me, who am
less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearch-
able riches of Christ; and to make all men see what
is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the begin
ning of the world hath been hid in God, who created
all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto
the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might
be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord." Here God is represented
as creating all things in reference to and connection
with the great scheme of redemption. In another
place we are told, that "all things were not only
*
"
68
SERMON IV.
1
I
created by Christ, but for him ;" that is, to promote
the great design, for which he suffered and died.-
And we are furthermore told, that it was God's eter-
nal purpose, "in the dispensation of the fulness of times
to gather together in one all things in Christ; both
which are in heaven and which are on earth." The
work of redemption has formed an inseparable and
everlasting connection between the visible and invisible
worlds. So that all things, which were created in six
days, form a whole, or are constituent parts of one great
and important system. This gives us just ground to
conclude, that this system contains all the works of
God and was brought into existence at one and the
same time.
4. Those things which were created in six days,
not only form a whole, or system, but the most perfect
system conceivable. All the parts, taken together,
appear to be completely suited to answer the highest
and best possible end, that God could propose to an-
swer by creation. The highest and best end God
could propose, in the creation of all things, was the
most full display of all his great and amiable perfec-
tions. Such a display of himself must make both
himself and his intelligent creatures the most com-
pletely holy and happy. If we now examine the sys-
tem of things, which he actually created in six days,
we shall see that they are abundantly sufficient to dis-
play all the perfections of his nature to the best advan-
tage. By the creation of the heavens and the earth,
he has given as full a display of his power, as can be
given. The heavenly bodies are immensely great; and
animals and insects are extremely small; and by crea-
ting such great and small things, in a vast variety, he
has displayed his creating power as clearly, as if he
had created millions of larger, or smaller worlds. If
we consider the beauty and order of the heavens and
the earth, we must be convinced, that he has dis-
played his wisdom, as clearly as creation can display
it. If we consider the adaptedness of the heavens and
the earth to the use, convenience and happiness of his
SERMON IV.
69
*
creatures, we shall see that they display his goodness,
as clearly as creation can display it. If we consider
the nature and character of good and bad angels and
of good and bad men, we shall see, that according to
the plan of redemption, they will be so disposed of, as
to bring all the perfections of God into the clearest,
strongest and most interesting light. By making some
perfectly holy and happy forever; by making some
perfectly holy and happy for a season and then subject-
ing them to a state of complete sin and misery forever;
by making some holy and then unholy; and then holy
and happy forever; and by making some totally sinful
and miserable to all eternity; he will display his pow-
er, his wisdom, his goodness, his sovereignty, his
grace and his justice in the fullest and clearest manner
possible. If he had created ten thousand worlds of
intelligent creatures, he could not have placed them in
any circumstances different from the circumstances of
angels and men; and consequently he could not have
displayed any of his perfections, in a more full, amia-
ble and glorious light, than they will be displayed, by
the rational and irrational creatures, which he created
in six days. These works form not only a system, but
the best possible system; so that as Solomon says,
nothing can be put to it, or taken from it, to make it
more perfect. And from this, we may justly conclude,
that God did, at one and the same time, create all
I must
things, that he ever intended to create.
add,
5. It appears from the process of the great day, that
angels and men are the only rational creatures, who
will then be called to give an account of their conduct.
Christ has plainly informed us, that all good and bad an-
gels and all good and bad men will then be collected
together and judged, according to their works; but no
other intelligent creatures are mentioned, as being pre-
sent on that great and solemn day, either by Christ,
or any other inspired writer. But why not, if the sun,
moon and all the planets and fixed stars are inhabited
by rational and accountable beings? The great day is
70
SERMON IV.
called, "the day of the Revelation of the righteous judg-
ment of God." The design of it is to display the rec-
titude of God's conduct towards both the happy and the
miserable, or to make it appear to every individual per-
son, that he has not only treated him right, but that he
has treated every other rational creature in the universe
right. It is only on this account, that we can see the
necessity, or even propriety of a general judgment.---
God can make every person see and feel, that he has
treated him right before the day of judgment; but
he cannot make every person know and see, that he
has treated all other creatures right, without calling
them all together and fully opening his conduct to-
wards them and their conduct towards him and one
another. And since this will be the business of the
great day, it is necessary that every intelligent creature
in the universe should be actually present at the day
of judgment. If the sun, or moon, or planets, or fixed
stars are inhabited by rational and accountable crea-
tures, it is as necessary, that they should be present,
as that angels and men should be; for they must
be constituent parts of God's great system; and his con-
duct towards them and their conduct towards him,
must have had some connection with his conduct towards
angels and men. But we have no reason to expect from
any thing said in scripture, that any intelligent crea-
tures will be present at the day of judgment, besides
angels and men; from which the inference is natural
and irresistable, that no other intelligent creatures be-
sides angels and men ever have been created. These
form a moral, connected and perfect system; and of
course, are to be called together and judged according
to their works at the last day and to be set up as mir-
rors to display the divine glory in the clearest manner
to all eternity which will completely answer the high-
est and best end, that God could propose in the great
work of creation.
Now the foregoing considerations, if taken singly;
and much more, if taken together, form an argument
in favour of the Mosaic account of the creation, which
SERMON IV.
71
7
cannot be easily resisted; and which seems to con-
strain us to believe, that the heavens and the earth with
their inhabitants, which were created in six days, com-
prize all things, that God ever did and ever will create.
The whole current of scripture is in favour of this sup-
position; and it may be well questioned, whether any
argument, drawn from reason and philosophy, can
counterbalance such scriptural evidence.
We must
believe, therefore that God created all things in the
space of six days, and has ever since rested from the
work of creation.
But however, I will consider several things, which
may be objected against the leading sentiments in this
discourse.
1. It may be said, that Moses had no occasion to
mention any other worlds than the heavens and the
earth, if there had been millions of them, which were
created before this world. Ans. If there had been
other worlds created before this, it would not have been
proper for Moses to say, "In the beginning God creat
ed the heavens and the earth;" which naturally implies
that the creation of the heavens and the earth were the
first things, that he ever created. The phrase, "in
the beginning," has reference to the first time of God's
exerting his creative power and not to the order of
the things, which he created; and excludes the suppo-
sition of his having created any being, or object, be-
fore he created the heavens and the earth,
2. It may be said, that it is more agreeable to our
ideas of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, to create
more worlds than two, or ten, or twenty, or twenty
thousands; and therefore it is very rational to suppose
and believe, that he has actually created as many worlds
as there are suns and moons and planets and fixed
stars. Ans. This does not appear more consistent
with the wisdom of God, which must limit creation to
one finite connected system. For two worlds may
form as wise and benevolent a system, as two millions.
And to suppose the contrary, is to suppose, that it is
not only morally impossible, but naturally impossible
for God to form the most wise and benevolent system.
P
I
-
k
72
SERMON IV.
*
3. It may be asked, why has God actually created
the planets and fixed stars, if he never designed, that
they should be inhabited by rational and accountable
creatures? They are said to be immensely larger than
this world and supposed to be capable of supporting im-
mensely more inhabitants than this world is capable of
supporting. Why then should not God fill them with
rational inhabitants; and if he has not filled them with
such inhabitants, what valuable purpose can they an-
swer? To this it may be replied,
1. That they may answer many valuable and im-
portant purposes of which we are at present totally ig-
norant. There are ten thousand objects in this world,
that we cannot see answer any valuable purposes.---
who can tell, why God has made so many high, rug-
ged, barren mountains; or so many large, barren plains,
or so many dreary, sunken, barren swamps and
marshes; or so many useless flowers and poisonous
herbs; or so many apparently useless fowls and fishes?
But though we cannot see what good purposes such
objects answer; yet we must believe, that God has
never made any one thing in vain, or which he has not
made, or will not make to answer some valuable end.
And the planets and fixed stars, those vast and distant
orbs, may answer a thousand important purposes, with
which we are totally unacquainted, though not a living
creature moves on their surface. Though the sun is an
hundred and sixty times larger than our earth and
though there may not be a single inhabitant upon it,
yet we know it is of essential and immense service to
our world. And though we cannot see what peculiar
benefit the planets and fixed stars, at so great a dis-
tance, can do us; yet they may be of vast advantage
to us in innumerable ways, which we cannot discover.
Besides, as all things were created by Christ and for
Christ, so those immensely great and grand objects
may have been made to display divine power and give
magnificence to the great Redeemer and his glorious
work of Redemption. For some reasons God has
spread a beauty over the whole face of the earth; and
SERMON IV.
73
for similar reasons," he may have garnished the hea-
vens by his Spirit.
his Spirit." All the arguments, in favor of
the planets and fixed stars being inhabited, are founded
in ignorance; but the objections against their being in-
habited are founded on Scripture. And to sit up our
short-sighted reason and vain philosophy against the
Inspiration of Moses, is certainly unbecoming, if not
sinfully presumptuous.
+
IMPROVEMENT.
1. It appears from what has been said, that the en-
emies of divine revelation have no just ground to ob-
ject against the Bible, because it does not give a true
and full account of the work of creation. Thomas
Paine and other infidel writers have made this objection
against the Inspiration of the Scriptures. They say,
that they cannot see why God should not create more
worlds than two and why those worlds should not be
inhabited. They argue from the immense magnitude of
the planets and from their vast distance from our world,
that they could not be made for the benefit of the inhab-
itants of this world; and consequently, that they can
be of no service, if they be not inhabited. They argue
from analogy, that it is absurd, that the greater should be
made to serve the less. But some little things are vast-
ly more valuable and important, than some far greater
things. One human soul is infinitely more important
than the sun, moon, planets and the whole material
creation. They overlook the vast importance of the
whole human race, who are rational and immortal be-
ings and capable of endless happiness, or misery; and
the great and astonishing work of redemption,
which has been devised and carried on by the incarna-
tion, life, death and government of the divine Redeem-
It is not half so strange, that God should garnish
the heavens with the sun, moon and stars, those vast
material orbs, for the service of men, as that he should
give his only begotten Son, the Lord of glory, to suf-
fer and die on the cross to save the sinful race of men
er.
*
10
74
SERMON IV.
from deserved and everlasting ruin. God designed
that the whole work of creation should be subordinate
and subservient to the great work of redemption; and
that the inhabitants of the upper world should all be
employed in the service of his Son, and for the benefit
of this lower world. If philosophers had just and ex-
alted ideas of the work of redemption, they would not
be so apt to magnify the sun, moon and stars above this.
little world and its apparently little inhabitants. The
inspired writers, who unfold the great plan of redemp-
tion and the infinitely important consequences, which
shall flow from it, have given us a much more clear,
just and extensive view of this world, than any unin-
spired philosophers ever have given, or can give, by
all their researches into the works of nature. We
ought not, therefore, to be slow of heart to believe
what the inspired writers have told us about this world,
notwithstanding all the dreams of uninspired men. We
have a more sure word of prophecy to which we should
do well to hearken, instead of listening to any vision-
ary, philosophical objections against the inspiration of
the holy Scriptures. The objections, which have:
been made against the Mosaic account of creation,,
have arisen from the same source, from which al-
most all other objections against the Bible have arisen,
that is, from ignorance of the work of redemption..
2. If angels and men are all the intelligent beings
that God created in six days; then there is no reason
to think, that this world, after the day of judgment,
will be a place of residence for either the happy, or
miserable part of mankind. There are three very dif-
ferent opinions concerning the state of this world after
the general judgment. Some suppose, that this world
will then be the new heavens and new earth, which are
spoken of in Scripture and the place of the final and
eternal residence of good men. Some suppose on the
contrary, that this world will be reserved to the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men, where they will
suffer to all eternity. A third opinion is, that this world
will be burnt up at the day of judgment and never be--
SERMON IV.
75
•
}
#
some habitable again.
ry opinions are professedly founded on particular pas-
sages of Scripture, which seem to countenance each of
them. But if we consider that all the righteous will
have gone to heaven before that day and all the wick-
ed to the regions of darkness, except the righteous and
wicked, that shall then be alive; we have good reason
to think, that this world will be reduced to ashes, before
Christ shall sit on the judgment seat. For we are
told, that the righteous, who shall be alive at that day,
shall meet the Lord in the air and leave this world;
and undoubtedly the wicked, who are alive, like the
righteous, will immediately stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. After the solemn process is ended, we
are told what will become of both the righteous and the
wicked. To the righteous Christ will say, "Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world." But to the wick-
ed he will say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever-
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."---
Here is no intimation that either saints, or sinners, will
be sent back to this world, as the place of their final
residence; but it is plainly intimated, that the wicked
will be sent to the regions of darkness, where the fal-
len angels are now and will finally take up their eternal
residence, while the righteous will be admitted to the
mansions, which Christ shall have prepared for them
in the kingdom of heaven, where none but holy men
and angels will reside forever. But if the planets were
inhabited by either holy or unholy beings, why is no
mention made of their being present at the great day
of decision and of their going away with the righteous,
or with the wicked? The only rational answer to
this question is, that there are no such holy, or unholy
inhabitants in the planets, or fixed stars.
All these different and contra-
3. If God acted systematically in the work of crea-
tion and formed every individual in connection with
and relation to the whole; then we may justly con-
clude, that he always acts systematically in governing
the world. If he had but one great ultimate object in
76
SERMON IV.
بيت
!
the work of creation and made such creatures and such
things only, as he saw necessary to accomplish his ul-
timate design; then we may be sure, that he governs
every creature and every object in subserviency to his
ultimate design in creation. He has a regard to the
whole material world, in moving, directing and dispos-
ing of every particle of matter; and he has as con-
stant regard to the whole moral world, in his conduct
towards every rational being. Both the natural and
moral worlds are always transparent in his view; and
whenever he causes any thing to move in the natural
world, or any creature to act in the moral world, he
has a regard to his whole system. He has a paternal
and impartial regard to his whole family in heaven and
earth, in his treatment of every angel, and in his treat-
ment of every man. A wise and kind parent will
have an impartial regard to his whole family and will
not favour one child to the injury of his whole family.
And if he have a large family, he will treat every one
of his children differently from what he would, if he
had but one child. So the wise and kind parent of the
universe treats angels differently from what he would,
if there were no men; and he treats men differently
from what he would, if there were no angels. They
are all connected like one family; and God's conduct,
in the course of providence, is governed by these mutual
relations, though neither angels, nor men discover all
these relations and connections; and of course, do not,
in a thousand cases, see the reasons of the dispensa-
tions of providence and grace. It is because God
governs all beings and all objects systematically, that
his judgments are a great deep and his ways past
finding out, by men, or angels. And God will con-
tinue to govern angels and men, kings and kingdoms
and every intelligent creature in this systematical and
mysterious manner, as long as the world stands,
though it plunges all the inhabitants of heaven and
earth in darkness and doubts, hopes and fears; because
he cannot give account of his matters, without explain-
ing his whole system. But,
SERMON IV.
77
4. If God created all things at once and as one
whole, or connected system; then he can remove all
the darkness, which now rests, or ever has rested, on his
providence. It is only to bring all his intelligent
creatures together and show them their relations to and
connection with each other; and that will discover the
various reasons of his conduct towards every individual
and convince them all, that he has been holy, wise and
just, in all the dispensations of his providence and
grace. When they see the same reasons, that he saw
for his conduct, they will carry irresistible evidence to
every created being, that he has treated him perfectly
right. He has done this, partly, in a great many in-
stances. He convinced Joseph and his brethren, that
he meant it for good, that he had treated them all, as
he had treated them. As God has a reason for every
instance of his conduct towards every creature he has
made; so he never forgets any reason of his conduct;
and this enables him to show all his creatures, howev-
er numerous they are, why he has smiled upon them at
one time and why he has frowned upon them at anoth
er; why he has given them one thing and denied them
another; and why he has treated one so differently
from another. He knows all the relations and con-
nections between individuals, nations and kingdoms;
and he treats them all according to the various rela-
tions they bear to him and to each other. And he in-
tends to make them all know all these relations, upon
which all his conduct towards them is founded. It is
impossible, that he should give them this knowledge, so
long as they live separately and are acting the various
parts on the stage of life, which he has appointed.---
But when he has brought them all together and shown
them all the situations, relations and connections, in
which they have been placed, then he can make them
see, why he has placed them, where he has placed
them, why he has treated them, as he has treated
them and why he has employed them, as he has em-
ployed them, to answer the wise ends for which he
created them. They will then see the same reasons
*
778
SERMON IV.
of his conduct, which he saw before he laid the founda-
tions of the earth, or created angels and men. It is
sufficient for him to tell them, that they know not now,
why, or what he does, but they shall know hereafter to
their perfect satisfaction.
5. If God created all things at once, to answer a
eertain great and good purpose; then that day will be
a glorious day, when this purpose shall be completely
accomplished. And it will be completely accom-
plished, at the end of the world. So that the end of
the world will be a far more glorious day, than the
day of creation. Then the sons of God shouted aloud
for joy, though they knew but very little of the great
and good designs God had in creating it. They have
been very ardently engaged in looking into these de-
signs, as they have been gradually unfolding from age
to age, for nearly six thousand years. Nor has their
ardor abated, but rather inereased, to see the sun and
stars falling and the whole frame of this lower world
dissolving; and to behold the winding up of the great
drama, in which all intelligent beings have been actors.
And it is equally true, that good men, as well as good
angels, sincerely desire to see the great result of crea
tion and the means and instruments, by which God's
ultimate end is accomplished. The things to be seen,
to be heard, and to be known, at the last day, will
be unspeakably pleasing to every benevolent heart.--
Men are extremely fond of knowing what has been
done, what is doing and what will be done in every
part of the world, while they live in it. They are
anxious to know the present state of Spain, Portu-
gal, Greece, Turkey, France, Russia and Britain;
but at the last day, they shall know all the events,
which have taken place, in every part of the universe,
from the beginning to the end of time; and all the
agents by whom they have been brought about; and
all the motives by which they were governed; and all
the reasons, why God caused them all to do what they
did to accomplish his great design in the work of crea-
tion, And this knowledge will clear up all the dark
SERMON IV.
79
педа
1
things in providence and all the dark and mysterious
parts of God's conduct in the creation and govern-
ment of the heavens and the earth, with all their hosts
of men and angels. And in this light, all holy beings
will see nothing but light to all eternity; which will
fill them with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
6. If the end of the world will exhibit such a blaze
of perfect light; then we may be sure, it will fix all in-
telligent creatures in their final and unalterable state.
Those, who are happy in the light of the last day, must
necessarily be happy forever; and those, who are un-
happy in that light, must be unhappy and completely
miserable forever. None will be saved, or lost after
that day. Those, who then love light, will always
love it, and those, who then hate light, will always
hate it. God's purposes will then be so fully answer-
ed and things will be brought to that perfect state;
that no alteration can be made for the better. And
the whole universe will be convinced, that the senten-
ces pronounced, at that day, are absolutely decisive
and irreversible.
SERMON V.
GOD MOST FULLY DISPLAYS HIS GLORY ON
EARTH.
ISAIAH, VI. 3.---And one cried unto another
and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.
The death of a great and good ruler is often omi-
nous and forbodes great public calamities. The death
of Uzziah, king of Judah, seems to be represented in
this light. He had reigned fifty and two years; and
had done much to promote the glory of God and the
good of his subjects. But they were unthankful for
this rich and extensive blessing; and God determined
to punish them for their ingratitude under the smiles
of his providence. Just before, or just after the king
died, he sent his prophet, Isaiah, to admonish them of
the danger, to which they were exposed. And to pre-
pare him to deliver this solemn message to his people,
he favoured him with a clear and lively vision of heav-
en and of its holy inhabitants. This vision he relates,
before he predicts the tokens of the divine displeasure.
The representation of what he saw is extremely sol-
emn. "In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the
Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up; and his
train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims,
each one had six wings; with twain he covered his
face; and with twain he covered his feet; and with
twain he did fly." And one cried to another and said,
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole
earth is full of his glory. Some have supposed and
perhaps justly, that the heavenly host meant, by thrice
saying holy, holy, holy, to pay distinct homage to each
of the divine Persons in the sacred Trinity, who are
i
SERMON V.
I
81
+
all concerned in the dispensations of providence.---
But however this may be, it is certain from the lan-
guage of these holy beings, that they delightfully con-
template the glory of God; and especially in this
world, where it is most clearly displayed. Hence
there is reason to conclude,
That the angels of heaven have always discovered
more of the glory of God in this world, than in any
part of the universe, I shall,
I. Show that the angels of heaven have always been
well acquainted with this world; And,
II. Show that they have always discovered more
of the glory of God here, than any where else.
I. Let us consider, that the angels of heaven have
always been well acquainted with this world.
All we
know about these invisible spirits, we derive from di-
vine Revelation. The Bible assures us, that they are
the first, the greatest and the best of created beings.
God created them before he created this lower world.
He endued them with superior power, wisdom and
goodness. He has, from the beginning, preserved
them in holiness and happiness and given them great
opportunities of surveying and exploring all parts of
his vast dominions. And there is reason to conclude,
that they have made constant and rapid advances in in-
tellectual and moral excellence ever since their crea-
tion. Though these noble and exalted spirits have
always been invisible to mankind, except on particular
occasions; yet we have abundant evidence from scrip-
ture, that they have always been acquainted with the
objects and events of this world. When God laid the
foundation of the earth, they sang together and shout-
ed for joy. And from that day to this, they have
been more or less concerned in executing the purposes
of God respecting mankind. It has always been their
proper business to serve the Church of God in this
world. We are expressly told that they are minis-
tering spirits, sent forth to minister unto them, who
shall be heirs of salvation." we are not to suppose,
however, that they are all here at the same time; but
11
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2
1
;
1
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י
1
32
SERMON V.
1
:.
only that certain numbers come and go according to
the divine directions. And this seems to be more than
intimated in the vision of Jacob's ladder. "He dream-
ed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth and the top
of it reached to heaven and behold, the angels of God
ascending and descending on it." This representa-
tion naturally leads us to suppose, that many, if not all
the angels of heaven, have actually been in this world,
at different times and on different occasions; and that
there is no time, when they are all absent from this
place of their destination. It is natural to conjecture,
that many of them continually reside here, while oth-
ers are alternately employed on great and extraordinary
occasions. We find several instances of this mention-
ed in the scripture. There were innumerable angels
present, when God gave the law at Mount Sinai.
To this great occasion the psalmist refers, when he
says, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even
thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in
Sinai, in the holy place." The great and interesting
event of the birth of Christ called together a vast col-
lection of the heavenly hosts. The evangelist tells
us, that when Christ was born, "There were in the
same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flocks by night. Ando, the angels
of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not for behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the
city of David, a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.---
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host, praising God and saying Glory to God
in the highest and on earth peace, good will to men.”
We read that an angel destroyed more than one hun-
dred and fourscore thousand men in one night, in the
camp of the Assyrians. We read that an angel ap-
peared with a drawn sword over Jerusalem to destroy
it. Christ told those, who came to apprehend him,
that he could command more than twelve legions of
+
:
SERMON V.
83
.
+
angels to rescue him. God sent an angel to strength-
en him in the garden; and he sent another to roll
away the stone from his sepulchre at his resurrection
An angel also was sent to awake Peter in prison and
release him from his confinement. But it is needless
to multiply instances of this kind. It clearly appears
from scripture, that the angels of heaven have always
been conversant in this world; and of course have al-
ways had peculiar opportunities of being thoroughly
acquainted with the conduct of God towards mankind
and with their conduct towards God and towards one
another. They have been acquainted, not only with
individuals, but with all the nations and kingdoms of
the earth, from the creation of the world to the pres-
ent day. They have traced the connections between
causes and effects and between events and events; &
they know a vast many links in the chain of divine prov-
idence. They know ten thousand times more about
this world, than any, or all the men, who have lived
in it. These messengers of divine love and of divine
vengeance have maintained a constant communication
between heaven and earth and felt themselves deeply
interested, in all the natural and moral good and in all
the natural and moral evil, which have fallen to the lot
of mankind in all ages. They have rejoiced and
mourned, in the view of the great, complicated and
solemn scenes, which have taken place in this impor-
tant part of the intelligent creation. And there-
fore,
11. They have discovered more of the glory of God
in this world, than in any other part of the universe. It
.may be presumed, that they have explored the whole
circle of creation, which, though widely extended, is
certainly limited and capable of being surveyed by finite
beings. They have always been friendly to God and
taken peculiar pleasure in contemplating the displays of
his glory. They have always possessed great intellec-
tual powers and capacities, which have enabled them to
receive, retain and digest the most extensive, noble and
sublime ideas of their Maker and his works.
And be-
1
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84
SERMON V.
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6
1
ing spirits, unincumbered by such gross bodies as we
have, they have always been capable of passing from
world to world and from one part of the universe to
another, with inconceivable ease and rapidity. We
know of nothing to prevent their taking the circuit of
creation and examining all the creatures and works of
God, in every part of the universe. And they them-
selves seem to suggest this idea of their being thorough-
ly acquainted with all the works of God, when they
devoutly celebrate the displays of his glory in this low-
er world. They say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
of hosts;" That is, the Lord of the whole vast num-
bers of created beings, in every part of his extensive
dominions. They add, "the whole earth is full of his
glory." By this, they intimate, that after surveying
heaven and hell and the whole empire of God, they dis-
cover greater displays of his glory in this world, than
in any other. And supposing they have, for ages and
ages, traversed the whole universe, with a desire and
design to discover the glory of the great Creator, there
is good reason to believe, that they have actually seen
and learnt more of God in this world, than in any oth-
er part of creation. For this has been the great thea-
tre of action to all intelligent beings. Heaven has been
a place of rest and never been disturbed, but once, or
by one revolution, that is by the apostacy of Lucifer
and his legions. Hell has been a place of suffering,
where no new revolution has ever happened.
this world has always been full of changes and revolu-
tions of the most important and interesting nature,
brought about by the agency of God, of angels and of
men, who have exhibited their characters, by the vari-
ous parts they have performed upon the great stage of
action. But whatever has been done in this world
may be ultimately ascribed to God, who bas employed
all his intelligent creatures as instruments to carry in-
to effect his own original purposes and designs. And
no doubt the angels have viewed themselves and all
other moral agents, who have been acting their parts
on earth, as mere instruments of fulfiling the eternal
But
SERMON V.
$5
counsels of God. So that they have discovered his
glory in all the great and small events, which have
been brought about, either by his hand alone, or by
the concurrence of subordinate agents.
But it is time to be a little more particular and point
out some things, that God has been doing in this world,
which have given the angels of heaven higher ideas of
his glory, than they could discover in any other part
of the universe. And,
1. God has established such a connection between
one creature and another in this world, as he has not
as we know, any where else established. Angels
were all created at once and stood independently of
cach other. And while some maintained their integ-
rity and attachment to God, others renounced their al-
legiance and rose in rebellion against their supreme
sovereign. But when God made man, he constituted
an intimate and important connection between him and
all, that should proceed from him to the end of time.
And in consequence of this connection, he spread sin
This was a
and misery through the whole world.
greater and more interesting event than any, that had
taken place in heaven, or hell. For there is reason to
believe, that the whole number of mankind, from the
beginning to the end of the world, will far surpass the
whole number of both good and bad angels. This con-
nection between Adam and his posterity and one man
and another, by which their temporal and eternal in-
terests are more or less suspended upon each other's
conduct, is a signal display of God's wisdom, and sove-
reignty and entirely different from his treatment of any
other of his intelligent creatures. And while this in-
stance of the divine conduct has filled the whole human
race with murmurs and complaints, it has afforded mat-
ter of admiration and praise to all the inhabitants of
heaven.
2. The method, which God has devised and adopt-
ed to save the guilty and perishing children of men
from deserved and endless destruction, has given a dis-
play of his glory, which he has not given in any other
1
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86
SERMON V.
24
part of the universe. Though some of the angels of
light became sinners and exposed themselves to endless
ruin, and stood in perishing need of a Savior, yet God
did not provide a Savior for them, but let them sink in
guilt and misery without remedy. It was there-
fore a signal act of God's sovereign mercy, to provide
a Savior for the fallen race of Adam. And the steps
which took to prepare the way for the incarnation,
crucifixion and resurrection of the Son of his love,
were astonishing, as well as instructive to all the heav-
enly hosts. As he meant to make a peculiar discovery
of himself to principalities and powers above, by this
gracious and glorious interposition in favour of the sin-
ful children of men; so the angels have been, for ages,
delightfully looking into and admiring the great plan of
redemption and seen more of God in it, than they
ever did see, or will see in any other parts of his
works.
3. In this world, God has been constantly increas-
ing the number of his moral subjects. There has been
no increase of either good, or bad angels; but there
has been an immense increase of mankind for nearly
six thousand years. God has been every day bringing
rational and immortal souls into existence here on
earth. The birth of every immortal soul is an event
highly interesting to angels, though often disregarded
by those, who are still more interested. But the per-
petual increase of accountable and immortal beings
must fill the minds of angels with enlarged and exalt-
ed views of Jehovah's kingdom. They know not to
what vast extent the numbers of mankind may increase.
One nation has been as numerous as the stars of heav-
en; and before the end of time, the human race may
multiply beyond the present computation of men and
angels. If the glory of a prince consists in the multi-
tude of his subjects, then the glory of God must be
displayed by the vast numbers of rational and immor-
tal beings, which he brings into existence in this part
of his dominions. Here then angels are constantly
learning more and more of God, in this growing part
of his empire.
SERMON V.
87
4. God subjects mankind to greater, more numer-
ous and more surprizing changes, than he does any
other of his intelligent creatures. The angels of light
have never been subjected to any great or peculiar
changes, since their creation; and evil angels have ex-
perienced but one great and dreadful change. But all
mankind, from their birth to their death, are perpetually
subject to great, sudden and unexpected nges.
Their bodies, their minds and all their exter
nal circumstances are perpetually changing.-
What great changes take place in their bodies
from infancy to
to manhood ? and what great
changes take place in their minds from infancy to
childhood, from childhood to youth, from youth to man-
hood, from manhood to the meridian of life, from that
period to the decline of life, and from that period to old
age? How differently did a Newton, or a Locke ap--
pear in these different stages of life? Similar changes
pass over all the children of men, in all the various
stages of their existence on earth. They appear like
very different beings, according to the laws of their na-
ture, in a very few years. But besides these regular
and natural changes in their bodies and minds, they are
subject to ten thousand unforeseen and unexpected
changes. They are born to trouble, as the sparks
fly upward. Their hopes and expectations are some-
times raised and sometimes suddenly and entirely blast-
ed. The rich become poor and the poor become rich.
The low are exalted and the exalted abased. One day
they are joyful and another sorrowful. One day they
lead and another they are led. One day they are in
health, and another they are in pain, sickness and,
distress. One day they are rejoicing with their
friends around them and another they are bereaved and
drowned in tears. Such are the changes constantly
passing over individuals; but still greater changes and
revolutions are frequently passing over whole nations
and kingdoms. So that this whole world is a constant
scene of changes and revolutions in the 'state and cir-
cumstances of mankind. And as all these are ordered
款
​$8
SERMON V.
•
and brought about by God, so he here gives peculiar
displays of his glory, which are not to be seen in any
other part of the universe.
5. Here the angels of God behold him forming the
moral characters of men for eternity. This is the pe-
culiar work of God, who operates in the hearts of all
the children of Adam. And the changes, which he
produ in the hearts of men by the special operations
of his Spirit, afford great satisfaction and joy to all the
benevolent spirits above. We read there is more
joy in heaven over one sinner, that repenteth, than
over ninety and nine just persons, that need no repen
tance. The angels of God probably know the very
time, when any sinner is called out of darkness into
marvellous light and translated out of the kingdom of
Satan into the kingdom of Christ. And this glorious
act of divine sovereignty is no where to be seen, but in
this world, where God is carrying on his work of spec-
ial and astonishing grace among his most guilty and
ill-deserving creatures. Though the angels of God
have seen their fellow-angels changed from holiness to
sin in heaven; yet they have never seen any of their
fellow-creatures changed from sin to holiness any
where, but in this world, which is a distinction among
equally guilty creatures, that eminently displays the
awful and glorious sovereignty of God. I may
add,
6. The angels of God see him in this world contin-
ually calling off mankind from the stage of life and
from the state of probation into their future and eternal
states. Some he calls from: temporal life to eternal
death; and some he calls from temporal life to eternal
life. Here the angels of God see him act a part, that
they never saw him act in heaven. And this is a most
solemn and interesting part, in respect both to them-
selves and to their fellow creatures, whom they love as
themselves. It is undoubtedly a very joyful thing to
the guardian angels to give up those, whom they have
attended through life, into the hands of God and ac-
company them to heaven. And it must be no less
H
SERMON V,
89
grievous to the angels, who have the care of impenitent
sinners, to quit their charge and see them doomed to
everlasting darkness and despair.
The distinction,
which they see God make in this world, between the
vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath, must give them
the most clear and impressive sense of the sovereignty,
of the mercy, of the faithfulness and of the tice of
God. Such a distinction they never did see and never
will see him make, in any other parts of the universe.
They, therefore, have seen and will see more of the
glory of God in this, than in any other world. Here
God has done, is doing and will do the greatest things,
which display his greatest glory before the eyes of
angels and men forever,
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If angels discover more of the glory of God in
this world, than in any other part of the universe;
then we may justly suppose, that this world is, on the
whole, better than it would have been, if neither nat-
ural nor moral evil had ever entered into it. It is evi-
dent, that the angels of heaven view it in this light.
They were pleased with it, when it was first created
and entirely free from sin and misery; but they have
been better pleased with it since the introduction of
natural and moral evil and seen the steps God has
taken to bring good out of evil. It is better fitted to
display the glory of God now, than it was before the
fall of man. It is more eligible to belong to the
of Adam since his apostacy, than it was before he
apostatized. It is more eligible to live in this world,
bad as it is, than to have lived in it, while it was pers
fectly holy. Mankind now enjoy better opportunities'
and means of getting good and of doing good, than
they would have had, if they had remained free from
sin and misery. God intended, when he made the
world, that it should be just such a world as it is.-
When he created Adam, he meant that he should sin
and spread sin and misery among all his posterity and
1
12
90
SERMON V.
**
that his Son should suffer and die to save some of
them from both sin and misery. God's original de-
sign in making this world has never been defeated by
the apostacy of Adam and the sins of his posterity.
He sent Christ not to mend the world, but to carry in-
to effect his perfectly wise and holy and benevolent de-
sign of creating and redeeming love. He raised up
this wo
to be a staging, upon which the most impor-
tant transactions were to be done; and when they are
done, he will take it down. The scenes which take
place upon earth are vastly greater, more solemn and
more instructive, than they could have been, i sin and
misery had not existed, the Son of God had not died
and sinners had not here been formed interessels of
mercy and vessels of wrath. God has always held a
school here, in which he has been training up rational
and immortal creatures for their future and eternal des-
tination. God will reap a larger revenue of glory
from this, than from any other world; and mankind
will reap a larger portion of holiness and happiness,
than if they had lived in any other part of God's wide
dominions. For by living in this world, they have
done more for God and seen and learnt more of God,
than they would any where else. The patriarchs, the
prophets, the apostles and all, who will be redeemed
from among men, will always have reason to be thank-
ful, that they were the offspring of Adam and lived in
the world, where he sinned and fell, where Christ was
crucified, where the gospel was preached, where sanc-
tifying grace was given and where, through much
tribulation, they were prepared for and translated to
heaven, where they will be able to sing a song of grat-
itude, which the highest angels in heaven cannot learn.
This is the best world angels ever saw and the best in
which mankind can live, if they only improve it; as
they may and ought to improve it.

་
2. If angels discover the brightest displays of the
glory of God in this world; then it is certain that he
treats all mankind perfectly right in all his conduct
towards them, in the dispensations of providence and
.
SERMON V.
91
grace. The guardian angels have always been ac-
quainted with his conduct towards every individual of
mankind and have always been the most impartial, be-
nevolent and competent judges of the divine conduct
towards those, who were committed to thei care.-
And if they had seen a single instance of ma evolence,
injustice, negligence, or want of benevole, in the
dispensations of divine providence and grace towards
any of the children of men, they would not unanimous-
ly cry "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole
earth is full of his glory." Any misconduct in God,
towards any of the human race, would appear a blem-
ish and not a beauty in the view of the holy angels.
Though mankind have always been disposed to call
God a hard master, an unjust lawgiver and an unwise
governor, yet they have always complained without a
cause. But he has always had reason to complain of
them for their complaining of him. He has never or-
dered any thing unwisely, nor required any thing un-
reasonably, nor afflicted any one unjustly. Though
sin has abounded in this world, yet grace has much
more abounded. Though God's judgments have often
been in the earth, yet has he filled the earth with his
goodness. He has been good to all and his tender
mercies have been over all in his works. God has
treated all men far better than they deserved, even
those, whose hearts he has most deeply wounded. Why
should a living man complain? God has never suffer-
ed any more sin and misery to abound in this rebellious
world, than his own glory and the good of the universe
required. And who can complain of his doing that,
which will display his glory in the eyes of all his holy
and dutiful subjects?
3. If angels view this world, as the most important
and interesting part of the creation; then secure sin-
ners are extremely stupid. They see the same world,
the same objects, the same persons, the same scenes
and the same changes, which angels see and admire;
but they take no notice of the heart and hand and glo-
ry of God manifested by them, though they are far
92
SERMON V.
+
1
more deeply concerned in the objects, with which they
are surrounded and the scenes, through which they are
passing. All, that they see and hear and know in this
world, will make happy or unhappy impressions on their
minds, which they can never forget, nor cease to feel.
They stupidly think and say, that "God hath forsaken
the earth and that he will not do good, neither will he
do evil. This is real stupidity, because it is not ow-
ing to irance, but to inattention. God has made
them capable of seeing his glory, which he is constant-
ly displaying before their eyes in his works, in his prov-
idence and in his gospel. But they choose to pursue
lying vanities and to fix their attention upon trifles re-
gardless of the most important realities. They prac-
tically say unto God, "depart from us, we desire not
the knowledge of thy ways."
"Their heart is waxed
""
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes
have they closed: lest at any time they should see
with their eyes and hear with their ears and should un-
derstand with their heart and should be converted.'
This is the voluntary conduct of stupid sinners, who
differ in this respect from those, who are awakened.---
Their eyes are open snd their ears are open and their
fears are alarmed; they see God and all his creatures
and all his works armed against them. They believe
God is what he is and what he has declared himself to
be and tremble. God is in all their thoughts and they
meet his sovereignty every where in his works, in his
providence and in his word. But how many secure
and stupid sinners there are, who are going on blind-
fold and careless in the broad road to destruction, net-
withstanding God is constantly speaking to their eyes,
their ears, their hearts and consciences. They know
not at what they stumble. But they have reason to
fear, that they will soon fall, to rise no more.
4. If the angels of heaven discover the brightest dis-
plays of the glory of God in this world; then all real
Christians have great advantages, while they are passing
through the changing scenes of life, to make constant
and swift advances in divine knowledge. They see
SERMON V.
93
the same displays of the divine glory, that angels see,
admire and love; and are vastly more interested in the
great changes, which they not only see but feel, than
angels are. God declares, that he governs this world
in the manner he does, on purpose to make the inhab-
itants know that he is the Lord. They are all capable
of gaining this knowledge, but especially those, whom he
has called out of darkness into marvellous ligh God
has shined in the hearts of Christians, to give them the
light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus
Christ And the apostle says, that they with unveiled.
face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
actually changed into the same image, from glory to
glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord. God has given
Christians a spiritual discerning of spiritual things; and
he expects, that they should grow in divine knowl
edge until they arrive at the stature of perfect men.--- -
Christians are under the best circumstances and under
the highest obligations to grow in the knowledge of
God and divine things. Every thing in the world dis-
plays the glory of God and affords matter of instruction
to all, who desire and endeavor to gain instruction.---
You will allow, that Moses and Aaron had great op-
portunities to gain the knowledge of the glory of God
in Egypt and in the wilderness, where God did such
great and glorious things. You will allow, that the
disciples of Christ who followed him from place to place,
heard him preach, saw his miracles and conversed
with him from day to day, had peculiar advantages_to
gain high attainments in divine knowledge. But
Christians have since enjoyed better opportunities, than
Moses and Aaron and even the apostles enjoyed, to
grow in divine knowledge. They lived under a dark
dispensation, but Christians since have lived under a
more enlightening dispensation and enjoyed the full
blaze of gospel light. Angels have seen more of the
divine glory under the gospel dispensation, than they
ever saw before. God has done great and marvellous
things, in preserving and protecting and enlarging the
Christian Church, which has been thinly scattered
12
91
SERMON V.
among all nations, who have always been hostile to it
and endeavored to destroy it. And he is still doing
great and astonishing things in favour of the king-
dom of Christ. We have lived in the most eventful
period, in these fifty years past. Christians who have
lived and still live in this eventful period, have enjoyed
and de till enjoy peculiar privileges and opportunities
of growing in grace and in the knowledge of God. This
world is becoming more & more interesting and instruc-
tive to the angels of light; and ought to become more and
more instructive to the children of light in the present
day; and it must be owing to their spiritual blindness, if
they do not grow in the knowledge of the glory of God
faster than any other Christians have done before them.
The ignorance of Christians at this day is utterly inex-
cusable. They ought to discern the signs of the times
and see and admire those things, which angels here see
& admire. The world are awake to good and to evil
and they are zealously engaged in building up and in
pulling down the kingdom of Christ. Greater revolu-
tions than we have yet seen are to be expected ; and all
these will be brought about by the hand of God and
will display his glory before the eyes of angels and men.
And those who have eyes to see, ought to see; and
those who have ears to hear, ought to hear; `and
those, who have wise and understanding hearts ought
to learn. The duty of Christians to regard the opera-
tions of God in the dispensations of providence and
grace, is becoming more and more serious, imperious
and important. The world is blind, but they have been
enlightened; and God requires and expects that they
should see and be able to guide and lead the blind, who
are destroying themselves. Let Christians be entreat-
ed to improve the opportunities they enjoy to get and
do good in this world, where there is more good to be
done and to be gotten and enjoyed, than in any other
part of the universe.
5. If angels see and admire the glory of God in his
conduct towards mankind in this world; then there
can be no doubt, but they will see and admire
the glory of God in his conduct towards them in their
SERMON V.
95
future and eternal state. They know what he has
done for them here. They know, that he has given
his Son to suffer and die for them; that he has put
the gospel into their hands, that he has appointed
men to use the means of grace with them; that he
here waits to be gracious to them; and that he sends
his spirit to strive with them, and in a word, they know
all that he does to form their characters & prepare them
for their final destination. And when they see God
fix them in their future and final condition, they will
see and admire the glory of his conduct towards them,
whether he fixes them in the world of light, or in the
regions of darkness. While they praise God for his
grace towards the vessels of mercy, they will also
praise him for his justice towards the vessels of wrath.
It will greatly augment the blessedness of the righteous
to have the angels unite in praising God for their sal-
vation; and no less augment the misery of the wicked
to have the angels praise God for giving them a just
recompense of reward. The knowledge of the glory
of God, which angels obtain in this world, enables them
to make much greater progress in the knowledge of
the glory of God, in every other part of the universe,
not only at present, but forever. And while they are
now teaching themselves in the knowledge of the glory
of God here, they are preparing to teach the children
of God, when they shall arrive in the kingdom of their
Father. They will know a vast deal more of God's
conduct towards the saints, than they knew about it
while here and when they first arrive in heaven.--
Christians are constantly surrounded by a cloud of an-
gelic witnesses; and therefore it becomes them to lay
aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily be-
set them and to run with patience the race set before
them, until they join the general assembly and the
Church of the first born in heaven.
6. If God gives brighter displays of his glory here,
than any where else; then all men, in this life, are in
the most important stage of their existence. They
here enjoy privileges and advantages, which they will
never enjoy again, after they go off from the stage of life.
96
SERMON V.
}
}
རྡ
They here enjoy the best opportunities of securing the
everlasting favor of God in this day of grace and space
of repentance. They here enjoy the best opportuni-
ties of seeing the brightest displays of the glory of God;
and at the same time of promoting it in building up his
kingdom and increasing the number of his cordial sub-
jects. These are infinitely important privileges, which
will cease, as soon as we cease to live and act upon the
present stage of life. Saints and sinners are here in a
situation to do more good, or to do more hurt, than
they can ever do in any future period of their existence.
Their lives are inânitely interesting to themselves and
to others. It highly concerns all to improve the resi-
due of their days to the best advantage for themselves
and others. They can never retrieve the loss of time,
nor the loss of opportunities of doing and of getting
good. They have much to gain and much to loose.
This ought deeply to impress the minds of the old and
of the young, of parents and children and of speakers
and hearers. It is summer now, but the winter of
death will soon come. And now be pleased to ask
yourselves, whether you have laid a good foundation
for peace and comfort in the closing scenes of life?
Have you so faithfully served God and your genera-
tion, as that you are prepared, as David was, to fall
asleep in death? Have you seen, admired and enjoy-
ed the displays of the glory of God, which he has
made before your eyes and become prepared to see,
admire and enjoy the future and eternal displays of his
glory? Have you enjoyed angelic happiness here
and so prepared to enjoy it hereafter? Is your path,
like the shining light, which shineth more and more.
unto the perfect day? Do you rejoice in the hope of
the glory of God, or does an expectation of seeing
more of it, fill you with darkness, dread and despair?
Only put these questions to yourselves and give an im-
partial answer to them; and you will determine an
important point, which perhaps some of you have de-
sired to be determined; that is, whether you are
SERMON T.
97
,
saints, or sinners, or whether you love darkness rather
than light; and whether you are prepared for the
world of light, or the world of darkness. If you now
love the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,
this light will arise and shine before your eyes with
increasing brightness and beauty forever and ever.
But if you hate the light of his glory, you will soon
fall into the blackness of darkness and the endlessg
torment and despair of hell.
13
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SERMON VI.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN THE FORMATION
OF MAN,
ROMANS, IX. 20.---Nay, but, O man, who art
thou, that repliest against God? shall the thing
formed say unto him, that formed it, Why hast
thou made me thus ?
The apostle, in the preceding verses, introduces the
doctrine of personal election to eternal life in its full ex-
tent, as implying personal reprobation to eternal de-
struction. And he illustrates the doctrine, by two
memorable cases well known to the Jews. First, by
the instance of Jacob and Esau. "As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Next,
by the instance of Pharaoh. "For the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might shew my power in thee and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy, on whom he will have mer-
cy; and whom he will he hardeneth." To this the
apostle anticipates an objection. "Thou wilt say
then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who
hath resisted his will ?" Instead of evading this ob-
jection, as some suppose he does, he gives a direct and
full answer to it. "Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that repliest against God? shall the thing formed
say unto him, that formed it, Why hast thou made me
thus?" The apostle does not mean to say to the ob-
jector, you have no right to put a question to me,
which no man can answer; but he means to say there
is no ground for the question, "Why doth he yet find
fault," any more than for the question, Why should
not a creature find fault for being a creature? This
is the plain sense of the text:
SERMON VI.
99
بد
Men have no reason to complain of God for making
them just such creatures as they are.
I shall, first, show, that God has made them just
such creatures as they are; and, then, that they have
no reason to complain, that he has made them what
they are.
I. God has made men just what they are, in distinc-
tion from all living creatures below them and from all
rational creatures above them, in various respects.
And,
1. In respect to their bodies. When God made
the first man, he gave him just such a body as he
pleased; and just such a body as he intended to give
to all his numerous posterity. The human body we
know is very different in size, in form, in strength, in
activity and in sensibility, from the bodies of every
species of the lower creation; and it is no less diffe-
rent from the light, ethereal, transparent and splendi
vehicles, with which angels are clothed. There is a
corporeal and visible dignity in the appearance of man-
kind, which is superior to the corporeal appearance of
any other creatures on earth; and perhaps, but a very
little inferior to the corporeal appearance of the angels
of light. Christ now appears and will always appear
in the form of man in heaven; and we can hardly sup-
pose that his visible appearance will be less dignified
than that of the highest angels. But notwithstanding
the general uniformity in the corporeal appearance of
mankind, by which they are distinguished from the
higher and lower orders of creatures, there is a vast
variety in the appearance of individuals, by which they
are distinguishable from one another. Among the
immense millions of mankind there are no two men
exactly alike, in their size, their form, their complex-
ion, their strength and activity. All this personal va-
riety is owing to the design of our Creator. He has
made the bodies of all men just as he pleased. And
so he has,
2. Their intellectual powers and faculties. He has
made as great a diversity in the intellectual talents of
Un
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100
SERMON VI.
men, as in their corporeal properties. He has given
to some men a more solid and acute and comprehen-
sive understanding than to others. He has given a
stronger and more retentive memory to some men than
to others. He has given a livelier and more brilliant
imagination to some men than to others. And he has
given a more easy and flowing eloquence to some men
than to others. Though the intellectual talents of
mankind in general appear very nearly equal; yet
there is a wide and discernable difference between the
lowest and highest talents of some of the human race.
God has diversified and distinguished mankind as much
by their intellectual powers, as by their corporeal forms
and features and external circumstances. He has made
them to differ in all these respects, just as much as he
pleased. And he exercises the same sovereignty,
3. In forming their hearts, or moral exercises. We
read, that "God created man in his own image, in the
image of God created he him." This image of God
did not consist in Adam's corporeal form, nor in his
intellectual faculties, but in his moral exercises. Ad-
am had the same moral exercises before he sinned, that .
his posterity have after they are renewed. When they
are renewed in the spirit of their mind, they are said
to "put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness." God creates the
hearts of all men, as well as their rational powers. Da-
vid asserts, "The Lord looketh from heaven; he be-
holdeth all the sons of men." And he adds, "he fash-
ioneth their hearts alike." God is said to take away
the stony heart from sinners and to give them an heart
of flesh, and when he does this, they are said to become
new creatures. In order to make men moral agents
and accountable creatures, it is as necessary that God
should make their hearts, as well as their understand-
ings. Whether their hearts consist in moral exercis-
es, or in something that is the foundation of them,
they must be created. When God created Adam, he
created not only his body and his understanding, but
his heart. And he has created all mankind in respect
SERMON VI.
101
to their bodies, their understandings and hearts, just
as he pleased and just as they all actually exist. Or
he has, as the apostle says, "Made of one blood all
nations of men, who dwell on all the face of the earth,"
in all the innumerable varieties which appear in their
corporeal, intellectual and moral qualities. Whatever
men find that they actually are, they may be assured,
that God made them thus. I now proceed to show,
II. That they have no reason to complain, that God
has made them just such creatures as they are.
This
will appear, if we consider,
1. That God had an original and independent right
to create them. He had just as good a right to create
them, as not to create them, or any other creature, or
object. And who will presume to deny, that he had
a right not to create the heavens and the earth; not to
create the angels in heaven; not to create man upon
the earth; not to create the birds of the air, the fish of
the sea, the beasts of the field and every thing that has life
and breath and creeps upon the earth? He had a right
not to bring these, or any other creatures and objects
out of nothing into being. He had a right to exist alone
from eternity unto eternity and never exert his almighty
power in producing any creature, or object, in any
part of unbounded space. He had this original and
independent right not to create, because his not creat-
ing could not infringe upon the rights of any other be-
ing in the universe. And for the very same reason,
he had an absolute independent right to create, because
his creating could not infringe upon the right of any be-
ing not to be created; for no being had a right not to
be created. God had a right to create angels, be-
cause his creating them could not infringe upon their
rights, for they had no rights before they were created.
They could neither choose, nor refuse to be created
and God's creating them was neither agreeable nor
disagreeable to their choice. And it is equally true,
that God had a right to create mankind; because his
creating them could not infringe upon their rights; for
they had no rights before they were created. They
;
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102
SERMON VI.
J
could neither choose, nor refuse to be created; and
God's creating them was neither agreeable, nor disa-
greeable to their choice. The act of God in creating
is the most sovereign act conceivable. It is impossi-
ble, that he should create any being, or object, without
acting as a sovereign; and so far as he has a right to
act as sovereign, no being in the universe can have any
reason to complain of his conduct. If he should now
create a new material world and create a new race of
intelligent and accountable creatures to inhabit it, no
being in that world, nor in heaven and earth, could have
any reason to complain of his exercising his original
and independent creative power. If it be true, that
God had an original and independent right to create
mankind and did create them without infringing upon
their rights, then they certainly have no reason to com
plain that he has made them, or brought them out of
nothing into being. "Shall the thing formed say to
Him, that formed it, why hast thou made me ?”
2. God had an original and absolute right to make
mankind just such creatures as they are. He had
precisely the same right to make them exactly as he has
made them, as to make them at all. He had a sover-
eign right to make them inferior to the angels of heav-
en and superior to all the irrational creatures on earth.
He had a sovereign right to produce as great an uni-
formity and as great a variety among mankind them-
selves, as among the other inanimate and animate ob-
jects in this lower world. He has made a great uni-
formity, and a great variety in every species of trees,
that grow in the forest; and in every species of grain,
grass, fruits and flowers, that grow out of the earth.---
And he has made a great uniformity and a great variety
in every species of creatures, that fly in the air, swim
in the ocean and walk and creep upon the earth. We
every where observe a beautiful uniformity and a beau-
tiful variety, in every species of sensitive natures and
inanimate objects; but we cannot discover any two
individuals, which compose these numerous species,
which are exactly alike. Now, all will allow, that
SERMON VI.
103
God had a sovereign right to produce such a uniformity
and variety in all these species of animate and inani-
mate objects. But if he had a sovereign right to cre-
ate all these species of animate and inanimate objects,
in all respects, just as he has actually created them ;-
why had he not the same sovereign right to produce a
similar uniformity and variety among the human spe-
cies and to make mankind, in all respects, just as he
has actually made them? Where is the man, that
has any reason to reply against God and say unto him,
who made him, why hast thou made me thus? Who
has any reason to complain, that God has not made
him as beautiful as Absolom, as strong as Sampson,
as wise as Solomon, as meek as Moses, as patient as
Job, or as honest as Samuel? Who has a right to com-
plain, that God has not given him a better understand-
ing, or a better memory, or a better heart? Who
has a right to complain, that God has not made him
different in any respect whatever? No man in the
world has any just ground to complain, that God has
given him any natural talents, or moral qualities, which
he has not given to another; nor to complain, that
God has not given him any natural talents, or moral
qualities, which he has given to another. No man
has a right to complain, that God has made him to re-
semble another; nor to complain, that he has made him
to differ from another. God has as good a right to cre-
ate two men alike, as to create them at all; or to cre-
ate two men different, as to create them at all. God
had an original and independent right to create man-
kind and to create them just as he has created them ;
and therefore it is absolutely impossible, that they
should ever find any just ground to complain, either
that he has made them, or that he has made them just
what they are.
3. God had a wise and good design in forming man.
kind, in all respects, exactly as he has formed them.
His wisdom and goodness were concerned, not only
in making them, but in making them precisely what
they are, in distinction from the higher order of intelli-
F
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SERMON VI.
gences and the lower order of irrational creatures.---
And in order to answer his design in making them, it
was as necessary that he should form them different
from one another, as to form them different from all
other creatures he had formed. He made all men for
himself and designed to employ them in a vast variety
of services; and in order to fit them for the various
services, in which he meant to employ them, he made
them to differ one from another in their bodily and
mental powers. He did not consult any man how he
should form him, but consulted his own glory in form-
ing every individual of the human race. He forms
every man for use, just as the potter forms every ves-
sel for use, or just as he forms the members of the body
for use.
These are the very similitudes, which the in-
spired writers employ to illustrate the wisdom and
goodness of God in making mankind different from one
another; and to illustrate the unreasonableness and
absurdity of their complaining of God for making them
so differently as he has actually made them. The
prophet Isaiah demands, “Shall the work say of him
that made it, He made me not? or shall the
thing formed say unto him that formed it, He hath no
understanding ?" And again he asks, "Shall the clay
say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?
or thy work, He hath no hands ?" It seems as though
the apostle borrowed his language and argument in the
text and context, from the language and argument of
the prophet. He asks. "O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? shall the thing formed say unto
him, that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?
Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto
dishonor?" And in another place, the apostle illus-
trates, this same subject, by the variety and symmetry
in the frame of the human body. "The body is not
one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Be-
cause I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it
therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say,
Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body;
SERMON VI.
105
If the whole body
is it therefore not of the body?
were an eye, where were the hearing? if the whole
body were hearing, where were the smelling? But
now God hath set the members every one of them in
the body, as it hath pleased him. And the eye cannot
say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again
the head say to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay,
much more those members of the body, which seem to
be more feeble, are necessary." By these similitudes,
the prophet and the apostle illustrate the right God
had to make men different; and his wisdom and good-
ness in making them different. They say, that as the
potter has a wise and good design, in forming his ves-
sels differently for different uses; so God has a wise
and good design, in forming men differently for diffe-
rent uses. And as the wise and good design of the
potter justifies him, in forming his vessels differently
for different uses; so the wise and good design of God
justifies him, in forming mankind differently for diffe-
rently useful purposes. And the consequence, which
both the prophet and apostle draw from this conclusive
mode of reasoning, is, that no man has any reason to
complain, that God has made him thus. There is no
more ground to complain of God for making mankind
just as he has made them, than to complain of his infi-
nite wisdom and goodness.
4. If mankind have any reason to complain of God,
it must be owing, not to his creating them what they
are, but to his treating them improperly after he has
created them. His creating them was neither an act
of justice, nor injustice towards them, but an act of
mere sovereignty. He had a sovereign right to cre-
ate them free moral agents, capable of doing right or
wrong; and his creating them such free moral agents
was neither an act of justice, nor injustice, and could
not possibly be an injury to them. But if he had re-
quired them to do any thing wrong, or forbidden their
doing any thing right, or had punished them, or even
threatened to punish them, for doing right; or not
doing wrong, he would have treated them improperly,
14
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SERMON VI.
4
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unjustly and injuriously and given them just ground of
complaint. Though God complains of mankind for
complaining of him, in making them what they are;
yet he allows them to complain of him, if he treats
them improperly, or unjustly, after he has made them
free moral agents. He says to the inhabitants of Je-
rusalem and men of Judah, "judge, I pray you, be-
twixt me and my vineyard." He appeals to the same
people to judge of the rectitude of his conduct towards
them. "Hear now, O house of Israel, Is not my
way equal? are not your ways unequal ?" And
again he says, "Hear ye now what the Lord saith,
Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the
hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's
controversy and ye strong foundations of the earth :
for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and
he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I
done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee?
testify against me." God condescends to hold himself
responsible for all his treatment of mankind after he
has made them. He allows them to complain, if they
can discover any thing improper, or unjust in the pre-
cepts, prohibitions, or threatenings he has given them ;
or if they can discover any thing improper, or unjust
in the dispensations of his providence, or grace. This
is altogether reasonable. For if the Judge of all the
earth should not do right, in a single instance, in his
treatment of mankind, all the inhabitants of the earth
would have just ground to complain of his conduct. It
may be said with reverence, that God is under stronger
moral obligation to treat mankind right, after he has
made them free, moral agents; than they are to treat
him right. And as he has just ground to complain of
them, if they do not treat him right; so they have just
ground to complain of him, if he do not treat them
right. But God was under no manner of obligation to
mankind with respect to their creation. He had a
sovereign right to create them, or not to create them;
and when he created them, to make them of a higher or
lower order of intelligent creatures. Though Job
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SERMON VI.
"C
107
might have humbly expostulated with God and said,
"Shew me, wherefore thou contendest with me ;" yet
he had no right to ask, Why hast thou made me
thus ?" Though Jeremiah might humbly say, "Righ-
teous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee; yet
let me talk with thee of thy judgments; wherefore doth
the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they
happy, that deal very treacherously?" Still he had no
right to ask, “why God made him and them what
they were." It is one thing for God to create moral
agents; and another, to govern them. In creating
them, he acts as an independent sovereign, who is un-
der no moral obligation to them; but in governing
them, he acts under moral obligation to treat them
with propriety and justice. This distinction between
creation and providence demonstrates, that it is both
naturally and morally impossible, that God should in-
jure mankind in the least degree, by making them
what they are; because he was under no obligation at
all, either to make them, or not to make them, just as
he pleased. Mankind have no more reason to com-
plain of God for making them what they are, than to
complain of him for making angels what they are, or
making every species of the lower creation what they
are.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If God makes men what they are, free, voluntary,
moral agents, then they are always dependent on him,
in all their free, voluntary actions. They can no more
act independently of God, than they can exist in.
dependently of him. In him they live and move, as
well as have their being. The preparation of their
heart and the answer of their tongue is from the Lord.
He works in them both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. It is not possible, in the nature of things,
that he should make them independent of himself. He
cannot put them out of his hand without putting them
out of existence; and they can no more put themselves
3
}
108
SERMON VI.
เ
out of his hand, than they can put themselves out of
existence. They cannot originate a single thought,
affection, or volition, independently of a divine influ
ence upon their minds. They are always under a
moral necessity of acting just as they do act. "The
way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that
walketh, to direct his steps." Since men are the crea-
tures of God, they are necessarily his dependent crea-
tures, who cannot act only as they are acted upon by a
divine controlling influence. For any to assert, that
men are, in any respect, independent, is virtually to
assert, that they are not the creatures of God. Depend-
ance goes into the very idea of a creature; so that
to say a creature is independent of his Creator is a con-
tradiction in terms. It is, therefore, universally al-
lowed, that men are, in some measure, dependent upon
God, their Maker. But many deny that men are,
in all respects and altogether, dependent upon God.
This however, is really as absurd as to deny that men
are, in any measure dependent upon him, in whom they
live and move and have their being.
2. If God has made men just such creatures as they
are; then they know, that he has made them capable
of acting freely and voluntarily under a moral necessi-
ty. They know by their own consciousness, that they
act freely and voluntarily in all they do, in the view of
motives. And they know, by reason, that they are
dependent upon a divine influence, to make them act
freely and voluntarily in the view of motives; and that
this divine influence lays them under a moral necessity
of acting just as they do act. But yet many, contrary
to reason and common sense, insist upon it, that they
cannot act freely and voluntarily, if they act under the
influence of moral necessity. This, it seems, was
the opinion of some in the apostle's day, who objected
against the doctrine he taught concerning God's soft-
ening and hardening the hearts of whom he pleased.
"Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find
fault? For who hath resisted his will ?" This was
as much as to say, if we are always under the influence
SERMON VI.
109
of God in all our actions and we cannot resist and over-
come his influence, then, we are under a moral neces-
sity of acting just as we do in all cases; and if this be
true, then we cannot act freely, or voluntarily, nor do
any thing, which is worthy of praise, or blame. Why
then does God find fault for our acting under his influ-
ence, which he knows we cannot resist, or control?
This objection against man's free agency, placed in the
strongest light, the apostle professes to answer and
remove. But in answering it, he does not pretend to
deny the premises, but only the consequence, which the
objector draws from them. He allows, that God does
influence men to act just as they do and that they can-
not resist, or overcome his influence, which lays them
under a necessity of acting; and yet he asserts, that
God may justly find fault and condemn and punish
them, if they act wrong. And the reason he assigns is,
that they are the creatures of God, whom he has made,
though not independent, which was impossible, yet ca-
pable of acting freely and voluntarily under his irresist-
ible influence. And if any man denies this, he denies
that he is a creature, or that God has made him what
he is and what he knows he is, a free, voluntary, mor-
al agent. Hear the apostle state the objection and
give his answer in his own words. "The scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee
and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will
have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou
will say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For
who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who
art thou, that repliest against God? shall the thing
formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast thou
made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the
clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and
another unto dishonor? What, if God, willing to
shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured
with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction: And that he might make known the rich-
1
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110
SERMON VI.
es of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hađ
afore prepared unto glory?" The apostle here puts it
to the objector to answer his own objection. He im-
plicitly says to him, "You grant, that God does have
mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will
he hardeneth. You grant, that no man can resist his
hardening influence. And you grant, that God does
find fault with those, who disobey his will. Now, if
there be any difficulty in this case, it belongs to you,
rather than to me, to remove it. I have only taught
facts which you do not pretend to deny. But you
draw an inference from the facts I have stated, which
you insinuate is an insuperable difficulty. You ask
why God should find fault with men for any thing they
do under his irresistible influence, insinuating, "that they
cannot act freely and voluntarily under a divine irresist-
ible influence. But this inference does not follow from
the premises granted, but is contrary to two plain well
known facts. One fact is, that God has made men.
The other fact is, that he has made them capable of
acting freely and voluntarily under his irresistible in-
fluence. Their accountability, therefore, arises not
from their being made, but from their being made
what they are and what they know they are, free, ra-
tional, voluntary, moral agents. They intuitively know,
that they are worthy of praise, or blame, for all their
free voluntary actions, though God, works in them
both to will and to do of his good pleasure. To deny,
therefore, that they are not worthy of praise, or blame,
for their free, voluntary actions under a divine influ-
ence, or moral necessity, is implicitly to deny that God
has made them and made them what they know they
are and what they know he had a power and right to
make them; that is, free, voluntary, moral, accounta-
ble agents. This is extremely unreasonable, unscrip-
tural and criminal.
3. If men have no right, or reason, to complain of
God, for making them what they are and what he was
pleased to make them; then they have no reason to
complain, that he determined from eternity to make
SERMON VI.
· 11.1
them what he has made them and what he will make
them, through every period of their existence. He
has certainly a right to determine before hand to do
that, which he has a right to do afterwards.
As he
had a right to make men just what he pleased at first,
so he had a right to determine to make them what he
pleased at first. And as he had a right to make them
what he pleased, as long as they should exist; so he
had a right to determine what he would make them.
forever. As he had a right to make Adam what he
was before he sinned and when he sinned; so he had
a right to determine from eternity, to make him what
he was before he sinned and when he sinned.--
And he had the same right to determine from eternity,
what he would make his posterity, when they come
into the world, while they live in the world and as long
as they exist. As he had a right to make men different
from one another in respect to their intellectual facul-
ties and moral qualities; so he had a right to determine
to make them different from one another through the
whole period of their existence. Every objection, that
can be made against the eternal purposes of God, lies
with equal weight against the conduct of God in making
men what he does make them and what he has an orig-
inal and sovereign right to make them.
And for any
one to object against God's doing what he has an inde-
pendent right to do, is extremely presumptuous and
inexcusable.
4. If men have no reason to complain of God for
making them what they know they are; then they are
all by nature totally depraved. For they are all natu-
rally disposed to complain, that God has made them
thus. They complain of this, more than of any thing.
that God does in his providence, or says in his word.-
Indeed, all their objections against God may be traced
up to the doctrine of man's absolute dependance and
free agency. Mankind almost universally unite in
calling this an unreasonable and absurd doctrine,
though it is plainly revealed in the Bible from begin-
ning to end. This objection arises not from reason or
J
+
112
SERMON VI.
+
experience, but from a total aversion from being abso-
lutely in the hands of God, as the clay is in the hands of
the potter. They would all fain flee out of his hand.
This is not the natural disposition of one, or two, or a
few of mankind, but the natural disposition of all.
They are all, therefore, naturally, enemies to God.
They either say, that there is no such God as the Bi-
ble represents, or if there is, they inwardly say, that he
shall not reign over them. They are displeased, that
he has made them as he has and that he has made them
the offspring of Adam, and caused them to share in the
natural and moral evils of the fall. They say often,
that they had rather never existed than to exist the de-
praved offspring of Adam, who ruined them. This lan-
guage & feeling demonstrate, that they have naturally a
carnal mind, which is enmity against God, not subject
to his law, neither indeed can be. It is the spirit of
the first transgressor and the greatest enemy to God.
5. If men have no reason to complain of God, for
making them what they are, then whenever they seri-
ously contend with him, on this account, they will
be constrained to justify God and condemn them-
selves. Whenever God thoroughly awakens sinners
to attend to their absolute dependance upon him, their
hearts never fail to rise, to object, to murmur and com-
plain. But thousands have been convinced of the ab-
surdity and criminality of their complaints. And God
can always convince them, if he pleases. For they
are rational, as well as moral agents and capable of
feeling the weight and authority of divine truth. When
any truth is clearly and fully set before the reason and
conscience of any person, it is impossible for him to
disbelieve it, whether he loves or hates it. His con-
viction of truth does not depend merely upon his heart.
His reason and conscience may be convinced, while
his heart hates the conviction. All sinners are con-
stantly liable to be convinced, that all their complaints
against God, for making and governing them as he
does, are groundless and criminal. They may be con-
vinced to day, or to-morrow; and they certainly will
be sooner, or later.
ऍ
SERMON VI.
113
6. If it be true, that men have no reason to com-
plain of God, for making them just such as he pleases,
then it is their indispensable duty to be willing to be
in the forming hand of God to all eternity. And they
ought never to feel, nor express a desire to get out of
his hand. God's absolute sovereignty calls for their
immediate and unconditional submission. And let
them say, or do, what they will, they will remain his
enemies, until they do actually and cordially submit
themselves, entirely and forever, into his holy and
sovereign hands.
15
*
་
"
SERMON VII.
A WARNING TO YOUTH,
ECCLESIASTES, xi. 9.-Rejoice, O young man,
in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the
days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine
heart and in the sight of thine eyes: but know
thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee
into judgment.
Youths have often been compared to trees in their
bloom; but like beautiful and promising blossoms, they
often disappoint the hopes they inspire. It depends
upon the principles they imbibe and the courses they
pursue, whether they shall, or shall not, be blessings to
their parents, to their friends and to their fellow crea-
tures. Those, who have lived to acquire the wisdom
of piety and experience, have always felt a tender so-
licitude for the rising generation and endeavored to
guide and guard them in their young and inexperienced
age. Solomon possessed all the wisdom, which piety
and experience could teach. He knew what it was to
remember his Creator in the days of his youth and to
pour out his heart before him in prayer and praise.
And he knew, by experience, the evil and folly of
walking in the ways of his heart and in the sight of
his eyes.
This excited in his breast a peculiar con-
cern for those, who were coming upon the stage of life
and were about to be exposed to all the dangers of this
smiling and ensnaring world. His paternal feelings
for the safety and happiness of the young, he expresses
in terms, the best adapted to make a strong and deep
impression on their minds. Rejoice, O young man
in thy youth; and let thine heart cheer thee in the days
of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and
""
SERMON VII.
115
in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all
these things, God will bring thee into judgment." I
propose in the present discourse,
I. To give the true import of this serious address to
youths; and,
II. I shall endeavor to convince them of the pro-
priety of it.
I. The first thing to be considered, is the true im-
port of the address to youth in the text. It has often
been understood and represented in a sense very diffe-
rent from the wise man's meaning. For,
1. Some suppose, that Solomon means to express
his approbation of young people, in pursuing the inno-
cent recreations and amusements of life. They con-
sider him as representing religion, as not only free
from austerity and gloominess, but as productive of
the purest happiness in the present, as well as in the
future state. And it must be allowed, that he often does
paint virtue and piety in this amiable and beautiful
form. "Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her
paths are peace. Then I commended mirth, because
a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat
and to drink and to be merry: for that shall abide with
him of his labour the days of his life, which God giv-
eth him under the sun. Go thy way, eat thy bread with
joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart: for God
now accepteth thy works." The truth of these obser-
vations has been experienced by those, who have lived
a holy, devout and heavenly life. They have found,
that the enjoyments of religion lay the best foundation
for the true enjoyment of the world. The good man
is satisfied of himself and prepared to receive, to im-
prove and to enjoy every temporal blessing in the best
manner possible. But yet,
2. This does not appear to be Solomon's meaning in
the text, when he says, "Rejoice, O young man, in
thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days
of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in
the sight of thine eyes." We can hardly suppose,
that he here addresses a pious youth, whose heart is
116
SERMON VII.
right with God and who loves to walk in the ways of
his commandments; but the very terms he uses denote,
that he is speaking to a careless, secure, unsanctified
youth, who has no fear of God before his eyes. And
surely he would not exhort such an one "to walk in the
ways of his heart and in the sight of his eyes." It is,
therefore, beyond a doubt, that he means to speak
ironically; and to convey an idea directly contrary to
what his words literally express. The inspired wri-
ters often use this mode of speaking in order to convey
their real meaning in the most strong and pointed man-
ner. Thus God said of Adam, after he had been guil-
ty of the folly as well as sin of disobedience, "behold,
the man is become as one of us, to know good and
evil." And Christ said to the obdurate Jews, "Fill
ye up the measure of your fathers." Instead of exhort-
ing young people to gratify their corrupt and vain
hearts, Solomon means to warn them against every
evil and false way. This appears from what he imme-
diately subjoins. "But know thou, that for all these
things, God will bring thee into judgment. There-
fore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil
from thy flesh; for childhood and youth are vanity.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,
while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh,
when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." It
is presumed, that every one will now admit, that Solo-
mon means by his address to youth in the text, to re-
mind them of their responsibility to God for all their
conduct through life; and to fasten on their minds a
strong and constant sense of that great and decisive
day, when God will bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether
it be evil. But now those, who are in the morning of
life may be ready to ask, Why should the wise man
give us, in particular, such a solemn warning to live &
act under a realizing view of the great and last day?
Did he not know, that such a view of future and eter-
nal realities would disturb our peace and destroy all
our pleasing hopes and prospects? Why did he not
SERMON VII.
117
make this address to the aged, who have gone through
the busy scenes of life and are just ready to appear be-
fore the supreme tribunal of their final Judge? We
do not see the propriety of his solemn address to us, in
particular. Now, as I proposed,
II. To convince you, who are ready to think, to
feel and speak in this manner, of the propriety of the
wise man's address and of the importance of your liv-
ing in a constant preparation for your future and final
account. I will suggest the following things to your
most serious consideration.
Have
1. Please to reflect upon your hearts, which you
have carried about with you and which you have found
to be extremely corrupt and sinful. You were shapen
in iniquity and conceived in sin. You came into the
world, with hearts deceitful above all things and des-
perately wicked. Every imagination of the thoughts
of your hearts has been evil, only evil continually. In
you, that is in your hearts, there has dwelt no good
thing. And your hearts have not only been full of
evil, but fully set in you to do evil. Have you not
found, that they have led you astray in a thousand in-
stances? Have they not led you to be ungrateful,
undutiful and disobedient to your parents?
they not led you to hate instruction and despise re-
proof; to disobey the voice of your teachers and dis-
regard those, who instructed you? Have they not led
you to speak many vain and idle words, if not to take
the name of the Lord your God in vain? Have they
not led you to pursue vain amusements and sinful di-
versions? Have they not led you to neglect reading
the Bible and pious books and to omit secret prayer
and private and public worship? Have they not led
you to profane the sabbath and to run into almost all
evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly?
Have they not led you to love vain conversation, vain
company and to entice others to follow your pernicious
example? Have you not found your hearts opposed to
God, to the friends of God, to the cause of God and
to every thing serious, sacred and divine? Have you
115
SERMON VII.
not felt a strong disposition to put far away the evil
day and to banish, as much as possible, all serious
thoughts and objects, from your minds? But instead
of pushing these inquiries any further, it may be more
pertinent to ask, whither will such corrupt and deprav-
ed hearts carry you? Can you conceive of any safe-
ty in trusting in such hearts, as you have found have so
often betrayed, deceived and well nigh ruined you ?
Can you set any bounds to your progress in sinning?
Is there any evil, or danger, to which you are not ex-
posed? Is there not, then, a great propriety in the
wise man's addressing you in particular; and in warn-
ing you not to walk in the ways of your hearts, which
are the ways to certain and endless ruin?
2. Consider that the world, in which you live and
through which you have to pass to your long home,
is every way calculated to corrupt and destroy
you.
In the first place, the things of the world are full of
poison and perfectly suited to increase and draw forth
the native corruption of your hearts. Every object,
which strikes your eye, or your ear, directly tends to
affect your hearts and leave a bad impression there.--
All the natural good and evil you experience, serves
to awaken some sinful and selfish affection. All the
objects around you are armed against you and act an
unfriendly part towards you. The regular succession
of the seasons, the sudden and unexpected changes of
fortune, the riches, the honors and all the scenes of
prosperity, which attract your desires and hopes, as
well as all the evils you feel, or fear, concur to rivet
your attention and attachment to some vain and un-
satisfactory object. You cannot observe, much less
mix with the passing scenes of life, without being, some
way or other, affected and corrupted by them. All
the visible and sensible objects, with which you are con-
cerned and connected, have a direct and powerful ten-
dency to blind your minds, harden your hearts and un-
fit you for heaven.
SERMON VII.
119
In the next place, worldly employments, as well as
worldly objects, are of a dangerous and ensnaring na-
ture to your hearts. God made you for activity and
has given you the best opportunities in this world,
to exert and display all your active powers. You
ought to be constantly engaged in some useful employ-
ment. But whether you cultivate the earth, or sail
the ocean, or instruct others, or whatever business you
pursue, your appropriate calling will engross your at-
tention and draw your hearts to some selfish interest.
Any worldly business will tend to make you worldly
minded and unfit you for the service and enjoyment of
God. Every business, calling, or profession has its
peculiar evils and dangers and naturally creates some
custom, or habit unfavorable to the concerns of the soul,
while you retain your native depravity. You may im-
agine, that if you avoid the more public and busy scenes
of life and seek retirement, you shall escape the dan-
gers, to which you see so many exposed; but your
fond hope may involve you in the most insensible and
consequently in the most fatal evils; and that very
business, which you expect will be your safety, may in
sensibly prove your ruin.
Besides, you are in no less danger from the men of
the world, than from its business and objects. You
are rising up with a rising generation, with whom you
must live and with whom you must converse and with
whom you must be more or less intimately connected.
These children of disobedience will wish and endeavor
to make you feel and act like themselves; and their
weight and influence will be next to irresistible.--
This you have lived long enough to know by expe-
rience. How often have they already led you to think
and speak and act, contrary to the instructions you
have received, the resolutions you have formed and the
plain dictates of your reason and conscience?
If you
turn to your right hand or left, if you associate with
these or those of your age, they will lie in wait to de-
ceive and destroy. Idle, vain and wicked company is
one of the most fatal snares to which you are exposed
}
120
SERMON VII.
.
1
*
་
and from which it is most difficult to escape. Old
company may be as corrupting as the young and some-
times far more fatal. Those who are grown grey in
folly, vanity and dissipation are the most dangerous
men in the world, to those youths, who, of choice or
necessity, associate with them. This world lies in
wickedness; and you cannot escape its contaminating
influence, while you live in it with unholy hearts.
Remember, therefore, your Savior's caution "Be-
ware of men.'
""
;
Furthermore, the god of the world unites with the
men of the world and all its scenes and objects, to lead
you in the broad road to ruin. The apostle says, "If
our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, w is the image of God, should
shine unto them." And he asserts, that "the prince
of the power of the air is the spirit, that now worketh
in the children of disobedience." While your hearts
remain unsanctified, Satan has an uncontrolled influ-
ence over you and employs every thing in the world, to
blind your minds, to stupify your consciences and
alienate your hearts from God and divine things.—
He is a subtle and malignant enemy.
He goes
about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may de-
vour. While you are ignorant of his devices, he has
every advantage to lead you captive at his will. Thus
all the objects, all the employments, all the men
and the god of this world, are united in their influence
to destroy you. You are constantly surrounded by
powerful spiritual enemies and through hosts of these
you are passing through life. Do you not need and
ought you not to receive the admonition in the text;
and all other friendly admonitions of danger? Can
any thought be more proper to lie continually on your
minds, than your constant exposedness to live and die
impenitent.
3. Bear it in your minds, that you are now in a state
of trial and forming your characters for eternity. God
SERMON VIL
121
is leading you through the snares and dangers of this
world, as he did his people in the wilderness, to know
what is in your hearts and whether you will obey, or
disobey his commands. He knows what will most
sensibly affect every individual in every situation of
life. He may try you with health of body and vigor of
mind, with favour of friends and frowns of enemies,
with the blessings of providence, with the means of
grace and with the strivings of his Spirit. He may
place you in one situation and then in another, to try
your feelings under very different circumstances.-
And he will keep his eye constantly fixed upon you.
He will watch you when you go out and when you
come in ; when you are idle and when you are busy ;
when you rejoice and when you mourn; when you
hope and when you fear; when you regard and when
you disregard his solemn warnings and admonitions.
So that you will live and move under the constant in-
spection of the all seeing and heart searching God, who
will be continually exhibiting before you new and va-
rious objects, on purpose to try your hearts and pre-
pare you for your future and eternal state.
And can
you conceive of being placed in a more serious, critical
and trying situation? Though you are thoughtless of
God, he will not be thoughtless of you; though you
would have nothing to do with God, he will have some-
thing to do with you; and though you wish to flee out
of his hand, bis hand will hold you. He knows your
down-sitting and up-rising and understands your
thoughts afar off. He compasses your path and sur-
rounds you with his presence, every day, and every
where. Do you not, then, need to be reminded re-
peatedly of your trying situation, as probationers for
eternity, who are preparing for your final and endless
destination!
4. Remember that God not only may, but must call
you to an account for all your conduct in this state of
trial. He has formed you rational and immortal crea-
He has made you capable of knowing good &
evil and of feeling your moral obligations to obey all
tures.
t
16
122
SERMON VII.
I
377
J
""
the intimations of his will whether by the voice of his
word, or by the dictates of your conscience. And since
he has indued you with rational and moral powers, he
cannot consistently leave you to live as you please ;
but is bound, by his moral perfections, to call you to an
account for all the exercises of your hearts and actions
of your lives. "Know thou, that for all these things,
God will bring you into judgment. God was at lib-
erty whether to give you a rational and immortal exis-
tence, or not; but we cannot conceive, that he is at
the same liberty to call you, or not call you to an ac-
count for your treatment of him and one another in
this world. It is just as certain, therefore, that he will
bring you into judgment, as that he has brought you
into existence. And now consider once more,
5. Whether your hearts can endure, or your hands
be strong in the day, that God shall deal with you!
When he calls you to judgment, he will bring into
view all that you have said and thought and done,
which was contrary to his holy law. He will let no
idle word, no sinful thought pass unnoticed. He will
exhibit your whole hearts and your whole lives before
the view of the whole intelligent creation. And is it
not of serious importance, that you should be prepared
for this solemn scene! The judgment, which God
shall pass, will be final and without appeal. When
Christ says to the righteous, "Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world, they will go away into ever-
lasting life." And when he shall say to the wicked,
"Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire;" they will
immediately sink into endless perdition. In the view
of all these things, which have been exhibited to your
most serious consideration, must you not see & feel the
propriety and importance of the solemn address made to
unthinking, unholy, unfeeling youth in the text and of
the solemn warnings and admonitions given to the
'young through the whole word of God? If solemn
warnings will ever do you any good, it is most likely
they will do you good in the morning of life. If they
ན་
SERMON VII.
123
+
do not carry conviction to your consciences now, you
have great reason to fear, that they never will. The
longer you resist conviction, the more hardened you
will grow and the more you will be prepared to be de-
stroyed; and that without remedy.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If there be a propriety in the solemn and pathetic
address to youth in the text; then it is very absurd for
any to think, that young people, in particular, may be
excused for postponing and neglecting to prepare for
their future and eternal state. This they are disposed
to think and say. They claim a right to rejoice in their
youth, to walk in the ways of their hearts and in the sight
of their eyes and put far away the evil day of death, or
old age. They feel and say, that it would be very im-
proper, indecent and unbecoming in them, to regard
serious and divine things; and the world would des-
pise them for it. They vainly imagine, that they have
time enough before them to prepare for death and eter-
nity in some later period of life. They are ready to
believe and say, that the aged, the sick and dying
ought to prepare for the solema scenes before them.---
They would think it very absurd and criminal for a dy-
ing youth not to pray and if capable, not to read the
Bible and if he had opportunity, not to converse about
death and eternity. They do think it is very absurd
and criminal for those, whose heads are covered with
gray hairs and are stooping over the grave, not to read
and and set their souls in order for that vast eter-
pray
nity, where they must soon be fixt in never ending has-
piness, or misery. But yet they excuse themselves
for the neglect of every religious duty and for the ar-
dent pursuit of every lying vanity. And their excuse
is accepted by one another, by the world in general and
too often by their very parents, who have publicly and
solemnly dedicated them to God and bound themselves
to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. This would be strange, were it not common ;
प
•
124
SERMON VII.
+
:
and that it is common is stranger still. Such views and
feelings are contrary to the voice of God in his word.
He requires young people, to remember their Creator
in the days of their youth and commands young men to
be sober minded. Such views and feelings are contrary
to the voice of God in his providence. He sends death
to the young, as well as to the old. And such views
and feelings are contrary to the dictates of conscience
in both the old and young. They both know, that it
is the indispensable duty of rational and immortal crea-
tures to give their hearts and lives to God, as soon as
they are capable of it. There are in reality, more and
weightier reasons for youth to be religious, than for any
other persons. While they neglect religion, they run
the awful risk of destroying, not only their own souls,
but the souls of others and of doing a vast deal of mis-
chief in the world, whether they are finally saved, or
lost.
2. If there be a propriety in the solemn and pathetic
address to youth in the text; then there is something
very beautiful and amiable in becoming religious
early in life. Piety adorns all persons who possess it;
but it shines with peculiar lustre in youth, because it more
clearly appears to be the effect of a change of heart,
than of a change of circumstances. Gay youths often
become more sober, circumspect and regular, in conse-
quence of age, of trials and even of ambition, or a de-
sire of gaining respectability in the eyes of the world,
while they are as really impenitent, unbelieving and
opposed to the gospel, as ever they were. But when
young men become sober minded and renounce the van-
ities of childhood and youth and unite with the people
of God in practising and promoting vital piety, they
exhibit a shining evidence of real, unfeigned religion
and of a pure purpose to serve God and their genera-
tion as long as they live. They resemble young Sam-
uel, young Josiah and the young Redeemer, who went
about his Father's business at twelve years old.-
Though some, who were converted late in life, have
been eminently pious and extensively useful; yet those,
SERMON VII.
125
who have been the most pious and most useful in the
world, have generally become pious in youth. Such
certainly have the most time and best opportunities of
doing good in the world. How useful were Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob; how useful were Joseph and Mo-
ses; how useful were Jehoiada and Daniel ? These
men were early pious and long and extensively useful;
and they will command the respect and veneration of
all mankind to the end of time. Early piety is so far
from being really disreputable, that it never fails to
command the inward respect of both the young and the
old. Early piety is peculiarly pleasing to God. He
says, "I love them that love me; and those, that seek
me early, shall find me." Accordingly, as far as our
observation extends, we find that God much oftener
produces piety in the young, than in the old. Though
some old Manassehs are called in at the eleventh hour;
yet the instances are very few, in comparison with the
conversions of youths and others in the early stages of
life. Youth is the best and most important time to be-
come religious. It is the best time for themselves, for
God and for the world, were they sure of life and of a
sound conversion in the hour of death. But they have
no assurance of life, nor of becoming religious, though
life should be prolonged to the latest period. Those
youths and those only have acted the wisest part, who
have chosen the one thing needful, devoted themselves
to God and secured his everlasting favour.
3. If there be a propriety in the solemn and pathet-
ic address to the youth in the text; then there is a pe-
culiar propriety in young persons remembering the Sab-
bath-day and keeping it holy. The Sabbath was made
for man; and is a precious season given to the young
as well as the old, to attend to the great concerns of
their souls. It is a time to think, to read and to pray
in secret and private, as well as in public. But young
people are extremely apt to neglect and even abuse
the great privilege of attending public worship and
hearing the gospel, which has brought life and immor-
tality to light, opens the invisible scenes of the invisi-
1
126
SERMON VII.
ble world and exhibits the restraining motives of death,
judgment and eternity. The gospel assures them, that
they are living for eternity; that their souls are im-
mortal; and that they must very soon be called into
judgment and give an account of the deeds done in the
body. But who are so apt to neglect and abuse the
privileges of the Sabbath as they are? Who are so
apt to absent themselves from the house of God?---
Who are so apt to attend public worship with levity?
Who are so apt to resist the truth and to despise re-
proof? Yet none, in God's view stand in so much
need of instruction, of warning and of reproof as they
do. He has commanded parents to instruct and re-
strain them; and he has commanded his ministers to
feed the lambs of his flock. It is to be greatly lament-
ed, that parents so often allow their children to neg-
lect public worship, while they attend it. In seasons
the most difficult to attend public worship, we often
find the seats of the young vacant, while the seats of
the aged are filled. The rising generation here are
most criminally negligent in attending public worship;
and far more criminal still, in profaning the Sabbath in
every way in which it can be profaned. The abuse of
the Sabbath is the most soul-ruining sin of Youth. It
has brought thousands to an untimely end. "Wo unto
you that laugh now: for ye shall mourn and weep."
Solomon represents a self-ruined and self-condemned
youth as saying to himself, "How have I hated instruc-
tion and my heart despised reproof; and have not
obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine.
ear to them that instructed me; I was almost in all
evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly."
Every youth, who profanes the Sabbath, rejects the
gospel and despises reproof, is in danger of enduring
such bitter reflections to all eternity.
4 If it be proper to give young people such solemn
warnings and admonitions as Solomon does in the
text; then it must be extremely improper to provide
for them and allow them in vain and sinful amusements.
If one of these things is right, then the other is wrong.
SERMON VII.
127
;
If it be right to teach youth, that their hearts are to-
tally depraved, that they live in an evil and dangerous
world, that they are already under a sentence of con-
demnation and the wrath of God abideth upon them,
that they are exposed every day to sickness and death,
that death will close their probationary state and that
after death is the judgment; can it be right to provide
superb theatres and elegant ball rooms, at a great ex-
pense, for their entertainments and vain amusements?
All parents know, that if one of these things is right, the
other must be wrong. And I presume no parents can
be found, who do both. Those, who teach, warn and
reprove their children, to make them sober-minded:
never provide for them, nor allow them in vain and
dissipating amusements. And those parents, who pro-
vide for and allow their children to spend their time
in vanity and fashionable amusements, do not desire,
nor dare to inculcate upon them the vast importance of
preparing for death, judgment and eternity. Let me
now seriously ask all parents, which of the two modes
of treating children is right? Will you not answer
as one, it is right to instruct, to warn and admonish
your children to remember their Creator in the days
of their youth and to abstain from all lying vanities?
If you say and believe this, can you conscientiously al-
low them to go into vain company and join in their
vain and dissipating amusements? You must be call-
ed to an account for your conduct towards your child-
ren, as well as they, for their eonduct towards their
Creator. Dare you do that, which you know will
tend to prevent, rather than promote the piety and sal-
vation of your children? Think for a moment, how
you would feel to see one of your children in the bloom
of youth, lying on a death bed, expecting every day to
be called into judgment, without hope; would you not
bitterly lament your negligence in preparing him for
heaven? If you would, how should you treat your
children in health? This is no imaginary case.
It
is some where or other realized almost every day.---
I am not preaching terror. I am only preaching truth
and such truth as I have often preached.
1
1
F
F
1
128
SERMON VII.
1.
5. It appears in the view of this subject; that the
death of young people is a very solemn and interesting
event to the living, whether they leave the world pre-
pared, or unprepared. Death is always a solemn and
interesting event to the dying, let it come how, or
when it will. For it closes their state of probation,
seals up their account for the great day and transmits
their souls to their long home. But when men gradu-
ally sink into the grave under the infirmities and weight
of old age, their departure out of the world is generally
little noticed and less regretted, by the living. They
have been expecting their death and preparing their
ninds for the event. It gives them but a little shock.
They feel very differently, however, when the young
are prematurely called out of the world, in the midst
of high hopes and promising prospects. They feel
both for the dying and for themselves.
When the
aged áre languishing under the decays of nature, in-
stead of pitying, we congratulate them, in the prospect
of the speedy termination of all their pains and sorrows.
But the prospect of the blasted hopes and expectations
of the languishing and dying youths extorts pity from
every breast. To leave the world, just as they have
come upon the stage of life, looks like an awful disap-
pointment to themselves. And it is certainly so to
others, who naturally place dependance upon the lives
and usefulness of the young.
The late instance of mortality in this place is, there-
fore, in every respect, a very solemn and instructive
event to the living. A youth's going to the dead is
like a youth's coming from the dead, to warn the living
to prepare for eternity. Whether the deceased was
prepared, or unprepared, to leave the world, we have
no right to decide. This instance of early death ad-
monishes the aged of their obligations of gratitude for
prolonging their lives in this dying world. They might
have been cut down as early in life; and it has been
owing to the distinguishing mercy of God, that they
have been preserved alive, amidst ten thousand dan-
gers and accidents and allowed so much time and so
Lie
SERMON VII.
129
ར
many opportunities and advantages of doing and get-,
ting good and of preparing for a blessed immortality
beyond the grave. God has done much more for them,
than he did for the poor youth, that has gone the way
of all the earth. And he expects that they should be
more ripened for a later and more joyful departure out
of the world. The death of this youth speaks directly
and solemnly to those, who are greatly disappointed
and sorely bereaved, by her premature decease. Their
minds have been painfully agitated by alternate hopes
and fears, while they saw her languishing from month to
month, from week to week and from day to day, till
she died. Their expectations are now completely
blasted and what they feared, is come upon them.---
She is taken and they are left; and they are left, to pre-
pare to follow her, who will never return to them.-.--
Their fiery trial now speaks louder than words and im-
periously calls upon them to be still and know, that the
Judge of all the earth has done right. They ought not
to forget, nor despise the chastening of the Lord: but
they ought cheerfully to submit to his corrections,
which though grevious, may eventually afford them
just cause of gratitude and praise. The death of
youths has often been blest for the eternal benefit of
the living. The mourners, on this occasion, are un-
der peculiar obligation to hear the rod and him, who has
appointed it. God has thrown them into the furnace
of affliction, which must have its effect and a lasting
effect, whether they are sensible of it, or not. But it
is to be hoped, that the youth, most deeply interested
and affected, will from this day forward, remember
his Creator. And what I say to him, I say to all the
youth in this place. The last year, God took the aged
and spared the youth; and he is still sparing them.
But what has been the consequence of God's long
suffering and patience towards you? Has it melted
your hearts into gratitude and godly sorrow for the
abuse of his mercy? Has it not rather stupified the
hearts of all and seared the consciences of many? Has
childhood and youth ever produced more vanity then
17
130
BERMON VIT.
"
2
here, for years past? Have any children and youth,
any where, become more stupid, hardened, profane &
obstinate in wickedness, than those, who are now be-
fore me and who have often heard my warning voice?
How much soever I may have failed in the discharge
of my ministerial office for forty six years. I have not
designedly been negligent, in warning, admonishing &
reproving children and youth, as occasions have occur-
red. I have been so uniform and constant in this part
of my duty, that both the young and the old have often
anticipated reproofs and taken pains, either not to hear
them, or resist them. And though they have so often
and so long resisted; yet I do not regret the exertions
I have made to awaken and convince and convert and
restrain the children and youth. But whether I have
met with the concurrence of others in my exertions, so
much as ought to have been afforded, I leave to the
serious consideration and reflection of professing pa-
rents and professing Christians, and every one, who
regards the temporal and eternal good of the rising
generation. But is there no hope? Most certainly
there is. I can remember the time, when some of the
best Christians, now before me, were vain and thought-
less youth.
God arrested them in their career,
changed their hearts, compelled them to come in and
unite in building up his cause. The present children
and youth are not beyond his reach. The voice from
the dead and from the living, this day, may do what has
not been done for years past. Though there is much
ground to despair of veteran sinners, there is still
ground to hope, God will raise up from the children &
youth a generation to serve him, when we, who are
aged, are laid in the dust.
?
་
SERMON VIH.
DEATH IN THE MIDST OF LIFS.
PSALM, CII. 24.—I said, O my God, take me
not away in the midst of my days.
It is uncertain when David presented this petition
to his Creator and preserver; but it is natural to sup-
pose, that it was at a time, when he viewed himself ap-
parently exposed to the stroke of death. It seems by
what he said just before he made this request, that he
was in a low and languishing state of health and ap-
prehended that he was gradually drawing near to the
grave. He felt that his strength was weakened and
therefore expected his life would be shortened; and un-
der this impression, he prayed that God would not
take him away in the midst of his days. Though he
was a good man and habitually prepared to leave the
world; yet he seems to have been reluctant to dying in
the meridian of life. And who is there now in the
midst of his days, that feels no reluctance to going the
way of all the earth? Neither the young, nor the old,
whether in a state of nature, or of grace, are generally
so unwilling to go off from the stage of life, as those,
who are in the midst of their days. If those, in the
decline of life, were to look back and compare their
past and present feelings upon this subject, they would
undoubtedly find, that they never had so strong an at-
tachment to life, as when they were in their own view
in the midst of their days. Since that period, many
things have occurred to wean them from the world.--
But though mankind are so reluctant to being taken
away in the midst of their days; yet this reluctance is
no security against the stroke of death, even in that stage
132
SERMON VIII.
-1
of life. David knew, that God had a right to cut short
his life and take him away from all his fond hopes and
expectations and prospects, in the midst of his days.---
This right God sometimes exercises; for what Job
says is often verified. "One dieth in his full strength,
being wholly at ease and quiet. His breasts are full of
milk and his bones are moistened with marrow."
It is, therefore, a plain truth and worthy of our serious
consideration,
That God does take away some in the midst of their
days, though they are then the most unwilling to die.
I shall,
I. Show that those, who are in the midst of their
days, are generally the most unwilling to die; And,
II. Show that nevertheless, God does take away
some in the midst of their days, as well as in any other
period of life.
I. I am to show, that those who are in the midst
of their days, are generally the most unwilling to die.
It is not necessary to say, very exactly, who are in
the midst of their days. Estimating the period of hu-
man life at threescore years and ten, we may consider
all those in the meridian of life, whose age is between
thirty and fifty years. In these twenty years, mankind
are generally the most capable of acting their various
parts on the stage of life. And it is in this period,
that they are generally the most attached to living and
the most averse from dying. Generally, I say, be-
cause there may be exceptions to this opinion. There
are so many changes in the outward and inward state
of mankind, that some in the earlier and some in
the later period of life, may be the most unwilling to die.
These things being premised, I proceed to observe,
1. That those, in the midst of their days, have the
strongest expectations of living. They have been in
deaths oft. They have been sensible of the danger of
losing their lives, ever since they can remember; but
yet have always escaped the arrow of death. They
have often been visibly exposed to accidents; but have
always escaped those, that are fatal. They have of-
SERMON VIII.
133
ten been sick and sometimes dangerously so; but have
always happily recovered. All these recoveries from
sickness and escapes from danger have had a natural
tendency to create hopes and expectations of living and
still escaping future dangers and diseases. Whether
their bodily constitution be slender, or robust, they
place more dependance upon it, in the meridian, than
in any other period of life. They have known by ex-
perience, that they have outlived many who were young-
er and stronger and perhaps, in many respects, more
likely to live, than they. And when they look around
them, they find, that much the largest class of the liv-
ing are like themselves, in the meridian of life. All
these circumstances are familiar to them; and they can
easily and almost imperceptibly put them together, in
order to strengthen and confirm their ardent and pleas-
ing hopes of living. They are not alarmed, like the
aged, at the shortness of life; nor like the young, at
desolating judgments and contagious diseases. No fa-
tal disorders, or accidents, or calamities, which fall up-
on those around them, destroy, but rather corroborate
their hopes of long life. Now this fond hope of liv-
ing naturally creates an aversion to dying. Those,
who have the highest hopes and expectations of living,
have the greatest reluctance to leaving the world, in
which they wish to live. Whatever the hope of the
living be founded upon, whether the prospect of getting
or of doing good, that hope must render death a dread-
ed event. And since those, in the morning and meridi-
an of life, commonly and habitually cherish the most
sensible hopes of living, they are, generally, of all per-
sons, the most unwilling to bury their earthly prospects
in the grave.
2. Those, in the midst of their days, often wish to
do a great deal more good in the world before they die.
This was undoubtedly the desire and design of David.
As he had defeated the army of the Philistines and put
an end to a dangerous war, while he was but a strip-
ling; so he still desired to serve God and his genera.
tion much longer in this world. He was now seated
To
1
134
SERMON VIII.
I
on the throne of Israel and had an opportunity, if his
life were spared, to promote the best interests of a large
kingdom. This made him deprecate, like Hezekiah,
the cutting off of his life in the midst of his days. Paul
was in a strait betwixt two, having a desire both to
live and to die. If he had had only a desire to die, he
would not have been in any strait betwixt two. But
he had a desire to live, as well as to die; and his de-
sire to live arose entirely from his desire to do more
good. This desire to do good arises to the highest de-
gree of ardor and vigor in the breasts of good men, in
the midst of their days, when they have the most clear,
just and extensive view of things and feel the most ca-
pable of promoting the glory of God and the good of
mankind. And the desire of doing good creates a de-
sire of living and a reluctance to dying an early and
premature death. Some pious persons, in the decline of
life, express a willingness to die, because they have, in
their own apprehension, if not in the view of others,
nearly or wholly outlived their usefulness. And when
this is the case, it is a good reason, why they should
be more willing to be dismissed from the cares, the
labours and burdens of life and have liberty to rest in
their graves. While on the other hand, pious young
men are in a measure unconscious of their abilities to
do good, when they shall arrive at the meridian of life.
They have neither tried their abilities, nor extended
their views, nor raised their expectations of doing
much good in the world; and therefore can be more
easily reconciled to being taken away, while they have
hardly begun to be extensively useful. But while
the pious and benevolent are in the midst of their days
and usefulness, their feelings are different in respect to
dying. The prospect of living and their desire of do-
ing more good to their fellow men, make them more
unwilling to be taken away in the midst of their days.
Nature and grace unite in giving them a peculiar re-
luctance to going off the stage of action, before they
have gratified their benevolent feelings.
SERMON VIII.
135
3. Those, in the meridian of life, very often wish,
not only to do more good, but to get more good in the
world before they die. Mankind generally have the
most promising prospects of worldly prosperity in the
midst of their days. When we read the history of
both the good and bad kings of Israel, we find them
at the zenith of their earthly glory in the middle of
their lives. This was the case of David and Solomon,
the morning and evening of whose lives were dark and
gloomy. This was the case of Pompey, Cæsar, Cic-
ero and most of the illustrious Romans. And this is
commonly the case of men in all ranks and stations in
life. Few arrive to the height of their prosperity, till
they have reached the best part of their days. So long
as men are rising in wealth, in reputation and power,
their prospects are brightening and their desires of life
are increasing; and these prospects often continue un-
til the decline of life; but seldom any longer. It is,
therefore, in this fascinating season, they most sensibly
dread the approach of death, which must necessarily
lay all their promising hopes and prospects in the dust.
Very few experimentally learn the vanity of the world,
until it has painfully disappointed them. It is in the
midst of their days and at the height of their prosperity,
that they are disposed to form the most unjust estimate
of earthly happiness; and of course, it is then they
feel the greatest reluctance to being deprived of it, by
the stroke of death. This is one reason why those,
in the midst of their days, are the most unwilling to die.
4. Those, in the meridian of life, are the most inti-
mately and extensively connected with their fellow-
men:
These connections are the principal source of
human happiness in the present life; and render it the
most pleasant and agreeable. The circle of friends,
relatives and acquaintance commonly expands wider
and wider until mankind arrive at the meridian of
life; and then they diminish, till the aged are left al-
-most alone in the midst of a new world of strangers.---
There is nothing, perhaps, in the present state, which
so sensibly endears life and so strongly draws the af
136
SERMON VIII.
*
¡
fections to it, as the tender ties, which unite the hearts
and interests of individuals to each other. These ten-
der ties are often broken one after another, before the
aged are taken away, which frequently renders death
more desirable than life. But the case is far other-
wise with those, who are in the midst of their days.---
They are frequently surrounded by rising and numer-
ous families, connected with a large circle of warm and
affectionate friends and deeply interested in the affairs
and concerns of life. It is in this period, that the views
of men are enlarged, their relative duties are increas-
ed and their public influence widely extended. The
cares not only of a family, but of a smaller or larger
community, are devolved upon them; and they feel
deeply interested in the prosperity of both church and
state. These circumstances, which seem more pecul-
iar to those in the midst of life, all conspire to create a
reluctance to leaving their friends and connections,
whose welfare lies so near their hearts. How often do
these considerations cause pious parents, dutiful chil-
dren, affectionate friends, faithful ministers and useful
men, to regret being taken away in the midst of their
days and separated from those, whom they hold most
dear and valuable in life!
5. Those, in the meridian of life, are often very un-
willing to leave the world, because they have not ac-
complished the designs they have formed, nor ob-
tained the purposes, which they have long pursued.
The young form very few important designs; and the
aged have nearly accomplished theirs. In the decline
of life men commonly lose their enterprising spirit and
endeavor to draw all their purposes into a narrower
compass & rest satisfied with their present attainments.
But those, in the prime and vigor of their days, expand
their desires like the waves of the sea and exert all their
mental powers to lay new plans, to obtain new objects
and to put forth new exertions to accomplish their
wishes. They look a great way forward and form de-
signs, which must take years to carry into effect. Their.
hearts are bound up in their darling designs and pur-
SERMON VIII.
137
}
suits. They ardently desire to live to accomplish their
purposes, which must be entirely defeated, if death
should arrest them in their course. This Job lament-
ed in the days of his bereavement and distress. He
said, "My days are past, my purposes are broken off,
even the thoughts of my heart." How many have left
their farms uncultivated, their houses unfinished, their
merchandize involved, their literary works uncomplet-
ed and their families and friends unprovided for, by be-
ing called away in the midst of their days. Death, in
such instances, fall upon men in an evil time. And
where do we find any in this stage of life, who are not
engaged in some worldly design or pursuit ; and who
would not feel reluctant to leave their designs unaccom-
plished and the objects of their pursuit unattained. !---
The middle-aged are generally too busy to be willing
to die and too much attached to the world to be willing
to leave it. Besides,
6. Those, in the midst of their days, are more un-
willing to die than others, because they are more unfit.
This is commonly the case, whether they are saints or
sinners. When saints are the most involved in the
cares and concerns of the world, they are then the most
unfit to leave it and generally feel so. They find that
they have not set their souls and houses in order, so
as to be practically prepared to leave this, for another
world. It is generally, in the midst of their days, that
good men sensibly and visibly decline in religion.
When they are young they are all awake and alive to
divine things; but the cares and love of the world, as
they advance towards the meridian of life, very often
cool their religious fervor, damp their religious hopes,
weaken their religious exertions and diminish their re-
ligious enjoyments. They feel a greater attachment
to temporal and a less attachment to spiritual and di-
vine objects. They are more unfit and more unwilling
to die, than they were in their earlier days. And in
respect to sinners, they find their worldly views and af
fections grow stronger and stronger, as they approach
nearer to the meridian of life. The careless become
*
7
18
136
SERMON VIIJ.
careful, the idle become industrious, the industrious
become more and more laborious and the enterprising
become more ardent and indefatigable in their worldly
pursuits. Their hearts become more and more glued
to the world. We find, that the meridian of life is of--
ten very different from the beginning and close of it,
both in good and bad men. Christians frequently
brighten up in the decline of life, who had been cold
and lifeless in the days of their vigor and prosperity..
And on the other side, those, who had been stupid sin-
ners in their early days, sometimes become more seri-
ous and disposed to think about death and eternity in
the decline of life. But while saints or sinners are in
the midst of their days and borne forward by the wind
and tide of prosperity, they are generally indisposed to
think much about death and still more averse from
meeting it. Thus there are many things, which serve
to make those, in the midst of their days, more unwil
ling than others to die. Yet,
II. God does take away some in this period of life....
It is true, indeed, he more seldom takes away the mid-
dle-aged, than either those, who have not reached, or
those, who have passed the meridian of life. Much
the largest portion of the human race die before they
have arrived to thirty years of age and the next larg-
est portion die after they have arrived to fifty. And
between these two periods, the smallest number of man--
kind go off the stage of action and return to dust: This
may be owing to both natural and moral causes. In
the meridian of life, as we have observed, the bodily
constitution is generally the most firm and robust and
least exposed to fatal accidents and disorders. The
moral cause may be, that God has the most occa
sion for the exertion of mankind, while they are in the
vigor of their mental and corporeal powers and facul-
ties. He employs human agents in carrying on most
of his providential designs. He has occasion for strong
men, bold men, wise men and enterprising men to car-
ry into execution his wise and holy purposes. And for
this reason among others, he preserves such men in.
•
SERMON VI.
139
particular from the stroke of death, until they have done
the work, which he has for them to do, in the present
state of the world. And sometimes their very reluc-
tance to dying may be a motive, with a merciful God,
to spare their lives and allow them a longer space of
trial. It seems that David's desire and prayer in the
text was heard and answered. So was that of Heze-
kiah in a similar case. He, who regards the young
ravens, when they cry, may regard the cries of both his
friends and enemies, when they plead for sparing mer-
cy. But still God does take away some, notwithstanding
all their desires and prayers for the continuance of life.
He has done this in ten thousand instances in times past;
and he has not restrained himself from doing it in time
to come, by any promise or encouragement he has giv-
en to the middle aged. He has reserved their lives,
as well as the lives of others in his own power.
Though they may resolve to go to their farms, or mer-
chandize; though they may lay schemes to do good, or
to do evil; yet they know not what shall be on the
morrow, for their life like a vapor may vanish in a mo-
ment and death disappoint all their purposes, desires
and hopes. God may see good reasons for cutting off
their lives in the midst of their days. Their lotting up-
on life, putting far away the evil day and crying peace
and safety, may be a reason in the divine mind for shor-
tening their days and blasting their hopes and purposes.
God may know, that they have determined to live to
themselves, instead of living to him and seeking his
glory, which ought to be their supreme desire and de-
sign of living. But when there is no reason for taking
away the middle-aged, on their own account, there
may be reasons on account of others, who may receive
great and lasting benefit from their death in the midst
of their days. The death of the middle-aged is uncom-
monly alarming and instructive; and therefore such
may be taken away for the saving good of the living,
especially, of those in the same stage of life. For
these, or some such reasons, God does cut down some of
the tall, flourishing and fruitful trees in his garden.---
}
I
140
SERMON VIII.
God took away lovely Jonathan and pious Josiah in
the midst of their days. And he is still of one mind
and who who can turn him? And what his wisdom
and goodness dictate he will do, notwithstanding the
hopes and fears and prayers and cries and efforts of
erring mortals. "Behold, he taketh away, who can
hinder him hin? who will say to unto him, What
dost thou ?" It becomes both the dying and the living
"It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him
to' say,
good,"
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If those in the meridian of life are so unwilling
to die, then those, who have been preserved through
that period, have peculiar reason to be thankful, that
they are still among the living. God might have taken
us away in the morning, or meridian of life. How
long have some of us lived and how many have fallen
on our right hand and left and in the nearest connec-
tion with us? We have been in deaths oft; and yet
have escaped it. God has graciously regarded our
former expectations and desires of living, our fears of
death and perhaps our prayers for preservation. In
some instances, we have reason to hope, that his spar-
ing mercy has been connected with his saving mercy.
If not, it may be, that he is still waiting to be gracious
Others have had as strong desires and expec-
tations of living and as great a dread of dying and put
up as sincere prayers for sparing mercy, as we ever felt
or expressed; and yet God, in his amiable and awful
sovereignty, consigned them to an early grave. How
thankful should we be for such distinguishing good-
ness? And how reasonable it is, that we should hence-
forward be willing to die and wait with patience until
our appointed change come. We ought to give up
the world, before it is taken from us; and like good
old Barzillai, spend the residue of our days in a practi-
cal preparation for death. Good men of old used to die
daily and speak frequently of the time of their depar-
to us.
SERMON VIII.
141
ture, which they realized to be at hand. The aged, at
this day and in this place, have the same admonitions
of their dying hour, by the decays of nature and by the
late frequent deaths of their contemporaries. The
young may die, but we must die. The young have
many duties to perform, but one thing and one duty is
most needful to us. Let us stand waiting and watch-
ing and preparing for the coming of our Lord.
2. If those in the meridian of life are so unwilling to
die and so desirous of living; then those of middle age
have been greatly favored and distinguished. God has
taken away more than half of mankind since you were
born; many of whom were as unwilling to die and as
desirous of living as you now are, or ever have been;
and who had as good ground to expect long life as you
now have, or ever have had. But God, for wise and
holy reasons, has counteracted their desires, defeated
their designs, and buried all their promising prospects
in the grave; while in sovereign mercy, he has guard-
ed, guided and prolonged your lives, which you have
valued more than all the ten thousand temporal bless-
ings God has ever bestowed upon you. You have
never seen the time, perhaps, when you would not have
been willing to give up any and every thing you pos-
sessed in the world, if it might be the means of pre-
serving your precious lives. This blessing, which
comprises all other temporal blessings, you have ever
enjoyed, God has been pleased to preserve and con-
tinue, amidst innumerable dangers, diseases and acci-
dents. You, yourselves being judges, are under the
most strong and endearing obligations to give God
hearts and your spared lives. And whether you
have, or have not given God your hearts and your
lives, you have no claim upon him to spare you any
longer. God has done enough and more than enough
by the way of means, to make you prepared and wil
ling to die. Why then should you not expect to die,
as well as the aged? Why then should you not be
willing to die, as well as the aged? Distinguishing
goodness calls for distinguishing love, gratitude and
your
242
SERMON VII.
I
obedience. If any of you have hitherto withholden
that love, gratitude and obedience, which you owe to
God for his goodness, you have great reason to fear,
that he will soon cut you down as barren and unfruitful
trees, that cumber the ground.
3. If those in the meridian of life are the most un-
willing to die; then they are the most unwilling to hear
and obey the voice of God in his word and providence.
The same things, that conspire to make them the most.
unwilling to die, make them the most unwilling to hear
any thing, which reminds them of their frailty, mortality
& of their duty to prepare for leaving this world and go-
ing into another. They are in their full strength and
hate to hear of their weakness and frailty. They are
attached to the world and to the men and things of the
world & hate to hear of their ever leaving them. They
love life & hate to hear of death. They love time and
hate to hear of eternity. They love their business,
their purposes and promising prospects and hate to hear
of leaving this business unfinished, their designs unac.
complished and their desirable objects unattained.---
They are too busy to read, or hear, or speak of future
and eternal realities. Their thoughts of the world
exclude their thoughts of God. Their love to the
world excludes their love to God. The consequence
is, that they become habitually stupid and inattentive
to the concerns of their souls and dread to see, to hear,
or to feel any thing, which serves to awaken them out
of their habitual and sinful stupidity. They know
how to guard their eyes, their ears, their hearts and
their consciences, against what God says to them,
either in his word, or providence. In this respect,
they differ from those, who are younger and those, who
are older, than they. Children and youth are easily
affected by hearing and reading the word of God and
by feeling and seeing the sovereign hand of God in the
holy and sovereign dispensations of his providence.
Their eyes and ears affect their hearts. But those,
who are in the midst of their days, have learned to bar
their minds against every thing, that tends to disturb
SERMON VIIË.
143
}
their peace and lead their thoughts into eternity. So
that they can cooly and carelessly see and hear the
most solemn truths and the most alarming providences.
They imagine, that their mountain stands strong,
while the young, the aged and infirm, have reason to
fear and tremble at the admonitions of God in his word
and providence. God complained of the peculiar stu-
pidity of this class of men among his people of old..
To every individual of this class he said, by he prophet
Jeremiah, "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity, but
thou saidst, I will not hear." And Solomon said,.
"the prosperity of fools shall' destroy them." Those
who are in the midst of their days and at the height of
prosperity, take care not to put themselves into the
rank either of the young, or in the rank of the old.-
And therefore they consider themselves uninterested,
and feel unaffected, by what God says to the aged and
the young.
They are ready to imagine, that they
have a peculiar right to disregard what both the young
and the aged ought to regard; and to say unto God,
"Depart from us," for we desire not to be disturbed.
Whether this be not true, I appeal to your own con-
duct and consciences to determine and to draw the
solemn conclusion, whether you, of all men, are not
the most unprepared to live, to die and go into eternity,
and whether you may safely wait for a more convenient
season to set your souls and houses in order.
4. If those who are in the midst of their days, are the
most fond of living and the most unwilling to die;
then we may see one reason; why God does actually
take away some in that period of life. Though he
does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of
men; and though he knows that death, in the midst of
of life and high hopes and expectations, must be ex-
tremely grievous to the dying and the living; yet
sometimes he sees fit to send death in such an evil time.
He may do this for the benefit, or hurt of the dying, or
for the benefit or hurt of the living. He knows, that
the deaths of those, in the midst of their days, are more
alarming and make a deeper impression upon the hu-
*$
144
SERMON VIII.
་
•
1
I
*
man mind, than the deaths of the young, or of the old.
He knows how painful and distressing it will be to the
dying, to have all their earthly desires and hopes de-
stroyed; and he knows how distressing it will be to
the living, to have those taken away, on whom they
had placed peculiar hopes and dependance. But he
may see it best to disappoint all such mutual hopes and
expectations, to teach them and others the vanity of
the world, the uncertainty of life and the infinite impor-
tance of being always habitually and practically ready
to go the way of all the earth. Those, who die in the
midst of their days and in their full strength and activ-
ity, commonly die suddenly and unexpectedly to them-
selves and others, which is a most alarming circum-
stance of their death. It speaks to the young and to
the old, but especially to those, who are in the midst of
life, health, strength, activity, prosperity and promising
prospects and bids them to be ready also. They have
no excuse for applying the voice of providence, in
such instances, to any but themselves. Their views
and feelings and circumstances in life, tell them that
they are the very persons to whom God is speaking &
giving a solemn admonition of their frailty and mortali-
ty and of their duty to prepare for their dying hour.
He knows how much they need such admonitions and
how difficult it will be to resist the impressions he de-
signs to make upon their minds. Though they may
have disregarded the voice of his word, they may regard
the voice of his providence, which directly warns them
of their danger and duty. And how often have such
admonitions of providence proved the means of the sa-
ving good of the living!
5. If those in the midst of their days are the most unwil-
ling to die; then those in this stage of life, in this place,
are in a very dangerous situation. If we look round
upon those, who are between thirty and fifty years of
age, how few can we find, that have made their peace
with God, and begun to live to his glory. How few
are either habitually, or practically prepared to leave
the world? How many are entirely absorbed in the
SERMON VII.
145
cares and concerns of the world and are too busy to
think, to read, to hear, to meditate, or pray. They
are standing all the day idle and refusing to enter into
the vineyard of Christ. They neither worship God
in secret, in private, nor in public. They neither
serve God, nor their generation, according to the will
of God, but serve themselves supremely and entirely;
and throw their whole weight and influence to ob-
struct the cause of God, their own good and the good
of their fellow men. And is it safe to stand and live
and act in such a manner, while God has need of you,
and calls you into his service; Are you willing to
live in this manner, are you willing to die in this man-
ner? What account can you give of your time, your
talents and the religious advantages God has given
you? Though your Lord has gone to heaven, he
will soon and perhaps suddenly and unexpectedly call
you to an account. Your feet stand on slippery places;
and it is as much as your precious souls are worth,
to wait for a more convenient season; it may never
come; and if it does not, you are lost forever.
Finally, this subject and the late instance of mor.
tality, in this place, calls aloud upon those in midst of
their days, to prepare to follow one of their own age
into that vast eternity, whither he has gone and never
to return. He lived stupid, thoughtless and secure in
sin, until he was brought to the very sight of death.
He was carried away with the vanity of the world, and
the pleasing prospects of living and abused the calls,
the mercies and patience of God, which gave him pain,
self-condemnation and remorse. He was constrained
to say, "The world, the world has ruined me." He
was brought to give up all his vain hopes and expecta-
tions from the world and to feel the duty and impor-
tance of choosing the one thing needful.
But
whether he did ever heartily renounce the world and
choose God, for his supreme portion, cannot be known
in this world. In his own view, he did become recon-
eiled to God and derived peace and hope from his sup-
posed reconciliation. But it is more than possible,
19
الحياة
*
'
+
}
..
ኔ
146
SERMON VIII.
#
?
that like others on a sick bed, he built his hopes upon
a sandy foundation. Let his case, however, be what
it may, he is dead and called away from his relatives
and friends, just as he entered the meridian of life.
His death, therefore, speaks with an emphasis to par-
ents, brothers and sisters; and especially to those of
his own age, to be wiser and better than he was and
not delay seeking and serving God, to a dying hour.
It is not I, but my son,* who now preaches to you,
whose voice once sounded pleasant in your ears.
Be
pleased, therefore, to hear his voice from the dead I
and prepare to follow him to heaven, if he has been
permitted to enter there.
*ERASTUS EMMONS, who died 13th March, 1820, aged 33 years..
1
*
Σ
SERMON IX.
GOD HATES SINNERS.
PSALM, V. 5.-Thou hatest all workers of
iniquity.
David was conscious that he loved God; which
consciousness gave him confidence to believe, that God
loved him with complacence, in distinction from those,
who were the objects of his displeasure. This filial
spirit prepared him to call upon God, with full assur-
ance, that he would hear the voice of his supplications.
He addressed him in this free and familiar language;
"Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my medi-
tation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King
and my God for unto thee will I pray. My voice
shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morn-
ing will 1 direct my prayer unto thee and will look
up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in
wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with thee. The
foolish shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all
workers of iniquity." Here is a plain declaration, that
God hates the persons of impenitent sinners. And to
set this subject in a proper light, I shall,
1. Show that God does hate the persons of impeni-
tent sinners;
II. Show why he hates their persons; And,
III. Show that this is consistent with his love of be-
nevolence towards them.
I. I am to show that God does hate the persons of
impenitent sinners.
It is often said, that God hates sin, but not sinners.
The point now before us to be proved is, that God
148
SERMON IX.
hates sinners themselves, as vile and odious creatures,
It is universally allowed, that God loves the righteous,
the godly and all, that love him with the love of com-
placency; and it is equally true, that he hates those,
who hate him. He hates the persons of sinners, as
really as he loves the persons of saints. This appears
not only from the character of God, but from the dec-
larations of his word. It is asserted in the text, that
God hates all the workers of iniquity. God says con-
cerning his sinful people, by the mouth of Jeremiah,
"Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it
crieth against me: therefore have I hated it." Again,
he says, by the prophetHosea, "All their wickedness
is in Gilgal; for there I hated them.”
David says,
"God is angry with the wicked every day." Moses
says of Israel, that they forgot God and provoked him
to jealousy, "and when the Lord saw it, he abhored
them." The Old Testament abounds with passages
too numerous to be cited, in which God expresses his
displeasure, his wrath and his indignation towards sin-
ners. John says, "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on
him." Paul says to the sinner, whom the goodness of
God does not lead to repentance, "Thou treasurest
up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath and reve-
lation of the righteous judgment of God; who will
render to every man according to his deeds to them,
who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glo-
ry and honor and immortality; eternal life but unto
them that are contentious and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath;
tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that
doeth evil." It appears from these passages of scrip-
ture, that God feels hatred, anger, wrath and indigna-
tion towards the souls of sinners, which comprise all
their intellectual and moral powers, that constitute
them proper persons, or moral agents.
II. I am to show why God hates the persons of sin-
ners. Many are fond of making a distinction between
SERMON IX.
149
!
sin and the sinner; and while they allow, that God
hates sin, they deny that he hates the sinner himself.
They consider sin in the abstract; and God as hating
it in the abstract. But though they can speak of sin
in the abstract; yet they connot conceive of it in the
abstract. Who can conceive of sin without a sinner?
or of a sin, that no person ever committed? Every
sin is a transgression of the law and renders the trans-
gressor both criminal and hateful. The transgression
cannot be separated from the transgressor, any more
than his reason, or conscience, or any other property,
or quality of his mind can be separated from him.
The nature and criminality of sin consists in the free,
voluntary intention, or design of the sinner, which is an
essential part of his moral existence and corrupts and
contaminates the whole. The apostle represents sin
as corrupting all the powers and faculties of sinners.
He says, "unto the pure all things are pure: but unto
them, that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure;
but even their mind and conscience is defiled." And
this moral corruption of sinners he represents as ren-
dering them vile and hateful even in their own sight.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, dis-
obedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one
another." Every thing, that is morally evil and odious
in sinners, lies in their hearts, which are as essential
parts of themselves, as their natural powers and facul-
ties, or as the apostle says, their mind and conscience.
And their evil hearts render their persons morally evil
and hateful in the sight of God. He hates their per-
sons on account of their sinful and hateful hearts:
just as he loves the persons of saints, on account of
their holy hearts. God hates those, who hate him,
just as he loves those, that love him. The holiness of
saints renders their persons holy and lovely in his holy
eyes. Hence he calls them his children, his friends,
his heritage, his portion, his treasure, his jewels, to ex-
press his peculiar love and affection towards them.--
The prophet Zephaniah says to Zion, "The Lord
150
SERMON IX.
3
i
1
Į
thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save,
he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in
his love; he will joy over thee with singing."
"" Christ
said to his beloved disciples, "He that hath my com-
mandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:
and he, that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father;
and I will love him and will manifest myself to him."
It is holiness of heart, that makes God lovely and
spreads a moral beauty over all his natural perfections.
And it is holiness of heart, that makes saints lovely
and spreads a moral beauty over all their natural pow-
ers and qualities. The reverse is equally true of sin-
ners. It is the depravity of heart in sinners, that
makes them morally corrupt and unlovely, and spreads
a moral and odious blemish over their whole personal
characters. In them, while they are in the flesh, there
dwelleth no good thing, or moral excellence, but their
mind and conscience, their whole souls are morally
vile and hateful; and God cannot look upon them with
the least complacence, but with the utmost abhorrence
and detestation. David says to God, “Thou hatest
all workers of iniquity." I now proceed to show,
III. How God's hating the persons of sinners is
consistent with his loving them. This is a difficulty
which seems not very easy to solve; and very few, if
any, have ever attempted to solve it. Various at-
tempts, however, have been made to evade the difficul-
ty. Some have attempted to evade it by suppoing
that all the scripture says about the displeasure, the
hatred, the wrath and anger of God is to be under-
stood figuratively; and that no such exercises, or emo-
tions of heart, can exist in the mind of an absolutely
perfect and immutable Being. This mode of evasion
has been adopted by some very learned and excellent
divines. But it does not appear to be any more incon-
sistent with the immutability and absolute perfection
of God to hate than to love, to be displeased than to
be pleased, or to be angry with sinners than to be de-
lighted with saints and rejoice over them with joy.---
We know that God is a moral agent and must have
SERMON IX.
151
户
​•
a heart, as well as a rational understanding and moral
discernment. And such a Being must be capable of
loving what is lovely and of hating what is hateful.-
To suppose, therefore, that God does not really hate
sinners, is evading rather than solving the difficulty.--
But others take a different way of solving the difficulty.
They allow, that God hates sin, but not the persons of
sinners. They confidently affirm, that God loves sin-
ners themselves, while he only hates their sins. But,
perhaps, it has been sufficiently proved, that God does
really hate sinners themselves. And if he does, how
is it consistent with his loving them, at the same time
that he hates them? This has been confidently as-
serted to be a gross absurdity. If God could hate sin,
without hating the sinner, there would be no difficulty
in seeng how God could love sinners themselves, at
the same time that he hated their sins. But this it has
been observed is impossible. It is abundantly evident
from scripture, that God does really and literally love
and hate sinners at the same time. Our Savior said
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begot
ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish but have everlasting life." Paul said to the Ro-
mans, "God commendeth his love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And
he said to the Ephesians, "you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins and who were by na-
ture children of wrath, even as others. But God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he lov
ed us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ." The apostle John also said
to Christians, "Herein is love, not that we loved God
but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propit
iation for our sins." Thus God displayed his great and
astonishing love to sinners in sending his Son into the
world to suffer and die to make an atonement for their
sin and rebellion against him. It is certainly true and
must be universally allowed, that God does love sin-
ners, while they are totally depraved and dead in tres-
passes and sins. But what kind of love does God ex-
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152
SERMON IX.
*
ercise towards sinners? Does he exercise the love of
complacence towards them? by no means; for he
hates all the workers or iniquity. They are not prop-
er objects of approbation, or complacence, but of disap-
probation and hatred. It is, therefore, only the love of
of benevolence, that God exercises towards totally
depraved sinners. He loves all his creatures, whether
rational or irrational, whether holy or sinful, with the
love of benevolence; that is, he really desires that all
may be happy, rather than miserable, simply consider-
ed. He views sinners as capable of everlasting happi-
ness, or of everlasting misery; and he desires their ev
erlasting happiness, simply considered, rather than their
everlasting misery, simply considered. So he express-
ly declares under the solemnity of an oath,
"As I
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; but that he turn from his way
and live turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for
why will ye die ?" Here God expresses his love of
benevolence to sinners, but not his love of complacence,
unless they turn from their evil ways and become peni-
tent and holy. It was true, at the moment that God
made this declaration to sinners, that he both loved and
hated them. And this was perfectly consistent. For if
he loved them with the love of benevolence he could not
love them with the love of complacence. Benevolence
hates selfish and sinful creatures, as much as it loves ho-
ly and virtuous creatures. The perfect benevolence of
God produces both love and hatred. It produces love to
holy creatures and hatred to unholy, or sinful crea-
tures. The more holy God is, the more he loves
holiness in men; and the more holy he is, the more
he hates unholiness, or sinfulness in men. Holiness
in the Deity produces love to the holy and hatred to
the unholy. And holiness in men produces the same
directly contrary effects. Holy men love holy men and
hate unholy ones. David loved saints as the excel-
ent of the earth, in whom was all his delight, but
prayed, that God would not gather his soul with the
wicked, whom he says to God he hated. "Do not I
hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am I not
".
>
SERMON IX.
153
grieved with those, that rise up against thee? I hate
them with perfect hatred; I count them mine ene-
mies." But with all this hatred to the wicked, he
says he loved them with the love of benevolence; and
sincerely prayed for them, when in trouble and dis-
tress, as though they were his friends and brethren.---
There are two things in sinners, which render them
objects of both love and hatred. Their capacity to en-
joy happiness and suffer misery, renders them proper
objects of benevolence; and their sinful character
renders them proper objects of displeasure, disappro-
bation and hatred. God views them in both these
lights; and his perfect benevolence disposes him to
love and hate them at the same time. His love towards
them is benevolent love; and his hatred towards them
is benevolent hatred. If God's hatred of sinners
arose from selfishness, it would be totally inconsis-
tent with his having any benevolent love towards
them. The hatred of sinners towards one another
arises from selfishness; and consequently is incon-
sistent with their having true benevolence to each oth-
er.
But God has no selfishness and never loves or
hates, from selfish motives. He is as benevolent in
hating, as in loving sinners. The same pure, perfect,
disinterested benevolence in God, necessarily disposes
him to exercise complacency towards saints, and
displeasure, displacency and hatred towards sinners.
The distinction between God's love of benevolence and
love of complacence is no arbitrary distinction, but
founded in the nature of things. It is morally impossi-
ble, that God should exercise true benevolence towards
saints and not exercise complacency towards them at
the same time. And it is no less impossible, that God
should exercise true benevolence towards sinners and
not exercise displeasure, displacency and hatred to-
wards them at the same time. It is not only consis-
tent, that God should exercise benevolence towards
sinners and at the same time exercise displeasure, dis-
placency and hatred towards them; but it is absolute-
ly necessary that he should both love and hate them at
#
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寄
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154
SERMON IX.
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the same time. And whoever makes and understands
the essential distinction between the love of benevo-
lence and the love of complacency in the Deity, can-
not help seeing; that God must exercise the love of
benevolence towards sinners, while he exercises per-
fect displeasure, displacency and hatred towards their
depraved and selfish characters. And of course,
he must see that all the declarations of God's love to-
wards them, in sending his Son to redeem and save
them, are consistent with all his declarations of hatred,
anger and wrath towards them, for all their selfishness,
impenitence, unbelief and disobedience. God's benev-
olence towards sinners affords no argument to prove,
that he loves them with the love of complacency, but
a conclusive argument to prove, that he hates them.
Who can imagine, that a virtuous and religious parent
who loves all his children with the love of true benevo-
lence, should love them all with equal love of compla-
cence, when some are dutiful and obedient, but others
are undutiful and disobedient? And who can sup-
pose, that the kind Parent of the universe, who loves
all his creatures with pure and impartial benevolence,
should love them all with equal complacence, while
some love him and others hate him, while some obey
him and others disobey him, while some are perfectly
holy and others perfectly unholy and rebellious? The
distinction between the love of benevolence and the
love of complacency is agreeable to common sense;
and every person of common sense is capable of seeing
it and does see it, in respect to mankind. A child
seven years old can see the benevolence of his parent
towards him, while he expresses his displeasure, his
anger and his disposition to punish him for his wicked
conduct. But still many men of more than common
sense and common learning, either cannot, or will not
see this distinction; and endeavor to prove God's love
of complacency towards sinners, from his love of be-
nevolence towards them, in sending his Son to die for
them and in loading them with the blessings of provi-
dence and giving them the offers of mercy.
SERMON IX.
155
IMPROVEMENT.
$
1. If God's hatred of impenitent sinners is consis-
tent with his love of benevolence towards them; then
it is consistent with his benevolence to hate them as
long as they continue impenitent. If they continue
impenitent as long as they live, then it is consistent
with his benevolence to hate them as long as they live.
If they continue impenitent in a dying hour, then it is
consistent with his benevolence to hate them in a dying
hour. If they continue impenitent after death, it is
consistent with his benevolence to hate them after death.
And if they should continue impenitent to all eternity,
it is consistent with his benevolence to hate them to
all eternity. His hatred towards them must continue
as long as they continue hateful objects; and they cer-
tainly continue hateful objects, as long as they continue
depraved and impenitent. God's benevolence towards
them will never produce complacency towards them;
but on the contrary, it must necessarily produce dis-
placency and hatred towards them. Some, indeed,
imagine that though sinners remain impenitent in this
world, they will become penitent in another world and
then God's hatred and displeasure towards them will
This supposition is neither rational, nor scrip-
tural. There is no reason to think, that sinners will
be more pleased with the character of God, when it is
more fully unfolded in another world, than with it in
this world; but will hate it the more, the more clearly
they see it; and their greater hatred to God will have
no tendency to lead them to repentance for bating him.
And though God has promised to make saints meet
for the inheritance of heaven; yet he has made no
promise, that he will prepare impenitent sinners for the
kingdom of glory. But it is expressly said, that if
they die vile, they shall remain vile; if they die unho-
ly they shall remain unholy. And as long as they re-
main unholy, they must remain hateful objects in the
sight of God, whose perfect benevolence hates and ab-
hors all unholy creatures, And as God's hatred of
cease.
7
SERMON IX.
156
3
sinners in this world is consistent with his benevolence
towards them in this world; so his hatred of sinners in
another world is consistent with his benevolence
towards them in another world. Some excellent di-
vines suppose, that God's benevolence towards impen-
itent sinners in another world will entirely cease. The
question has been seriously stated, why saints should
love sinners in this world and not love them after they
are finally cast off. And the answer given was, that
God loves sinners while in this world, but will not love
them after they are cast off in another world; and that
saints should feel towards impenitent sinners in anoth-
er world, as God feels towards them. Though he
loves them in this world, yet he has no love to them in
another world; even his love of benevolence towards
them entirely ceases in eternity; and so should and
will the love of saints towards them entirely cease after
they leave this state of probation. But why should
God's love of benevolence to sinners in another world
cease? They will be as proper objects of benevo-
lence there, as they are here. God will have as good
reason to exercise benevolence towards them, as he
has here. Here he does not exercise benevolence
towards them, because he feels any complacency
towards them. He hates them here with perfect ha-
tred, as perfect hatred as that he exercises towards the
fallen angels. They are here as vile as fallen angels;
and deserve God's hatred as much as the fallen angels
do; and yet he loves them with perfect benevolence.
The truth is, God always did and always will love fal-
len angels, notwithstanding their guilty rebellion, and
he now loves rebellious men and always will love them,
though they always continue in rebellion against him.
It is entirely consistent and absolutely necessary, that
God should exercise benevolence towards fallen angels
and fallen men, notwithstanding their great criminality
and guilt, for his benevolence towards them is the only
just cause of his holy hatred of them. If he should
cease to exercise holy benevolence towards them, he
must necessarily exercise an unholy malevolence
SERMON IX.
157
*
towards them, which would be becoming as sinful and
odious as they. Though God and all holy beings will
forever hate unholy ones; yet they will never feel ma-
levolence towards them. But the moment they should
cease to exercise benevolence towards the spirits in
prison, they would begin to exercise malevolence
towards them, which would be infinitely criminal. It
is demonstrable from God's loving and hating sinners
in this world, that he will continue to love and hate
them, as long as they are impenitent.
2. If God loves and hates sinners in this world at
all; then he loves and hates them more than any other
being does in the universe. It appears from what has
been said, that God does really both love and hate im-
penitent sinners. Christ loved and hated impenitent
sinners, while he lived upon earth. He loved and hated
the impenitent young man, who appeared externally so
lovely. He loved and hated Judas. He loved and
hated the impenitent Jews. He loved and hated even
his murderers on the cross. Holy angels love and
hate unholy men. Holy men love and hate unholy
men. Holy friends love and hate unholy friends.--
And holy parents love and hate their unholy, impeni-
tent children. But God loves and hates impenitent
sinners more than the man Christ Jesus loved and hated
them; more than holy angels love and hate them;
more than holy friends love and hate them; more than
holy parents love and hate them. His love of benev-
olence bears proportion to all his great and essential
attributes. His love of benevolence to impenitent sin-
ners is infinitely strong and tender.
He loves every
sinful human soul, more than any other being loves it.
And as his hatred of impenitent sinners flows from his
infinitely strong and tender benevolence towards
them; so his hatred of them is unspeakably greater
than the hatred of any other being. And it always
appears so to impenitent sinners themselves, when they
are awakened to realize his infinite hatred. They had
rather that the united hatred of all created beings
should be pointed against them and fall upon them,
158
SERMON IX.
than that his holy wrath should be pointed against them
and fall upon them. The scripture speaks of the
fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God; but these
strong expressions but faintly represent the greatness
of that wrath of God, which abides upon impenitent
sinners every day, notwithstanding all the displays of
benevolence towards them in the course of his provi-
dence. Indeed, all the indications of his benevolence
are equal indications of his wrath and displeasure
towards them, because his wrath flows from and is equal
to his infinite benevolence.
3. If impenitent sinners themselves are as much the
objects of God's hatred, as of his love; then it is very
important, that they should be made sensible of it.
They are willing to believe, that God loves them; and
they love to hear of the astonishing love of benevo-
lence towards them, displayed in sending his Son to
die for them and in lavishing upon them the blessings of
providence. But they are not so willing to believe, that
God hates them as much as he loves them; and they
are as unwilling to hear this disagreeable truth incul-
eated upon them. Hence they love to hear ministers
preach upon the marvellous love of God towards thent;
but cannot bear to hear ministers preach upon God's
holy and just displeasure and wrath against them.----
They can bear to hear, that God hates depravity, sel-
fishness, impenitence, unbelief, disobedience and rebel-
lion in the abstract. But it is not true, that God hates
these sins in the abstract and as separate from sinners
themselves. He hates sinners themselves, who are
depraved, who are selfish, who are impenitent, who
are unbelieving, who are disobedient and who are re-
bellious. Christ did not preach about sin in the ab-
stract, as being an object of God's displeasure; but
about sinners themselves being the objects of God's
displeasure. He told them, that they were of their fa-
ther the devil and felt and acted as he did; that they
had both seen and hated both him and his Father; and
that they were serpents and a generation of vipers, who
deserved the damnation of hell. This they disliked
SERMON IX.
159
and said, that he reproached them.
Sinners now dis-
like to hear, that God hates all workers of iniquity;
and that his wrath is pointed against them and constant-
ly abides upon them. I know, that it is much more
pleasing to sinners, to preach the love than the hatred
of God towards them; but it is not much more safe,
They are ready enough to believe, that God loves
them, but they are slow of heart to believe, that God
hates them as vile and odious creatures, even as vile
and odious as those in a state of irrecoverable misery.
Paul had zeal and fidelity enough to inculcate this
truth upon the heart and conscience of a sinner, with
plainness and pungency. He said, "O full of all sub-
tility and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou en-
emy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to per-
vert the right ways of the Lord ?" Paul knew that
this was the true character of Elymas the sorcerer
and of himself, before his heart was changed. Nor
was this character peculiar to them, but is common to
the most amiable impenitent sinners in the world.----
They are perfectly sinful and consequently perfectly
hateful in the sight of an heart-searching God. This
truth ought to be plainly and forcibly inculcated upon
the hearts and consciences of sinners, to prepare them
to see and feel the necessity of embracing the mercy of
God offered to them in the gospel.
4. If it be consistent with the benevolence of God
towards sinners to hate them; then it is consistent
with his benevolence to express his hatred towards
them. The only reason, why some suppose it is incon-
sistent with God's love to sinners to punish them, is
because it is inconsistent with his benevolence to hate
them. But we have shown, that it is consistent with
God's love of benevolence, to hate unholy, selfish, ma-
levolent sinners. The consequence is undeniable, that
it is consistent with his benevolence, to punish those
whom he hates; and whom his very benevolence dis-
poses him to hate. Punishment is the expression and
the only proper expression of hatred. The infliction
of pain, or natural evil, is no punishment, when it is
160
SERMON IX.
7
ཏ ད
3
not designed to express hatred towards the subject of
it. The surgeon, in the amputation of a limb, often
inflicts great pain upon the patient, but he expresses
love and not hatred; and therefore the pain he inflicts
is no punishment. But it is the sole design of punish-
ment, to express hatred towards the punished. And if
the punished deserve to be hated, they equally deserve
to be punished, which is the proper and just expression
of hatred. If God's benevolence disposes God to hate
sinners as long as they remain impenitent; then it must
equally dispose him to express his hatred towards them,
by punishing them as long as they remain impenitent.
And his punishing them will have no tendency to di-
minish or take away his hatred of them. If his hatred
of them arose from selfishness and was of the nature of
revenge, it is true, his punishing them might gradually
diminish and finally take away his hatred of sinners.---
Sinners often punish one another in revenge to such
a degree, as to soften and turn their own malignant
hearts into compassion towards the objects of their ha-
tred. But as God does not hate sinners from selfish-
ness; so he will never punish them in malevolence and
revenge, but only from benevolence which necessarily
disposes him to hate them, because they are really hate-
ful. If we can only see, that it is consistent with the
benevolence of God towards impenitent sinners to hate
them, then we can as clearly see, that it is consistent
with his benevolence, to punish them and to punish
them as long as they remain sinners and the proper ob-
jects of God's just displeasure and hatred. We have no
evidence from scripture, that God's hatred of the fal-
len angels has abated, or ever will abate. And we
have no evidence in scripture, that God's hatred of Ju-
das and of the human spirits in the regions of darkness
has ever abated, or ever will abate. Of course we have
no evidence from scripture that the punishment of any
impenitent sinners will ever abate or cease. So long
as they remain impenitent, they will remain hateful,
and so long as they remain hateful it is consistent
with his benevolence towards them to express his dis-
:
SERMON IX.
161
=
pleasure and his wrath, by punishing them. That
benevolence of God towards impénitent sinners,
which disposes him to hate them, will always dispose
him to express his hatred, by giving them a just recom-
pence of reward.
5. If God's hatred of impenitent sinners flows
from his benevolence; then his punishing them must
flow from his benevolence. He can be and will be, as
benevolent in punishing, as in hating sinners. And this
will give a peculiar weight and pungency in the pun-
ishment of the finally impenitent. They will know,
that God loves them, while he actually punishes them.
A disobedient child cares but little about the punish-
ment, which his parent inflicts upon him, in revenge;
but he is obliged to stoop, when his parent corrects in
love. The finally miserable will be as capable of see-
ing the benevolence of God towards them in another
world, as they were capable of seeing it in this world,
while God was pouring down upon them the blessings of
his providence in a rich and astonishing profusion.-.-
And this incontestable evidence of his benevolence will
never be erased from their minds. So Christ says in
the parable of Dives and Lazarus. When the rich
man begged to have Lazarus sent to alleviate his tor-
ments, the request was denied on the ground of God's
benevolence to him. Son, remember, that thou in
thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus
evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tor-
mented." The benevolence of God carried conviction
to his conscience, that he did not punish him from mal-
evolence, but from that goodness, which disposed him
both to hate and punish him. All the finally misera-
ble will have the the same conviction, that God always
did and always will love them with benevolence, while
he hates and punishes them forever. How insupport-
able must that eternal punishment be, which flows
from infinite and eternal benevolence.
66
6. If it be the benevolence of God, that disposes him
to hate and punish impenitent sinners forever, then it
is extremely absurd and dangerous for sinners, to rely
T
21
162
SERMON IX.
upon
his mere benevolence to save them in the elev
enth and dying hour. This many appear to do, who
are not Universalists in theory, or sentiment. And
the reason is, that they view God's benevolence, as im-
plying the love of complacence. They cannot think,
that God who has treated them so benevolently all
their life time, does really hate them, in their last and
most distressing moments. But why do they form this
idea of God's benevolence? It is because they love
darkness rather than light; and error rather than truth.
It is because they are totally depraved and their total
depravity blinds their understanding and conscience.
But see, ye blind; and hear,ye deaf. That love of God,
in which you trust, may and will sink you to the lowest
hell, if you remain impenitent and unbelieving. The
wrath of God now abides upon you and will abide up-
on you forever, except you repent.
This subject now calls upon all to inquire and deter-
mine, whether they are saints or sinners. The distinc-
tion is great and will draw after it, the most serious
and important consequences. If you are saints God
now loves you with both the love of benevolence and
the love of complacence; and will forever love you
with both the love of benevolence and complacence.
But if you are sinners, God's love of benevolence now
disposes him to hate and punish you ;, and he will con-
tinue to hate and punish you to all eternity if you con-
tinue impenitent. Are you ready to decide the important
question? If you delay to decide it, it will soon be
decided for you. Though God can have no pleasure
in your death yet he can take pleasure in rewarding you
according to your works. And you will know, that
from his perfect and infinite benevolence, God will hate
all workers of iniquity forever and ever..
:
SERMON X.
}
THE VINDICTIVE JUSTICE OF GOD,
I. SAMUEL, XV. 33-And Samuel hewed Agag
in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
Agag was king of the Amalekites, who were the
natural enemies of the Israelites. Both nations sprang
from the same original stock. The Israelites sprang
from Jacob and the Amalekites sprang from Esau, the
brother of Jacob. Esau's posterity imbibed the spirit
of their father and harboured a mortal enmity to the pos-
terity of Jacob. Accordingly, as soon as the Israelites
left Egypt and set out upon their journey to Canaan,
the Amalekites, without receiving any provocation
from the Israelites, came out and fought against them
at Rephidem. But at the prayer of Moses and by
the arm of Joshua, God defeated them; and at
the same time devoted the whole nation to utter ruin.
"The Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memo-
rial in a book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua:
for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek
from under heaven. And Moses built an altar and
called the name of it Jehovah-nissi : For he said, Be-
cause the Lord hath sworn, that the Lord will have
war with Amalek from generation to generation."---
God delayed, for more than an hundred years, to put
this irreversible sentence into execution. But after
the Israelites were established in the land of promise,
and had a king set over them, God gave a commission
to Saul, their king, by the hand of Samuel, to go and
extirpate the whole race of Amalek. "Samuel said
unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee king over
T
164
SERMON X.
}
រ
Israel: now therefore hearken unto the voice of the
words of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts I re-
member that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid
wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that
they have and spare them not; but slay both man and
woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
ass." Saul immediately raised an army of more than
two hundred thousand men and went and took Agag
the king of the Amalekites alive and destroyed all the
people with the edge of the sword. But he spared
Agag and the best of the sheep and oxen and all that
was good. For this disobedience to the express com-
mand of God, Samuel, under a divine impulse, rebuk
ed him and brought him to confess his offence. And
under the same impulse, Samuel said to Saul, "Bring
hither Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag
came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely
the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, as
thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy
mother be childless among women. And Samuel hew-
ed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal." Though
Agag had been an enemy to Saul and to his people
and was still an enemy to both; yet Saul was disposed
to save him from punishment. But God, who viewed
Agag as an enemy to himself and to his people, would
not release him from the punishment he deserved; but
inspired Samuel to give him a just recompense of re-
ward. This striking instance of the divine conduct
teaches us,
That God is more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs. I shall,
I. Show that sinners are disposed to punish their
enemies; And,
II. Show that God is still more disposed to
punish his enemies, than they are to punish their en-
emies.
I. I am to show, that sinners are disposed to punish
their enemies. This will appear both from their char
acter and conduct.
SERMON X.
165
1. It appears from their character, as drawn by the
searcher of hearts. God perfectly knows their real feel-
ings and has clearly described them in his word. And
according to his infallible description, they are entirely
selfish. They possess not the least spark of holy love,
but are under the entire dominion of selfishness. They
have not the love of God in them, but are emphatically
lovers of their ownselves. Though their selfishness
disposes them to love those, who love them; yet it ro
less disposes them to hate those, who hate them, wheth-
er they are friendly, or unfriendly to God. Satan,
who knew the nature of selfishness, told God that if
he should only touch the interest of Job, he would
curse him to his face; and had Job been the selfish
person he represented him to be, his assertion would
undoubtedly have been verified, when God stripped him
of his dearest interest. Esau hated Jacob, because
Jacob had injured his interest; and there was a time,
when he would have wreaked his vengeance upon him
had it not been for a divine restraint. Sinners, who
are under the reigning power of selfishness, are not on-
ly hateful, but they hate one another. "Their throat
is an open sepulchre, their mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruc-
tion and misery are in their ways and the way of
peace they have not known." They are always dis-
posed to punish their enemies; and nothing prevents
them from doing it, but either interest, impotence, or
fear. But,
2. It more clearly appears from their conduct,
than from their charatcer, that they are disposed to pun-
ish their enemies. They have been in all ages em
bruing their hands in each other's blood. Nations
have destroyed nations and filled the earth with vio-
lence. Thousands of individuals have destroyed their
supposed enemies by deeds and assassinations. Sin-
ners are disposed not only to punish their enemies, but
to punish them in the most cruel and barbarous man-
No species of animals have ever been found,
that are so cruel to one another, as men are to men.-
ner.
羡
​166
SERMON X.
They have invented a thousand ways of putting one
another to the most excruciating tortures, for the most
trifling offences. But it is needless to enlarge upon
this part of the subject. I proceed therefore to the
principal point proposed, which is to show,
II. That God is more disposed to punish his ene-
mies, than sinners are to punish theirs.
God knows, that sinners are his enemies and hate
his existence, his perfections, his designs and his whole
government. He knows, that they hate him without
a cause, as he has always treated them perfectly right.
He knows, that they are enemies to one another and to
all intelligent creatures. He viewed Agag as an ene-
my to all righteousness; and he views all sinners in
the same light. Hence he must be displeased with
them; and if displeased, disposed to express his dis-
pleasure towards them; and if disposed to express his
displeasure towards them, he must be disposed to pun-
ish them; for nothing but punishment is a proper ex-
pression of his displeasure towards them. There is
precisely the same reason to believe, that God is dis-
posed to punish his enemies, that there is to believe,
that he is really displeased with them for hating and
opposing him, without a cause. And who can serious-
ly think, that God is not displeased with his unholy,
impenitent and incorrigible enemies? But if this be
true, must we not suppose, that he is as much dispos-
cd to punish them, as they are to punish their enemies?
and indeed much more disposed to punish them? He
was more disposed to punish Agag than Saul was. As
soon as he had gotten Agag in his power and was able
to restrain him from doing any more mischief to him-
self and to his people, he was willing to spare his life.
But God, who had been disposed to punish him and
had devoted him to destruction, remained inflexibly
disposed to give him his reward; and by the sword of
Samuel, made him an example of his amiable and aw-
ful justice. But still it may be inquired, why God
was more disposed to punish Agag than Saul was?
and why in all cases, he is more disposed to punish his
SERMON X.
167
enemies, than sinners are to punish their enemies ?----
To this I answer,
1. It is because he hates the conduct of his enemies
simply considered; but sinners do not hate the conduct
of their enemies simply considered. Though their
enemies may act sinfully, it is not their sinfulness that
they hate. It is only because their sinfulness is point-
ed against them and does them hurt, that they hate it.
They love the spirit, which their enemies possess and
would be pleased to see it acted out against other per-
sons, whose interest or happiness they wish to have de-
stroyed. They love selfishness, when it is exercised
to promote their interest. They love avarice, injus-
tice, malice and revenge, when these sinful affections
are exercised in their favor; and never hate them,
only when they operate to their disadvantage. They
do not hate the conduct of their enemies, because it is
in its own nature sinful, but merely because it is inju-
rious to their own personal good.. Saul did not hate
Agag for any cruelty, malice, or revenge, which he
had exercised before he came against him and his peo-
ple in battle; and therefore was not disposed to punish
him, after he had disarmed him of his power to do him
and his subjects any more hurt. And this holds true in
all cases in respect to sinners; they are not disposed to
punish their enemies as sinners; but only as opposers
of their own safety, or happiness. But God hates the
conduct of his enemies, because it is sinful and not
merely because it is hurtful. He is of purer eyes than
to behold sin with the least complacency. It is the
abominable thing, that his soul hateth. And he is
disposed to punish it in his enemies, because he hates
it in itself considered. He hates it as much as he loves
holiness. We are told, "The righteous Lord loveth
righteousness." God is infinitely holy; and therefore
hates all unholiness and sin with infinite hatred.-
Though he knows, that he can overrule all sin to his
own glory and cause it to promote his own interest,
yet he hates it perfectly; and is as much dispos-
ed to punish it, as to hate it.
He hates his enemies,
*
163
SERMON X.
፡
་
|
because they are in their own nature hateful; and he.
is disposed to punish them, because they are in their
own nature deserving of punishment. He is therefore
far more disposed to punish his enemies, than sinners
are to punish their enemies.
2. God is more disposed to punish his enemies, than
sinners are to punish theirs, because his hatred to his
enemies cannot be turned into love. The hatred of
sinners can be turned into love, because they do not
hate the character, but only the conduct of their ene-
mies, which they view detrimental to themselves. As
soon as their enemies any way atone for the evil, which
they have done to them and turn about and unite with
them in promoting their interest, their enmity or dispo-
sition to punish them, softens into love and friendship.
Thus Ahab king of Israel became reconciled to his en-
emy Benhadad king of Assyria, as soon as he meanly
prostrated himself before him, with a rope upon his
neck and humbly begged for mercy. Ahab loved that
enemy to God and to his people, as soon as he appear-
ed friendly to himself. And this highly displeased
God, who sent his prophet to reprove him for his sinful
and selfish compassion to one, who deserved to die.-
Jehosaphat was an enemy to the king of Israel and
the king of Israel was an enemy to him.
But when
the king of Israel invited him to his court, treated him
with great attention and proposed to unite with him in
regaining Ramoth-Gilead, which he claimed as part of
his kingdom, Jehosaphat the king of Judah consented
to go with him to Ramoth-Gilead, where God punish-
ed him for his friendship to an idolatrous and wicked
king. Herod and Pontius Pilate were bitter enemies
to each other; but as soon as Christ stood in their
way, they could become cordial friends and unite in
destroying their common enemy. Thus kings and
princes and subjects all over the world, become cor-
dially reconciled to those, whom they have punished,
or wish to punish, as soon as they cease to do them
personal injury, or begin to do them personal good.
The reason is, in all these cases, that they hate their
*
SERMON X,
169
only on ac-
But God feels
He hates their
He sees every
enemies and feel disposed to punish them,
count of personal injuries done to them.
very differently towards his enemies.
character, as well as their conduct.
imagination of the thoughts of their heart to be evil,
only evil continually. He sees not only their enmity
to him, but their enmity to his subjects and to his whole
kingdom. He hates their apparent friendship as much
as their open opposition; and he hates both for what
they are in themselves considered and not merely for
the mischief they do. His hatred, therefore, cannot
be turned into love, by any alteration in their mere
outward conduct, while there hearts remain the same.
So long, therefore, as his enemies remain sinners, his
hatred of them and his disposition to punish them still
remain. He is disposed to punish them, not merely
for some particular instances of their conduct towards
him, but for all their conduct towards themselves and
their fellow creatures. He is angry with the wicked
every day and every moment, for being enemies to all
righteousness. And hence he is disposed to punish his
enemies far more severely, than sinners are to punish
theirs.
3. God's hatred of his enemies is perfectly just, but
sinners' hatred of their enemies is always unjust. They
never hate them for what they ought to be hated, but
only for the injury, which they do to them. They do
not hate them for selfishness, which is the only thing
for which they ought to be hated; and therefore their
very hatred is selfish and wicked, for which they really
deserve to be punished. And a sense of their own
guilt, in hating their enemies for what they approve in
themselves, often checks and restrains them from pun-
ishing their enemies with severity; and in many cases,
from punishing them at all. Instead of feeling that
they ought to punish them in justice, they feel that it
is wrong to punish them, which makes them more mild,
lenient and forgiving. But God hates his enemies for
nothing, but what deserves to be hated and what his
real benevolence and love to holiness necessarily dispo
1
L
-
22
170
SERMON X.
7
T
ses him to hate. His hatred of his enemies is an holy
hatred and his disposition to punish them an holy dis-
position. He feels morally obliged, in justice, to ex-
press his hatred of them, by punishing them according
to their deserts. It belongs to him to punish his ene-
mies and to punish them exactly according to the de-
grees of their guilt. His own glory, as the Supreme
Sovereign of the universe, requires him to punish them
and to punish them exactly according to their demerit.
And he has clearly and solemnly declared his determi-
nation, not to clear, but to condemn and punish the
guilty. "See now that I, even I am he; and there
is no God with me: I kill and I make alive; I wound
and I heal; neither is there any, that can deliver out
of my hand. For I lift my hand to heaven and say, I
live forever. If I whet my glittering sword and mine
hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance
to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me."
God feels himself infinitely bound, in point of justice
and in regard to his own glory, to manifest his perfect
displeasure towards his enemies, by giving them the re-
ward justly due to them for their sins. He is, there-
fore, infinitely more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish their enemies; and he will
actually punish them with unspeakably greater sever-
ity. Besides,
4. There is another reason, why God is more dis-
posed to punish his enemies, than sinners are to punish
theirs; and that is, his regard to the good of the uni-
verse, which sinners totally disregard in punishing their
enemies. They are disposed to punish their enemies
for their own sake and not for the good of others.-
They are disposed to punish merely to gratify their
own feelings, whether it tends to help, or hurt any other
person, or being besides themselves. Yea, they are
often disposed to punish their enemies, though they
know it must and will hurt their friends. They have
no regard to the general good in punishing, but will
let the greatest public enemy pass with impunity, if
their own personal interest, or feelings, do not require
SERMON X.
171
He
often
him to be punished. But God punishes his enemies,
both to display his justice and promote the best inter-
ests of the whole intelligent creation. And his dispo-
sition to punish his enemies is equal to his disposition
to do what is right and best. God loves the good of
his creatures infinitely more than either saints or sin-
ners love their own good; and he is infinitely more
disposed to promote the good of his creatures, than they
are to promote their own good. Hence he is far more
disposed to punish his and their enemies, who oppose
his and their interests, than they are to punish such
injurious and guilty creatures. Accordingly, he al-
ways measures the weight and duration of that punish-
ment, which he inflicts upon his enemies, according to
the good to be answered by it. This appears from
the whole course of his providence towards mankind,
in every age and in every part of the world.
punishes sinners in this world, just as
and as much as the good of mankind in this world
requires and no more. When the good of the world
requires it, he punishes individuals; and when the good
of the world requires it, he punishes cities, or nations,
or whole kingdoms, by wars, pestilence, earthquakes
and the most desolating judgments. When the gene-
ral good required it, he drowned the old world, burnt
up Sodom and Gomorrah, plunged Pharaoh and his
hosts in the Red Sea, buried Korah and his company in
the earth, destroyed Babylon, Nineveh and even Jeru-
salem, the capital of his own people. Sinners in this
world have never been disposed to punish their ene-
mies, so much as God has been disposed to punish his.
Indeed, he has never suffered sinners to punish their en-
emies, only when he was far more disposed to punish
them himself. He employs sinners to punish both his
and their enemies. So that whenever they punish
their enemies, he is the prime mover and agent in their
punishment. Sinners have never desired, nor intend-
ed to inflict such severe punishments upon their ene-
mies, as God has upon his. He has constantly been
seeking the general good and has been constantly dis-
posed to punish and even destroy every person and
+
-
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172
SERMON X.
?
4
people, which the general good required to be punish-
ed, or destroyed. And the same benevolence of the
Deity will forever dispose him to punish his enemies to
as great a degree and to as long a period, as the gene-
ral good shall require. Though the disposition of sin-
ners to punish their enemies may abate and die and
even turn into compassion and tenderness; yet God's
disposition to punish his enemies will never cease, nor
abate, but remain as long as he remains perfectly holy,
just and good; and they remain guilty and ill-deserving
creatures. He has threatened to send them away into
everlasting punishment; and what he has threatened,
he is able and disposed to inflict and none can deliver
'out of his hand.
?
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If sinners are less disposed to punish their sin-
ful enemies, than God is to punish his enemies; then
their tender mercies are unholy and ciminal. There
is nothing, upon which many gross sinners more value
themselves, than their tenderness & compassion towards
the miserable and guilty. Indeed, all sinners have
more or less tenderness & sympathy towards miserable
and sinful objects; and they consider their sympathetic
feelings as really amiable and virtuous. But God says
in his word, that" their tender mercies are cruel."..
They are often very unwilling to punish those whom
they ought to punish; and to see others punished, who
justly deserve to be punished. The tender mercies
of parents often prevent them from punishing with the
rod of correction, their guilty children, whom they
ought to punish. The tender mercies of executive offi-
cers often prevent them from informing against trans-
gressors of good and wholesome laws; aud from put-
ting them into execution. The tender mercies of
friends often prevent them from exposing one another
to the punishment they know they deserve. And the
tender mercies of enemies often prevent them from ex-
posing those to punishment, who justly deserve it, or
to so great punishment as their conduct merits. This
SERMON X.
173
was true in respect to Saul. He was not willing to
punish Agag so much as he deserved and so much as
God was disposed to punish him. Jehosaphat had
no disposition to punish the king of Israel, after he ap-
peared friendly to him, though God eventually punish-
ed him severely. And there is no sinner in the world,
who is willing that his greatest enemy should be punish-
ed eternally. But if God be not too much disposed to
punish his enemies, then sinners are too little disposed
to have them punished. Their tender mercies are self-
ish and cruel; and would destroy the highest good of the
universe. Satan undoubtedly would, if he could, un-
bar the gates of destruction and let himself and all the
spirits in prison go free, rather than to see himself and
others reserved in chains to everlasting darkness and
despair. But is there any thing amiable and virtuous
in his tender mercies? If not, then there is nothing
amiable or virtuous in those, who profess to desire and
expect universal salvation? They do not hate sin, as
God hates it; and have not the same disposition to
punish it, that God has to punish it, according to its
intrinsic demerit. Nothing but pure, disinterested
benevolence can dispose any creature, or being, to in-
flict an eternal punishment for sin. The reason is,
no creature, or being, who is destitute of pure, disinter-
ested benevolence, can hate sin for what it is in itself,
or can be disposed to punish it any more, or any
longer than their interest requires it to be punished.
All sinners are apt to think, that God is altogether
such an one, as themselves; and as they are not dis-
posed to punish their enemies forever, that God is not
disposed to punish his incorrigible enemies forever.
2. If God is more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs; then none can truly
love God, without loving his vindictive justice, or his
disposition to punish the finally impenitent forever.---
This is an essential attribute of his nature; and he
can no more divest himself of it, than he can divest
himself of any other essential attribute, that he pos-
sesses. He has as plainly revealed his vindictive jus-
辜
​174
SERMON X.
tice in his word and as strikingly displayed it in his prov-
idence, as any one of his glorious perfections. He has
said, "Vengeance is mine and I will repay."
"He
has revealed his wrath from heaven against all ungodli.
ness and unrighteousness of men." And his vindictive
justice is but a branch of his pure and disinterested be-
nevolence. It is, therefore, impossible, that any should
sincerely love God, without loving his vindictive jus-
tice, or inflexible disposition to punish sin according to
its desert. I know, that many imagine, that the gos-
pel has drawn a veil over his justice and displays only
his mercy to sinners. But this is so far from being
true, that the justice of God shines more clearly in the
face of Jesus Christ on the cross, than in the law at
mount Sinai. And that the justice of God might not
be obscured by the gospel, Christ directed his apostles
and all his ministers through them to go into all the
the world and proclaim, "He that believeth and is bap-
tised, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be
damned." It must be owing to a misapprehension of
the nature and design of Christ's sufferings and death on
the cross and to a misapprehension of the terms of the
gospel, if any imagine, that the gospel does not display
the vindictive justice of God. It is impossible, there-
fore, for any to approve and embrace the gospel under-
standingly, while they disapprove and hate the vindic-
tive justice of God. The gospel may be and often is
so preached, as to lead sinners to think that they
love a sin-forgiving, while they hate a sin-punishing
God. But this is a most dangerous delusion; for God
is as much disposed to punish as to forgive sin. This
all must know either in this world, or the next; and
when those, who imagine they love the mercy, while
they hate the justice of God, discover this truth, it will
destroy all their false love and awaken all their native
enmity to God, which must be removed, or they will
perish forever.
3. If God be more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs; then his present con-
duct in punishing sinners is a strong evidence, that he
SERMON X.
175
حمد
will punish the finally impenitent forever. This is call-
ed an evil world, because so many evils and calamities
abound in it. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
as well as of the unrighteous. God punishes both
saints and sinners in this life; and sometimes he pun-
ishes both severely. And he never punishes any, who
do not deserve it. And since he punishes men in this
world, because they deserve to be punished, it is ration-
al to conclude, that he will punish the impenitent in
another world, because they deserve it. The apostle
Peter reasons in this manner. "For the time is come,
that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if
it first begin at us, what shall the end of them be, that
obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous
scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sin-
ner appear?" Again, this same apostle says, "If God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down
to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to
be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old
world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of
righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of
the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Go-
morrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample unto those, that after should
live ungodly; the Lord knoweth how to deliver the
godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished.”
These passages are to be understood literally in
their plain and obvious sense, because they perfectly
agree with the general current of scripture, and with
the dictates of reason on this subject. There are the
same reasons for God's punishing his incorrigible ene-
mies in another world, as for punishing them in this;
and there are the same reasons for his punishing them
forever, as for punishing them at all. One reason why
God punishes men in this world, is because he hates
sin in its own nature; and another reason is, because
the punishment of sin tends to promote the good of
mankind in this world. These two reasons will exist
in their full force in another world and require
176
SERMON X.
$
+
God to punish sin there, because he hates it, and to
punish it forever, because the punishment of it will
forever display his amiable justice and raise the holi-
ness and happiness of the heavenly world to the highest
degree of perfection. There is every reason to be-
lieve, from scripture, from the nature of sin, from the
character of God and from his punishing sin in this
world, that he will punish it forever. Hence says the
apostle, "If we sin wilfully, after that we have receiv-
ed the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no
more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour
the adversaries."
4. If God is more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs; then all real saints
are willing that God should punish his enemies as
much and as long as they deserve to be punished.---
They are willing to be punished themselves and to see
others punished in this world, as much and as long as
a wise, holy & benevolent God sees best to punish them.
Samuel was willing to punish Agag and hew him to
pieces before the Lord, and at his command. Moses
and the pious Israelites were willing to see God sink
Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea; and so were
the angels, who saw that tremendous punishment of
God's enemies; and they have sung the song of Mo-
ses ever since. The people of God in our day have
appointed and observed days of thanksgiving for the
defeat and overthrow of their public enemies. And
even the heathens suppose, that sin deserves to be
ished and that their gods will not suffer it to pass with
impunity. So they supposed, in respect to Jonah ;
and so they supposed, when the viper fastened on
Paul's hand. Every man has that in him, which tells
him, that sin deserves to be punished. And every good
man has that in him, which approves and loves the jus-
tice of God in punishing sin. Every good man is holy
as God is holy and loves what God loves and hates
what God hates. All the heavenly world, who are
holy as God is holy, benevolent as God is benevolent
pun-
SERMON X.
177 ·
and righteous as God is righteous, cordially approve of
his righteousness in the punishment of the sinful and
impenitent spirits in prison. They say, "Amen,
Alleluia," when they see the tokens of their endless
punishment. And it is difficult to conceive, how any
can hope and expect to go to heaven and to be happy
there, who do not approve and love God, for punishing
his incorrigible enemies, whether their nearest and dear-
est friends shall be found among those enemies, or
not.
5. If God is more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs; then sinners must
have a new heart, in order to enter into and enjoy the
kingdom of heaven. They are naturally unwilling,
that their own enemies, or the enemies of God, should
be punished either in this world, or in the world to
come, according to their desert. Saul, who we have
reason to fear was an unholy and unrenewed man, was
not willing, that Agag, an enemy to him and to the
people of God, should be punished as he deserved and
as God punished him. He probably felt an indigna-
tion, when he saw Samuel, in obedience to the divine
command, hew him in pieces. And probably he nev-
er has approved and never will approve of either the
temporal or eternal punishments, which God has in-
flicted, or ever will inflict upon any of his sinful and ill
deserving creatures. This is also true of all men in a
state of nature, which is a state of sin. They do not
hate sin in themselves, or others, on its own account;
and therefore cannot approve of its being punished ac-
cording to its desert. But they must be brought to
hate sin, on its account, in themselves and others and
to be willing, that it should be punished according to
its deserts, in order to go to heaven and be happy
there. Hence they must have a new heart and a new
spirit, in order to be prepared for the future and ever-
lasting enjoyment of God. It is as true now, as it ever
was, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God ;" and, "without holiness, no man
can see the Lord." Holiness, and nothing but holi-
}
23
178
SERMON X.
2
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$
་
ness hates sin, as sin, or on account of its intrinsie
moral evil. Supposing the pit of destruction were
opened to the view of any unrenewed sinner, he would
in his heart, take part with the miserable against God
and condemn him, rather than those, whom he has con-
demned to endless destruction. But would Samuel
have done so in this world? or will he ever do so in
heaven? No, by no means; he and all holy crea-
tures will justify God and condemn his enemies, as he
condemns them. And what was and is Samuel's duty,
is now and always will be the duty of every sinner.
But no sinner will ever do this, without a new and
better heart than he has at present. He must make
him a new heart and a new spirit, or he must eternally
die. '
6. If God is more disposed to punish his enemies,
than sinners are to punish theirs; then sinners have no
ground to depend upon the patience of God. Sinners
are extremely apt to depend upon the patience of God,
supposing that he does and will wait upon them, be-
cause he pities them and is unwilling to punish them.
Agag depended upon the patience of Saul and because
he delayed to punish him, expected he never would pun-
ish him; therefore he said to himself, "the bitterness
of death is past." Just so sinners feel towards God.
because he delays to punish them, they imagine he never
will punish them. But their dependance upon the pa-
tience of God is daring presumption. God does not
wait upon them, because he pities them and is not dis-
posed to punish them; but because he has some im-
portant end to answer, by waiting upon them. He
often waits upon them, as he waited upon the Amorites,
that they may fill up the measure of their iniquites,
which he knows they will be disposed to do.
Be-
cause sentence against an evil work is not speedily exe-
cuted, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set
in them to do evil." You may think, the bitterness of
death is past, because you are in health, or because
you have escaped great and imminent dangers, or be-
cause you have been suffered to trifle on the Sabbaths
SERMON X.
179
and days of humiliation, fasting and prayer, or because
you have been indulged in walking in the ways of your
heart and in the sight of your eyes; but his spirit will
not always strive with man, nor his patience always
continue. God is angry with you every day. If you
turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow
and made it ready. He hath prepared for him the in-
struments of death; and he will hew you in pieces.----
Let not the old man say, "the bitterness of death is
past," because he has been preserved so long, for death
be near.
may
"the bit-
Let not the strong man say,
terness of death is past," because he is strong; for
death may be near. Let not the young man say, "the
bitterness of death is past,"because he is young; fordeath
may be near. Behold, now is the accepted time, be-
hold, now is the day of salvation. Therefore, "as though
God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God." And in order to be
reconciled to God, you must condemn yourselves and
justify God in your condemnation to everlasting pun-
ishment.
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{
SERMON XI.
3
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.
II. CORINTHIANS, XIII. 14.-The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the com-
munion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.
This apostolic benediction has been more constantly
and universally used by Christians in their public wor-
ship, than any other passage in the New Testament,
for nearly two thousand years. And they have used
it,not to express their belief, that there are three Gods,
but that there are three distinct divine persons in the
one living and true God. This common practice of
Christians is a presumptive evidence of their common
belief of the doctrine of the sacred Trinity; and of its
practical importance to promote true devotion and vital
piety. Admitting this to be true, there is no occasion,
perhaps on which it is more proper to illustrate the
truth and importance of this doctrine, than on a day of
communion at the table of Christ, when his cordial
friends unite to celebrate the memorials of his death.
In treating upon this mysterious doctrine, in the pres-
ent occasional discourse, I shall not attempt to discuss
it fully, but only endeavor to set it in a plain, scrip-
tural, useful light. Accordingly, I propose agreeably
to the language of the text,
I. To show, that there is not merely a nominal,
but a personal distinction in the one living and true
God; And,
II. To show that Christians ought to exercise affec-
tions towards God, corresponding to this personal dis-
tinction in the divine essence.
SERMON XI.
181
i
I. I am to show, that there is not merely a nom-
inal, but a personal distinction in the Godhead.
Though all denominations of Christians profess to
believe, that there is one only living and true God, yet
they do not all profess to believe that he exists a Trini-
ty in Unity; or, that there is something in his essence
which lays a foundation for three equally distinct and
divine persons. The Sabellians suppose, that God is
one person acting in three distinct offices; and for that
reason is called Father, Son and Holy Ghost; which
is only a nominal distinction of persons. The Arians
suppose that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are
three distinct persons, but that the Son derives his ex-
istence from the Father and the Holy Ghost derives his
existence from the Father and the Son. And the So-
cinians, who are more appropriately called Unitarians,
suppose, that God exists in but one person; and that
the Son is a mere man and the Holy Ghost is no person
at all, but a mere divine energy, or influence. Those,
therefore, who are called Trinitarians are the only de-
nomination of Christians, who profess to believe that
there is a real and not merely a nominal distinction in
the divine essence; and that there are three equally dis-
tinct and divine persons in the Godhead, who, on ac-
count of the different parts they act in the work of re-
demption, are called Father, Son and Holy Ghost.-
But though these three divine persons are distinct, yet
they are not separate. Things may be distinct, which
are not separate. The soul and body of a living man
are distinct, but not separate. The powers and facul-
ties of the human mind are distinct, but not separate.
So the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct
persons in the Godhead, but not separate, because they
are inseparably united in the divine essence. And in
this union of three distinct persons in the one living and
true God, consists the mystery of the sacred Trinity.
It is universally acknowledged by those, who maintain
this doctrine, that it is a profound mystery, which can-
not be explained. But though we cannot explain how
three distinct persons exist in the Godhead; yet we
can state the scripture evidence, that there is a real per-
[
182
SERMON XI.
t
7
sonal distinction in the divine essence, and explain what
the scripture reveals concerning the agency of the Fa-
ther, Son and Holy Ghost in the work of redemption ;
which is all that is necessary and useful for us to know
about this great aud incomprehensible doctrine.
Now this doctrine, in the sense, which has been
mentioned, is implicitly, or expressly taught both in
the Old and New Testament. But like many other
important truths, it is more clearly taught by Christ
and the apostles in the New Testament, than by the
inspired writers in the Old Testament. I shall there-
fore confine myself in this discourse to what we find
said in the New Testament, concerning the real person-
al distinction in the Godhead. Our Savior, just before
his ascension to heaven, came to his apostles and
said, "Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Ho-
ly Ghost. And lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world." Here Christ distinguishes him-
self from the Father and Holy Ghost, whom he rep-
resents as two distinct and equally divine persons, in
whose names the divine ordinance of baptism is to be
administered to the end of time. I will now read to you
what the apostles either implicitly or explicitly say con-
cerning the personality of the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, in the beginning and end of their epistles. The
apostle in his epistle to the Romans, begins thus :---
Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the gospel of God concerning
his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of
the seed of David, according to the flesh and declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the
spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by
whom we have received grace and apostleship for obe-
dience to the faith among all nations for his name:
among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ, to
all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be
saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ." In this passage, the
apostle represents Christ as the Son of God and
'
SERMON XI.
183
the son of David; or as both a divine & human person
and a distinct person from God the Father. And he
closes his epistle in these words, "To God, only
wise, be glory, through Jesus Christ, forever." Who
can doubt, whether he meant to distinguish the person
of the Father from the person of Christ ?
His salutation in his first epistle to the Corinthians
runs in similar language. "Paul, called to be an
apostle of Jesus Christ, unto the church of God,
which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all that in every
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Here he plainly ex-
presses the personal distinction between the Father &
the Son. And the conclusion of his epistle implies
the same distinction, when he says, "The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you." His second epistle
begins in this form, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God and Timothy our brother, unto the
church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints
which are in all Achaia; Grace be unto you and peace
from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”-
And he closes his epistle in the words of our text;
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with
you all."
In this short sentence, he expressly men-
tions each distinct person in the Trinity, by his appro-
priate name.
To the Galatians he writes in his usual strain.----
"Paul an apostle (not of man, but by Jesus Christ and
God the Father, who raised him from the dead) and
all the brethren that are with me, unto the churches of
Galatia, Grace be to you and peace from God the
Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ." In the
conclusion he says in the spirit of the salutation, "Breth-
ren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit."
He is careful to use the same phraseology in his sal-
utation to the Ephesians. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus
a
184
SERMON XI.
Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at
Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be
to you, and peace from God our Father and from the
Lord Jesus Christ." And he concludes his letter
thus: "Peace be to the brethren & love with faith from
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The
love of the Father is here distinguished from the love
of the Lord Jesus Christ, which implies that they are
two distinct persons. At the beginning of his epistle to
the Philippians, he says, "Grace be unto you and peace
from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
The end of this epistle corresponds with the beginning.
"Now unto God and our Father be glory forever.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen."
66
The apostle begins his letter to the Colossians by
saying, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ----to the
saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at
Colosse: Grace be unto you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." He begins his
first epistle to the Thessalonians, in the same manner,
"Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ." And closes it in these
terms, "And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus
be with you. Amen." He begins and ends his second
espistle, by saying, "Grace unto you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." And,
"the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen." His salutation in his first epistle to Timo-
thy is, "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Je-
sus Christ our Lord." And he addresses him in pre-
cisely the same style in his second epistle. "To Tim-
othy, my dearly beloved son. Grace, mercy and peace
from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.".
And he adds at the end; "The Lord Jesus Christ be
with thy spirit." In writing to Titus he uses similar
SERMON Xİ.
185
י
expressions in the beginning of his letter. "To Titus
mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy
and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ our Saviour." Peter in his second general
epistle to Christians uses the same mode of saluta-
tion that Paul so uniformly did. He says, "Grace
and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowl-
edge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Thus Peter in one epistle and Paul in twelve epis-
tles, wrote to the churches of Christ in the spirit and
language of the Trinity, though not in so many words.
They do not always mention God and Christ and the
Holy Ghost, the three persons in the Trinity; but
they mention two persons distinctly; and all, who al-
low, that there are two, will acknowledge that there
are three distinct persons in the Godhead. In the pas-
sages, that have been cited, the Father, Son and Ho-
ly Ghost are represented in a manner, which plainly
implies, that each of them possess personal properties;
and in a vast many other places in the New Testa-
ment, their personal properties are expressly mention-
ed. The Father is said to send the Son; the Son is
said to send the Spirit. The Father speaks of the Son
and the Son speaks of the Father. And the Father
and the Son speak of the Holy Ghost. The Father
is said to act of himself; the Son is said to act of him-
self; and the Holy Ghost is said to act of himself.
These are plain representations of the personal prop-
erties of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We
know, therefore, that they are three distinct persons.
Their personality is plainly and intelligibly revealed;
though their unity is not and cannot be revealed. I
have dwelt the longer upon this point, because some,
who allow that there is a real distinction in the divine
nature, which lays a foundation for God to exist a
Trinity in Unity; are unwilling to allow that he ex-
ists in the three distinct persons; and because all,
that we can know, or need to know about the myste-"
rious mode of the divine existence, is the proper per
sonality of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and not
their Unity. I now proceed to show,
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186
SERMON XI.
11
II. That Christians ought to exercise affections
towards God corresponding to this personal distinction
in his peculiar mode of existence. This seems to be
the import of the apostle's benediction in the text.
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with
you all. Amen." We are to understand this as a
petition, rather than a precept. The apostle prays that
the Corinthians might enjoy the grace of Christ, the
love of God and the communion, or rather communi-
cation of the Holy Ghost. He used the form of a
petition for them in the 7th verse of the context.-
"Now I pray to God that ye do no evil." And his
benediction, in the close of his first epistle to the
Thessalonians, is a proper petition. "The very God
of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." There
is an ellipsis in the text which our translators have sup-
plied with the word be; and which they might have
supplied so as to have given it the very form of a prayer.
The apostle is to be understood as praying, that the
Corinthians might feel and express their peculiar ob-
ligations to each person in the Trinity, for what he
had done for their salvation. And this they might
and ought to do; because they knew, that the Father
was a distinct Person from the Son and the Son was a
distinct Person from the Father and the Holy Ghost
was a distinct Person from the Father and Son; and
that each of these divine Persons had done that for
them, which laid them under distinct obligations to
himself. This is a duty, which was not peculiar to the
Corinthians, but is common to all Christians at this
day. They all ought to feel and express their peculiar
obligations to each of the divine Persons in the God-
head, for what he has done to save them.
In the first place, they ought gratefully to acknowl-
edge their peculiar obligations to the Father, the first
person in the Trinity, for his love to them in providing
a Savior for them. They know, that it was he, "who
SERMON XI.
187
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not per
ish, but have everlasting life ;" and that "he com-
mended his love towards them, in that while they were
yet sinners, Christ died for them." It was the love of
the Father, that sent the Son and not the love of the
Son, that sent the Father, to die the just for the unjust.
Christians are indebted to the love of the Father for
forming the gracious design of redeeming them from
sin and misery and restoring them to perfect and per-
petual holiness and happiness, at the infinite expence
of the death of his Son. This great and distinguishing
expression of the Father's love to them lays them un-
der distinct obligation to feel and express peculiar
gratitude to him, as the prime mover and actor in pro-
moting their eternal salvation.
In the second place, they ought gratefully to ac-
knowledge the astonishing grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the second person in the adorable Trinity, in
what he has done to atone for their sins and open the
door of mercy for them. He entered into the cove-
nant of redemption with the Father and engaged to
perform the part of a mediator between him and his re-
volted subjects. And in his mediatorial office, he per-
formed the most marvellous acts of condescension and
grace. He left his Father's bosom, came into the
world, took upon him human nature and the form of a
servant, became a man of sorrows and finally poured
out his soul unto death on the cross to make atone-
ment for sin. He said, "The Son of man came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister; and to give his
life a ransom for many." It was inconsistent with the
justice of God to pardon sinners, without an atonement
for sin; and therefore he set forth Christ to be a pro-
pitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his right-
eousness for the remission of sins-that he might be
just and the justifier of him that believeth. Again we
are told, "that without shedding of blood is no remis-
sion." Again we read, "In whom, we have redemp-
tion through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, accord-
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188
SERMON XI.
**
ing to the riches of his grace." It was an act of aston-
ishing grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, to make himself
a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and open the only
possible way for God to exercise pardoning mercy to
penitent believers. Hence says the apostle to the Co-
rinthians, "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor, that ye through his poverty might be
rich." Christians are under the strongest and most
endearing obligations to feel and express the warmest
gratitude to Christ in particular, for what he has done
and suffered, in his mediatorial character, to save them
from the wrath to come and make them forever happy.
In the third place, they ought gratefully to acknowl-
edge their obligations to the Holy Ghost, who conde-
scends to perform his official work, in preparing them
for the kingdom of glory. They were once dead in
trespasses and sins and under the entire dominion of a
carnal mind, which is enmity against God, not subject
to his law, neither indeed can be. They must have
pined away in their iniquities and perished forever, not-
withstanding the love of God in sending Christ to die
for them and notwithstanding the grace of Christ in
dying to atone for their sins, unless the Holy Ghost
had undertaken to enlighten their minds, awaken their
consciences and renew and sanctify their hearts and
make them willing, in the day of his power, to accept
of pardoning mercy through the atonement of Christ
alone. They are indebted to the Person of the Holy
Gost, for all the love, repentance, faith, submission
an
every other Christian grace, they have ever exer-
cised. It belongs to him as Sanctifier, to communicate
holiness to the hearts of those, whom the Father has
given to the Son. And it belongs to them, whọ have
received his gracious communications, to feel and ex-
press peculiar gratitude to him in particular.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If there be a real distinction in the divine nature,
which lays a foundation for God to exist in three
equally divine Persons; then we may see how
SERMON XI.
189
}
M
it was morally possible for him to form and ex-
ecute the plan of salvation. He could not have
consistently saved sinners without an atonement
for sin; and an atonement for sin could not have
been made, if there had been but one person in the
Godhead. If the Person of the Father had existed
alone, without the Son and Holy Ghost, he could not
have suffered and died for the sinful race of man ; and
by consequence, he could not have formed any scheme
for their redemption from that destruction, which he
had threatened to the transgressors of his holy and
righteous law. There could have been no Savior and
consequently no salvation. This even the Unitarians
do not deny, though they say, that they do not know
but that God could have devised some other way of
saving sinners, or have saved them without an atone-
ment. But it appears from the whole current of scrip-
ture, that God has formed a design to save them
through an atonement. And since he exists a Trinity
in Unity, it is easy to see how he could save them in
this way. He could, if he saw it to be best, appoint
his Son, the second person in his mysterious essence,
tó become incarnate and suffer and die for those, whose
nature he took upon him. This was certainly possible;
and therefore there is no presumptive evidence against
the truth and divinity of the gospel, as infidels pretend.
And now if we find, by examining the gospel, that it
does reveal a way of salvation through the joint opera-
rations of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we are
bound to believe and embrace it. There is nothing
unreasonable or absurd, in the Father's appointing the
Son to give his life a ransom for many and dying the
just for the unjust, that the Holy Ghost might renew
and sanctify them and bring them near to God. But
on the other hand, it is perfectly reasonable to believe,
that if the Father designed to save sinners, that he
should so love the world, as to give his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not per-
ish, but have everlasting life, for we can see no other
possible way, in which he could consistently save them.
Hence,
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SERMON XI.
2. We learn from what has been said, that if the
gospel scheme of salvation could not have been formed
without a personal distinction in the divine nature;
then it cannot be understood, without understanding
the doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine is the fun-
damental doctrine of the Gospel, in the highest sense
of fundamental; for the whole gospel is founded upon
it, so that the denial of it subverts the whole gospel.
Some who profess to believe the doctrine, hesitate to
say that it is fundamental. But we presume, that
whoever can fairly refute the doctrine of the Trinity,
can as fairly refute the truth and divinity of the gospel
and prove that it is not of divine Inspiration. And
this is confirmed by fact. Those, who deny the doc-
trine of the Trinity, generally deny all the peculiar and
important doctrines of the Bible; and the arguments
they use against the doctrine of the Trinity, are equal-
ly forcible against the inspiration of the scriptures. If
there be one doctrine of the gospel more fundamental
than another, it is the doctrine of the ever blessed
Trinity. Accordingly Trinitarians in general have
believed and maintained it to be essential to Christ-
ianity.
3. If the doctrine of the Trinity has been scriptur-
ally and properly stated in this discourse; then it is
a very intelligible doctrine, notwithstanding the myste-
ry contained in it. The inspired writers clearly reveal
the Personality of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
by describing their distinct offices and the distinct parts
they perform, in the work of redemption. They rep-
resent the Father as superior to the Son and the Son
as superior to the Holy Ghost in order of their opera-
tions; and they represent 'each Person as operating
voluntarily and distinctly of himself and performing
distinct operations. When we read, that the Father
sends the Son, but the Son does not send the Father;
that the Son sends the Holy Ghost, but the Holy
Ghost does not send the Son; that the Father dil
not die, but the Son did; and that the Holy Ghost did
not die, but the Son did; we cannot but conceive that
SERMON XI.
191
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are distinct Persons.
And we have as clear an idea of these three divine
Persons, as of three human persons. There is no
mystery in the personality of the Father, Son and Ho-
ly Ghost, though there is a profound mystery in their
being one God. But this has no tendency to prevent
our understanding what the scripture reveals concern-
ing their personality. The self-existence and eternity
of the Deity is a mystery, but this does not prevent our
seeing and believing the plain evidences of his existing
of himself from eternity. It is a mystery how God cre-
ated all things, governs all things and fills all places at
one and the same time; but this mystery does not pre-
vent our believing and loving these great and precious
truths. The scriptural doctrine of the Trinity, there-
fore is as plain and as easy to understand, as any other
doctrine of the Bible. God's works of creation and
providence are as mysterious, as his work of redemp-
tion, which he has revealed in his word. We are as
much bound to believe what he has revealed in his word
as what he has revealed of himself in the works of cre-
ation and providence. The book of divine Revela-
tion is as easy to understand, as the book of nature.
And those, who study the Book of nature, find as many
difficulties and mysteries, as those who study the book
of divine Revelation.
4. It appears from what has been said concerning
the scriptural account of the sacred Trinity, that those,
who disbelieve and deny the doctrine, ought not to
be admitted into the Church, because they cannot con-
sistently observe the two great ordinances of the gospel,.
Baptism and the Holy Sacrament. Baptism is to be
administered in the name of three distinct Persons in
the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost; and how
can those, who deny the divinity of the Son and the
personality of the Holy Ghost, come to this ordinance
themselves, or administer it to others in sincerity and
without mockery, or blasphemy? But this was in the
days of the apostles an initiating ordinance into the
Church; and they admitted none into it, before they
192
SERMON XI.
}
1
submitted to baptism. And Christian churches in
general have continued to require all adults to be bap-
tized as an indispensable condition to their admission
into their body and to a participation of the holy sacra-
ment. But it is still more inconsistent to admit those,
who deny the Trinity, to the Lord's Supper, than to
baptism. For the sacrament was instituted for the
very purpose of gratefully acknowledging the grace,
the personality and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But how can those, who disbelieve that he was the
second person in the Godhead and had only a human, or
angelic nature, pay public and divine homage to him in
the sacrament? However amiable in their conduct, or
however eminent for talents and learning Unitarians
may be, they are not Christians and have no right to
be admitted into Christian churches. I know they
complain bitterly of being denied the Christian name
and debarred from Christian ordinances. But what
reason have they to complain, when they are sentimen-
tally and zealously opposed to the great doctrines and
special ordinances of the gospel? Can real Christians
suffer the sacred ordinances of the gospel to be
pro-
faned, consistently with their love to God and their
solemn engagements to their divine Redeemer ?
5. There was a propriety in Christ's appointing an
ordinance, in which his friends may hold communion
with him in particular. As he was the second person
in the Trinity according to the economy of redemption
and the only person, who took upon him human nature
and suffered and died in the room of sinners: so there
was a peculiar propriety in his appointing an ordinance,
in which his friends may commemorate his death and
hold communion with him in particular. If there
were not three persons in the Godhead, or, if Christ
were not a distinct person from the Father and Holy
Ghost, there could be no foundation for his appointing
an ordinance to commemorate his death and for hold-
ing communion with him, in distinction from the Fath-
er and Holy Ghost. But the apostle tells us, that the
sacrament of the supper was appointed for both these
SERMON XI.
193
:
The
purposes. He says, "The Lord Jesus, the same night
in which he was betrayed, took bread and when he
had given thanks, he brake it and said, Take, eat;
this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me. After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup,
is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft
as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as oft as
ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew forth
the Lord's death till he come." In another place, the
apostle says, "The cup of blessing, which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ?
bread, which we break, is it not the communion of the
body of Christ?" If Christ be a divine person, dis-
tinct from the Father and Holy Ghost, then there
is a propriety in his appointing the sacrament and
giving his friends a peculiar opportunity to commem-
orate his death and hold communion with him in
his body and blood, in his sufferings and death. He
suffered and died and not the Father, nor the Holy
Ghost; his grace, therefore, is to be remembered and
gratefully acknowledged, in distinction from the love of
the Father and communication of the Holy Ghost;
and with him his friends are to hold particular commun-
ion. Christ feels peculiar affection towards his friends
for whom he died and takes peculiar pleasure in com-
muning with them at his table. He says, "Eat, O
friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved, Be-
hold, I stand at the door and knock; and if any man
hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him
and sup with him and he with me.” But who can do
this, who does not believe the blessed doctrine of the
Trinity? and who does not feel peculiar love and
gratitude to the personal character and conduct of the
Lord Jesus Christ?
25
SERMON XII.
THE NECESSITY OF THE ATONEMENT.
ROMANS III. 26,-That he might be just and
the justifier of him, which believeth in Jesus.
The atonement of Christ lies at the foundation of
the gospel, which we cannot understand, without un-
derstanding the nature and necessity of the atonement
which he made on the cross. But there are various
opinions maintained upon this important subject, by
those, who profess to believe the gospel. It becomes
us, therefore, to examine this subject seriously and crit-
ically that we may discover wherein his atonement
consisted and for what purpose it was made. The
apostle, having proved in the preceding verses, that
all mankind are by nature in a state of guilt and con-
demnation, proceeds to show how believers are forgiv
en, or justified through the redemption, or atonement
of Christ. Speaking of himself and other believers,
he says, 66
Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins---that he might be just, and the justifier of him,
which believeth in Jesus." According to this repre-
sentation, it was absolutely necessary for Christ to
make atonement for sin by his blood on the cross, in
order that God might be just, in forgiving or justify-
ing penitent believers. Though it was not necessary,
that God should forgive the transgressors of his law,
yet it was necessary that an atonement should be made,
SERMON XII,
195
to show that he was just to himself, as well as merciful,
to them, if he did grant them the remission of sins.
So that we may safely conclude,
That the atonement of Christ was necessary entirely
on God's account.
It is proposed to show, that this was so, and why it
was so.
I. It is to be shown, that the atonement of Christ
was necessary entirely on God's account.
If the atonement of Christ were not necessary on
the account of sinners, then if it were necessary at all,
it must have been necessary on God's account.-
But it is easy to see, that it could not be necessary on
the account of sinners. When Adam had sinned and
involved himself and his posterity in guilt and ruin,
God might have destroyed him and them, as he de-
stroyed the fallen angels, according to the rules of strict
justice. By treating them in such a manner, he would
have done honor to his character, to his law and to his
government, in the eyes of all his intelligent creatures,
without doing the least injury to them. As sinners,
they deserved to suffer the penalty of the law, which
they had broken; and God might have inflicted upon
them that eternal death, which is the proper wages of
sin. On the other hand, he might have saved them in
a sovereign manner, without doing injustice to them,
or to any other of his creatures. If God had chosen
to save all mankind without an atonement, he would
have treated them better than they deserved, which
could have been no injury to them; nor could it have
been any injury to the fallen angels, to have treated
fallen men better than he treated them. As he treated
them as well as they deserved, they could have no
ground to complain, if he treated mankind better than
they deserved. There was, therefore, no necessity of
the atonement of Christ, on the account of sinners. If
no atonement had been made, God might have treated
them according to their deserts, or better than their
deserts, without doing them, or any other creature the
least injury. When Adam fled from the presence of
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196
SERMON XII.
•
God in despair, it was not because he feared that his
Creator and Lawgiver would injure him. He knew
that God would not injure him, if he destroyed him and
much less, if he saved him. All sinners now know
the same.
When they reflect upon their sinful, per-
ishing state, they are sensible they deserve to die and
that eternal death is not a punishment greater than
their guilt. They see nothing on their own account,
why God may not exercise his justice, or his grace
towards them, without an atonement. They know,
that he would not injure them, if he should exercise
either his justice, or his grace towards them. Conse-
quently, they see no need of an atonement on their own
account. If no atonement had been made, God might
have determined to destroy all the human race, or to
have saved all the human race, without doing any in-
jury to them, or to any other created beings. It hence
appears, that there was no necessity of the atonement
of Christ, on account of sinners themselves. But the
apostle assures us in the text, that an atonement was
necessary on God's account, that he might be just and
the justifier of him, that believeth in Jesus.
II. I proceed to show why the atonement of Christ
was necessary on God's account, in order to render it
consistent with his amiable and glorious character, to
extend pardoning mercy to this fallen, guilty, perish-
ing world.
If we can only discover why Adam, after he had
eaten the forbidden fruit and incurred the penalty of
the divine law, despaired of pardoning mercy, we can
easily see, why an atonement for sin was absolutely
necessary in order to render it consistent for God to
exercise pardoning grace to sinners.
Adam knew,
that God was perfectly good and that his perfect good-
ness would necessarily dispose him to do good, not
only to the innocent, but to the guilty? Why then
did he despair of mercy? The only reason was, that
he knew that God was just as well as good; and that
it was morally impossible, that he should exercise his
goodness inconsistently with his justice. This banish-
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SERMON XII.
197
ed from his mind every gleam of hope. The more he
realized the goodness of God, the more he realized the
justice of God; and the more he realized the justice
of God, the more he despaired of pardoning mercy.-
For he could not see how it was possible, that he should
be just to himself and to his law and yet pardon his
transgression; nor was there an angel in heaven could
see how this could be brought about. A servant, who
has disobeyed a good master, is more afraid of being
punished, than a servant, who has disobeyed a bad
master. A child, who has disobeyed a good parent, is
more afraid of being punished, than a child who has
disobeyed a bad parent. The reason is the same in
both cases.
The servant and the child know, that
goodness implies justice; and justice is a disposition
to punish. Adam knew, that the perfect goodness of
God implied his perfect justice; and his perfect justice
implied an inflexible disposition to punish the guilty.
It is not probable, that Adam thought of an atonement,
or if he did, he could not see how an atonement could
be made; and therefore he utterly despaired of pardon
and salvation. As Adam could not see how God
could consistently forgive him, without an atonement,
so none of his posterity can see how God can consis-
tently forgive them, without an atonement.
He was
a true representative of all, who should be and now
are in his state of guilt and condemnation. As God
could not have been just to himself in forgiving Adam,
without an atonement; so he cannot be just to him-
self, in forgiving any of his guilty posterity, without an
atonement. And as God did determine to show mer-
ey to sinners, so it was absolutely necessary, that
Christ should make an atonement for their sins. The
atonement of Christ was necessary entirely on God's
account. The necessity of Christ's atonement, in case
God determined to save sinners, originated entirely in
his immutable justice. He must be just to himself,
that is, he must display his essential and amiable at-
tribute of retributive justice, in pardoning or justifying
those, who deserve to be punished. There was noth-
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198
SERMON XII.
}
ing in men that required an atonement and there was
nothing in God that required an atonement but his jus-
tice. All the moral perfections of the Deity are com-
prised in the pure love of benevolence. God is love.
Before the foundation of the world, there was no
ground for considering love as branched out into va-
rious & distinct attributes, But after the creation, new
relations arose; & in consequence of new relations, more
obligations were created, both on the side of the Creator
& on that of his creatures. Before created beings existed,
God's love was exercised wholly towards himself. But
after moral beings were brought into existence, it was
right in the nature of things, that he should exercise right
affections towards them; according to their moral charac-
ters. Hence the goodness, the justice & mercy of God
are founded in the nature of things. That is, so long
as God remains the Creator and men remain his crea-
tures, he is morally obliged to exercise these different
and distinct feelings toward them. He must be dispos-
ed to do good to the innocent, to punish the guilty and
at the same time, to forgive them. Now, there never
was any difficulty in the way of God's doing good to
the innocent, nor in the way of his punishing the guil-
ty; but there was a difficulty in sparing and forgiving
the wicked. God's goodness is a disposition to do
good to the innocent; his justice is a disposition to
punish the guilty; and his mercy is a disposition to
pardon and save the guilty. The great difficulty,
therefore, in the way of man's salvation, was to recon-
cile God's disposition to punish with his disposition to
forgive, or in other words, to reconcile his justice with
his mercy. This was a difficulty in the divine charac-
ter and a still greater difficulty in the divine govern-
ment. For God had revealed his justice in his moral
government. He had given law to man; and in that
law had clearly exhibited his justice. In the penalty
of the law he had declared, that the transgressor had
deserved eternal punishment; that he had a right
to inflict eternal punishment; that he had power
to inflict eternal punishment; and that he had a dispo-
SERMON XII.
199
sition to inflict eternal punishment. There was a clear
and full exhibition of retributive justice, in the first law
given to man. "In the day thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die." This law, clothed with all the au-
thority of God, man violated & exposed himself to the
awful penalty. And in consequence of his single
act of disobedience, his posterity became involved in
the same state of wretchedness and guilt. What now
could be done? It is easy to see, that justice might
be done, without the least difficulty, for this had been
done in a similar case The fallen angels had been
doomed to hopeless ruin, for their first offence. But
how could pardoning grace be displayed? This none
of the intelligent creation could tell. The angels of
light could not tell; for they had seen those, who kept
not their first estate, excluded from heaven and the
door of mercy forever shut against them. Man could
not tell. He knew the sentence of death was passed
upon him, which might be justly and immediately exe-
cuted. How then could grace be displayed consist-
ently with justice? This question God alone was able
to solve. He knew that he could be just to himself, if
his justice were displayed, by the sufferings of a prop-
er substitute in the room of sinners. He knew that the
sufferings of a substitute, in the room of sinners, would
both display his justice and support the honor of his
law and government. And as he saw that such a sub-
stitute was necessary, he appointed Christ to take the
place of sinners and to suffer and die the just for the
unjust. Christ was the Son of his love, the second
person in the sacred Trinity and equal to himself in ev-
ery divine perfection. He was the only substitute to
be found in the universe, who was competent to the
great work of making a complete atonement for sin.---
Him therefore the Father set forth to be a propitia-
tion, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins. And though he was once in the form of God and
thought it no robbery to be equal with God; yet he
made himself of no reputation and took upon him the
form of a servant and was made in the likeness of
200
SERMON XII.
men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death
of the cross, that he might taste death for every man.
For it became him, for whom are all things and by
whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. It was indispensably necessary
that
Christ should suffer, when he took the place of sinners
to make atonement for their sins. For suffering is the
penalty, which God threatens to infiict upon trans-
gressors of his law, to display his vindictive justice.
It was only by causing Christ to suffer in the room of
sinners, that God could display his vindictive justice to-
wards them. Accordingly we read, "It pleased the
Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief, when he
made his soul an offering for sin; that he was wounded
for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities,
and the chastisement of our peace was upon him.”----
By inflicting such sufferings upon Christ, when he
took the place of a substitute in the room of sinners,
God as clearly displayed his hatred of sin and his in-
flexible disposition to punish it, as if he had made all
mankind personally miserable forever. It is agreeable
to the common opinion and practice of mankind, in
war, to hold prisoners as hostages, so that in case the
enemy violate the law of arms, by abusing or putting
to death the captives they have taken, they may justly
retaliate, by treating the hostages as the abused cap-
tives were treated. So general Washington proposed
to act, when a British officer, contrary to the law of
nations, killed Capt. Huddy, an American officer,
after he had surrendered. He determined to put Capt.
Asgill, a British officer, whom he had in his hands, to
death in the room of the man, who killed Capt. Hud-
dy. And had he actually done this, he would have
displayed his just displeasure against the murderer and
all who justified and protected him. Or in other words,
he would have done justice to himself, by making it ap-
pear, that he meant to maintain the dignity of his char-
acter as a commander in chief and to support his au-
}
>
SERMON XII.
201
thority in punishing all, who should dare to violate the
law of arms. He would not, indeed, have done distri-
butive justice to the murderer, nor have prevented his
being put to death, if he could have been found and ap-
prehended. Just so, God, by subjecting the Son of
his love to death, in the room of sinners, could display
his immutable disposition to punish sin, in the most
striking and awful manner. Accordingly, when Christ
actually took the place of sinners and poured out his
soul unto death on the cross, his sufferings in their
room as clearly displayed the vindictive justice of God
to angels and men and the whole intelligent creation,
as if he had made them all personally miserable for-
ever. By subjecting Christ to sufferings and death on
the cross, God has done justice to himself and made a
complete atonement for sin. He, not Christ, made
the atonement. He bruised him and put him to grief;
his sword pierced his heart and shed his blood on the
cross. So the prophet predicted. "Awake, O sword,
against my shepherd and against the man that is my
fellow, saith the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd
and the sheep shall be scattered." This prediction
Christ applied to himself just after he had instituted a
standing memorial of his death and just before his suf-
ferings began in the garden. "Then saith Jesus unto
his disciples, All ye shall be offended because of me this
night for it is written, I will smite the shepherd and
the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."---
Christ knew, that it was absolutely necessary, that the
Father should put him to death, in order to display his
justice in the forgiveness or remission of sins. And it
was on this ground solely, that he cordially submitted
to die on the cross. This he expressly declared before
he suffered, "Now is my soul troubled and what shall
I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this
cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy
name." It was the Father, that made atonement for
sin, by putting Christ to death on the cross, by his
own hand. By making his own Son a substitute for
sinners and putting him to death in their room, he de-
26
202
SERMON XII.
*
J
clared his righteousness to the whole universe, so that
he can now be just and the justifier of him, which be-
lieveth in Jesus. This was the great and important
end to be answered by an atonement. And in order
to answer this end, Christ's atonement was absolutely
necessary.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If the atonement of Christ was necessary en-
tirely on God's account, that he might be just in exer-
cising pardoning mercy to penitent and believing sin-
ners; then it was universal and sufficient for the par-
don and salvation of the non-elect, as well as for the
pardon and salvation of the elect. Some believe and
maintain the doctrine of a limited atonement. They
suppose, that Christ died to make atonement for the
elect, exclusively of the non-elect. This opinion ap-
pears to be founded on a wrong notion of the nature
and design of the atonement. It was designed to main-
tain and display the justice of God in the remission of
sins. And if it has rendered it consistent with the jus-
tice of God to exercise pardoning mercy to one sinner,
it has rendered it equally consistent with his justice to
exercise pardoning mercy to all sinners. The atone-
ment of Christ has the same favorable aspect upon the
non elect, as upon the elect. It opens as wide a door
of mercy to the one, as to the other. It removes all
natural obstacles out of the way of the salvation of
either, because it renders it consistent with the justice
of God, to pardon and save a part, or the whole of
mankind, according to his sovereign pleasure and eter-
nal purpose. The atonement of Christ has laid God
under no obligation to save one of mankind, but left him
at full liberty to save a part, or the whole human race.
It is generally allowed, that God does in the gospel of-
fer salvation to all; but how can he consistently offer
salvation to all, if Christ has not made atonement for
all? If Christ has not made atonement for the non-
elect; it is no more consistent for God to offer salva-
tion to the non-elect, than to offer salvation to the fal-
SERMON XII.
203
1
4
len angels, for whom all will allow he has made no
atonement. Besides, the scripture not only represents
God as inviting all men to accept of pardon and salva-
tion, through the blood of Christ; but represents him,
as threatening to punish all eternally, who refuse to
This
accept the offers of pardon in Christ's name.
looks perfectly inconsistent with the retributive justice
of God, unless the atonement be universal. What can
be more unjust, than to punish sinners for not accepting
a salvation, which was never provided for them. And
it never was provided for them, if Christ did not, by
his sufferings and death, make atonement for them.
But Christ commands his ministers to say to all, with-
out exception, "He that believeth and is baptised shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
This, as well as many other passages of scripture,
clearly proves that the atonement of Christ is not lim-
"God so
ited, but extends to all the children of men.
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish,
but have everlasting life." And the apostle John
says, "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
2. If the atonement of Christ was necessary entire-
ly on God's account, to satisfy his justice towards
himself, in exercising pardoning mercy to the guilty;
then it did not satisfy justice towards sinners themselves.
Justice, as it respects them, stands in full force against
them. Nothing, which Christ did or suffered, altered
their characters, obligations, or deserts. His obedi-
ence' did not free them from their obligation to obey the
divine law, nor did his sufferings free them from their
desert of suffering the penalty of the divine law. Both
the precept and penalty of the divine law is founded in
the nature of things; and Christ did not come to destroy
these, nor could he destroy them, by obedience or suf-
ferings. The atonement, which Christ has made, has left
sinners in the same state that they were in before. Its
whole efficacy respects God's character. It has com-
pletely satisfied his justice, in exercising mercy to all
t
204
SERMON XII.
་
ગ્
penitent, believing sinners. This is what the Assem-
bly of Divines evidently mean in reply to the question,
"How does Christ exercise the office of a priest ?"
They answer," By his once offering up himself a sac-
rifice, to satisfy divine justice." This was all that he
meant to do, or could do, or that needed to be done, in
order to make a complete atonement for sin. But
many suppose, that Christ, by his obedience and death
did a great deal more for sinners, than for God. They
suppose, that he suffered in the room of the elect and
bore the penalty of the law in their stead, so that he
paid the full debt of suffering, which they owed to God.
And on this account, they suppose, God cannot in jus-
tice, punish them for any of their past, present, or fu-
ture sins. They likewise suppose, that Christ obeyed
the law perfectly in their room and by his perfect obe-
dience paid the full debt of obedience, which they ow-
ed to God; so that they are no longer bound to obey
the precepts, nor exposed to suffer the penalty of the
law. Hence they suppose, that there are no terms or
conditions of salvation to be performed, in order to par-
don and justification. Christ has done all in their
stead and they have nothing to do, but to believe that
he has done all and they are completely safe: This is
true Antinomianism, which is believed and propagated
at this day by various Sectarians. But all these no-
tions are groundless and absurd, if the atonement was
necessary entirely on God's account and not on the ac-
count of sinners; and if all that Christ did and suffer-
ed, he did and suffered, to render it consistent with the
justice of God to forgive and save penitent believers.
3. If the atonement of Christ was necessary entire-
ly on God's account, that he might be just and the justi-
fier of him that believeth; then he did not merit any
thing at the hand of God for himself, or for mankind..
There is no phrase more common and familiar than
that of the merits of Christ; but it is generally misun-
derstood and misapplied. Though Christ suffered the
just for the unjust; though he made his soul an offer-
ing for sin; and though he suffered most excruciating
1
SERMON XII,
205
pains in the garden and on the cross, yet he did not
lay God under the least obligation, in point of justice,
to pardon and save a single sinner. His sufferings
could not lay God under any obligation to do any thing
for him and much less for any of the human race. God
is above being bound by any being in the universe ;
and he cannot bind himself any other wise, than by a
free, voluntary, gratuitous promise. Though God
promises to pardon every true believer, yet he promises
to do it as an act of grace and not as an act of justice.
For the atonement of Christ did not lay him under the
least obligation, in point of justice, to pardon even true
penitents. Accordingly, the apostle says, "believers
are justified freely by his grace, through the redemp-
tion that is in Jesus Christ." And as Christ did not
merit pardon for believers, by his sufferings, so he did
not merit a reward for them, by his obedience. It is
true, God has promised to reward him for his obedience
unto death, but his promise is a promise of grace and
not of justice. So he has promised to reward every
man for the least good he does, even for giving a cup
of cold water in sincerity. But though he promises to
reward all good men according to their works, or for
their works, yet his promise to them is a promise of
grace, not of justice and without the least regard to
Christ's obedience as the ground of it. The truth is,
Christ never merited any thing at the hand of God, for
himself, or for sinners, by his obedience and sufferings.
By obeying and suffering in the room of sinners, he
only rendered it consistent for God, to renew or not to
renew, to pardon or not to pardon, to reward or not
to reward sinners; but did not lay him under the least
obligation, in point of justice, to do either of these
things for them. There was no merit in Christ's obe-
dience and sufferings; and there is no propriety in
using the term, merits of Christ. The use of this phra-
seology has led multitudes into gross and dangerous
errors, in respect to faith in Christ, justification through
his atonement and the future rewards of the righteous.
It is of great importance, therefore, to form clear and
3
206
SERMON XII.
just ideas of Christ's atonement, in order to avoid those
errors.
4. If the sole design of Christ's atonement was to
satisfy the justice of God towards himself, then he ex-
ercises the same free grace in pardoning sinners through
the atonement, as if no atonement had been made. It
has been considered as a great difficulty to reconcile
free pardon with full satisfaction to divine justice.
The difficulty has arisen from a supposition, that the
atonement of Christ was designed to pay the debt of
sufferings, which sinners owed to God. If this were
the design of the atonement, it would be difficult to
see the grace of God in pardoning sinners on that ac-
count. For there is no grace in forgiving a debtor,
after his debt is paid, whether by himself, or by
another. But sin is not a debt and cannot be paid by
suffering. Christ's suffering in the room of sinners
did not alter the nature of their sin, nor take away
their just deserts of punishment. There is the same
grace of God in forgiving them through the atonement,
as if no atonement was made. This the apostle as-
serts. He says, God justifies, that is, pardons be-
lievers freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Jesus Christ. The atonement of Christ rendered
it just for God to exercise his grace in pardoning be-
lievers, though it did not remove their guilt and ill de-
sert in the least degree. None will deny that it was
grace in God to send Christ into the world to make
atonement for sin, or that it was grace in Christ to
come into the world and suffer and die to make atone-
ment for sin; and it is certain that the atonement he
made did not lay God under obligation, in point of jus-
tice, to pardon sinners on account of his atonement ;
it therefore plainly follows, that God exercises as real
grace in pardoning sinners through the atonement of
Christ, as in sending him to make atonement. Free
pardon, therefore, is perfectly consistent with free
grace.
5. If the atonement of Christ was necessary entirely
on God's account; then it is absurd to suppose, that
SERMON XII.
207
it was merely expedient. The Socinians deny that
Christ died a vicarious sacrifice to make any atone-
ment for sin. They say, that God is bound to forgive
sinners upon the ground of repentance only; and that
he does actually forgive them on that ground. But
there are many Trinitarians, who believe that Christ
did make atonement for sin, who yet suppose that his
atonement was not absolutely necessary, but only ex-
pedient. They suppose, that God might have pardon-
ed and saved sinners without any atonement, if he had
pleased; and that he pleased to pardon and save sin-
ners through an atonement, merely because it was the
most expedient or best way of saving them, but not
because it was the only possible way. It is granted,
that there was no more necessity of God's saving sin-
ners at all, than there was of giving them existence ;
and certainly there was no necessity of giving them ex-
istence. For his own pleasure they are and were cre-
ated. But after he had given them existence and they
had become sinners, it was morally impossible, that he
should pardon and save them without an atonement.
It did not depend upon his mere pleasure, whether he
should save them, with, or without an atonement. On
supposition, he determined to save them, an atonement
was as necessary, as his own immutable justice. There
was no other possible way of saving them.
And so
Christ himself supposed; for he said to God in the
prospect of his sufferings, "If it be possible, let this
cup pass from me." There is no reason to think, that
God would have subjected the Son of his love to all
the pains and reproaches of the cross, to make atone-
ment for sin, if he could have forgiven it, without such
an infinitely costly atonement. It is easy to see, that
if the atonement of Christ was founded on the immuta-
ble justice of God, it was as necessary as his immutable
justice.
6. If the atonement of Christ was necessary entire-
ly on God's account, then we may safely conclude,
that it consisted in his sufferings, and not in his obe-
dience. His obedience had no tendency to display di-
1
2
208
SERMON XII.
vine justice, which was the only end to be answered
by his atonement. His obedience was necessary on
his account, to qualify him for making atonement for
the disobedient; but his sufferings were necessary on
God's account, to display his justice. Accordingly
we find all the predictions and types of Christ, under
the Old Testament, represent him as a suffering Sav-
ior. And in the New Testament, he is represented as
making atonement, by his blood, by his sufferings and
by his death. It was by his once offering up himself
a sacrifice to divine justice, that he made a complete
atonement for sin.
7. It appears from the nature of Christ's atone-
ment, that God can consistently pardon any penitent,
believing sinners on that account. By putting Christ
to death on the cross, by his own hand, he has declar-
ed his righteousness to the whole universe in the remis-
sion of sins. He can now be just and be the justifier
of every one that believeth. He can now as consist-
ently pardon one penitent sinner as another; and he
is as willing to pardon one penitent as another. He
now commands all men every where to repent and
assures them, that, if they do repent and believe, they
shall be saved, through the redemption that is in
Christ. When the eyes of sinners are opened to see
the native corruption of their hearts and the sinfulness
of their lives, they are ready to think and say, that
they are too guilty and ill-deserving to find mercy in the
sight of God. But such views and feelings are total-
ly groundless and sinful. God invites and requires all
sinners, without distinction, to accept of pardoning
mercy. He is as ready to shew mercy to the Gentile,
as to the Jew; to the greatest as to the smallest sin-
ner; to the oldest as to the youngest sinner, upon the
terms of the gospel. Paul, though the chief of sinners,
found mercy. Christ says, "he came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance." And again he
says, “All, that the Father hath given me, shall
come to me; and whosoever cometh to me, I will in
no wise cast out.” But,
نوو
SERMON XII.
209.
8. None can come to Christ and accept of pardon-
ing mercy on account of his atonement, without ac-
cepting the punishment of their iniquities. The great
design of the atonement was, to show that God would
be just in inflicting eternal punishment upon the trans-
gressors of his holy and righteous law. Sinners can
see no beauty or excellence in the character and con-
duct of Christ in condemning sin in the flesh, by his
suffering and death on the cross, until they have learn-
ed of the Father their just desert of the penalty of
his law and cordially approve of it.
Then they
will see, that there is no other possible way of obtain-
ing pardoning mercy, than through the atonement of
Christ. They will see, that they must completely re-
nounce all self-dependance and self-righteousness and
rely alone upon the atonement of Christ as the ground
of pardon and acceptance in the sight of God. Though
Paul once thought, that in respect to obedience to the
law, he was blameless and stood high in the divine fa-
vour; yet as soon as he became acquainted with the
justice, spirituality and extent of its precepts and penal-
ty, all the hopes he had built upon the law died and
left him in despair. So that he was constrained to say,
“What things were gain to me, those I counted loss
for Christ." Christ told sinners, that "the whole need
No other
not a physician, but they that are sick."
foundation of pardon can any man lay, than that God
has laid in the atonement of Christ. Sinners must
trust in him alone for forgiveness, for it is only for the
sake of Christ, that God can forgive iniquity, trans-
gression and sin and save the guilty from the wrath to
But God is now ready to forgive all who feel
the spirit and speak the language of the publican;
"God be merciful to me, a sinner.”
come.
27
"
{
;
SERMON XIII.
THP MOSAIQ DISPENSATION ABOLISHED BY THE
CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION.
HEBREWS, X. 9.He taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second.
They firmly believed
They said, "We know
They considered the
divine inspiration and
They found a difficul-
law with the gospel, or
The apostle wrote this epistle for the particular ben-
efit of the believing Jews. They had been educated
under the Mosaic dispensation.
the divine mission of Moses.
that God spake unto Moses."
Old Testament as given by
elothed with divine authority.
ty, therefore, in reconciling the
the Mosaic dispensation with the Christian, which
seemed to be inconsistent with each other. The diffi-
eulty, however, did not arise from any real inconsis-
tency between the law and the gospel; but from their
ignorance of the nature, design and meaning of the
law. They did not know, that their laws were in their
own nature temporary, that their rights and ceremonies
were altogether typical and that the whole Mosaic dis-
pensation was designed to prepare the way for the com-
ing of Christ and the universal spread of the gospel.
Had they understood these things, they would have
found no difficulty in reconciling the doctrines, pre-
cepts and institutions of the christian dispensation with
those of the Mosaic, under which they had lived and
by which they had been bound. To clear
To clear up these
points the apostle wrote this epistle, which is a plain
commentary upon the laws of Israel and very instruc-
tive to both Jews and Gentiles. To accomplish this
purpose, his method is easy and natural. He begins:
*
SERMON XIII.
211
·
with illustrating the divine nature and the divine author-
ity of Christ, by which he was superior to Moses and
all the prophets. He says,
"God who at sundry
times and divers manners, spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also be made the worlds." From the
divinity of Christ & his supremacy above all the proph
ets, he justly infers, that the Jews ought to regard his
commands rather than the commands of Moses. Where
fore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,con-
sider the apostle and high priest of our profession Christ
Jesus; who was faithful to him who appointed him,
as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this.
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses,
inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more
honor than the house. Moses was verily, faithful in
all his house as a servant, but Christ as a Son over his
own house.”
After this, the apostle proceeds to ex-
plain the rites and ceremonies of the law and shows
that they were altogether typical of Christ and the gos
pel. "For the law having a shadow of good things to
come and not the very image of the things, can never
with these sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect." He
now expressly asserts, that Christ was authorized by
the Father, to set aside the Mosaic dispensation and
establish his own. "Wherefore when he cometh into
the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldst
not, but a body hast thou prepared me in burnt-of-
ferings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come, (in the volume of the book
it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above,
when he said, sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings
and offerings for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst
thou pleasure therein, which were offered by the law.
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the
second." Though there had been a patriarchal dis
pensation, yet the Mosaic dispensation was the first
*
212
SERMON XIII.
and the christian dispensation the second, in respect to
the Jews. The apostle, therefore, means to assert in
the text, that Christ did take away the Mosaic dispen-
sation and establish his own. The first ceased as soon
as the second was instituted by Christ. This then is
the truth, which is now to be considered,
That the Mosaic dispensation ceased, when the
gospel dispensation commenced. I shall,
I. Show that the Mosaic dispensation was abrogat-
ed by the gospel ;
II. Show how the Mosaic dispensation was abro-
gated by the gospel; And,
III. Point out those things under the Mosaic dis-
pensation, which were abrogated by the gospel.
I. I am to show, that the Mosaic dispensation was
abrogated by the gospel. This will appear if we con-
sider,
1. That Mosaic dispensation was of such a nature,
that it might be abrogated. It was altogether a posi-
tive institution. It was founded on mutable and not im-
mutable reasons. Moral laws are founded on the na-
ture of things, or on certain relations between God and
his rational creatures, which are permanent and im-
mutable. But all positive laws and institutions are
founded on mutable relations and circumstances;
and, of course, are as mutable as the relations and cir-
cumstances upon which they are founded. For about
two thousand years after the apostacy of the human
race, there was no occasion for the Mosaic dispensa-
tion. But when God saw it necessary to select one
nation from the rest of mankind, then he saw it neces-
sary to institute the Mosaic dispensation. Hence it
is evident, that that dispensation might be abrogated
or set aside, when it was no longer necessary to pre-
serve one nation distinct from all the other nations of
the earth. And when Christ appeared in the flesh,
the time was come, in which God had designed to
break down the legal distinction between the Jews and
the Gentiles and to send the glad tidings of salvation
to all nations, without distinction. Accordingly, he
SERMON XIII,
213 :
}
then saw the same reasons for abrogating, that he first
saw, for the instituting of the Mosaic dispensation.-
It is to be supposed, therefore, that he could abrogate
that dispensation which had answered the ends of
its institution and establish another. So that the
nature and design of the Mosaic dispensation afford a
strong presumptive evidence, that it was actually set
aside, when the gospel dispensation commenced.
more."
very
2. It was predicted, that the Mosaic dispensation
should be abrogated, by another and more perfect dis-
pensation under the gospel. God foretold this by the
prophet Jeremiah. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah : not ac-.
cording to the covenant that I made with their fathers:
in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them
out of the land of Egypt." The same thing is fore-
told by the prophet Isaiah. "And it shall come to
pass when ye be multiplied and increased in the land,
in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more,
The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall
they remember it; neither shall it come to mind, nei-
ther shall they visit it; neither shall it be done any
The same abrogation of the Mosaic dispen-
sation is predicted by all those passages in Isaiah, Jer-
emiah, Micah and Malachi, which foretell the calling
of the Gentiles into the Church of God. But there
are one or two predictions of this import, which de-
serve to be cited in this connection. Daniel, speaking
of the Messiah, says, " And after threescore and ten
weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for him-
self; and the people of the prince that shall come, shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end
thereof shall be with a flood and unto the end of the
war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm
the covenant with many for one week; and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and ob-
lation to cease." This is a plain prediction of the en-
tire end of the Mosaic dispensation, in the day of Christ.
And it is still further to be observed, that even Moses
C
214
SERMON XIIT.
+
}
himself foretold, that his own dispensation should give
place to another, instituted by a superior Lawgiver.-
These are his words. "And the Lord said unto me,
1 will raise them up a prophet from among their
brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in-
to his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I
shall command him. And whosoever will not hearken
unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I
will require it of him." This great Prophet was no
other than Christ, who was to come and reveal his
Father, and fulfil his pleasure in setting up his king-
dom among all nations. It appears from these pre-
dictions, that it was God's original design and reveal
ed will, that the law should give way to the gospel, and
that when the christian dispensation commenced the
Mosaic should cease. And this I
And this I may observe,
3. The apostles assure us, did actually take place,
at the death of Christ. Here the Epistles to the Ro-
mans, the Galatians, Ephesians and Hebrews might,
were there time, be pertinently quoted. But I shall
select a few plain passages only. The text expressly
asserts, that Christ has abrogated the whole Mosaic
dispensation, "He taketh away the first, that he may
establish the second." If we now turn to the third
chapter of the second of Corinthians, we shall there
find the apostle expressly declaring that the Mosaic dis-
pensation is wholly done away. "But if the ministra-
tion of death, written and engraven in stones, was glori-
ous so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
behold the face of Moses for the glory of his counte-
nance, which glery was to be done away; how shall
not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much
more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in
glory. For even that which was made glorious, had
no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that
excelleth. For if that which is done away was glori-
ous, much more that which remaineth is glorious.”…--
The same apostle, speaking to the Ephesians, who were
Gentiles, says, "But now in Christ Jesus, ye, who
:
SERMON XIIT.
215
sometime were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of
Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition be-
tween us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments, contained in ordinan.
ces, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so
making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto
God in one body, by the cross." The law of command-
ments, here mentioned, undoubtedly means the Mosa-
ic rites and ceremonies, all which the apostle says
Christ has abolished, or completely abrogated. The
next thing is,
II. To show how the Mosaic dispensation was ab-
rogated or set aside by the gospel.
There are two ways in which human legislators ab-
rogate their own laws. One way is, to pass them for
a limited time and when that time is expired, they cease
of course. And another way is, to pass new particu-
lar acts to repeal them. But we do not find that the
Mosaic dispensation was abrogated in either of these
ways. There was no certain period specified in the
Mosaic laws, how long they should continue in force;
nor did Christ authoritatively declare, that the legal
dispensation should be no longer binding. But there
were two ways, by which he took away the first and
established the second dispensation.
1. By completely fulfilling the legal dispensation,
which was designed to be typical of him, as Mediator.
The temple, the priests and their sacred services, the
sacrifices, the oblations, the purifications and almost all
things under the law, were types and figures of Christ;
and all these he fulfilled, by his incarnation, obedience
and sufferings. When he first began his ministry, be
told the people, that he came to answer the design of
the legal dispensation. "Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets : I am not come to
detroy, but to fulfil." And when John declined bap.
tizing him, he urged the necessity of his baptism, in
order to fulfil the law of purification. "Then cometh.
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptiz-
-
1%
1
1
216
SERMON XIII.
ness."
ed of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering, said unto him, suffer it to be so
now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteous-
He pursued this course of conduct through
his whole life, until he drank the last drop of the bitter
cup of suffering. So that he could say, before he ex-
pired on the cross, "It is finished." So far as the
legal dispensation either bound him, or typified him,
he completely fulfilled it. And when it was perfectly
fulfilled in the great antitype, it no longer had any
meaning, force, or obligation. A human law becomes
null and void, when there is no occasion for it.
Thus
a law against destroying certain animals necessarily
dies, when those animals become extinct. All the
laws, rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation,
which were typical of Christ before his incarnation, en-
tirely ceased, when he actually appeared, suffered and
died on the cross. This was signified by the rending
of the veil in the temple at his crucifixion.
Just so
far as the law had a shadow of good things to come, it
was entirely abrogated, by the incarnation, life and
death of Christ.
2. Christ set aside the legal dispensation, by appoint-
ing new ordinances, which superseded it. Human
legislators often pass new acts and declare them to be
binding, any law or laws to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. And such new acts entirely supersede or abro-
gate any old ones, of a contrary nature, or import.---
So Christ made a number of new laws or institutions,
by virtue of his own divine authority, which virtually
superseded or set aside the laws and institutions of the
Mosaic dispensation. He instituted baptism in the
room of circumcision and the sacramental supper in the
room of the passover. He instituted one order of min-
isters, in the room of the high priest, the priests and
the Levites. He instituted Congregational Churches
in the room of one National Church. He committed
all Ecclesiastical Authority to the members of a Con-
gregational Church, instead of confining it to the offi
SERMON XIII.
217
*
cers of a church. And he commanded the gospel to
be preached to all nations, instead of confining it as
before, to one nation only. Thus, by his new institu-
tions, he put an end to all the religious institutions,
rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation;
which was to all intents and purposes breaking down the
wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles; or tak-
ing away the first and establishing the second dispen-
sation. As soon as either Jews or Gentiles became
believers of the gospel, they were no longer obliged to
regard a single article of the Mosaic dispensa-
tion; but were bound to give up all its types and shad-
ows for the substance. Accordingly, the apostles ex-
horts the Galatians to renounce the legal dispensation
entirely, that they may enjoy the liberty and benefits
of the gospel dispensation. "Stand fast, therefore,
in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free and
be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Be-
hold, I, Paul say unto you, That if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing. For 1 testify again to
every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do
the whole law. Christ is become of none effect unto
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace.' Thus it appears, that Christ did
absolutely take way the first or Mosaic dispensation
by establishing the second, or Christian dispensation.
It only remains to inquire,
III. What things under the law were abrogated
by the gospel. There is room for this inquiry, because
the Mosaic laws were not individually and particularly
repealed, by any thing that Christ did, or said. They
were only virtually abolished; which proved an occa-
sion of a diversity of opinions on the subject, in the
days of the apostles and indeed ever since. It is uni-
versally allowed by Christians, that some part of the
legal dispensation is abrogated, but still many imagine,
that some part of it continues to be binding. And in
order to determine this point, it may be be proper to
enter into particulars and observe,
1. That all those things, which were merely typical
of Christ, are undoubtedly abrogated. After Christ
28
218
SERMON XIII.
E
came, all the types and figures respecting the promised
Messiah, became totally insignificant and unmeaning.
To observe them after that period would be virtually
to disbelieve and deny, that Christ has come in the
flesh and performed the work of redemption. It is ut-
terly inconsistent with the belief of the gospel to main-
tian the typical part of the Mosaic dispensation is still
binding upon Christians.
2. All things of an ecclesiastical nature under the
law are abrogated under the gospel. By instituting
Congregational Churches, Christ entirely dissolved the
National Church of the Jews. And when that
Church was dissolved, all the laws, rules, regulations
and forms of proceeding in that Church, became totally
null and void. Christians are not holden to observe
any of the ecclesiastical laws of Moses, because Christ
has completely established all the rules and orders to
be observed in the government of the churches, which
he has instituted. The laws and the modes of execut-
ing the laws in the Christian Church, are not to be
found in the Old Testament, but only in the New.
3. All things of a political nature in the Jewish
Church were abrogated by the gospel. Though the
political laws of Moses were distinct from his ecclesias-
tical laws; yet they were inseparably connected to-
gether; because the Jewish Church took in all the
Jewish Nation. When, therefore, their church was
dissolved, their political laws and constitutions were
dissolved with it. There was an indissoluble union be-
tween Moses and Aaron, or between the civil and relig-
ious government of Israel. It was a Theocracy, or
a government instituted by God and administered by
those, whom he appointed. And he united the civil
and religious rulers in the administration of govern-
ment. The dissolution of their religious government
was necessarily the dissolution of their civil govern-
ment But when the Christian dispensation com-
menced, the Jewish theocracy was entirely superseded
and dissolved.
4. All things, which were designed to separate the
Jews from other nations, were abrogated by Christ.
|!
SERMON XIII,
219
Many of their civil laws and religious rites and cere-
monies were intended and calculated to form a wall
of separation between them & all the heathen nations.
But when Christ came and introduced his new dispen-
sation, he entirely removed all the barriers, which the
laws of Moses had set up, to separate the Jews from
the Gentiles; and required them to lay aside their
mutual prejudices and to maintain a cordial union and
communion in all the doctrines, ordinances and duties
of the gospel. Accordingly, Christ commanded his
apostles and through them all their successors in the
ministry, to go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature, without the least regard to the form-
er distinction between Jews and Gentiles. And after
this command, no believer of the gospel had a right
to observe any Jewish law, rite, or ceremony, which
had a tendency to obstruct a free and universal inter-
course among all nations, in respect to the liberties and
privileges of the Christian religion. No Jewish or
Gentile believers could observe any of the Mosaic laws
which were designed to separate the seed of Abra-
ham from any other nations, without being guil-
ty of disobedience to Christ and counteracting his
design of sending the gospel to all the world. I
may add,
5. That the gospel abrogated every precept of a
positive nature, which was peculiar to the Mosaic dis-
pensation. There were some moral precepts under
the law, which were of perpetual obligation. All
laws founded in the nature of things have a moral ob-
ligation, which cannot be dissolved. The moral pre-
cepts, which were given under the patriarchal dispen-
sation, were binding under the Mosaic dispensation
and are still binding under the Christian dispensation.
Some precepts of Moses were founded in the nature
of things; and all such commands still retain their full
force and moral obligation, in respect to both Jews
and Gentiles. The divine law against murder, for
instance, was of a moral nature and equally binding
in the days of Noah, in the days of Moses and in these
$
220
SERMON XIII.
T
A
{
:
7
1
days. But all the laws of Moses, which were of a
positive nature and were peculiar to his dispensation,
are abolished and done away, by the gospel. Christ-
ians are not bound by any law peculiar to the Jews.
For Christ hath taken away the first and established
the second dispensation.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If the Mosaic dispensation ceased, when the gos-
pel dispensation commenced, then the apostles had a
right to disregard and to teach others to disregard all
the Mosaic rites and ceremonies. They sometimes
regarded & sometimes totally disregarded the peculiari-
ties of the legal dispensation. Paul, in one instance,
purified himself according to the ceremonial law; and,
in another instance, he circumcised a Gentile convert.
But in his public instructions, "he taught the Jews,
who were among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, say-
ing, That they ought not circumcise their children,
neither to walk after the customs." He severely re-
proved the Galatians for observing the law and holding
themselves bound by it. And he says, he blamed Pe-
ter for conforming to the customs and manners of the
Jews. "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I
withstood him to the face, because he was to be blam-
ed: For before that certain came from James he
did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come,
he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them, who
were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dis-
sembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas
also was carried away with their dissimulation. But
when I saw that they walked not uprightly according
to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before
them all, If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner
of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews, why compellest
thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Now, if
what has been said be true, that the gospel has super-
ceded the law, it is easy to see that the rites and cere-
monies of the law were perfectly indifferent things af-
ter the gospel dispensation commenced; and viewed in
SERMON XIII.·
221
:
;
that light, might be regarded, or disregarded, by less
informed believers. But if any regarded them as still
binding with divine authority, they disobeyed Christ
and set him aside as Lawgiver in his own kingdom.
Though the apostles knew, that all the rites, ceremo-
nies and institutions of the law were entirely super-
ceded and abolished by the gospel; yet they found it
difficult to bring many of their Jewish and some of their
Gentile converts, to renounce rites and ceremonies,
which had long been considered as sacred and impor-
tant. They therefore treated this subject with pecu
liar tenderness. Paul says to Christians, "Him that
is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful dispú-
tations. For one believeth that he may eat all things:
another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him
that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him
that eateth not, judge him that eateth: for God hath
received him. One man esteemeth one day above.
another another esteemeth every day alike. Let
every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He
that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord :
and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth
not regard it. He, that eateth; eateth to the Lord,
for he giveth God thanks: and he that eateth not, to
the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks." It
is here supposed, that weak Christians might conscien-
tiously observe a holy day, or neglect to observe it
and observe, or neglect to observe, any other Mosaic
precept, or prohibition. The apostles taught their con-
verts, that the Mosaic dispensation was abrogated by
the gospel and ceased to bind them, whether they were
Jews, or Gentiles; but at the same time left them to
act according to the dictates of their own judgment and
conscience and according to the particular circumstan-
ces in which they were placed. For they knew, that
when their converts became fully acquainted with the
gospel, they would clearly see, that it had superceded
the law and that they were no longer bound by it.
;
2. In the view of this subject, we may clearly
discover the absurdity of Dr. Tindal's reason-
#
222
SERMON XIII.
ings, who maintains that Christianity is as old
as the creation. This deistical writer opposes
all divine revelation on the principle, that men
are capable of knowing what is right and wrong in
the nature of things; and consequently all divine
laws are unnecessary to teach them their duty. He
says all móral laws are needless, because these are
founded in the nature of things; and, therefore, the
mere light of nature is sufficient to discover them.---
As to positive laws, he says, they are either useless,
or absurd. For if they require what the moral laws
require, they are useless; or if they require any thing
different from what the moral laws require, they are un-
just, unreasonable and absurd. On this ground, he
attempts to show the absurdity of both the Old and
New Testament, which, he says, are not only repug-
nant to the laws of nature, but contradictory to each
other. It is granted, that right and wrong are found-
ed in the nature of things; and that mankind are ca-
pable of discovering, in some cases, what they ought
and what they ought not to do, by the bare light of na-
ture. But were they ever so well disposed to discov-
er their duty by the light of nature; yet this dim
light would, in a thousand cases, leave them in total
darkness. The light of nature, therefore, does by no
means supercede the necessity of a divine Revela-
tion; which is designed not only to point out duty to
men, but to increase and impress upon their minds.
their moral obligation to do it. Though the light of
nature teaches men, that they ought not to murder one
another; yet it was not unnecessary for God to say
to Noah," Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man
shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made
he man." Or to say to every man in the sixth
command, "Thou shalt not kill." Though this
precept is founded in the nature of things and binds
all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, to obey it; yet
it is much more criminal for a Jew or Christian to
commit murder, than for a heathen, who does not
know that God has forbidden it, by his infinite author.
SERMON XIII.
ז
ity. And this holds true, in respect to all moral com-
mands in both the Old and New Testament, which
God has sanctioned by his own supreme authority.---
The moral law, in all cases, is more binding than the
law of nature, because it has the sanction of divine au-
thority, which the simple law of nature has not. Tin-
dal's objection, therefore, against the moral laws in
the Bible, is entirely groundless. They do not con-
tradict, but confirm all the laws of nature, which need
a divine sanction. And as God has a supreme right to
make moral laws, which are founded in the nature of
things; so he has the same right to make positive laws,
which are founded in the relation of things. The na-
ture of things is 'immutable; but the relation of things
is mutable. And as the moral laws of God are found-
ed in the nature of things, so they are immutable;
but as the positive laws of God are founded in the re-
lation of things, so they are mutable and may be abro-
gated or set aside, when the relation of things require
it. This was the case in respect to the positive, cer-
emonial laws under the Mosaic dispensation. These
were all positive precepts, which God had the same.
right to abolish, abrogate or set aside, as to make.---
As he made them in consistency with the moral law,
so he has abrogated or set them aside, in consistency
with the moral law.
:
The laws of the Old Testament do not contradict
any law of nature and the laws of the New Testa-
ment do not contradict any of the laws of the Old Tes-
tament, nor any of the laws of nature. Tindal and
all other deistical writers have employed much learning
and no less art, to make it appear, that the Old and
New Testament contradict each other and prove each
other to be groundless, absurd and inconsistent. But
they have always laboured in vain and have often been
fairly refuted. Though the Christian dispensation does
supercede the Mosaic; yet it does not contradict that
dispensation, but completely fulfils and confirms it.
Hence,
+
2
1
+
224
SERMON XIII.
- 3. If the Christian dispensation has superceded the
Mosaic, in the manner that has been represented; then
there appears an entire harmony between the Old Tes-
tament and the New. The law was given by Mo-
ses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The
law of Moses was designed to prepare the way for the
gospel. All the rites, ceremonies and institutions un-
der the Mosaic dispensation, were appointed for the
particular purpose of preparing the way for the chris-
tian dispensation; and they completely answered their
original design. There is the same connection be-
tween the law and the gospel, or between the Mosaic
and Christian dispensation, as there is between means
and ends, which is not only a necessary, but visible
connection. We can see how the Mosaic law prefig-
ured Christ and how he completely fulfilled it, by his
birth, life, sufferings and death. The connection be-
tween the Old and New Testament is as plain and vis-
ible, as the connection between any other cause and
effect. None but God was capable of forming such
a system of means, which should continue to operate,
through the long period of two thousand years, before
they brought about the great and glorious event of the
crucifixion of Christ and the gospel dispensation. The
connection between the types of Christ and his char-
acter and conduct, cannot, with the least probability,
be ascribed to mere chance and accident. There is
not a stronger argument in favor of the truth and di-
vinity of both the Old and New Testament, than
their visible connection with each other, as cause and
effect.
4. It appears from what has been said, that the ev-
idence of the truth and divinity of the Christian dispen-
sation is constantly increasing, by means of the Mosaic
dispensation. The more critically and impartially
that dispensation is examined, the more clearly it will
appear to have been typical of Christ and the gospel.
The Jews acknowledge, that God spake unto Moses
and inspired him to write the five books of Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
SERMON XIII,
225
}
These books they have always regarded and read, as
clothed with divine authority. And these books con-
tain all the moral,civil and ceremonial laws, which were
types of Christ, and which they have always applied to
their expected Messiah. Though they now deny,
that the person, character, conduet and sufferings of
Christ answered to those types; yet the types and
character and conduct of Christ still remain recorded
in the Old and New Testament; and we have as good
a right and opportunity, to compare the types with
the great antitype, as the Jews have had and still
have. And what if some of them did not believe, and
do not yet believe? shall their unbelief make the faith
of God without effect? It is only for us to look into
the Old Testament and read it, without the veil of
prejudice and we may clearly discern the exact corres-
pondence between the types and the glorious persons
typified. The Old Testament, at this day, is too little
read and studied by Christians. It is full of instruction
and contains the most infallible evidence of the truth
and divine inspiration of the New Testament. Who
can read the various sacrifices, oblations, purifications
and ceremonies under the law and not perceive them
to be types and shadows of good things to come? Or
who can read the fifty third chapter of Isaiah and not
perceive a plain prediction of the sufferings and death of
Christ? It is very difficult to prove the inspiration
of the Old Testament without the New and the inspi-
ration of the New Testament without the Old. But
by reading them both and comparing them together, it
is easy to see, that they visibly bear the signature of
their divine Author. If the inspiration of the Old
Testament be allowed, the inspiration of the New can-
not be denied; and if the inspiration of the New Tes-
tament be allowed, the inspiration of the Old cannot
be denied. The more both the Old and New Testa-
ment have been read, studied and explained, ever since
the commencement of the gospel dispensation, the more
clearly and fully has the divine authority of both been
confirmed.
་
29
926
SERMON XIII.
L
+
t
5. If the Christian dispensation has entirely super-
ceded the Mosaic, then there is no propriety, at this
day, in reasoning from the Mosaic dispensation to the
Christian. This mode of reasoning has been the
source of innumerable errors in opinion and practice.
How many have been led to conclude, that the doctrine
of passive obedience and non-resistance to civil author-
ity is true and ought to be believed and practised, by
Christians under the gospel; because this doctrine
was taught and believed under the law? How many
have argued in favor of a lineal succession of gospel
ministers from the apostles to this day; because there
was a lineal succession of the priesthood under the law?
How many have argued in favor of three orders in the
gospel ministry; because there were three orders in
the ministry under the law namely, Levites, Priests
and high Priest? How many have argued in favor of
an ecclesiastical Hierarchy in the Christian Church;
because there was such an Hierarchy in the Jewish
Church, who had the supreme government of it? How
many have argued in favor of dedicating new meeting-
houses, because Solomon's temple was dedicated?
How many have argued in favor of minister's officiating
in sacerdotal robes, after the manner of the Jewish
priests? Papists, Protestants, Episcopalians, Dissen-
ters and Congregationalists have been disposed, more
or less, to reason in this manner from the Mosaic to
the Christian dispensation; but all such reasoning is
vain and inconclusive, under the gospel dispensation.
The Jews were taught passive obedience and non-re-
sistance to their civil rulers, because they lived under
a Theocracy or government of God, who appointed
their civil rulers and gave them their civil authority.
But the highest, as well as the lowest civil rulers, un-
der the gospel dispensation, derive all their authority
from their fellow men and not from God ; and there-
fore those, who gave them authority, may take it away
and refuse to obey them, when they make laws which
are unjust, unscriptural, oppressive and tyrannical.
There was a lineal succession in the priesthood under
SERMON XIII.
227
the law. No man could be a high Priest, unless he
could prove that he lineally descended from the family
of Aaron; and no man could be a Priest, or Levite
officially, unless he could prove, that he lineally de-
scended from the tribe of Levi. You remember that
after the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity,
numbers were set aside from their priesthood, because
they could not prove, from an authentic register, their
lineal succession in the priest's office. But under the
gospel, the ministerial office is not confined to a person
of any particular family, or particular nation; and
therefore the Papists and Episcopalians are grossly
erroneous in maintaining, that no man has a right to
officiate as a minister of the gospel, unless he can
prove that he has been ordained by one, who was or-
dained by another, in a lineal succession from the apos-
tles. Under the law, the high Priest was the su-
preme officer in the Church of God, but we find no such
officer appointed in the Church of God under the gos-
pel. The Pope, therefore, is extremely arrogant and
presumptuous, in claiming to be the supreme Head of
the Christian Church, without any divine appointment,
as though he were successor to the high Priest in the
Jewish Church. The Episcopalians seem to imagine
that there must be three distinct officers in the Church
under the gospel, because there were three distinct
officers in the Church under the law, who man-
aged all ecclesiastical affairs, independently of all the
private members of the Church. Just so, the Epis
copalians have their Bishops, Priests and Deacons,
who claim and exercise all ecclesiastical power,
totally independent of the brotherhood. These
Bishops also claim authority to decree all rites,
forms, or modes of public worship. And it was
the exercise of this arbitrary power, that brought
about the separation between the Dissenters and
Episcopalians; and that constrained our forefathers
to flee from their native country, to this then land
of barbarians. Such great and fatal errors, both
228
SERMON XIII.
#
in Church and State, have flowed and continue
to flow, from the absurd and fallacious mode of rea
soning from the Mosaic dispensation, which has been
completely abrogated by the gospel dispensation.
If Christians would only see and avoid this palpable
absurdity, it would prepare the way for the removal
of Popery, Episcopalianism, Presbyterianism and all
tyranny in Church and State.
6. If the Christian dispensation has completely
superceded and abolished the Mosaic ; then it is a great
favour to live under the Christian dispensation. This
has unfolded the great mysteries, which lay hid under
the dark dispensation of the law. Many of the truths of
the gospel were covered and obscured by the various
rites, ceremonies and typical sacrifices under the legal
dispensation; they were mere shadows and not the
substance of the great truths and good things to be
made manifest by the gospel. The Jews had but
a very imperfect knowledge of their own dispensation;
they did not look through the design of those rites and
ceremonies and sacrifices, which they daily and yearly
observed and which prefigured the atonement of Christ
and the great doctrines, which were connected with it.
But since the dayspring from on high hath visited
us, and Christ has come and taken away the legal, and
established the gospel dispensation, the great mysteries,
which lay hid for ages, have been clearly unfolded ;
and we can read the Old Testament, with an open
and unveiled face, which casts a flood of light upon
the new Testament. If the Jews were highly favour-
ed and distinguished from the heathens, by having the
Oracles of God contained in the law; then we are
much more distinguished from both Jews and Gentiles,
by having the Oracles of God contained in the gospel,
put into our hands. It deeply concerns all real Chris-
tians to prize and improve the. precious privileges of
the gospel, by which they may grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Those, who live under the gospel, have vastly greater
SERMON XIII.
229
!
advantages and better means of gaining the knowledge
of God, of Christ and of all the invisible things of
the invisible world, than those had, who lived under the
dark dispensation of the law. And common Christ-
ians may now know much more about Christ, heaven
and hell, than even the prophets and most eminent
saints knew, before the gospel day. For these distin-
guishing privileges, Christians ought to be thankful ;
and if they are thankful, they will faithfully improve
then to the glory of God and to their own spiritual
and eternal benefit. There were but a very few Jews,
that could attend the temple service every Sabbath.---
But Christians have no such length to go to behold the
beauty of the Lord in his sanctuary.
7. It appears from what has been said, that sinners
are much more criminal for rejecting the gospel un-
der the Christian dispensation, than those were, who
rejected it under the Mosaic dispensation. The gos-
pel was preached to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
to all the Jews under the law; but it was wrapt up
in a multitude of mysterious ceremonies, which it was
difficult to explain and understand; and those who re-
jected it, generally rejected it, through much igno-
rance. But those, who live under the light of the
gospel, have no ground to plead ignorance. Hence
Christ told the unbelievers in his day, "Ye have both
seen and hated both me and my father." The apos-
tle represented unbelief under the gospel as far more
criminal, than under the law. The apostle demands,
"If the word spoken by angels was steadfast and
every transgression and disobedience received a
just
recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him ?" And he solemnly declares,
"If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowl-
edge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and
fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
I
230
SERMON XIII.
A
He that despised Moses's law, died without mercy; of
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he
be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot
the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing and hath done despite to the spirit of grace?"
1
1
SERMON XIV.
DISINTERESTED BENEVOLENCE.
LUKE, X. 36.-Which now of these three,
thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him, that fell
among the thieves?
>:
Common sense is not that sense, which mankind
commonly exercise; but that sense, which they all
possess and would always exercise, were it not for the
depravity of their hearts. They are all capable of
knowing the difference between right and wrong, in
their own conduct and in the conduct of others; nor
would they ever differ in judgment on any moral sub-
ject, could they only be made to view it in a true
and clear light. For this reason, four Savior frequent-
ly appealed to the common sense of his hearers in his
private and public discourses. And to do this, in the
best manner, he generally spake parables, or put
eases, in which they could not perceive themselves in-
terested. By such a mode of instruction, he gained
direct access to their consciences; and, in spite of
their hearts, made them judge righteous judgment.—
We find a remarkable instance of this kind in the
parable, to which our text refers. A certain lawyer
came to Christ under the pretext of seeking instruct-
ion, but really with a view of trying him as a casuist.
He said, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?" Our Savior first referred him to the divine
law, which required him to love God supremely and
This neighbour as himself; "but he, willing to justify
himself, said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbor ?"
Instead of directly answering this captious question,
1
¿
·
ג
1
+
+
232
SERMON XIV.
譬
​;
Christ spake the following parable, which was a direct
appeal to his own conscience, and could not fail to
make him see and feel the truth.
"And Jesus an-
swering, said, A certain man went down from Jerusa-
lem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him
of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving
him half dead. And by chance there came down a
certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he
passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite,
when he was at the place, came and looked on him
and passed by on the other side. But a certain Sa-
maritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and
when he saw him, he had compassion on him and
went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil
and wine and set him on his own beast and brought him
to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow,
when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave
them to the host; and said unto him, whatsoever thou
spendest more, when I come again, I will pay thee.---
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neigh-
bour unto him that fell among the thieves? And
he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said
Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise." This par-
able might be viewed in various lights and afford in-
struction on various subjects; but the words of our
text naturally lead us to consider the two following
things;
1
1. How differently these three men treated a poor
object of distress';
II To what it was owing, that they treated him so
differently.
I. Let us consider how differently these three men
treated the poor creature, that was robbed and wound-
ed. This man was travelling from Jerusalem, to Jeri-
cho; but the three men who found him in his wretch-
ed situation, were travelling in a contrary direction;
and probably going to Jerusalem, where men ought
to worship. And it seems they were travelling sepȧ-
rately and each came to the object of distress alone; so
that each had a fair opportunity of acting according to
SERMON XIV.
233
his own feelings, without the least foreign influence.
The wounded man was half dead and incapable of cry-
ing for relief. The Priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan
had nothing to consult but their own feelings and each
acted exactly as he felt. The Priest came first and
just saw the poor, miserable, perishing object, but nev-
er so much as went to him, lest his eye should affect
his heart and awaken his conscience to do his duty.
The Levite, who came next, was more unhuman and
cruel. When he came to the place, he went and look-
ed on the wretched object and saw his wounds and
heard bis groans; but after all passed on the other side
and left him to perish, without affording him the least
assistance. In contrast with the Priest and Levite,
how differently does the Samaritan appear? When
he came and saw the same miserable object, he had
compassion: on him and went to him and bound up his
wounds, pouring in wine and oil; and set him on his
own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of
him and staid till next day with him, and hired the
master of the house to supply his wants and prom
ised to repay him for all future necessary expences at
his return. So differently did these three men conduct,
under the same circumstances, towards the same object
of charity. This naturally leads us to inquire,
II. To what it was owing, that these three men
treated their unfortunate fellow man so differently.
They were all at liberty and under no external com-
pulsion, or restraint. They might all, if they had.
pleased, passed by the poor creature and left him to
die of his wounds, or the Priest and Levite might have
acted the part of the Samaritan. Each of them had a
fair opportunity of doing a noble and benevolent deed.
Here then let us inquire,
L. Why the Priest & Levite conducted as they did, int
neglecting to relieve the object of distress, which they
both saw. It is evident, that it couldnot be owing to
ignorance; for they both knew the man to be in a nis
erable and fortorn condition. Though the Priest
did not go to him and examine his case narrowly, yet

"
38
234
SERMON XIV.
**
IN
he was convinced, that he stood in need of compassion
and relief; and that was the very reason of his keep-
ing himself at a distance from him. The Levite was
still better acquainted with his case, for he went and
looked on his wounds and saw his danger and distress.
They both knew, that he must inevitably perish un-
less some body should speedily pity and relieve him.
Their negligence, therefore, could not arise from igno-
rance. Nor, was it owing to any national preju-
dice. The Jews at that day had no dealings with the
Samaritans, whom they viewed as heathens and
idolaters. Had the wounded man been a Sa-
maritan, it might be supposed that they neglected
him, because he belonged to a nation, with whom they
meant to hold no friendly intercourse. But he was a
Jew, a kinsman according to the flesh, who had a pe-
culiar claim to their sympathy and attention. This
they both could discover, with a glance of the eye;
and consequently they did not forsake him in his dis-
tress, on account of any personal, or national prejudice.
Nor was their negligence to be ascribed to a mere want
of love to that miserable object. This was undoubted-
ly the case, that they had no love of compassion to.
wards him. They neither loved, nor hated him ; but
their mere want of love or hatred could not be the faulty
cause, nor indeed any cause at all of their passing by
him. The mere want of love, or pity, or compassion,
or any other affection, can never be criminal. Nothing
has no qualities and the mere want of any thing is noth
ing; and therefore the mere want of pity, or compas-
sion, towards an object of distress, cannot be in the
least degree sinful. Had the Priest and Levite neglect-
ed their suffering countryman from no other cause than
a mere want of benevolence towards him, their conduct
would appear very different from what our Savior meant
to represent it. Their treatment of bim must have aris-
en from some positively sinful cause. And what could
this be but selfishness? They were in the positive ex-
ercise of selfishness, when they saw, and neglected to
relieve a wounded, helpless man. They preferred their
SERMON XIV.
235
$
own ease and interest to his life and happiness. They
supposed it would be some hindrance and disadvantage
to their objects of pursuit, to stop on their journey and
bind up his wounds and supply his wants; and there-
fore they deliberately and voluntarily chose to let him
die, rather than spend a little time, a little pains, and a
little property to save his life. Such selfish voluntary
exercises excluded all tender, benevolent, compassion-
ate feelings from their hearts. And it is apparent, that
total selfishness would operate in this manner and har-
den their hearts as adamant towards that poor, misera-
ble object. Total selfishness always excludes all be-
nevolence and makes a person altogether indifferent to
the happiness and misery of all beings in the uni-
verse but himself. Total selfishness, therefore, and
nothing else, can account for the conduct of the Priest
and L vite towards the man, whom they left to welter
and die in his blood. Their entire selfishness made
them as regardless of his life and death, as the
thieves were, who wounded him and left him half dead.
They robbed and wounded him from no other mo-
tive, than their own supposed private, personal, sel-
fish good; and the Priest and Levite acted from pre-
cisely the same selfish motives. Nor would they have
acted any otherwise, had there been ten, or ten thou-
sand men in the same suffering condition. They only
acted out that total selfishness, which is natural to all
mankind and which is opposed to God and to all good.
Let us now enquire,
2. Why the Samaritan treated the same object of
distress so differently from the Priest and Levite.-
Had he been governed by the same selfish spirit, that
they possessed, we can see no reason why he should
not have followed their steps and left the poor man to
die, without regarding his case, or affording him any
relief. This constrains us to conclude, that he pos-
sessed a spirit of pure, diffusive benevolence, which
spontaneously moved him to acts of pity and compas-
sion. For,
✔
236
SERMON XIV.
F
1. A benevolent spirit would dispose him to stop,
when he saw the miserable object in the path. The
Priest it appears by the account, would not so much
as stop, to examine the affecting case of a wounded,
bleeding man, but pursued his own course and his own
interest without the least sympathy, or compassion.
Though he knew the divine law, which it was his prop-
er office to teach and practise, required him to relieve
a neighbor's dumb beast in distress; yet he would not
put himself out, or give himself the least trouble, to
relieve a human being, whose sufferings imperiously
called for his commiseration and assistance. But
though the Samaritan was on a long journey and en-
gaged in some important business; yet he was willing
to postpone his journey and his business till another
day, for the sake of healing the wounds and preserving
the life of a stranger. He loved others as himself and
sought not his own things, but the things of others,
which was an expression of pure benevolence and true
self-denial. He pleased his own happiness in the hap-
piness of others, which is the essence of holy love, in
distinction from selfish.
}
2. A benevolent spirit would naturally dispose him
to exercise pity and tenderness towards such a proper
object of pity and compassion. The Levite stopped
and went to the man lying in anguish; and yet with
a heart more obdurate and unfeeling than that of the
Priest, left him to perish without help and without
hope. But the Samaritan felt very differently on the
occasion, for he had compassion on him in his forlorn
condition. True benevolence always disposes those,
who possess it, to enter into the feelings of their fellow
men under all ciroumstances; to rejoice with them
that rejoice, to mourn with them that mourn, to weep
with them that weep and to suffer with them that suf-
fer. Our Savior shed tear for tear and heaved sigh for
sigh with the mourners at the grave of Lazarus.
God himself is good unto all and his tender mercies
are over all his works. He hears the young ravens
when they cry and pities the pains and distresses of
SERMON XIV.
237
every living creature. And all, who are merciful as
their Father in heaven is merciful, feel compassion
towards every wretched and helpless object their eyes
behold. They always have a heart to pity, though
they may not have skill, nor power, nor property to re-
lieve. Such tender, compassionate feelings had the
Samaritan towards even a Jew, one of his national
enemies. He entered into his painful feelings and
heartily commiserated his unhappy fate. He loved
this neighbor as himself and felt as he would wish that
another should feel towards him in the same wretched
situation. This was an effect, which could flow from
no other source, than pure, disinterested, universal be-
nevolence, but would spontaneously flow from such a
virtuous principle.
3. A benevolent heart would naturally dispose him
to afford relief to the object of his compassion. It is
the nature of goodness to do good; and of compassion
to relieve the distressed. God is good; and therefore
he does good, not only to the good, but also to the evil
and unthankful. Goodness in Christ prompted him to
go about doing good, healing the sick, easing the pain-
ed, relieving the distressed and raising the dead.-----
Goodness in Job made him guide the blind, support
the lame, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and cause
the widow's heart to sing for joy. The same benevo-
lent spirit moved the good Samaritan to all his acts of
kindness to the distressed Jew. It moved him to bind
up his wounds and pour oil and wine into them, though
he was no surgeon and never practised the healing art.
It moved him to take him up and set him on his own
beast. It moved him to convey him to the best place
of entertainment and commit him to the care of one
to whom it properly belonged to provide for the wants
of strangers and travellers. And it moved him to
another and greater act of self-denial; that is, to part
with his money, which commonly lies so near the hearts
of men. In a word, his benevolent heart prompted him
to do every thing, that was necessary to be done, to re-
lieve the pains, to remove the despair, to supply the
238
SERMON XIV.
,
wants, to promote the happiness and to preserve the
life of a poor, suffering fellow mortal. When he left
this feeble, wounded man at the inn, he did not know
how long he would need the care and attention of the
family where he was; and therefore he engaged to
remunerate them for all their future necessary labor,
trouble and expence, which displayed his integrity as
well as benevolence.
4. A benevolent heart would naturally dispose him
to treat the poor man in all respects as he did, without
any prospect of reward. And it clearly appears from
the statement of the case, that he acted from purely
disinterested motives, without the least prospect of
any compensation. The man was a stranger, whom
he had never seen before and never expected to see
again; for he supposed he might be gone before he
returned from his journey. So that he had no ground
to expect, that the man he relieved would ever so much
as thank him for his kindness, or publish his benevo-
lence. For aught that appears, the inn-keeper did
not know the poor man's benefactor, so that he could
not expect that he would spread the fame of his hu-
manity. Neither the Priest, nor the Levite saw him
pity and relieve the wounded man, so that it cannot be
supposed, that he acted with a view to cast reproach
upon them for their selfish, mean, inhuman conduct.
It clearly appears from the case stated, that the good
Samaritan freely sacrificed his time, his trouble and
This property to the life and happiness of the poor Jew.
This was acting without regard to his own interest and
directly in opposition to it. In this instance, he loved
his neighbour better than himself and valued his neigh-
bour's interest more than his own. His benevolence
was not only disinterested, but unlimited by any thing,
except his neighbour's wants; for he promised to do
more than he had done, if his neighbour's good required
it. Now, if we lay all these things together, can we
account for the Samaritan's conduct upon any other
ground than pure, holy benevolence? I know the best
SERMON XIV.
299
་
actions may be ascribed to selfish, unworthy motives,
but it is impossible to discover any such motives in the
conduct of the Samaritan.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If mere selfishness will account for the base and
eriminal conduct of the Priest and Levite towards the
poor man, that fell among thieves, then it will account
for all the sin, that ever was committed. All sin is
of the same nature and essentially consists in selfish-
ness. Sin is a transgression of the law of love; and
nothing but selfishness is a transgression of that law.
God commands all men to love him supremely and one
another as themselves. When any man loves himself
more than God, and his own good more than the good
of any of his fellow creatures, he is totally selfish ; and
his selfishness is a transgression of divine law. All sin-
fulness may be traced to the source of selfishness.---
Men never act from any worse than selfish motives.
The Priest and Levite were only selfish, in disregard-
ing the life and happiness of one of their miserable
fellow-men. They had no direct hatred or enmity to--
wards him and only loved and sought their own pri-
vate, personal, selfish interest supremely and solely.
The thieves, who robbed him and wounded him and
left him half dead, acted from no worse motives than
the Priest and Levite. They only sought their own
private, personal interest, at the expence of the life,
the happiness and the interest of the poor man. Pha-
roah only sought his own private, selfish interest,
while he enslaved the Israelites, and when he refused,
at God's command, to release them from their cruel
bondage. Adam only sought his own glory in oppo-
sition to the glory of God, when he partook of the for-
bidden fruit. Lucifer only sought his own supremacy
in opposition to the supremacy of God, when he raised
a rebellion in heaven. If we search all sacred and
profane history, we shall not find a single sinner in the
universe, who ever acted from a more criminal motive,
than his own private, personal, selfish interest. Judas
22
L
E
240
SERMON XIV.
aeted from no worse motive than selfishness, in be-
traying Christ. Haman acted from no worse motive
than selfishness in seeking to destroy Mordecai and
his people. The Turks act from no worse motive
than selfishness, in destroying the Greeks. And the
Americans act from no worse motive than selfishness
in enslaving the Africans. Selfishness is the source
of all the sins of omission and commission which are
found in the world. If a man loves nobody but
himself, he will care for nobody's interest but his own.
This was the case of the Priest and Levite. And if
a man loves nobody but himself, he will seek his own
interest, though it destroys every body's interest but his
own. This was the case of the thieves and robbers.
There is nothing in the world sa malignant and des-
tructive, in its nature and tendency, as selfishness. It
has done all the mischief, that ever has been done; and
will do all the mischief, that ever will be done. It
has destroyed the temporal and eternal interests of mil-
lions in time past; and there is ground to fear, that it
will continue to destroy the temporal and eternal in-
terests. of millions and millions more in time to come.
No man ever can have a just and clear conception of
the malignant nature and tendency of any sin, before
he has a just and clear conception of the malignant na-
ture & tendency of selfishness. Paul confesses, that he
never knew the evil nature and tendency of sin, before
the commandment came home to his conscience, "Thou
shalt not covet; that is, thou shalt not be selfish."
When this commandment came in its full force and ob
ligation, his sin and guilt revived and he died. He felt
he deserved and stood exposed to that eternal death,.
which is the proper wages of sin
+
2. It appears from the different conduct of those,
who robbed and of those, who neglected to relieve the
poor man in the parable that the different conduct of sin-
ners is no evidence, that they are not all totally depraved.
There is scarcely any doctrine of the gospel so com
monly denied, as the total depravity of sinners in gen-
eral. Not only infidels and sectarians, but many,
SERMON XIV.
241
who appear to be sound believers of the gospel, deny
this doctrine, Though they allow, that mankind are
universally depraved, yet they cannot allow, that their
depravity is total and exclusive of all true love to God
and man. They ground their opinion principally upon
the different conduct of those, who have never expe-
rienced a saving change of heart, They see sinners
exhibit so many amiable qualities and do so many appa-
rently useful and virtuous actions, that they cannot be-
lieve they are all totally destitute of all moral virtue and
entirely selfish and criminal in all their desires, inten-
tions and actions. They could more readily believe,
that they are all dead in trespasses and sins, if they all
acted like the most licentious and abandoned. But if
all sin consists in selfishness and all sinners always
act from selfish motives, it is easy to see, that they
may aet very differently, while pursuing a vast variety
of totally selfish purposes. Some sinners may think it
is for their interest to avoid all sins of commission and
practice only those of omission. This appears to have
been the case of the Priest and Levite. They meant
to maintain a fair, reputable character; and conse.
quently, would neither murder, rob, nor steal, nor be
But for the
guilty of any other sin of commission.
There
sake of pursuing their own selfish purposes, they would
omit or neglect the duty of promoting the happiness
and preserving the life of a poor, miserable, dying man.
Selfishness much oftener leads sinners into the sins of
omission, than into the sins of commission.
are a thousand sinners, who every day commit the sins
of omission, that totally avoid all sins of commission.
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that prodigy of wicked
ness, appears to have maintained a fair, amiable char-
acter in the morning of life and while under the pene-
trating eye of Solomon; but as soon as he thought it
to be his interest to throw off his amiable, virtuous ap.
pearance, he did not hesitate to commit the grossest
enormities. The selfishness of satan himself some-
times makes him think it to be for his interest and
necessary in order to accomplish his most malignant
(
+
31
242
SERMON XIV.
purposes, to transform himself into an angel of light.
Total selfishness will account as well for the best, as
the worst actions of sinners. The same selfishness,
that led the Priest and Levite to neglect their duty, led
others to steal and rob and murder. If men did but
only understand the nature and tendency of selfish-
ness, which is the essence of all sin, they never would
deny the total depravity of sinners, on account of any
difference they discover in their external conduet.
3. It appears from the different conduct of the
Priest, Levite and Samaritan, that there is an essential
difference between saints and sinners, or between sel-
fishness and pure disinterested benevolence. Many
imagine and maintain, that there is no such thing as
disinterested benevolence; and that all men always
act from selfishness and cannot act from any higher or
better principle. They say every man ought to love
himself and his own interest supremely; and that he
ought not to love another man, nor another man's in-
terest more than his own. And therefore they suppose
a saint and a sinner only pursue their own interest in
different ways, while both pursue the same object,
from the same selfish motives. On this supposition,
there would be indeed only an apparent and circum-
stantial difference between them. But there is no
ground to make this supposition, for it is as easy to
conceive, that a man may act from disinterested love,
as from selfish love. And when one man acts from dis-
Interested love and another from selfish love, there is
an essential and not merely an apparent and cireum-
stantial difference in their characters and conduct.----
There was an essential difference in the characters and
conduct of the Priest and Levite and the good Sama-
ritan. Their circumstances were precisely alike.
The Priest came to the wounded man alone and left
him to die. The Levite came to the wounded man
alone and left him to die. And the good Samaritan
came to the wounded man alone, but stopped and ex-
amined his case, pitied his condition and nobly exerted
himself to afford him relief. How came he to conduct
SERMON XIV.
243
so differently from the Priest and Levite? It could
not be owing to different circumstances; for they were
What
all three in exactly the same circumstances.
reason, or right, has any one to think or say, that the
Samaritan acted from the same selfish motives, that
the Priest and Levite did? They acted out selfishness,
but he acted out pure, disinterested benevolence.
They pursued their own interest, but he pursued the
interest of another man. They placed their happiness
in their own interest, but he placed his happiness in the
interest of another man. And was it possible that he
should place his happiness in the interest of another
man, from a purely selfish motive? It is extremely
absurd to say, that good men are selfish, because they
take as much pleasure in doing good to others, as sin-
ners do in doing mischief to others. If it be true, that
saints do place their happiness in the happiness of
others; then it is absolutely certain, that they actually
exercise disinterested love, which is the essence of vir-
tue or true holiness, in distinction from selfish love,
which is the essence of all sin or moral evil. There is
no truth more certain from reason and scripture than
this, that there is an essential difference between virtue
and vice, sin and holiness, saints and sinners.
4. It appears from what has heen said, that all men
are capable of seeing the essential difference between
saints and sinners. Our Savior spake the parable of
the good Samaritan for the very purpose of illustrating
the essential distinction between sinners and saints,
sin and holiness. A certain man to justify himself for
neglecting to love God with all his heart and his neigh
bor as himself, put this question to Christ, "Who is
my neighbor? Jesus answering, said, a certain man
went down from Jerusalem to Jericho." &c. And
as soon as he had finished his parable, he questioned the
questioner, “Which now of these three, thinkest thou,
was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, he that shewed mercy on him. Then
said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise." He
was fully convinced, that the Samaritan did right, but
}
L
£44
SERMON XIV.
?
the Priest and Levite did wrong, or in other words,
he was fully convinced, that there was an essential
difference in the character and conduct of the Sa-
maritan and the character and conduct of the
Priest and Levite. And it is hard to conceive, that
any man should read the parable, without receiving
the same conviction and making the same acknowl-
edgment. But many have denied the essential distinc-
tion between saints and sinners. Satan denied this
distinction in respect to Job. He asked the Lord,
"Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast thou not
made an hedge about him and about his house and
about all he hath on every side? but put forth thine
hand now and touch all that he hath and he will curse
thee to thy face." This was a plain insinuation, that
Job did not differ essentially from sinners, notwithstand-
ing all God had said in his favor. Satan also indirect
ly called the disinterested and supreme love of Christ
to his Father in question, when he addressed a selfish
motive to his mind to induce him to fall down and
worship him. However, be that as it may, we know
that not a few, who call themselves Christians, deny
that there is any essential distinction between saints
and sinners. Some deny this distinction one way and
some another. Some deny it, by maintaining, that
we ought not to love God, until we know that he loves
us. Some deny it, by maintaining, that we ought not
to love God more than ourselves. And some by
maintaining, that God requires self love of us and that
when we exercise self-love, we actually obey his com-
mands. But if saints do not love God for what he is
in himself; if they do not love him more than them-
selves and if they do obey him by exercising self-love,
they do nothing more than others. Sinners love those,
who love them, they love God for his favors; and
they externally obey him from selfish motives. But
it is vain to deny and dispute the essential distinc-
tion between saints and sinners, which is kept up
through the Bible and which cannot be denied, with-
out denying that there are such persons as either saints
SERMON XIV.
245
:
or sinners, or any such thing as either sin or holiness.
If sin does not consist in selfishness, it cannot exist in
any thing else; for there is nothing else, that is mor-
ally evil or criminal. And if holiness does not con-
sist in disinterested love, it cannot exist in any thing
else; for there is nothing else that is morally excel-
lent or virtuous. If there be any saints, they possess
disinterested love and if there be any sinners, they
are totally destitute of disinterested love. And if
saints possess that disinterested love, of which sinners
are entirely destitute, then there is an essential and not
merely an apparent and circumstantial distinction be-
tween them. And this essential distinction Christ
meant to illustrate and did illustrate in a manner level
to the lowest capacity. There is no man, who does
not condemn selfishness, when he sees it in himself, or
others; and there is no man but approves of disinterest-
ed love when he finds it in himself, or sees it in others.
5. We learn from what has been said, why the
scripture represents good men as the excellent of the
earth. It is because they possess that pure, holy
and universal love in which all true holiness and moral
excellence consists. They are as much more excel-
lent than sinners, as benovolence is more excellent
than selfishness. They are holy as God is holy, just as
God is just, and merciful as God is merciful. They
love God for the same reasons, that he loves himself.
They love his friends with the same complacency, with
which he loves them. And they love his enemies with
the same benevolence, with which he loves them. They
feel towards all creatures, objects and events, so far
as their knowledge extends, as he feels. They love
-all the designs of God, so far as they are acquainted
with them and desire to be instrumental in carrying
them into execution. They have no interests but what
they are willing should be made subservient to the high-
er interests of others, in which they take a sincere and
peculiar pleasure. They are as much superior, in mor-
al excellence, to those who seek their own interests su-
premely and solely, as they are different from them,
}
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SERMON XIV.
3
in their views, desires, and happiness. Was not Abel
more excellent than Cain? Were not Seth, Enoch
and the patriarchs more excellent than those, who fill-
ed the earth with violence; Was not Moses more ex-
cellent than Pharaoh ? Was not David more excellent
than Saul? Was not Solomon more excellent than
Jeroboam? Was not the Samaritan more excellent
than the Priest and Levite? In a word, if there be
any benevolent men, are they not more excellent than
those, who are entirely selfish ? If this be true, then
saints are certainly more excellent than sinners; and
the representation, which the scripture gives of good
men, in respect to moral excellence, is perfectly agree-
able to the common sense of all mankind.
. 6. We learn from what has been said, that those,
who are destitute of true benevolence to men, are equal-
ly destitute of true love to God. True love to God
is precisely of the same nature as true love to men.-
All true love to men is disinterested; and all true
love to God is disinterested. True disinterested be-
nevolence is always the first exercise of a new
heart. It is difficult to conceive how a man can take
complacency in benevolence before he has exercised
benevolence and knows by experience how it feels.---
God first sheds abroad the love of benevolence in the
heart of a sinner and then the love of complacence.
How often do those, who relate their experiences, tell
us, that the first change they perceived in their minds,
was the love of benevolence to every person they saw;
and the love of complacence to all good men in partic-
ular; and then love to the goodness or benevolence of
God, which shone in every person, creature and object
around them. But though every convert may not ac
curately distinguish the difference that actually exist-
ed in his first holy exercises; yet it is very certain,
that his love of benevolence was prior to his love of
complacence towards God. But whether the first ex-
ercises of the renewed heart follow one another in this
order, or not, it is certain that those, who are destitute
of true love to men, are destitute of true love to God.
The apostle John has decided this point. "Whoso
SERMON XIV.
247
cence.
hath this world's good and seeth his brother have need
and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?" And again
he says, "If any man say, I love God and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: For he that loveth not his brother,
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he
hath not seen." The Priest and Levite were undoubt-
edly as destitute of love to God, as they were of love
to the poor miserable object they saw, that ought to
have excited their bowels of compassion and benefi.
I know it has been said that love to men
flows from love to God; but the truth is, love to God
flows from love to men, or the love of complacence
flows from the love of benevolence. Men are as prop-
er and direct objects of benevolence, as God is the prop-
er and direct object of complacence. He, therefore,
who does not love his brother, whom he has seen and
who is a proper object of benevolence, cannot love God
whom he has not seen and who is the supreme object
of complacence. Pure, disinterested, universal benev-
olence is a plain and infallible criterion, by which men
may determine whether they truly love God, or not.
By this criterion, the Priest and Levite might have ea-
sily determined, that the love of God was not in their
hearts; and by the same criterion the good Samaritan
might have determined that his heart was right with
God. And where is the person, that cannot understand
this rule of trial and apply it and draw the just conse-
quenee from it?
If I should now ask every individual here present,
which of these three men in the parable, thinkest thou
acted the kind, friendly, benevolent, neighbourly part
towards the man, that fell among the thieves. Every
one would answer, the good Samaritan. Let me then
urge you to go and do likewise. Every person you see
or meet, whether rich or poor, high or low, good or
bad, suffering or rejoicing, is a proper object of benevo-
lence. God is good unto all and his tender mercies are
over all his works; and you ought to be merciful as
your Father in heaven is merciful. There are weigh
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SERMON XIV.
}
ty motives to live in the constant exercise of universal
benevolence. This duty is enjoined by the law of
love. The exercise of general benevolence tends to
diffuse general happiness every where; in families, in
neighborhoods, in parishes, in towns, countries and
kingdoms. How happy would the world be, if all
would feel and act like the good Samaritan? The
same benevolent spirit would produce universal com-
placency towards God and cause all to rejoice in his
character, in his laws and government. It would
give every one good evidence, that he is walking in the
straight and narrow path to eternal life; and it is the
only way to obtain it, as Christ told the man, who de-
sired to be directed in the only sure and certain way
to heaven. And it is a perfectly easy way to obtain
the favour of God and man and the enjoyment of all
good. It was as easy for the Priest and Levite to ex-
ercise true benevolence, as for the Samaritan. And it
is as easy for every man to exercise true benevolence, as
it was for him who pitied & relieved the poor, wounded,
suffering, hopeless man. Why will you not immediately
go and do likewise? You can gain nothing by delay.
ing, but may gain much by the immediate exercise of
pure, universal benevolence. It will give you the purest
and greatest present happiness. It will instantly give
you that inward peace, which passeth all understanding.
For it is more blessed to give than to receive. How
pleasantly did the benevolent Samaritan go on his way
after he had felt and expressed pure benevolence! On-
ly do as he did and you shall be as happy as he was.
Amen.
F
SERMON XV.
THE REWARD OF MOSES.
HEBREWS, XI. 26. -For he had respect unto the
recompense of the reward.
The apostle employs the principal part of this chap-
ter, in drawing the beautiful and amiable characters of
the pious Patriarchs. He represents them as having
true love to God; and living in the habitual exercise
of faith in future and eternal realities. Though they
lived in this evil world, yet they lived above it. Though
they were deeply concerned in the public and private
affairs of this life, yet their eyes and hearts were stead-
ily fixed upon the invisible objects of the invisible
world. They exercised that faith, without which it
is impossible to please God; and that faith, by which
both their persons and services met with the divine ap-
probation. But it appears, that these illustrious saints
were influenced in the general course of their conduct,
by the promises of God and had regard to their future
and eternal happiness. They beheld the promises afar
off and embraced them; and thought they gave up
their earthly good, yet they steadily sought a heavenly
inheritance. This is more expressly said of Moses,
one of the brightest characters in this constellation of
worthies. "By faith Moses, when he was come to
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than all the treasures of Egyp: for he had re-
spect unto the recompense of the reward."
Here
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SERMON XV.
:
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some may be ready to ask, was not Moses mercenary
and selfish in all his conduct, while he acted with a
view to a future reward? To solve this question it is
proposed,
I. To show what was implied in the reward, to
which he had respect; And,
II. To show that he was truly disinterested, in
seeking that reward.
And,
1. Let us consider what was implied in that reward,
to which Moses had respect.
1. The glory of God. He knew that God meant
to glorify himself by fulfilling his promise to Abraham
and delivering his seed from the house of bondage and
putting them in possession of the land of Canaan. In
bringing about this event, God would necessarily dis-
play his power, his sovereignty, his justice, his mercy
and his faithfulness. Moses expected that the glory
of God would be displayed in the eyes of all the nations
of the earth, if he led the children of Israel from
Egypt to the land of promise, by his instrumentality.
Accordingly, he undertook the great and arduous task
of conducting the chosen people of God to their prom-
ised inheritance, from a supreme regard to the divine
glory. He desired to be instrumental of promoting
the glory of God, in the view of a stupid, idolatrous &
degenerate world. And in doing this he placed his
highest happiness and enjoyed an ample reward. All
the while he was bearing the messages of God to Pha-
raoh, working miracles by divine power and authority
and transmitting the divine laws to Israel, he saw and
enjoyed the glory of God, which he esteemed more
precious, than all the glories and treasures of Egypt.
Besides, he expected to promote the glory of God
through all future generations, by leading his people to
the place, where he had determined to establish his
Church and maintain his cause amidst a frowning and
opposing world.
+
2. The good of his nation was another thing implied
in the reward, to which Moses had respect. He knew
that God chose the seed of Abraham for his pecul-
SERMON XV.
251
Sar people, whom he designed to set at the head of all the
nations of the earth and distinguish by the most signal,
temporal and spiritual favours. This was a great
and noble object, simply considered. To form three
millions of people into a regular and harmonious king-
dom, give them the best civil and religious institutions,
and prepare them for the enjoyment of the greatest
temporal and spiritual blessings, was worthy of the
greatest efforts of the Jewish Lawgiver. Moses saw
this end in all its magnitude and importance; and took
a peculiar satisfaction in contemplating the future peace
and prosperity of the people of God. It was to gratify
this benevolent feeling towards his people, that God
permitted him, just before he left the world to go up to
the top of mount Pisgah and take a fair, full, and rap-
turous view of that Paradisaical spot, where the chosen
tribes were to fix their residence and enjoy the peculiar
smiles of heaven. As a man and especially as a proph-
et, Moses had very clear and extensive views of the
great interests of his nation, which he highly valued
and took peculiar pleasure in promoting.
He must,
therefore, have had respect to this as a recompense of
reward, for his labours and sufferings with the people
of God. Besides,
3. He had reason to expect a distinguished mansion
in heaven, to which he had a proper respect. His own
future and eternal happiness was a truly important and
desirable object.
All the world would say, that Mo-
ses stood entitled to a superior seat among the faithful
servants of God; and that he himself ought to have
desired to be near as well as like to God in the king-
dom of glory; or to be placed in a situation, in which
he might behold the brightest displays of the divine.
perfections. This we know he desired before he died.
He said to God, "I beseech thee shew me thy glory."
Who can say this was an improper desire and request?
But if he might desire and beseech God to shew him
his glory in this life; why might he not as reasonably
desire to be rewarded in heaven, by peculiar manifesta-
tions of the same glory? Moses had a right to regard
3
252
SERMON IV.
ง
•
his own future and eternal happiness according to its
worth; and to seek to promote it in the way God re-
quired him to do it. This was, by leaving Egypt, giv-
ing up all his earthly prospects and performing the du-
ties of his self-denying and arduous office. In the dis-
charge of these duties, he had a right to derive cour-
age and consolation, in the prospect of that eternal and
unfading crown of glory, which God had laid up as
a reward for all his faithful servants. I now proceed
to show,
II. That Moses was truly disinterested in seeking
the reward set before him. This is a point of impor-
tance to establish; for if he was mercenary and selfish
in having respect to a reward in all his conduct, it will
be difficult to show the necessity of ever exercising
disinterested love. And there are many, who deny
the existence of any such thing as truly disinterested
benevolence. But if it can be made to appear, that
Moses was disinterested in acting under the influence
of a future and eternal reward, then the doctrine of
disinterested love will be confirmed by his conduct, as
well as by that of many other good men, whose char-
acters are recorded by the sacred writers, for the in.
struction of mankind in all future ages. There are
but two kinds of love, which are morally and essentially
different; and these are interested and disinterested
love. Interested love is selfish and leads a man to
seek his own interest, because it is his own. Disinter-
ested love is pure benevolence towards God and all
his creatures, and leads men to seek the good of all in-
telligent and unintelligent creatures, according to their
capacity, weight and importance in the scale of being.
These two kinds of love are essentially different from
and opposite to each other in their nature and tenden-
cy. Now, it is easy to perceive, that every moral
agent must always act either selfishly, or benevolently,
in every instance of his conduct. This must have been
the case in respect to Moses. His respect to the re-
compense of the reward must have flowed either from
selfishness, or benevolence. And, of course, if it can
SERMON XV.
253
be shown, that he was not selfish in his views and feel-
ings, we must conclude, that he was disinterested.
But if we look into his conduct, we shall find abundant
reason to think, that he was not selfish and mercenary
in the general course of his life. Here then I would
observe,
1. He does not appear to have been selfish by his
conduct. This was such as plainly manifested pure,
disinterested love to God and man. The apostle says,
"When he was come to years, he refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing to suffer
affliction with the people of God, rather than to en-
joy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt." This is a plain and beautiful description of
a truly disinterested man. Had he been governed by
selfish and mercenary motives, would he not have been
fond of being esteemed the son of Pharaoh's daughter
and considered as one of the royal family? Would
he not have chosen to avoid being known as related to
and connected with a poor, despised people in bond-
age? Would he not have preferred the living in a
prince's court, to spending his days in a dreary wilder-
ness, with an outcast nation? Is it possible to account
for the general course of his conduct, from the time
he entered upon the stage of life to his dying day upon
selfish principles ? Certainly the whole series of his
conduct discovers a pure, benevolent heart. But
there are particular instances, in which his disinterest-
ed spirit was more illustriously displayed. One was,
"Then he risked his life in defence of the life of one of
nis own nation. Another was, when God called him
to take the direction of his people and lead them to
Canaan. He was so far from desiring the office, that
he begged to be excused and entreated God to ap-
point some other person in his room. There was
one other instance of his disinterestedness still more
striking. God proposed destroying his rebellious peo-
ple for refusing to prosecute their journey through the
wilderness and making of him a great nation. But
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254
SERMON XV.
this flattering proposal, instead of exciting any selfish
feelings, moved his compassion for his people and filled
his mouth with arguments in pleading for their forgive-
ness and preservation. He entreated God to spare
them, though he should blot him out of his book. I
might mention his meekness and patience under his
burdens and trials and amidst the unjust murmurs and
complaints of the discontented multitudes. But
enough has been said to show, that he manifested,
through the course of his long life, a spirit of pure, dis-
interested love. He had the fairest opportunities to
discover true benevolence and he improved those op-
portunities to act out his benevolent heart. And this
affords a very strong, presumptive evidence, that his
respect to the recompense of reward flowed from the
most pure and proper motives. We can hardly con-
ceive, that a selfish principle should so long and so uni-
formly put on such striking appearances of disinterest-
ed love.
2. If Moses had been selfish, in having respect to
the recompense of reward, his conduct would not have
been virtuous and pleasing to God. There is no vir-
tue in selfishness. God never required men to feel &
express this spirit; but in all his precepts and com-
mands has always required them to feel and express
pure disinterested love. His law which was given by
Moses and which is called the law of Moses, requires
nothing but disinterested love. So Moses explained
his own law to the people, just before his death. He
said, "Now these are the commandments, the statutes
and the judgments, which the Lord your God com-
manded to teach you, that ye might do them in the
land whither ye go to possess it." After this he ex-
plains all these precepts as requiring pure, holy love.
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart
and with all thy soul and with all thy might." Accord-
ing to this interpretation, all the precepts of the law
are comprised in love. And our Savior explained the
law in the same sense to one, who wished to know its
SERMON XV.
255
*
first and great commandment. "Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets." If the law of Moses required nothing but
pure, disinterested love, then he did not in the least de-
gree obey his own law, nor do any thing acceptable to
God, if he had a selfish mercenary view to the recom-
pense of reward. But we find by his history, that he
did obey and please God and receive peculiar tokens
of his favour, God hearkened to the voice of his sup-
plications and intercessions from time to time. He
spake to him face to face, as a man speaketh to his
friend. In answer to his request, he shewed him his
glory. When he was opposed and reviled, God plead-
ed his cause and justified his conduct. "And he said,
hear now my words; If there be a prophet among
you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in
a vision and will speak unto him in a drean My
servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all. my
house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even
apparently and not in the dark speeches; and the simili.
tude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were
ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses.”----
And it is recorded of him after his death, that "there
arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,
whom the Lord knew face to face." Now, if Moses
had been selfish in all his conduct, would he have met
with such marks of the divine approbation? and been
exhibited to all future ages as one of the greatest proph-
ets and friends to God? This is altogether incredible.
Hence we are constrained to believe, that he had re-
spect to the recompense of reward from pure, benevo-
lent motives, which were pleasing to God.
3. If Moses had not sought a recompense of re-
ward from pure and holy motives, he would not have
been admitted to heaven. Though God might have
spoken of him according to his external conduct and di-
-
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956
SERMON IV.
rected his character to be exhibited to future ages, as
an example worthy of imitation, if he had been inward-
ly selfish; yet we know, he could not have been admit-
ted to heaven with an unholy, selfish heart. But we
find, that God actually received him into the mansions
of the blessed at his death. This we learn from the
account of Christ's transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
"Jesus taketh Peter, James and John his brother and
bringeth them up into a high mountain apart and was
transfigured before them; and behold, there appeared
unto them Moses and Elias, talking with him." It is
apparent from this, that Moses, not only had respect
to the recompense of reward, but actually obtained it.
God not only approved of his character and conduct
while living, but amply rewarded him after his death,
by admitting him into his immediate presence and em-
ploying him to attend the divine Redeemer on a most
solemn and glorious occasion. But who can suppose
that God, who looketh on the heart and not on the
outward appearance, would thus approve and reward
Moses, by distinguishing marks of his favor among the
spirits of just men made perfect, if he had not been
truly virtuous and holy in seeking a future reward?
Had Moses been as selfish, as the Israelites were at
the side of the Red Sea and when they refused to go
to Canaan, would he not have perished with them in the
wilderness? His admission into heaven, therefore,
puts it beyond a possibility of doubt, that he was hab-
itually governed by supreme love to God in both his
private and public conduct. I must add,
4. That holy love, or true benevolence, would nat-
urally lead Moses to have respect to such a reward,
as God set before him. He must desire, in the exer-
cise of pure, disinterested and universal benevolence,
that God should be glorified, that his nation should
be happy and that he himself should be blessed in the
everlasting enjoyment of God. These were the things
contained in the reward set before him; & these were
the things which were set before all other sincere ser-
vants of God. And we find that such men have al-
SERMON XV.
257
;
ways had respect to such a recompense of reward.
God told Abraham, that if he would walk before him
and be perfect, he would be his shield and exceeding
great reward. And it appears, that he and other pa-
triarchs did, in the view of such a reward, walk before
God with a perfect heart. For we are told, “These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they, that
say such things, declare plainly, that they seek a
country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that
country, from whence they came out, they might have
had opportunity to have returned; but now they de-
sire a better country, that is, an heavenly. Where-
fore God is not ashamed to be called their God for
he hath prepared for them a city." As all these saints
were disinterested in having respect to the recompense
of reward, so was Moses. Besides, we find in the
next chapter the same account of Christ's conduct,
which the apostle exhibits as an example to all his fol
lowers. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finish-
er of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endur-
ed the cross, despising the shame, and is now sit down
at the right hand of the throne of God." Christ we
know always acted from disinterested love. He came
not to do his own will, but the will of his Father.
And in his most trying situation he said to his Father,
"Not my will, but thine be done." Yet we see, that
in all his obedience and sufferings, he had respect to
the joy set before him, which was his reward. Ac-
cordingly, he prayed for the bestowment of his reward.
"I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the
work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Fa
ther, glorify me with thine own self, with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was." If
Christ and saints could seek a divine reward, in the
exercise of pure, disinterested love, why could not
Moses have respect to a recompense of reward in the
exercise of pure, disinterested love? It is certain,
.
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258
SERMON IV.
魯
​that true love to God and man must have produced
such a respect. So far as the reward consisted in the
glory of God and the good of his people, it is easy to
see, that nothing but disinterested love could have dis-
posed him to seek it. And so far as it consisted in
his own enjoyment of God, it is not less evident, that
nothing but disinterested love could dispose him to
seek it. No selfish man ever desired the enjoyment
of God, for its own sake, as a source of real happi-
ness. But those, who have disinterested love to God,
do desire the enjoyment of him, and esteem it as the
best reward of all their labours and sufferings. We
may justly conclude, therefore, that Moses was en-
tirely disinterested in having respect to such a reward
as God, set before him, because no other than disinterest-
ed love would or could lead him to desire and prepare
him to enjoy such a recompense of reward.
IMPROVEMENT.
+
1. If Moses was really disinterested in having re-
spect to the recompense of reward; then real saints
may be as disinterested in seeking their own good, as
in seeking the good of others. Many appear to be
greatly prejudiced against the doctrine of disinterest-
ed benevolence, because they suppose, that it implies
a total disregard to personal good. They suppose,
that while a man is seeking the good of others, he
must all that time entirely disregard his own good;
and they cannot conceive it to be right, for any man
to disregard his own good, any more than to disregard
the good of others. This is undoubtedly true; and
therefore the doctrine of disinterested love does not
require any person to disregard his own interest or
happiness. You will now ask, what is the difference
between selfishness and disinterested benevolence?
If disinterested benevolence allows and disposes a man
to seek his own good, as really as selfishness, where-
in lies the great and essential difference between a sel-
fish man and a benevolent man, which is represent-
ed of such great importance? The character and
SERMON XV.
259
conduct of Moses will very plainly illustrate this sub-
ject, and clear up this difficulty. Moses had respect
to the recompense of reward; that is, he really sought
his own future and eternal happiness; and he had a
right to seek this great and important object. But
this object, great and important as it was, was as light
as the dust on the balance, in comparison to other ob-
jects, which he ought to seek and did seek; and there-
fore, though he regarded his own good, yet he was
willing to give it up for the sake of promoting the
greater good of others. Accordingly, he chose to re-
linquish the treasures of Egypt, for the sake of promc-
ting the temporal good of his nation; and from the
same disinterested benevolence, he was willing that
God should blot his name out of the book of life, if that
might be the means of the temporal and eternal salva-
tion of three millions of people. Though Paul re-
garded his own everlasting good, yet he solemnly de-
clares, "I could wish that myself were accursed from
Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh." Though Aquilla and Priscilla regarded their
own lives; yet they were willing to lay down their
own necks, for the sake of preserving the life of Paul
It is the nature and tendency of disinterested benevo-
lence, to dispose those who possess it to give up their
own good, for the sake of promoting the greater good
of others. But their giving up their own good, for
the sake of promoting the greater good of others, does
not imply, that, in such cases, they totally disregard
their own good. It only implies, that they place a
just value upon their own good, in comparison with the
good of others, and give up a less good for a greater.
When Moses gave up the treasures of Egypt, for the
sake of promoting the deliverance of his nation from
cruel bondage, it did not imply that he totally disre-
garded the treasures of Egypt. When he was willing
that God should blot his name out of the book of life,
for the sake of preserving his nation from temporal and
eternal ruin; it did not imply that he disregarded his
own eternal happiness, but only that he regarded their
eternal good more than his own.
And when Aquilla
:
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SERMON XV.
1
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+
1
and Priscilla offered to lay down their own
lives, for the sake of preserving Paul's it did not
imply, that they disregarded their own lives, but only
that they regarded Paul's life more than their own lives.
If a man, who has a hundred guineas in his purse,
should give them to the robber, to spare his life, would
that imply he did not value his guineas at all? No,
it would only imply, that he loved his life, more than
his money. Neither Moses, nor any other good man,
ever disregarded his own good, in the exercise of dis-
interested benevolence to others, but only regarded
their greater good more than his own inferior good.
Where then is the absurdity in the doctrine of disin-
terested benevolence, which is so often complained of?
But still you will ask, wherein does the benevolent
man differ so essentially from the selfish man? For
the selfish man will give up his hundred guineas to
save his life, or any greater good of his own, for a
greater good in reversion. But will he give up a less
good of his own, for a greater good of others? No,
- he will never do this in a single instance. But the be-
nevolent man will give up a less good of his own, for
a greater good of others. And the reason is, he places
his happiness in the happiness of others. But no sel-
fish man ever placed his happiness in the good of others,
but entirely in his own good. He loves himself, but
not the glory of God. He loves himself, but no other
being in the universe; and were it necessary and could
he do it, he would not only disregard, but destroy the
good of the whole universe. Does not such a man es-
sentially differ from Moses, from Paul, from Aquilla
and Priscilla, from the martyrs and from every man,
who loves his neighbor as himself? I now ask, is
there not a difference between selfishness and disinter-
ested benevolence? Is there not an essential difference
between selfishness and disinterested benevolence ?
Is there not a plain and intelligible difference between
selfishness and disinterested benevolence? Is it not
important, this difference should be known? Can any
doctrine, or duty of the gospel be clearly understood,
without understanding this difference? It is not
-SERMON XV.
26.1
strange, therefore, that those, who misunderstand and
deny this doctrine, should misunderstand and deny
the doctrine of total depravity, the doctrine of divine
sovereignty, the doctrine of unconditional submission,
the doctrine of instantaneous regeneration, the doc-
trine of saints' perseverance, the doctrine of eternal
punishment and the doctrine of self-denial in all cases.
To say this doctrine of disinterested benevolence can-
not be understood, or need not be understood, is vir-
tually saying, that no doctrine of the gospel can be, or
need be understood.
2. If Moses had respect, in the exercise of disinter
ested benevolence, to a future and eternal reward, then
saints may and do regard their own eternal good more
than sinners. Sinners desire to be happy not only
while they live, but when they die. And when they
are really awakened to see their hearts and their rela-
tion to a future and eternal state, they cannot help
feeling the importance of securing eternal happiness
beyond the grave: Their self-love rises into most sen-
sible and vigorous exercise and leads to seek and strive
to obtain the happiness of heaven. But they have no
desire to obtain the kingdom of heaven, only for the
sake of escaping the kingdom of darkness.
But they
do not value future and eternal happiness, so much as
their present temporal happiness, which they refuse to
give up, for the sake of obtaining heaven and escaping
hell. Indeed, they have no direct desires to obtain
heaven, to which they have a strong and unconquera-
ble aversion, but only to escape endless punishment.
They do not value themselves so much as not to be
willing to be annihilated in order to escape the misery
they fear. But saints, who love God supremely and
the good of the universe, have a just estimate of the
value of their souls, which render them capable of both
serving and enjoying God forever. Their own holy
happiness appears unspeakably great and they would
not give it up for any thing but the glory of God and
the greater good of the universe.
The primitive
Christians said, "If in this life only we have hope in
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SERMON XV.
#
Christ, we are of all men most miserable." The more
saints love God and the more they love their fellow-
men, the more they value their precious souls, which
are capable of making eternal advances in holiness, hap-
piness and usefulness. Disinterested love to them-
selves makes them value themselves far more than sel-
fish love could make them value themselves. Indeed
careless and secure sinners value themselves only on
account of their usefulness to themselves; and as soon
as they find themselves incapable of promoting their
own happiness, they would be willing not only to die,
but cease to exist. This is the real wish of every un-
holy creature, who loves himself supremely. But
every real Christian, who possesses disinterested love,
is willing to be absent from the body, that he may be
present with the Lord, where he may be not only hap-
py, but useful forever. Moses continued to serve God
after his arrival to heaven; and so will all good men
be useful after they have done serving God and their
generation in this world. Good men, therefore, view
themselves vastly more valuable, than sinners view
themselves. They do not appear to themselves to be
good for any thing in future. And they will be as
worthless as tares and chaft, in comparison with the
wheat.
3. If those, who act from disinterested benevolence
deserve to be rewarded; then those, who act from self-
ish and mercenary motives deserve to be punished.
Moses, who acted from disinterested motives, had the
merit of congruity, though not of condignity. There
was a propriety in the nature of things, that he should
receive the great and glorious reward, to which he had
respect. Though God was not under obligation, in
point of commutative justice, to reward him for his sig-
nal services; yet he was bound, in point of propriety,
to recompence him for all his benevolent and self-deny-
ing conduct. And there is the same propriety in God's
rewarding all good men, for all their virtuous and dis-
interested conduct. Accordingly we find a multitude
of promises made to those, who love and serve God
SERMON XV.
26.3
from pure benevolent motives; but as many threaten-
ings of punishment to those, who act from selfish and
mercenary motives. God looketh on the heart and
not on the outward appearance. He approves of eve-
ry thing done from benevolent motives and condemns
every thing done from selfish motives. He condemns
and approves, of the same actions, when done from dif.
ferent motives. He approves of the prayers of the up-
right; but condemns the prayers of the wicked. He
approves of the righteous for coming to his house of
worship; but condemns the wicked for treading his
courts. He approves of the alms of the righteous
but condemns the alms of the wicked. 'And Christ
himself has told us, that when he shall sit in judgment.
upon all mankind, that he will reward the righteous
with eternal life, for feeding the hungry, clothing the
naked and giving drink to the thirsty; but will con-
demn the wicked to eternal punishment, for doing pre-
cisely the same things. The dispensation of such re-
wards and punishments will be perfectly right upon the
principle of disinterested benevolence; but upon no other
principle. For there is as wide a difference between
selfishness and benevolence, as there will be between
the state of the righteous and wicked to all eternity.-
And when this difference between the motives of the
righteous and wicked shall be clearly exhibited at the
last day, the sentence of eternal life and eternal death
will carry full conviction to all intelligent beings, that
the Judge of all the earth has done right. How im-
portant is it that all men should realize the infinite dif
ference between benevolence and selfishness, upon
which their eternal interests depend! How dangerous
is it for sinners to expect to be rewarded for that, for
which they shall be eternally punished?
And how
criminal is it in those, who undertake to shew men the
way of salvation, to flatter them in the way of destruc-
tion ? But sinners love to be flattered and to flatter
themselves, with groundless hopes, which must lead to
endless punishment and despair.
}
204
SERMON XV.
4. If Moses acted virtuously and acceptably to God
in the view of future and eternal reward; then it is no
just objection against the gospel, that it proposes future
rewards and punishments to men, to induce them to
shun the broad road to destruction and walk in the
straight and narrow way to eternal life. The Earl of
Shaftsbury, one of the most celebrated Deists in Brit-
ain, objects against the divinity of the gospel, because
it promises eternal life to the obedient and threatens
eternal death to the disobedient. It cannot be denied
that the gospel does promise eternal life and threaten
eternal death, as motives to induce men to embrace it.
Christ sent forth his ministers to preach the gospel to
all the world, clothed with these solemn sanctions.
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned." These
are the most weighty and powerful motives, that could
be proposed to mankind in their present guilty and per-
ishing state, to accept the offers of the gospel. And
they are as well adapted to excite benevolence, as self-
ish exercises in the hearts of all men.
Nor can any
comply with these motives, only in the exercise of true
benevolence. Moses and the patriarchs and the proph.
ets and the primitive Christians complied with the
terms of the gospel, from pure, disinterested love to
God and man and themselves. Christ often and plainly
declared, that no man could follow him and become his
disciple, without exercising true disinterested love;
when the amiable young man in the gospel desired him
to point out the way to eternal life, he directed him
to renounce selfishness and exercise and express disin-
terested benevolence. But he refused to do it and
went away sorrowful.
Holiness and happiness are
the only things, which are good in their own nature;
and sin and misery are the only things, which are evil
in their own nature. If men act at all, they must
act in the view of these motives. But they can act as
benevolently, as selfishly, in the view of these motives.
Though the gospel, therefore, exhibits these motives
before the minds of men; yet it does not require them
SERMON XV..
265
to act selfishly in the view of them, but absolutely com-
mands them to act benevolently in the view of them..
There would be weight in Shaftsbury's objection; if
the gospel required men to act selfishly in the view of
future rewards and punishments. The rewards of
the gospel are such, that none but those, who possess
disinterested benevolence, can desire them, or obtain
them, or enjoy them. Those, who proposed to follow
Christ and embrace the gospel upon selfish motives,
he immediately condemned and rejected. It is only
in the exercise of pure disinterested love, that any can
have a due respect to the recompense of reward and
finally obtain it.
5. If Moses, in the exercise of disinterested love
obtained the recompense of reward to which he had res-
pect; then all real saints have great encouragement to
persevere in their religious course. They are in the
way, in the very way that thousands have walked and
received a crown of glory which fadeth not away. All
the promises of the gospel apply to them, and assure
them a future and eternal reward. They have not
greater trials, difficulties and obstacles to surmount,
than Moses and Joshua and Caleb and Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob surmounted. They have no more
reason to be discouraged, than all the patriarchs and
prophets and apostles had. But they endured to the
end and obtained the promised reward, to which their
eyes and hearts had respect. The reason was, they
lived in the exercise of that disinterested love, which
many waters cannot quench and which the floods can-
not drown. Disinterested love will have the same
powerful effect now, that it ever has had. While
Christians keep themselves in the love of God, it will
dispose them cheerfully to give up what God calls them
to give up; to endure what God calls them to endure
and to do what God calls them to do. God has con-
nected duty and happiness together in the gospel.--
And Christians cannot promote their own happiness
more effectually and infallibly, than by seeking the
glory of God and the interests of his kingdom: for
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266
SERMON XV.
all his interests are theirs; and they shall enjoy them
as far as their capacities and desires will permit.
6. If Moses and other good men were governed by
disinterested love, in seeking and obtaining a future and
eternal reward; then none have any reason to ex-
pect to obtain a crown of righteousness, without ex-
ercising true disinterested love. You may now call
the distinction between selfishness and disinterested
benevolence a mere metaphysical and trifling distinc-
tion. But you will find it is a scriptural distinction,
which will determine your eternal destiny. And un-
less you turn from selfishness to benevolence, you will
be rejected at the last day and be separated from the
benevolent, denied their reward and doomed to suffer
the due reward of your selfish and sinful conduct to
all eternity.
7. This subject now asks all, whether they are walk!
ing in the straight and narrow way to heaven. Have
you that respect to recompense, that Moses had? His
life, his death, and his present state are recorded. He
has arrived to heaven safe. Look at his character and
conduct and compare your own with his. If you find
a resemblance, take the comfort of it. But if not, you
have reason to fear, that you will lose the promise of
rest and never sit down with the blessed in the king-
dom of glory.
SERMON XVI.
THE DEATH OF SINNERS NOT PLEASING TO GOD.
EZEKIEL, XVIII, 32.-For I have no pleasure
in him that dieth, saith the Lord God,
There has long been a controversy between God
and sinners. They have complained of him for his
conduct towards them; and he has complained of them
for their conduct towards him. In this chapter he
condescends to state the controversy between him and
them and to show them plainly, that they have no rea-
son to complain of him, but that he has good reason to
complain of them. He demands, "What mean ye,
that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel,
saying, the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the
children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the
Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use
this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine, as
the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is
mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." After this
declaration, he goes on to say, that he always has
treated and always would treat every man according to
his real character. If a man were righteous, he
would treat him as righteous, whether his father were
righteous, or not; and if a man were wicked, he would
treat him as wicked, whether his father were wicked,
or not. So that "the son should not bear the iniqui-
ty of the father, neither the father the iniquity of the
son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon
him." But this would not silence the complaints of the
wicked. They would yet say, "The way of the Lord
1
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268
SERMON XVI.
is not equal." God therefore appeals from their rea-
son to their conscience." O house of Israel, are not
"O
my ways equal? are not your ways unequal ?" He
then solemnly assures them, that, notwithstanding their
guilt and obstinacy, he had rather they should be for-
ever happy, than forever miserable. "For I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord
God." The plain import of these words is this:
$
That God is so far from being willing that any of
mankind should die, that he sincerely desires that all
should live. I shall,
I. Consider what is here to be understood by men's
dying;
H. Show that God is unwilling that any should
die; And,
III. Show that he sincerely desires that all should
live.
I. We are to consider, what is to be understood,
in the text and this discourse, by men's dying.
The scripture mentions three kinds of death; tem-
poral death, spiritual death and eternal death. Tem-
poral death is the dissolution of the connection be-
tween the soul and body. Spiritual death is the total
corruption or depravity of the heart. Eternal death is
complete and endless misery in a future state. Tem-
poral death is a common calamity, which none can es-
cape. It is appointed to all men once to die; dust
they are and unto dust they must return. By one
man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so
death passed on all men, for that all have sinned.----
Spiritual death is as universal as temporal. By na-
ture, all men are dead in trespasses and sins and under
the entire dominion of an evil heart. But eternal death
is peculiar to the finally impenitent. Though all men
deserve eternal death, yet none but the finally impen-
itent shall suffer eternal misery. These reject the
counsel of God against themselves, practically judge
themselves unworthy of eternal life and must suffer
the second death, which is the full and proper wages of
sin. As soon as they leave this world, they will go
SERMON XVI.
269
into a state of everlasting separation and alienation
from God, where he will pour out the vials of his wrath
upon them, without mixture and without end. Neither
temporal, nor spiritual death is an adequate punish-
ment for sin, but eternal death, or everlasting misery,
is a just and proper reward for final impenitence and
unbelief. And this is what God threatens when he
says, "the soul that sinneth it shall die ;" and when
he says, "he that believeth not shall be damned."
proceed to show,
II. That God is really unwilling, that any of man
kind should suffer eternal death. This appears,
I
1. From the plain and positive declarations con-
cerning the final state of impenitent sinners, which are
every where to be found in his word. He plainly and
unequivocally says in the text, "I have no pleasure
in the death of him that dieth. This declaration he
confirms with the solemnity of an oath. "As I live
saith, the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked." God doth not afflict willingly,
nor grieve the children of men. Though he was just-
ly and highly displeased with his sinful pleople, yet he
assures them, that he was extremely reluctant to punish
them according to their deserts. "How shall I give
thee up, Ephraim ? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?
how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I make
thee as Zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me,
my repentings are kindled together. I will not exe-
cute the fierceness of mine anger; I will not return
to destroy Ephraim: for I am God and not man."
And the apostle declares, that "the Lord is long-suf-
fering, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance." These strong and posi-
tive declarations are to be understood in their most
plain and literal sense, as expressing the real feelings
of God's heart in respect to the future state of the im-
penitent. He means to tell all the world, that he takes
no pleasure in the misery of his most guilty and ill-de-
serving creatures; and that he feels a strong reluct-
ance, simply considered, to inflict that punishment up-
"
270
SERMON XVI.
T
犀
​on them, which they justly deserve and which his su
preme regard to the good of the universe requires him
to inflict. And this is further confirmed,
2. By the pure, disinterested and universal benev
olence of his nature. God is love. His love is uni-
versal. It extends to the fowls of the air, the beasts of
the field and to all mankind, whether high or low,
whether good or evil. Such pure, impartial and uni-
versal benevolence renders it morally impossible, that
he should take pleasure in the pain or misery of any
sensitive nature. While he feels perfectly benevolent
towards all mankind, it is utterly impossible, that he
should desire or take pleasure in the pain, or punish-
ment of any human being, simply considered. He has
á far more clear and just view of the future and eternal
punishment of the wicked than they have, or any other
created being has; and such endless misery appears
to him infinitely more disagreeable, in its own mature,
than it does to those, who are suffering it. The spirits
in prison have but a faint idea of a boundless eternity, in
comparison with him, who inhabits eternity. God views
every impenitent sinner as exposed to eternal torments;
and while he views him in that light, he takes no pleas-
ure in the dreadful prospect. He views the impen-
itent, while preparing for destruction, infinitely
different from the malignant deceiver, who goes
about seeking whom he may destroy.
Satan takes a real pleasure in destroying sinners
and in seeing them destroyed. But God, the Father
of mercies, has no such malignant feelings towards the
most rebellious and vile of the human race. Their
pain or misery, simply considered, never did, and
never will give him the least pleasure, or gratifica-
tion. The perfect benevolence of his heart demon-
trates the sincerity of all his declarations concerning
his unwillingness, that any should perish. There is
not a child in his family, or a subject in his kingdom,
that he is willing should die the second death and lie
down in everlasting sorrow. All souls are his and all
souls are precious in his sight. He views them as uv-
}
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SERMON XVI.
271
speakably more important, than they view themselves
and looks upon the loss of one single soul as far more
dreadful, than the sinner looks upon it; and is far more
unwilling, simply considered, to destroy him, than he
is to be destroyed. This leads me to show,
III: That God is not only unwilling that any should
be lost, but sincerely desires that all should be saved.
Here it may be observed,
1. That if God be unwilling that any should die,
then he must desire that all may live. He cannot be
altogether indifferent about the happiness or misery of
his rational and immortal creatures. If the pure benev-
olence of his nature makes him unwilling, that any
should perish, then the same benevolence must make
him desire, that all should be saved. God must be
as desirous that sinners should be saved, as he is unwil-
ling that they should be lost. Accordingly, he tells us so
in his word. He expresses both his unwillingness that
sinners should die and his desire that they should live.
"I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth,
saith the Lord God. Wherefore turn yourselves
and live ye." He uses the same mode of expression
on this subject, in other parallel passages. "As I live,
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn
from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your
evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
And when he declares, that he is not willing that any
should perish, he immediately subjoins, "but that all
should come to repentance." The salvation of every
sinner is desirable in its own nature; and therefore
God sincerely desires, that every sinner should be sav-
ed. And his desire that all should be saved is impar-
tial; he desires the eternal good of every individual of
mankind according to his real worth and importance.
Good men desire the future good of all, simply consid-
ered; but yet they are often very partial in their de-
sires; and more ardently wish that they and theirs
may be saved, than that others of much greater impor-
tance in the scale of being may be saved. But God
•
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SERMON XVI.
**
views and values all men with perfect impartiality; and
sincerely desires the good of all in time and eternity,
according to their various capacities of doing and en-
joying good. This desire of the everlasting happiness
of all mankind is essential to his nature, and he must
cease to be God, before he can cease to desire, that all
men might be saved.
2. That God desires, that all may escape misery and
enjoy happiness in a future state, clearly appears from
his providing a Savior for all. He sent his Son to seek
and save them that are lost. He gave him to be a
ransom for all and to be a propitiation for the sins of
the whole world. He caused him to taste death for
He so loved the world, that he gave his
every man.
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. His pro-
viding such a glorious and divine Savior for all man-
kind was the strongest expression of his benevolence
towards them, that he could exhibit. It was not only
morally, but naturally impossible for him to give a
higher testimony of his sincere and ardent desire to
save the whole fallen and guilty race of Adam. And
so it was viewed by the heavenly hosts, who appeared
and announced the advent of Christ. They said in
their song of praise on that joyful occasion, Glory to
God in the highest; peace on earth and good will to
men." God's love in sending his Son to suffer and
die for the sins of the world could arise from no other
source, than his sincere and ardent desire to save them
from eternal death and raise them to eternal life.-
Hence says the apostle, "When we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die; but God
commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God saw no moral
excellence in mankind to excite his complacency
towards them. It was therefore entirely owing to his
mere self-moving goodness, that he sent his Son to re-
deem them from sin and death and raise them to life
and happiness.
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SERMON XVI.
273
3. It appears from the invitations, which God
makes to sinners in the gospel, that he desires all should
be saved. These invitations are universal and extend
to all sinners of every age, character and condition,
who are capable of understanding them.
The evan-
gelical prophet cries, "Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money,
come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk
without money and without price." Our Savior in-
vited all, without exception, to come to him for life.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy la-
den; and I will give you.rest." And in the great
and last day of the feast, "Jesus stood and cried, say-
ing, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and
drink." Christ commanded his apostles and their
successors in the ministry, to make the same offers of
salvation to all, without exception. "Go ye unto all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature :
he, that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but
he that believeth not, shall be damned." And the
gospel closes with this general invitation to sinners.
"The spirit and the bride say come; let him that
heareth say come; and let him that is athirst come;
and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life
freely." These universal invitations to sinners to
come and partake of all the blessings, which God has
provided for them, by the sufferings and death of Christ
afford a strong and undeniable evidence, that God re-
ally desires the salvation of every individual sinner.
Neither his wisdom, nor goodness, nor veracity would
allow him to make such universal offers of salvation,
unless he really desired that all should accept of par-
doning mercy. If he did not desire, simply consider-
ed, that any should be saved, but only such as eventu
ally will be saved; it seems that he could not, with
any propriety, or sincerity, make the offer of salvation
to all, without any limitation, or exception.
4. It further appears, that God sincerely desires
the salvation of all men, from his commanding all to
embrace the gospel and live. He never commands
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274
SERMON XVI.
•
any thing but what is agreeable to him, in its own ha
ture. If it were not agreeable to him, in its own na-
ture, that sinners should repent, believe and love the
gospel, he would not command them to do it. He
never commands men to sin, because that is in its own
nature disagreeable to him; and he never commands
them to die, or to destroy themselves, because that is
in its own nature disagreeable to him. But he does
repeatedly and solemnly command them to repent, be-
lieve and live. He says, "turn yourselves and live
ye." He also says, "Repent and turn yourselves
from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be
your ruin "
Our Lord called upon all to whom he
preached the gospel, to repent and believe. And the
apostle says, "God now commandeth all men every
where to repent." Yea, God not only commands,
but tenderly and solemnly exhorts sinners universally
to turn from sin and escape the wrath to come. "Turn
ye, turn ye, for why will you die, O house of Israel ?"
All the warnings, admonitions and exhortations, as
well as commands, which God has given to sinners in
the Bible, are so many proofs of his sincere and ardent
desires, that they should seek and secure the salvation
of their souls. They flow from his benevolent heart
and manifest how greatly he feels interested in their
eternal welfare. Besides,
5. The patience and forbearance of God towards
sinners is a very clear and convincing evidence, that
he greatly desires they should be saved rather than de-
stroyed. If God took any pleasure in the death of
the wicked, he would not delay so long to punish
them. Though he has prepared his instruments of
death and could with infinite ease, let loose his hands
upon them and crush them in a moment; yet he endures
them with much long suffering, not willing that they
should perish; but come to repentance and be saved.
He waits to be gracious not only upon a few of the
least guilty, but upon the most guilty and obstinate
sinners. He waited a long time to be gracious to
Manasseh and Saul of Tarsus, while they were spread-
SERMON XVI.
215
•
ing misery and destruction all around them and ex-
erting all their false. zeal in opposing his cause and
kingdom. Nor is this all.
He not only waits upon
sinners to turn and live; but uses the most powerful
and best adapted means to prevent their ruining them-
selves, which shows that his patience flows from a ten-
der and benevolent regard for their final salvation.
He treats them just as he would treat them, if he were
sincerely and deeply concerned for their future and
eternal happiness. His whole conduct towards them
is a lively and striking manifestation of his unwilling-
ness that they should be lost, and of his ardent desire
that they should be saved. There appears no truth in
the Bible more clearly revealed, nor more strongly
confirmed, than God's benevolent and sincere desire,
that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth,
escape the wrath which is to come and lay hold of eter-
nal life. He has provided salvation for them. He has
freely and universally offered salvation to them and
commanded them to accept it. What more could he
have done, that he has not done, by way of means, to
make them believe and feel, that he sincerely desires
their salvation ?
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If God be so far from being willing that any of
mankind should be lost, that he sincerely desires that
all should be saved; then he always did and always
will feel as much benevolence towards those who are
lost, as towards those who are saved. There can be
no doubt whether God did not feel as much benevo-
lence towards Lucifer before he rebelled, as towards
Gabriel. We have reason to suppose, that he was
every way equal to Gabriel. His intellectual pow-
ers were equal. His capacity for knowledge, holiness,
happiness and usefulness were equal. He was as great,
as good and valuable a being as Gabriel; and God
felt as much benevolence and complacency towards
him, as towards Gabriel, before he became an enemy
and rebel. Though then indeed he was no longer an
الا
276
SERMON XVI
C
r
!
object of the divine complacence, yet he still remained
an object of divine benevolence. God saw all the good
he had lost & all the misery he would endure through
interminable ages in which he never did and never will
take any pleasure. He had no pleasure in his death
before he died, nor since he died; and therefore feels
as truly benevolent towards him as ever he did. And
as God feels as benevolent towards the disobedient, as
towards the obedient angels; so he feels as benevo-
lent towards those that will be finally lost, as towards
those that will be finally saved. He will feel as much
benevolence towards the finally miserable in another
world, as he felt in this. We have seen that he feels
benevolent towards the vilest sinners in this world;
and they will be as proper objects of his benevolence
after they leave this world as they were before. And
no reason can be seen, why he should not feel the same
benevolence towards them while he is punishing them,
as while he was fitting them for punishment.
righteous and benevolent judge feels as benevolent to-
wards the criminal whom he condemns, after he has con-
demned him, as he did before. And shall not the right-
eous and benevolent Judge of all the earth feel as be-
nevolent towards those whom he has consigned to end-
less misery, after his condemnation of them, as before?
And an irresistible conviction of his benevolence to-
wards them will give a peculiar weight and emphasis
to their final condemnation,
The
2. If God is so far from being willing, that any of
mankind should be lost, that he sincerely desires that
all should be saved; then it is easy to see how his
love of benevolence towards them should be entirely
consistent with his hatred of them. This appears to
many a great paradox. They cannot reconcile his
declarations of love to them, with his declarations of
displeasure towards them, But it is plain, that a be-
ing of perfect benevolence must desire the good of sin-
ners more than any other being and for the same rea-
son, he must hate their sinful and odious characters
more than any other being. Though Satan has no
:
SERMON XVI.
277
benevolence to sinners, yet he does not hate them
so much as God does. The more God desires the
good of sinners, the more he hates their totally cor-
rupt hearts and selfish conduct. He knows that they
are enemies to him and to all righteousness; that their
hearts are as malignant as serpents; that the poison
of asps is under their lips; that for the sake of indulg-
ing their present selfish feelings, they would sacrifice
their own eternal good and the eternal good of their
fellow-men; and, if possible, detlirone their Creator:
Such is their perfectly sinful and hateful character.-
But God is of purer eyes than to behold a character so
deformed and depraved. The more holy he is, the
more he must hate sin. The more benevolent he is,
the more he must hate selfishness. The more he loves
the happiness of sinners, the more he must hate them
for destroying it. The more he loves the good of their
fellow-men, the more he must hate them for opposing
it. And the more he loves his own great and amiable
character, the more he must hate his malignant and
mortal enemies, The same benevolence in God;
which disposes him to desire their everlasting good,
disposes him to hate them with perfect hatred So that
his hatred of them is not only consistent with his
benevolence towards them, but necessarily flows
from it.
3. If God's benevolence to sinners is consistent
with his hating them; then it is consistent with his pun-
ishing them forever. As his benevolence disposes
him to hate sinners, so it must dispose him to punish
them. If he can hate them while he exercises bener-
olence towards them, then he can punish them while
he exercises benevolence towards them. And if his be-
nevolence dispose him to hate them for their sinful and od-
ious characters in this world, it must equally dispose
him to hate them for the same sinful,odious characters in
the world to come; and so long as his benevolence dispos-
-es him to hate them, it cannot fail to dispose him to punish
them; for punishment is the proper expression of hatred.
The benevolence of a parent disposes him to hate the
278
SERMON XVI.
disobedience and obstinacy of his child and to punish
him for it. So the benevolence of the Deity disposes
him to hate the disobedience and obstinacy of sinners
and to punish them for it. As the benevolence of the
Deity disposes him to hate impenitent sinners forever,
so it disposes him to punish them forever, to express
his hatred of them. Pure benevolence not only may,
but must dispose God to feel and conduct in this man-
ner towards impenitent sinners. Though the finally
impenitent will be the objects of his benevolence forev
er, yet they will always be the objects of his displacen-
cy, disapprobation and abhorrence; and therefore he
must be disposed to express his displacency, disappro-
bation and abhorrence, of them, punishing them for
ever according to their desert. And this he expressly
threatens to do. "If I whet my glittering sword and
mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render ven-
geance to mine enemies and reward them that hate
me."
4. If God is so far from being willing that any of
mankind should be lost, that he sincerely desires that
all should be saved; then he will do as much to save
all as he can do, consistently with his benevolence.
His benevolence is entirely disinterested and disposes
him to seek the highest good of the universe supreme-
Jy and forbids him to do any thing for any particular
person or object, which is inconsistent with his pro-
moting his supreme and ultimate object. But his
pure benevolence towards every one of mankind dis-
poses him to do as much to save every one of them as
it is morally possible for him to do, witbout neglecting
or obstructing his supreme and ultimate design. fie
saw it to be consistent with his universal benevolence
to provide a Savior for all men. He sees it to be con-
sistent to offer salvation to all. He sees it to be con-
sistent to wait upon sinners to embrace the gospel.
He sees it to be consistent to use a vast variety of
means and motives to persuade sinners to comply with
the offers of mercy. These things he has always been
disposed to do, to save all from future and eternal mis-
SERMON XVI.
279
ery. He did these things for Pharaoh, for the Israel-
ites, who perished in the wilderness, for Judas and for
thousands, who probably have been lost. And he will
do all he can do consistently to save sinners, who are
now in their probationary state. And this is all that
any of them can reasonably desire him to do for them.
If he should do less for one than for another, it will
not be owing to his want of benevolence, but to the na-
ture of his benevolence, which regards the good of the
whole, more than the good of a part. God perfectly
knows whom the good of the universe requires to be
saved; and for them he will do all it is necessary for
him to do, in order to raise them from spiritual death to
spiritual life and bring them home to the kingdom of
glory. And with respect to those, whose future and
eternal happiness, the good of the universe does not
require, but forbids, they themselves will be fully con-
vinced, that God did as much for them as he could con-
sistently do; and that their own negligence and obsti-
nacy were the only faulty causes of their own ruin.
They will have to blame themselves, that when God
put a price into their hands to get wisdom and obtain
life, they had no heart to do it, but chose death rather
than life. Sinners are extremely apt to complain, that
God does not do enough for them and requires them to
do too much for themselves. But there is no just
ground for this complaint; for it arises entirely from
the selfishness of their hearts. If they were not selfish,
they would see that God does as much for them as be-
nevolence requires him to do. If they were not sel-
fish they would see that he requires nothing of them,
but what they would be willing to do, if they were be-
nevolent. And if they were not selfish, they would
see, that he treats them in all respects, just as he ought
to treat them and just as they would desire to be treat-
ed, if they were benevolent. If they would only exer
cise that benevolence, which God has always exercised
towards them, they would find all their objections
against his character and conduct cease and feel bound
to praise him for every thing, of which they now com-
280
SERMON XVI.
ว
plain. They would freely acknowledge that all his
ways are equal, but their own have been very unequal.
5. If God acts from the same benevolent motives in
loving and in punishing finally impenitent sinners;
then saints will forever love and praise him for all his
conduct towards those guilty and miserable objects.
They will love and praise him for mercifully providing
á Savior for them, who suffered and died to atone for
their sins and to open a way for their pardon and sal-
vation. They will love and praise him for freely of-
fering salvation to them upon the most gracious and
condescending terms. They will love and praise him
for giving them a day of grace and space of
of repentance
and using so many means for so many days and months
and years to bring them to repentance; and all the
while giving them a rich and ample supply of all tem-
poral blessings. They will love and praise him for all
his acts of kindness and benevolence towards the evil
and unthankful in this world, during their whole pro-
bationary state. Nor will they be less disposed to
love and praise him, for giving them a just recompense
of reward for all their ingratitude, enmity and oppo-
sition to him and to all the holiness and happiness of
the universe. They will see that his mercy towards
them in time and his justice towards them in eternity
are equally expressions of his pure, disinterested and
universal benevolence. Being holy as God is holy and
benevolent as God is benevolent, they will feel as God
feels towards those guilty and miserable objects; and
love and praise him for treating them as he had treated
them in time and does treat them in eternity. And they
will say "Amen, alleluia," while they see the smoke
of their torments ascending forever and ever. They
will see, that the whole of God's conduct towards them
taken together, both in time and eternity, has flowed
from his perfect benevolence, for which they ought to
love and praise him forever. Moses will feel that he
ought to love and praise him for his whole conduct
towards Pharaoh; and the eleven apostles will feel
that they ought to love and praise him for his whole.
SERMON XVI.
281
+
conduct towards Judas; and all the heavenly hosts
will feel, that they ought to love and praise him for all
his conduct towards the spirits in prison; which has
displayed the beauties of his benevolence before the
eyes of the whole intelligent creation.
6. It appears from what has been said about God's
willingness and desire, that sinners might be saved,
that they are extremely unwilling to be saved. They
generally think and say, that they are willing to
be saved and more willing to be saved than
God is willing to save them. But what says
their conduct? does it not prove their insincerity?
If they sincerely desired to be saved, would they not
accept of salvation, when God has provided salvation
for them, offered salvation to them, urged them to
accept of it, by the most endearing and powerful mo-
tives and removed every obstacle out of their way of
obtaining eternal life, but merely their unwillingness to
enjoy it? Nothing but their unwillingness to be sav-
ed has hitherto prevented their accepting of salvation,
or even can prevent their accepting it, this side of
eternity. They are not merely unwilling to be saved,
but extremely unwilling to be saved. They are so
unwilling, that no temporal good, that God can be-
stow upon them, can make them willing, that no eter-
nal good, he can offer to them, can make them willing,
and that no eternal evil, he can threaten to them, can
make them willing. They had rather die than live;
they choose eternal death rather than eternal life.
God has been so willing to save them and done so
much for them, to demonstrate his sincere and ardent
desire to save them, that he has set their unwilling-
ness to be saved, in the most visible and striking light.
He has a right to ask them and to ask the whole uni-
verse, what more could I have done to save my incor-
rigible enemies, that I have not done? What more
could he have done for Pharaoh? What more could
he have done for those, whom he miraculously led
through the Red Sea and fed and clothed and preserv
ed in the dreary wilderness, where they fell? What
*
36
232
SERMON · XVI.
}
more could he have done for Judas, whom he allowed
to live with Christ and his apostles? What more can
he do for sinners at this day, than to preserve their
lives, pour continual instructions into their minds,
wait to be gracious to them and fill their hearts and
their houses with the bounties of providence?
Let
the conduct of sinners speak. Let the conduct of
God speak; and the voice of conduct will finally be
heard. The conduct of God will confirm the sincer-
ity of his solemn declaration, "As I live, saith the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked." But the conduct of impenitent and incor-
rigible sinners will proclaim the insincerity of their
pretentions to be more willing to be saved, than God
was willing to save them. Hence,
ance.
7. We learn the astonishing grace of God in mak-
ing any sinners willing to be saved. The grace of
God, indeed, appears in every step he takes in actu-
ally saving sinners; but it appears more visible and
illustrious in some steps than in others. His grace ap-
pears in giving his son to die for sinners.
His grace
appears in his free and universal offers of salvation to
sinners. His grace appears, in the peculiar and pow-
erful means, which he uses to bring sinners to repent-
But he gives a brighter and more glorious dis-
play of his soverign grace, in changing the hearts of
sinners, after they have abused all previous acts of his
grace, in providing salvation for them, in offering sal-
vation to them, in calling upon them by his word and
providence to accept of salvation. It is conquering
grace, which overcomes not only their unworthiness,
but their unwillingness and obstinacy, at the very time
they were resolved to destroy themselves. Renewing
grace is, in the strictest sense, special, irresistible grace.
It demonstrates, that God is infinitely more willing to
save sinners, than they are to be saved. It is subduing
their unwillingness and making them willing in the
day of his power to be saved. It is softening the heart
of one, while he is hardening the heart of another.
is forming one a vessel of honor, while he is forming
It
SERMON XVI.
288
:
another a vessel of dishonor. It is displaying the
riches of his grace upon one, while he is fitting another
for destruction. God's making the unwilling to be
willing to be saved is the most special, sovereign, dis
criminating act of grace that he ever displays in the sal-
vation of sinners. And it ought to fill the subjects of it,
with the sincerest and warmest gratitude to the God
of all grace.
The subject now calls upon every one to inquire,
whether he has been made to experience the renewing
grace of God. He has, you know, graciously provid-
ed a Savior for you, tendered salvation to you and
given you a day of grace and space of repentance;
and, perhaps, made you to see your danger and guilt.
But has he made you willing to be saved?
L
-1
+
X
+
SERMON XVII.
SAINTS DESIRE GOD TO PUNISH SINNERS,
PSALM, XXVIII, 4-Give them according to
their deeds and according to the wickedness of
their endeavours: give them after the work of their
hands, render to them their desert.
These are the words of the man after God's own
heart, who possessed pure benevolence and who ex-
pressed the genuine feelings of his heart, in his address
to the throne of divine grace. It appears from the
preceding petitions, that he presented this with peculiar
solemnity and tenderness. "Unto thee will I cry, O
Lord my rock; be not silent to me, lest if thou be
silent to me, I become like them that go down into the
pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry
unto thee, when I lift up my hands towards thy holy
oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked and with
the workers of iniquity." And to manifest the sin-
cerity of his request, he continues to cry, "Give them
according to their deeds and according to the wicked-
ness of their endeavours: give them after the work of
their hands; render to them their desert." He had
prayed, that God would not draw him away with the
wicked, nor cast his future and final lot among them.
For they appeared so odious in his sight and so de-
serving of the marks of the divine displeasure, that he
could not only approve of their being punished, but
could sincerely desire God would punish them for his
own glory and the good of all holy beings. His petit-
ion is an expression of that love to holiness and hatred
1
SERMON XVII.
A
285
of sin, which reigns in every pious, benevolent heart.
Hence we may justly draw this general conclusion.
Good men do desire God to punish finally impeni-
tent sinners according to their deserts. I shall,
I. Show why impenitent sinners deserve to be pun-
ished;
II. Show that some impenitent sinners more de-
serve to be punished than others;
III. Show what is implied in God's punishing
them according to their deserts; And,
IV. Show why good men desire God to punish
them according to their deserts.
1. Let us consider why impenitent sinners deserve
to be punished.
It seems to be supposed in the text, that there are
three things, for which they deserve to be punished,
their deeds, their works and their endeavours. But
every one knows, there is no criminality or ill desert
in mere external actions. Deeds and works are exter-
nal actions, and simply considered, have no criminal-
ity. The ill desert of sinners, therefore, consists in
something different from their works, or deeds, or ex-
ternal actions; and the text suggests the only ground
of their ill desert. "Give them according to their deeds
& according to the wickedness of their endeavours."
Their wickedness lies in their endeavours, or their in-
tentions to do evil. All sin consists in selfishness;
and all selfishness lies in the heart. The heart is the
seat of sin; and a sinful heart consists in sinful de-
sires, intentions, or affections. When men desire or
intend, or endeavor to do evil, they are really guilty
and deserve to be punished. It is the dictate of com-
mon sense, that no man deserves to be punished for
his conduct, when he had no evil design in it, and it
is equally the dictate of common sense, that every man
deserves to be punished, when he has intended, or en-
deavoured to do evil. It is the character of all sin-
ners, that every imagination of the thoughts of their
heart is evil, only evil continually. All their free,
voluntary exercises are entirely selfish and criminal,
1
*286
SERMON XVII.
F
for which they deserve to be punished. Sin and guilt
are naturally and inseparably connected. Of this all
sinners are conscious. They know that when they
commit sin, they are guilty and deserve to be punished.
Joseph's brethren acknowledged that they were verily
guilty and deserved to be punished for selling him into
Egypt; and Judas condemned and punished himself,
for betraying his Lord and Master. The hearts of
impenitent sinners are fully set in them to do evil, for
which they are conscious that they deserve to be pun-
ished, whether they are punished, or not punished.
They know the reason why God threatens to punish
them both in this life and the life to come. They
know it is because they are continually committing
sin, which is the abominable thing that God hates and
that he ought to punish them for. They know that
sin creates guilt and guilt creates desert of punish-
ment. This leads us to consider,
II. That some sinners more deserve to be punished,
than others. So David thought when he said to God,
"give them according to the wickedness of their en-
deavors, render to them their desert." These phrases
convey the idea, that some sinners may be more ill de-
serving than others. This must be true, if ill-desert
is founded in the ill intention, or design of sinners.
It is evident that one sinner may have a more selfish
& malevolent design, than another; and of course may
be more deserving of punishment. Though all sin-
ners act from selfish and sinister motives, yet they may
act from different motives and contract different de-
grees of guilt. One may design to take away a man's
property; another may design to take away a man's
life and another may design to destroy a nation.--
These are all bad designs; but the second is worse
than the first and the third is worse than the second.
Cain was more criminal than Achan, and Pharaoh was
more criminal than Cain. It does not appear, that
Achan intended to destroy any man's life, but Cain
meant to destroy his brother's life, and Pharaoh meant
to destroy a whole nation. Ill desert is always in
ย
SERMON XVII.
287
proportion to the ill design of the agent ; and the ill de-
sign of the agent is always in proportion to the magni-
tude of the evil he designs to do. I know it is supposed,
that ill desert is to be measured by the strength and
tendency of an evil intention. But neither the strength,
nor tendency of an evil intention is the proper meas-
ure of ill desert. It is as criminal to kill a man in cool
blood, as in a violent passion. This is the dictate of
common sense and agreeable to the laws of God and
man. Cool, premeditated acts of killing are denomi-
nated murder, but violent and unpremeditated acts
of killing are called man-slaughter. And there.
is a just foundation for this distinction. The man,
who kills another from a cool, deliberate inten-
tion, has more time and opportunity of viewing the
act in its nature and dreadful consequences, than
the man, who kills another suddenly and without pre-
vious consideration. Indeed, the badness of any evil
intention does not depend upon the strength of the af
fection from which it flows, nor upon its evil tendency,
any further than its evil tendency is foreseen. Some
imagine, that every sinful exercise of heart is in-
finitely criminal and ill deserving, because it tends to
do infinite mischief and would produce this effect, if it
were not under a divine control. But granting here
what might be questioned, that every sin has a natural
tendency to do infinite mischief, if it were not divinely
controlled; yet no man can be reasonably accountable
for the evil tendency of his evil intention or action, any
further than he foresaw its evil tendency,
If every sinner were accountable for all the evil con-
sequences of his evil actions, he could not so much
as conjecture the degree of guilt or ill desert that
would be chargeable to his account. It must be suppos-
ed, therefore, that the sinner's guilt is only in propor-
tion to the evil he intends to do and not in propor-
tion to the evil he may actually do, or would have
done, had not his evil action been overruled or restrain-
ed in its consequences. This may be illustrated by
a scripture example. You remember that when Da-
288
SERMON XVII.
vid fled from Saul, he went to Nob, under a pretence
of consulting Abimelech, the priest, and by deception
induced him to give him the shew-bread and Goliah's
sword This act was followed with most serious and
fatal consequences. For when Saul was informed of it,
he sent and destroyed four-score and five priests of the
Lord. Now, if David did not foresee these fatal con-
sequences of his conduct, what propriety could there
be, that he should be chargeable with them? If he
had no thought, that his deceiving Abimelech would
have a tendency to destroy his father's house, how
could he be guilty of murdering Abimelech and
his father's house? His guilt could not extend any
further than his real intention extended; nor could he
be chargeable for the evil tendency of his action any
further than he foresaw the consequences of it. And
the same may be said of every other evil action. Its
guilt cannot extend any farther than the agents knowl-
edge of its evil tendency extends. But so far guilt al-
ways will extend. The evil intention of a sinful agent
is the exact measure of his guilt, or ill desert. And
according to this measure, the guilt of one person may
bé much greater than the guilt of another. There is
a great difference in the views and designs of sinners.
Some act upon a smaller and some upon a larger scale.
The sins of some men are much more heinous in the
sight of God than others. This doctrine Christ
abundantly taught. He represented some sins as motes
& others as beams. He said, "the servant, that knows
his master's will and does it not, shall be beaten with
many stripes." He said, if he had not come and spo-
ken to the Jews, they had not had comparatively any
sin. He said to Pilate, he that delivered him unto
him had the greater sin meaning Caiphas, the high
priest. Though Pilate was guilty in condemning
Christ, yet he was not so guilty as Caiphas in delivering
him into his hands. Caiphas had more light than Pi-
late; and this rendered his guilt much greater than
Pilate's. Pilate intended to crucify Christ to please
the people; but Caiphas intended to get Christ cru-
SERMON XVII.
289
cified, to prevent the spread of the gospel. Caiphas
had a worse intention than Pilate; and his guilt
was in proportion to the wickedness of his endeavors.
Herod's guilt was in proportion to his evil intention,
which was to destroy all the children in Bethlehem
under two years old. And Paul's guilt was in propor-
tion to his evil intention, which was to destroy the
whole Christian Church. Thus it appears, to be
agreeable to scripture and reason, that some sinners
more deserve to be punished than others, because their
ill desert is always in proportion to the wickedness of
their endeavors. The next thing is,
III. To show what is implied in God's punishing
finally impenitent sinners according to their deserts.
It has been shown that all sinners are guilty and ill de-
serving, but some are more guilty than others. The
inquiry now is, what is implied in God's rendering to
them according to their desert. And,
1. It implies his punishing them according to the
duration of their desert. They deserve to be punish-
ed, because they have done evil of design. There is
ill desert necessarily connected with every evil affection,
desire, or intention, which they have freely and volun-
tarily formed. This ill desert will exist as long as they
continue to exist; and since they are to exist forever,
their ill desert will forever exist, unless there be some
cause to remove it. But what cause can remove their
guilt? The atonement of Christ cannot remove it.—
For notwithstanding he has tasted death for every man
and died the just for the unjust; yet impenitent sin-
ners are as guilty and ill deserving, as if Christ had
never laid down his life for them yea, they are un-
speakably more guilty, than if Christ had not made
propitiation for their sins and offered salvation to them.
His atonement will forever increase, intsead of remov-
ing the guilt of finally impenitent sinners.
Again, repentance cannot take away the guilt of
those, who go out of this world impenitent. For if it
could be supposed, that they should repent after death,
yet their repentance could have no tendency to remove
37
290
SERMON XVII.
1
their guilt. A robber, or murderer, may repent in
this world after he is condemned to die, but his repen-
tance has no tendency to remove his guilt or save him
from death. He still deserves to die and all mankind
approve of his execution. And if repentance cannot
remove the desert of temporal death, surely it cannot
remove the desert of eternal death.
ד
Again the ill desert of sinners cannot be removed
by any temporary punishment. It is not the nature of
punishment to to take away criminality or ill desert.---
If punishment could take away guilt, then a guilty per-
son might be punished till he became innocent. But.
who can conceive, that punishment should produce this
effect? What parent ever corrected his child with
a view to make him innocent of the offence he had com-
mitted? What court of justice ever directed a crim-
inal to be punished, with a view to take away his crim-
inality and restore him to innocence? The design
of punishment is not to take away guilt, but to dis-
play justice. We cannot conceive, that God can, by
punishing a sinner for ages, or for any limited duration
remove his guilt and make him innocent. Now, if
neither the atonement of Christ nor sincere repentance,
nor temporary punishment can take away the ill desert.
of those, who die impenitent; then their ill desert
must remain forever. But if their ill desert must re-
main forever, then to punish them according to the
duration of their ill desert, must be to punish them
forever. So that one thing implied, in God's punish-
ing sinners according to their deserts, is punishing them
according to the duration of their guilt, which will nev-
er cease.. Besides,
2. His punishing them according to their deserts
further implies his punishing them according to the
degrees of their guilt. It appears from what has been
said, that some will have greater degrees of guilt than
others; and therefore it will be proper to measure the
degrees of future punishment according to the degrees
of guilt, which the finally impenitent have contracted.
Though the guilt of all be the same in respect to du-
SERMON XVII.
291
ration and their punishment must be the same in res-
pect to duration, yet the punishment, which God will
inflict upon them, must be different in degrees accord-
ing to their different degrees of guilt. Justice seems to
require, that God should punish them according tọ
their different degrees of ill desert. And scripture as-
sures us, that this will be the case in the great day of
retribution. Christ expressly declares; that it shall be
more intolerable for some sinners than for others in the
'day of judgment. It is the design of future punish-
ment to display God's displeasure at sin; and in order
to display his displeasure at sin in the clearest light he
must dispense different punishments to those of differ-
ent degrees of guilt. He is able to measure their dif
ferent degrees of guilt and the different degrees of pun-
ishment, which they deserve; and he will not fail to
"render to them their desert ;" for shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right? It only remains to show,
IV. Why good men desire, that God would punish
the finally impenitent according to their deserts. We
find, that some of the best of men have sincerely desir-
ed God to inflict a just punishment upon all incorrigi-
ble sinners. David, not only in the text, but in a
multitude of other places in the Psalms, imprecates
He
the final destruction of the finally impenitent.
solemnly prays to God to "give them according to
their deeds and according to the wickedness of their
endeavours : give them after the work of their hands ;
render to them their desert.” Elijah prayed in the
same spirit and in the same language. "Wot ye not
what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh in ·
tercession to God against Israel." And the spirits of
just men made perfect cry to God, to give unto impen-
itent sinners their desert. John says, "I saw under
the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God and for the testimony which they held and
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O
Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge
our blood on them, that dwell on the earth ?" These
are divine declarations, that good men do desire God to
202
SERMON XVII.
¥
punish the finally impenitent according to their de-
serts. But it is still worthy of our serious inquiry,
why the truly pious and benevolent do desire God to
inflict eternal punishment upon any of their fellow
creatures. Saints certainly have a clear and awful
sense of eternal misery and yet they desire God to in-
flict it upon the final enemies of all righteousness.-
What good reasons can they have for such a desire ?
Here I would say,
And since saints
1. That it is the nature of true benevolence to love
justice. The justice of God is a truly amiable and
glorious attribute of his nature. It is an essential
branch of his infinite benevolence.
view the justice of God in this light, they must be
pleased to see the displays of it upon the finally im-
penitent, who deserve the full execution of divine jus-
tice in their future and eternal punishment. Good
men would not desire, that God should punish them at
all, if they did not deserve to be punished. It is their
ill desert, that renders them proper subjects of punish-
ment; and as it has been shown, that their ill desert
will continue forever. There is the same reason why
they should be punished forever, as why they should
be punished at all; and the same reason why good
men should desire God to punish them forever accor-
ding to their deserts, as why they should desire him to
inflict the lightest and shortest punishment upon them.
If good men love the justice of God, they must love to
see God display his justice in punishing those, who de-
serve to be punished; and sincerely desire that he
should continue to display his justice in punishing
them, as long as they deserve to be punished, which
will be to all eternity. There is precisely the same
reason why good men should desire God to punish the
finally impenitent forever, as why they should desire
him to punish them at all either in this life, or in the life
to come.
2. It is the nature of true love to God, to desire
that he may be glorified forever. But he cannot be
forever glorified by the finally impenitent, without
SERMON XVII.
298
They de-
punishing them according to their deserts.
serve eternal punishment and God cannot free them
from it, by annihilation. It seems to be inconsistent
with the moral rectitude of God to put an end to the
existence of his sinful. creatures, who deserve to feel
the weight of his everlasting displeasure. But if he
must continue them in existence forever, he must either
punish them forever according to their deserts, or else
make them happy forever contrary to their deserts and
contrary to the terms of salvation through the atone-
ment of Christ. But he can do neither of these things
consistently with his glory: What then must he do, to
glorify himself by the finally impenitent, but to punish
them forever? And for this reason, good men do sin-
cerely desire, that he should punish them forever accor-
ding to their deserts. Besides,
3. They desire he should punish them forever, to
promote the highest good of the universe.
The just
punishment of the wicked will always promote the holi-
ness and happiness of all holy beings. Hence the apos-
tle demands, "what if God, willing to shew his wrath
and make his power known, endured with much long
suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
and that he might make known the riches of his glory
on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared
unto glory?" All good men ardently desire the purest
and highest blessedness of all holy beings; and for this
reason, must desire that God would display the beauties
of his justice, as well as the riches of his grace, by
eternally rewarding both the righteous and the wicked,
according to their works.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If the ill desert of sinners essentially and neces
sarily consists in their free, voluntary design to do evil;
then neither the foreknowledge, nor purpose, nor agen-
cy of God can ever afford them the least ground, or
reason, to complain of him, for punishing them forever.
They will always know, that God foreknew and de-
ereed their final impenitence and that his agency was
*
294
SERMON XVII.
9
3
concerned in fitting them for their final doom; but
they will be forever conscious, that they acted freely
and voluntarily in all their wicked endeavours and sel-
fish conduct, for which, they themselves being judges,
they deserve eternal punishment. As neither the fore-
knowledge, nor decree, nor agency of God, did pre-
vent their ill desert in time, so neither the foreknowl-
edge, nor decree, nor agency of God can remove their
ill desert to all eternity. And just so long as their ill
desert remains and they are conscious of it, their
mouths will be stopped and they will feel that they
have not the least ground or reason to complain of be-
ang punished forever according to their deserts. If
the foreknowledge, or decree, or agency of God ever
did, or ever should remove their ill desert, then indeed
they would have good ground to complain of God for
making them what they are and for punishing them for
what they are. But all sinners, whether they believe
or disbelieve the foreknowledge, decrees and agency
of God or not, know that they are really guilty; and
if they are really guilty, they deserve to be punished
and God may justly punish them as long as they de-
serve to be punished. As they now know that they
are guilty, so they always will know that they are guil-
ty; and as they always will know that they are guilty,
so they always will know that they have no ground or
reason for complaining of God for punishing them for-
ever according to their deserts. The prophet puts the
question to every impenitent sinner, "What wilt thou
say, when he shall punish thee?" He will have noth-
ing to say by way of complaint, any more than the
man, that was cast into outer darkness for being desti-
tute of a wedding garment, "he was speechless."
2. If good men, for good reasons, desire God would
punish the finally impenitent according to their deserts;
then they are prepared to rejoice, when they shall see
him display the glory of his justice in their future and
eternal punishment. Though there may be something
in a future state which shall prevent the righteous and
the wicked from passing the one from the other; yet
SERMON XVII.
295
there is no reason to think, that they will not be mutu-
al spectators of each others final condition. Though
Christ, in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, repre-
sents that there is an insurmountable bar of separation
between Dives and Abraham and Lazarus ; yet he
represents them as spectators of each others condition.
Dives saw Abraham and Lazarus in their happy con-
dition; and they saw him in his state of torment. And
it is said of the worshipper of the beast, that "he shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."
That is, in the view of Christ and the angels. There
can be no doubt, therefore, that the righteous will for-
ever see the displays of divine justice upon the vessels
of wrath and cordially rejoice in God, while they be-
hold the smoke of their torments ascending forever &
ever. Though they will take no pleasure in the sin
or misery of the damned; yet they will take pleasure
in seeing a holy and righteous God give unto his im-
penitent and incorrigible enemies a just recompense of
reward. Do not good men rejoice in the displays of
divine justice in this world? Do they not rejoice,
when their armies engage in a just war and slay thou-
sands and thousands of their unjust and cruel enemies?
Do they not approve of the appointment of days of
thanksgiving and spend them in public praise for the
displays of divine justice in destroying those, whom
they believe deserve to be destroyed? Are they not
then prepared to rejoice in far more bright displays of
vindictive justice, in the future and eternal punishment
of all the finally impenitent and incorrigible enemies
of God and his kingdom? Their love to God and to
the highest happiness of the universe cannot fail to
prepare them to unite with all the heavenly hosts, in
crying "Amen, Alleluia, while they see the smoke
of their torments ascending forever and ever.'
3. If good men desire God to punish the finally im
penitent forever, for the reasons that have been men-
tioned; then they will never have any just ground to
reproach or complain of them, for feeling and express-
296
SERMON XVII.
=
=
+
ing such a desire. Many are stumbled at the language
of the inspired writers, who so often imprecate divine
judgments upon the incorrigibly, wicked; and especial-
ly at the language of David in the text and in various
other psalms. They seem to suppose, that such lan-
guage breathes a malevolent spirit towards the enemies
of God, which no man ought to feel, or express. Dr.
Watts was of this opinion and accordingly omitted to
versify some whole psalms. Expositors in general
have supposed, that such imprecations are not to be
understood literally. Some have supposed, that they
are to be understood prophetically, and others that they
are to be understood poetically. But there appears
no difficulty in understanding them literally. They
express the same spirit, that God feels towards incor-
rigible sinners, and the same spirit that he expresses
in actually punishing them, according to their deserts.
He feels no malevolence towards those, whom he pun-
ishes forever and takes no pleasure in the eternal
death of the wicked, but he takes pleasure in doing
justly, as well as in loving mercy. And all his friends
ought to take no pleasure in the misery of the damned,
but they ought to take pleasure, in seeing God do just-
ly, as well as in seeing him display mercy.
The rea-
sons we have given why good men desire God to pun-
ish the finally impenitent, according to their deserts,
were these three, first, their love of the attribute of di-
vine justice, and secondly, their love to the glory of
God, and thirdly, their sincere regard for the good of
the universe. These are sound reasons, why pious
and benevolent men should desire God to punish the
finally impenitent forever; and discover not the least
malevolence towards the wicked; who will never,
therefore have the least ground to reproach them for
their benevolent desire. I have heard it scoffingly
said, that those, who expect and desire God should
punish the finally impenitent forever, appear to hope,
that they shall forever enjoy a malicious pleasure in
seeing the misery of the damned. But this is a ground-
less and unjust reproach cast upon the truly pious and
T
SERMON XVII.
297
曹
​benevolent. Though they will forever rejoice in the
displays of divine justice, yet they will not rejoice in the
effects of divine justice upon the wicked. Who can
suppose, that Adam or Abel will rejoice in the misery
of Cain ? Who can suppose, that Aaron will rejoice
in the misery of Nadab and Abihu? Who can sup-
pose that David will rejoice in the misery of Absa-
lom? But those parents, with all their benevolence
towards their offspring, will say, Amen, while they for-
ever behold the tokens of their torments; nor will
their miserable offspring have the least reason to re-
proach or complain of their pious parents and friends
for rejoicing in the displays of divine justice upon
them. Scoffers in this world may reproach and blame
God and his friends, for approving divine justice dis-
played towards the spirits in prison; but whenever
they come into the other world, they will be fully con-
vinced, that they have no being to blame but them-
selves, for the miseries they endure. Indeed, all the
objections, that were ever made or felt against the fu-
ture fate of the finally impenitent, have arisen from a
misapprehension, or misrepresentation of the nature
and tendency of pure, universal, disinterested benevo-
lence.
4. If good men desire God to punish the finally impeni-
tent forever, then they have no more reason to disbe-
lieve and oppose the doctrine of reprobation, than the
doctrine of election. Though all good Calvinists be-
lieve and love the doctrine of election, yet many of
them dislike and oppose the doctrine of reprobation.
They love the doctrine of election, because it displays
the sovereign grace of God towards the vessels of mer-
cy; but dislike and oppose the doctrine of reproba-
tion, because it displays the vindictive justice of God
towards the vessels of wrath. But how can they con-
sistently love the divine attribute of grace, while they
hate the divine attribute of justice? If they approve
of God's conduct, in choosing some to eternal life and
preparing them by his special grace for future and
eternal happiness and finally putting them into posses-
38
298
SERMON XVII.
sion of it; why should they not approve of his conduct,
in reprobating some to eternal destruction and prepar-
ing them for it and finally inflicting it upon them?
The truth is, that all good Calvinists deceive them-
selves, when they love the doctrine of election and do
not love the doctrine of reprobation. But those, who
do really hate the doctrine of reprobation, deceive
themselves, when they think they love the doctrine of
election. This inconsistency is altogether wrong and
unjustifiable in both cases. Those, who love God for
electing some to eternal life and to the means that lead
to it, ought to examine the subject critically and impar-
tially and see the inseparable connection between elec-
tion and reprobation and cordially approve of both.
And those, who do not love the doctrine of reprobation,
nor consequently the doctrine of election, ought to
examine the subject critically and impartially and see
their intimate connection; and in this way and in this
way only, make their calling and election sure.
5. If guilt or ill desert consists in the evil intentions
of the heart; then there is a wide difference between
awakenings and convictions. Sinners are commonly
awakened, before they are convinced. They are of-
ten greatly alarmed in the view of future and eternal
misery, while their conscience is not awakened to con-
vince them of their guilt and desert of the punishment
they fear and dread. It is one thing to be sensible of
their danger and another thing to be sensible of their
guilt. While sinners are merely awakened to see
their danger, their hearts rise against God, complain
of the penalty of his law, call him a hard master, op-
pose the doctrine of election and of reprobation, con-
demn their Maker and justify themselves. But when
their conscience awakes, it condemns all their free,
voluntary exercises and actions as altogether selfish
and sinful and real transgressions of the law of love.
The commandment comes, sin revives and they die.
They measure their guilt by the divine law, which
places it not in their external conduct, but in their in-
ternal intentions, desires and designs. They find that
呼​感
​I
SERMON XVII.
299
whatever the law saith, either in its precept, or penal-
ty, it saith to them. Their mouths are stopped and
they become entirely guilty before God and feel that
they justly deserve that eternal punishment, which he
has threatened to inflict upon them. Such genuine
conviction prepares them for a sound conversion, if
God sees fit to change their hearts. And none have
a right to think, that their hearts are changed, if their
consciences have not been thus convinced.
6. If guilt or ill desert consists in the selfish and sin-
ful affections of the heart; then we may see why mor-
al sinners commonly experience the deepest convic-
tions before they are converted. They are not so easi-
ly awakened and alarmed as more open and profligate
sinners. Their external conduct excites their fear.
They see, that they are externally worse than others
and imagine that God views them as much worse, and
is more disposed to destroy them, than less vicious sin-
ners, which throws them into great anxiety and dis-
tress. But moral sinners view themselves better than
others and imagine that God views them better and
feels less disposed to punish them so severely as others.
If God comes and awakens the young, the vain and
externally bold and obstinate; they feel whole and se-
cure; for they are not as other men, who openly defy
and trifle with sacred and divine things. But when
the holy Spirit awakens their consciences and shows.
them the plague of their hearts, they are far from think-
ing that they are better than other sinners. They
are convinced, that not only their externally bad ac-
tions, but their externally good actions have been al-
together selfish and criminal and rendered them worthy
of God's wrath and curse both in this world and the
world to come. They see the nature and ill desert of
sin, which destroys all their former false notions of be-
ing better than others and all their false hopes founded
It is not so
upon their false opinion of themselves.
much the sense of danger, as the sense of guilt, that
presses them down and pushes them to the borders of
despair. They view themselves far worse, instead of
ነ
J
300
SERMON XVIL.
7
i
better than other men. They are ready to imagine
that God will more readily pardon the sins of other
men, but their own sins appear too great to be forgiven,
They have thought and read, and heard more than the
vain and stupid; but they have done nothing but abuse
the light and knowledge they have received, by which
their guilt has been tenfold augmented. This is the
distressing case of moral sinners under convictions,
whether they have, or have not neglected the means of
grace, or whether they have or have not professed to
love religion. Sinners are generally stout hearted un-
der awakenings, but when their conscience is wound-
ed with a sense of guilt, they have more than they can
bear and are constrained to stoop.
7. Since all guilt or ill desert consists in the evil
affections of the heart, it is easy to see why good men
have been so much borne down with the burden of sin,
Job, David, and Paul, had a deep and habitual sense
of their great criminality and guilt. The reason was,
they had experienced keen convictions of conscience,
before they were converted; and this made their con-
science always tender afterwards. You may have
remarked it, that those, who have appeared to have
the deepest conviction before they were converted,
have generally appeared to have the most tender con-
science, and to be the most afraid of stifling it, or act-
ing against its dictates and remonstrances. And so
long as good men keep their conscience alive, it will
do its office, cause them to keep their heart with all
diligence, condemn them for every deviation from the
path of duty, and teach them to see, to feel, and la-
ment their great moral imperfections in the sight of
God. Good men are much more troubled with their
hearts from day to day, than sinners are with their
hearts. They see the nature and ill desert of sin, and
feel that they deserve eternal death, though they hope
to enjoy eternal life. They groan. being burdened,
and cry with the apostle, "O Wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?"
They judge and condemn themselves, and the divine
SERMON XVII,
1
301
law judges and condemns them. They accept the
punishment of their iniquities, and realize that they
deserve to be destroyed more than any they know of
who ever have been, or ever will be destroyed.
Finally, in the view of this subject, impenitent sin-
ners may see their guilty and deplorable condition.
Every imagination of the thoughts of their heart has
been evil, only evil continually. They have never felt
as they ought to feel, nor acted as they ought to act.
They have been constantly adding sin to sin and increas
ing their load of guilt, by which they have for feited the
favor of God and of all good beings. They have des-
pised the love of God in sending his Son to redeem
them. They have despised the love of Christ in dying for
them. They have despised the salvation he has offered to
them. And now what can they say it God should pun-
ish them forever according to their deserts? They
must be speechless. What will their pious friends and
dearest relatives say, if they should see them lifting up
their eyes in torments? We know they will say
"Amen, Alleluia." They will not have a friend in
the universe, that will take their part. All heaven will
justify God and condemn them. Those, who once
sincerely prayed, that they might repent and flee from
the wrath to come, will be pleased to see God glorify
his justice upon those, who refused to repent and give
glory to him. Can their hands be strong, or their heart
endure, in the day that God shall deal with them and
make them completely friendless and hopeless forever!
But some may ask, can all this be true? Ask your
pious father and mother, your pious brother and sis-
ter or any of your pious friends; and they will tell you
that all this is true; and perhaps they often have told
you so. But if you are still in doubt ask your own
consciences and they will tell you so. The only rea-
son, why you do not now feel yourselves in the gall of
bitterness and the bonds of iniquity, is because you have
neglected or refused to see the plague of your own hearts
and to realize that ill desert, which you constantly
carry about with you and which will infallibly bind you
F
1
i
302
SERMON XVII,
唇
​over to everlasting destruction, except you repent.
And what reason have you to hope you ever will re-
pent? Neither the word, nor providence, nor patience
of God have yet brought you to repentance. God
may justly let you alone and leave you to fill up the
measure of your sins and treasure up to yourselves
wrath against the day of wrath and your final doom.
There may be but a step between you and both tempo-
ral and eternal death. "Agree with your adversary
quickly, while you are in the way with him; lest at
any time the adversary deliver you to the judge and the
judge deliver you to the officer and you be cast into
prison. Verily I say unto you, you shall by no means
come out thence, till you have paid the uttermost far-
thing."
?
+
4
SERMON XVIII.
THE PERDITION OF JUDAS;
MATTHEW, XXVI. 24.-It had been good for
that man, if he had not been born.
Our Lord, the same night in which he was betrayed,
called together his twelve disciples to celebrate the
Passover. On that solemn occasion, he informed
them of one peculiar circumstance of his approaching
death, which he had never hinted to them before and
which deeply affected their hearts. "As they did eat,
he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall
betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful; and
began every one to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And
he answered and said, He, that dippeth his hand with
me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son
of man goeth, as it is written of him; but woe unto
that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed: it
had been good for that man, if he had not been born."
The text naturally leads us to make several obser-
vations respecting Judas, the person, of whom the Sav-
ior here speaks. In these observations I intend to ex-
hibit, from the scriptures, a statement of plain facts,
which are stubborn things and which bring irresistible
evidence in favor of whatever doctrines are justly de-
duced from them. And to begin;
1. Judas was a man. He was one of the natural
descendants of Adam. He was the son of Simon.
Twice he is called the son of Simon and twice Simon's
son. Christ, who perfectly knew him, calls him a man
in the text. And though elsewhere he calls him a
devil, yet he evidently calls him so figuratively, as
having the spirit of the devil, or rather as being pos-
304
SERMON XVIII.
sessed of him and instigated by him, after he had receiv-
ed the sop, to betray his divine Master. Hence it is
evident, that he was a fallen man, under the influence
of a fallen angel.
Now Judas, as a man, possessed all the powers and
faculties, which belong to human nature. He was en-
dued with perception, memory, reason, conscience and
volition. These he exercised and manifested, as
clearly as the other apostles. He was no more nor
less dependant upon God than other men. He was a
free, moral agent. He acted of choice and design in
the view of motives. For we know of some of the mo-
tives, in view of which he acted from time to time.---
There is no intimation, that he was the least of the
apostles, as to natural powers and abilities. In this
respect he was, no doubt, upon a level with the rest
of his fellow men and fellow apostles.
2. Judas was a man, whom God was pleased to
treat with distinguishing favor. He blessed him with
a rational and immortal spirit. He formed him wiser
than the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven;
and made him but little lower than the angels. And
he gave him his birth in a happy place; not in the dark
corners of the western world, but in the most enlight
ened part of Asia; in the land of Canaan, where he
had fixed the residence of his chosen people and de-
posited his sacred oracles. He also gave him his birth
at a happy time; just as Christ was making his ap-
pearance among men, as the Savior of the world: a
time which Abraham, Moses and the prophets would
have esteemed it a signal favour to have seen. More-
over, he gave him an opportunity to become personal-
ly acquainted with Christ and to be admitted into
the number of his apostles, who were his constant at-
tendants. In a word, God raised Judas to heaven in
point of privileges,
3. God used no compulsive measures to lead him
into sin. He neither commanded nor advised him to
sin; nor once intimated, that he should be pleased with
his sinning. He never compelled him to love or hate ;
SERMON XVIII.
305
or to say or do any thing whatever contrary to his own
inclination. Of this we have the best evidence; even
the evidence of Judas against himself. When he stood
in the most pressing need of some excuse to exculpate
himself, not only before God and the world, but before
his own conscience, he brings no complaint against
God; nor attempts to plead the least degree of com-
pulsion to act wickedly, contrary to the voluntary ex-
ercises of his own heart. He confesses he betrayed
innocent blood; he acknowledges the action to be his
own; he feels and takes all the blame to himself,
though it sinks him into horror and despair. But,
4. Instead of being compelled to sin, he had the
most powerful means used with him to restrain him
from it. He enjoyed the writings of Moses and the
prophets and the living example of the Son of God.
He was placed under the watch and care of Christ ; ·
and heard the gracious words, which fell from his lips.
He heard his sermon on the mount, the parable of the
sower, the talents, the tares, the ten virgins, the prod
igal, the unjust steward, the rich fool and Dives and
Lazarus. As these were designed to expose the guilt
and danger of hypocrisy, coveteousness and injustice;
so they were adapted to fasten conviction upon his guilty
conscience and restrain him from that treason and
murder, which finally proved his ruin. He was like-
wise a witness of the supernatural and miraculous
works of Christ. He beheld the eyes of the blind
opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the tongues of
the dumb unloosed, the feet of the lame strengthened,
the disorders of the sick removed and even the reason
of the insane and the life of the dead restored, by the
almighty voice of the compassionate Redeemer. And
then all these united, it is hard to conceive what stron-
ger motives could be set before him, or what greater
restraints could be laid upon him, to guard him from
sin. Yet,
5. Judas was a prodigy of wickedness. All the
time he followed Christ and carried the bag and preach-
ed the gospel, he inwardly cherished a selfish, sordid
T
貫
​39
306
SERMON XVIII.
!
and thievish spirit. His heart was a cage of unclean
and hateful affections. His whole conduct proceeded
from base, mean and sinful motives. Yet he was such
a profound hypocrite, that he concealed the turpitude
of his heart from the eye of the world and even from
the view of his fellow apostles, who were more ready
to suspect their own integrity than his treachery. But
"the way of transgressors is hard." It is difficult for
any one always to wear the mask. It is exceeding.
ly apt to fall off in some unguarded moment and
expose the real complexion to open views. This
was the case with Judas. As soon as a temptation,
agreeable to his predominant passion, was presented,
it immediately disclosed the blackness of his heart and
branded him a base and subtle traitor.
He betrayed innocent blood. He plotted and pro-
cured the death of the greatest and most amiable per-
sonage, that ever made his appearance on earth.
He, whom he betrayed, was fairer than the sons
of men. He was holy, harmless, undefiled and sepa-
rate from sinners. He was one, whom all heaven
loved, revered and adored. One, whom the other apos-
tles loved with supreme affection and for whom they
cheerfully laid down their lives. He was one, for
whom Judas himself ought to have been willing to
die and solemnly engaged to do it. He was one, who
came to suffer and die for Judas, that he might not
perish, but have everlasting life. Such a person he
betrayed and murdered for thirty pieces of silver! Such
was the sin of Judas. Hence,
6. Judas deserved eternal perdition. This single
crime had he been guilty of no other, rendered him
justly obnoxious to the eternal abhorrence and indig-
nation of God and man. What would a kind and
tender parent think of the villain, who had embrued
his hands in the blood of his only son! How must Ju-
das then appear in the eyes of God, when he had be-
trayed the Son of his love! The wages of his sin,
therefore, ought to be death, cven eternal death. Noth-
ing less could be a punishment, adequate to his crime.
SERMON XVIII.
307
;
And Judas himself, when he came to reflect upon the
guilty scenes of his life, his hypocrisy, his avarice, his
treason and murder, which he had perpetrated against
the clear light of his own conscience and the solemn
warnings of heaven, was plunged into the depths of
horror and guilt. He was conscious to himself, that
he had merited the just displeasure of God and man;
that he deserved to lie down in sorrow; and that hell
was his proper place. And these convictions, at length,
rose so high, that he chose rather to feel than fear the
torments of the damned. And therefore he resolved
to plunge himself into the regions of darkness and
despair, by the violence of his own guilty hand.
Wherefore,
7. It is certain, that Judas is finally lost. He lived
wickedly and died wickedly. And therefore he is
finally lost. Christ, who perfectly knew him from the
beginning, said he had the heart of a devil and was the
son of perdition and was lost, that the scripture might
be fulfilled. The elever apostles, after the crucifixion
of Christ, in a devout address to heaven, solemnly de-
clare that Judas, not only by death, but by transgres-
sion, had fallen from his ministry and apostleship, that
he might go to his own place; that is, the place of per-
dition, of which he was son and heir. But our Lord's
declaration in the text, that it had been good for him if
he had not been born, fixes the certainty of his eternal
destruction, beyond the least possibility of doubt.
Christ absolutely knew both his character and con-
dition. And yet he asserted, that his state is worse
than non-existence. But this cannot be true, if at
death like pious Lazarus, or the penitent thief; he
was conducted to the paradise of God and conveyed
to Abraham's bosom. Nor, if at death, he was anni-
hilated, or struck out of existence. Nor, if he was
only sent to the popish purgatory. Nor, if indeed,
his punishment shall ever come to an end, at any pe-
riod, however distant. If his punishment should con-
tinue for years, or for ages, or for as many millions of
ages, as there are stars in the firmament, or sands upon
J
✩
308
SERMON XVIII.
M
1
the seashore; yet, if after this period, or any other
united duration expires, he shall be freed from mis-
ery and admitted to heaven and there spend an endless
eternity in the love, service and enjoyment of God, it
will be good for him, that he was born; and his exis-
tence, upon the whole, will be an unspeakable bles-
sing. Therefore we must either deny the veracity of
Christ, or believe that Judas is finally and eternally
lost.
If Christ's promise to the apostles should be object-
ed here, I answer, that promise depends upon the truth
of Peter's declaration. Let us, therefore, hear and
compare both the declaration and promise. "Then an-
swered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have for-
saken all and followed thee; what shall we have there-
fore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto
you, that ye, that have followed me in the regeneration,
when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory,
ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel." This dignity Christ promises to con-
fer on the apostles, on the condition of their having for-
saken all and followed him. But though Peter really
thought, that they all had performed this condition, yet
he was under a great mistake. For Judas of whose
character he was then and afterwards ignorant, never
had been regenerated, nor forsaken all for Christ, nor
followed him from supreme love to him. Therefore
the promise did not apply to him. He had no portion
nor lot, in that matter. Accordingly Christ excluded
him from the number of his apostles in his last prayer.
These are his words, "I pray not for the world, but
for them, whom thou hast given me ; for they are thine.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those,
whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we
are. Those, that thou gavest me, I have kept and none
of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scrip-
ture might be fulfilled." This prayer, together with
Christ's declaration in our text, absolutely cuts off Ju-
das from every promise of favour and seals his eternal
destruction sure. I proceed to observe,
SERMON XVIII.
309
8. That God decreed the life, the death and final
state of Judas, before he was born. Judas was a very
extraordinary person. Many of his actions were singu
lar and peculiar to himself; such as were never done
by any other person before nor since. Nor could they
been done ever by himself had he been born in any oth-
er age, or lived in any other part of the world. And
these peculiarities, we may presume, did not meet in
Judas by mere chance; but were designed and effect-
ed by the supreme being. Accordingly we find, that
Judas like other remarkable persons, particularly Josi-
ah and Cyrus, was foretold and characterised, ages
before he was born. David had him in his view,
when he wrote the forty first Psalm and ninth verse.
..
Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against
me." This prophesy Christ applies to Judas, in the
eighteenth verse of the thirteenth chapter of John's
gospel. He says, "I speak not of you all; I know
whom I have chosen ; but that the scripture might be
fulfilled, He, that eateth with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." And in the twenty sixth verse he
expressly mentions Judas, as the person described.
The untimely end of Judas is also foretold and des-
cribed by David in the sixty ninth Psalm. Having
represented the bitter circumstances of Christ's cruci-
fixion, he proceeds to denounce the fearful ruin of such
persons, as should be concerned in his death. "Let
their table become a snare before them; and that,
which should have been for their welfare, let it become
atrap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not;
and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out
thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger
take hold of them. Let their habitation be deso-
late, and let no man dwell in their tents." This
prophetic denunciation of divine wrath against the
murderers of Christ, the apostle Peter applies, particu-
larly, to Judas in the first chapter of the Acts.
"In
those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples
and said, men and brethren, this scripture must needs
?
310
SERMON XVIII.
have been* fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the
mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas, who
was guide to them, that took Jesus. For he was
numbered with us and had obtained part of this minis-
try. Now this man purchased a field with the reward
of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder
in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. And it
was known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem ; insomuch
as that field is called in their proper, tongue, Ac-
eldema, that is to say, the field of blood. For it
is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habita-
tion be desolate and let no man dwell therein ;
and his bishoprick let another take." Now David
lived above a thousand years, before the birth of Ju-
das.' Consequently the life and death and end of Ju-
das were decreed and foretold above a thousand years,
before he was born, which affords a strong presump-
tion, that they were decreed from eternity. And, in-
deed, this is more than intimated by the apostle. Peter,
He said, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by
him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know;
Him, being delivered by the determinate council
and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by
wicked hands have crucified and slain."
If the ac-
tions of Judas were decreed, no doubt his life and
death & every thing respecting him, through his whole
existence were also decreed. And if they were ever
decreed, they must have been decreed from eternity.
For any new thought, purpose, or design in the divine
mind must be inconsistent with the absolute immuta-
bility of the divine being. Hence it is evident, that
Judas was a reprobate, a son of perdition and ordained
from eternity to eternal destruction.
Yet,
9. God brought Judas into being to answer wise
and noble designs. God created all things, according
to his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. He had the
scheme of redemption in view, before he laid the foun-
dation of the world. He intended to save some of the
SERMON XVIH.
311
human race, through the death of his Son. But if his
Sun, who was holy and harmless, must die, he must
die by the hand of a wicked instrument. Accordingly,
if the death of Christ must be fixed, the instrument of
his death must also be fixed. Hence it was as neces-
sary, that Judas should be born, as that Christ
should be born; and that Judas should betray him, as
that he should die. Therefore the life and conduct of
Judas were connected with the glorious scheme of
man's redemption. He was not a cypher in the world,
but an important instrument in the hand of God of ac-
complishing the great purposes of his grace. These
glorious ends were present in the mind of God, when
he decreed the existence, character, conduct and state
of Judas. And that he formed him to be an instru-
ment of accomplishing these ends, appears evident, from
his foretelling his existence and describing his charac-
ter and conduct, ages before he was born. By this he
has taught us what were his designs, in giving exist-
ence to Judas. As we know God raised up Cyrus to
be the deliverer of his people from the Babylonish cap-
tivity, because he foretold his life and appointed him to
that object, long before his existence so we know
that God raised up Judas to do those actions and an-
swer those ends, which he had foretold, ages before he
was born. Though God knew, that Judas would be
miserable forever and that it would have been good
for him, if he had never been born; yet he did not
bring him into being for the sake of his misery; but
for the sake of his own glory in the salvation of myr-
iads of the human race. And this end was a good,
infinitely superior to the ruin of one person. God,
therefore, had the greatest, wisest and best end, in
decreeing and effecting the eternal perdition of Judas.
I have now finished my observation upon Judas.
It has been my object to exhibit his character, con-
duct and state in the plain and clear light of truth. I
have mentioned several particulars concerning him,
not because they were important in themselves, but to
open the way for some deductions, which may, per-
4
السلام
312
SERMON XVIII.
haps, appear with more advantage and perspicuity from
such a minute detail of circumstances. On this sub-
ject, however, truth is the only thing, which we ought,
to regard. If the preceding observations are but true,
they will establish some points of weighty and solemn
importance upon a firmer foundation than visionary
speculation, or metaphysical arguments. You will
allow me, then, to request your attention and candor,
while I make a few deductions from the subject, which
has been under our consideration.
1. This instance of the son of perdition subverts the
scheme of universal salvation. Though this scheme
has lately been propagated with great zeal, boldness
and confidence and has gained a multitude of proselytes,
yet it has no better foundation than falsehood and de-
lusion. For it is contrary to plain fact:—Judas
is lost. And this single instance of perdition over-
throws all the arguments, that ever have been advanc-
ed, or ever can be invented, in favor of the final salva-
tion of the whole human race.
1
Is it said, that from eternity Christ was so united to
mankind, that when he appeared and acted as Media-
tor on earth, his actions were our actions; his obedi-
ence, our obedience; and his sufferings, our suffer-
ings? and that he has removed the curse of the law:
from the whole posterity of Adam and entitled all-
mankind, without any act on their part, to eternal sal-
vation? This notion is not only absurd in its own
nature, but contrary to plain fact Judas who was a
son of Adam and the son of perdition, is finally
lost.
Is it said, that God could have no other motive in
the creation of mankind than their happiness; and that,
consequently, they must all be finally happy. This
notion is also contrary to fact. God did not create
Judas merely to make him happy; for he knew from
eternity, that it would have been good for him, if he
had not been born.
Is it said that the mercy of God will not suffer any
of the human race to perish eternally?
This also is
:
SERMON XVIII.
313
in the face of plain fact. The mercy of God has suf-
fered the son of perdition to be eternally lost.
Is it said, that men are the offspring of God and a
part of the divine essence, so that his punishing them
would be the same as punishing himself, which is ab-
surd? Even this is but a bold supposition against
plain fact. Judas was a man and as nearly allied to
the great Father of spirits, as any other man. Yet
God has banished him from his presence and consign-
ed him to eternal perdition.
These arguments and all other arguments, that can
be urged in favor of universal salvation, are lighter than
a feather, when thrown into the scale against this plain
fact-the perdition of Judas. This single instance
as effectually subverts the scheme of universal salvation,
as a thousand. If one of mankind may be finally lost,
then two may, or twenty, or twenty millions. Indeed,
if one may be lost, we can fix no limitation to the num-
ber, that may finally perish. If one has been lost, if
Judas is in hell, we have reason to think, that Cain is
there; that the old world, swept away by the flood,
are there; that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah
are there; that Pharaoh and his hosts are there; that
the Israelites, whose carcases fell in the wilderness,
are there; that the nations of Canaan, who were de-
stroyed from the earth in the days of Joshua, are there;
that the blinded Jews of Christ's day are there; that
Simon Magus, Herod, Ananias & Sapphira are there;
and that vast numbers of mankind in every age and
every part of the world, who have since lived and died
in impenitence and unbelief, are also there. And
myriads and myriads more may yet go to the same
place of torment. Without any question, "The
wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations,
that forget God. Wide is the gate and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction; and many there be,
who go in thereat."
2. This instance of Judas removes all the objections,
that ever have been made, or can be made against the
doctrine of divine decrees; and even the most obnox-
1
1
40
314
SERMON XVIII.
ious part of it, the doctrine of reprobation. This doc-
trine is true in fact. Judas was a reprobate.
Though there is, perhaps, no other doctrine more fully
asserted in the scriptures, or more easily demonstrated
from the perfections of God, than the doctrine of de-
crees; yet of all doctrines this has been the most stren-
uously opposed and absolutely denied. Many objec-
tions, and some very plausible, have been urged against
it. However, they must all be equally refuted by
this single instance of Judas.
It is said, if God has appointed any to destruction
from eternity, then he could have no other end in
bringing them into existence, but their destruction.
But this is a groundless objection. For God appointed
Judas to destruction from eternity; yet he had nobler
ends than his destruction in giving him his existence.
He formed him to be an instrument of promoting his
own glory in the salvation of sinners. And for this end
The gave him his existence and sent him to destruction.
Therefore, it is possible; and from the rectitude of the
divine character, it is absolutely certain, that God
aims at wise and good ends in the existence of the non-
elect and does not delight, simply, in their destruction.
The apostle Paul, who was a bold and noble asserter
of the doctrines of election and reprobation, never main-
tained, but positively denied, that God made any of
mankind, merely to destroy them. Though he declares
that God intended to destroy Pharaoh, yet he asserts
that he raised him up, not for this purpose, but for
another, truly noble and excellent, that his name might
be declared throughout all the earth. And speaking
of the reprobate Jews, in distinction from the remnant
according to the election of grace, he denies that God
had no other end in their existence than their misery
and ruin. "I say, then, have they stumbled, that they
should fall? God forbid ! but rather through their fall
salvation is come to the Gentiles." As if he had said,
It would be impious to suppose, that God designed the
Jews should stumble, merely that they might fall and
be lost. No far be such a thought from our hearts.
SERMON XVIII.
315
+
The truth is, God had a wise and gracious design in
their stumbling at Christ; the rock of offence; even
to break down the wall of partition between Jews and
Gentiles and open the way to send the salvation of the
gospel to the ends of the earth. God never destroys
any human being for the sake of his destruction, but for
the glory of his great name and for the highest interest
of his holy kingdom.
It is said, the doctrine of decrees is repugnant to
free agency. If God decrees all the actions of men,
then, it is said, the freedom of willing and acting is de-
stroyed. But was not Judas a free agent? Did he
not act freely in all his conduct? Was he not volun-
tary in following Christ, in professing to love him, in
carrying the bag, in preaching the gospel, in betraying
Christ for thirty pieces of silver and finally in laying
violent hands upon his own life? Indeed, was there
ever a man, who enjoyed greater freedom than Judas?
Or can we conceive of a man's possessing and exercis-
ing greater freedom than he did, through the whole
course of his life? Yet his life, conduct, death and state
were decreed by the determinate council and fore-
knowledge of God. The divine decrees, therefore, are
in fact consistent with free agency. If Judas acted
freely, then every other man may act freely, notwith-
standing the divine decrees.
It is said, that the doctrines of election and reproba-
tion are inconsistent with the use of means. If God
has decreed to save some of mankind and to destroy the
rest, then it is vain to teach, warn, counsel, command,
or use any means with men to bring them to God, the
end being already fixed and decreed. But, not to insist
upon the inseparable connection between means and
ends, I will only observe, that this objection had no
weight in the mind of Christ. He knew God had de-
creed to destroy Judas and save the rest of the apostles,
Yet he was indefatigable in teaching, commanding,
warning and counselling his disciples; and Judas,
among the rest. Whatever others may think, Christ
thought the doctrine of decrees to be consistent with
916
SERMON XVIII.
1
፦
i
the use of means. And if Christ was right in his opin-
ion, then others are wrong in making this objection.
It is said, the doctrines of election and reprobation
carry the idea of partiality in the divine Being, which
is a blemish in his character. But this objection does
not lie against the divine decrees, but the divine con-
duct. God did choose Paul and reprobate Judas.
And if God's doing this was not partiality; neither was
his decreeing to do it. Partiality does not consist in
God's treating one man differently from another; but
in his treating one man differently from another, with-
out any reason for it. Hence God's choosing some
to life and appointing others to death, for wise and holy
reasons, implies no partiality in the divine affections,
or conduct.
It is said, the doctrines of decrees, in its full extent,
implies, that God brings some men into a state, that is
worse than non-existence, which is inconsistent with his
goodness. It is readily granted, that God does bring
some men into existence in a state worse than non-exis-
tence. He did so in respect to Judas. It had been
good for that man, if he had not been born. But how
this should be considered an objection against divine
goodness, when God does it, as in the case of Judas,
with a view to his own glory and the greatest good of
the universe, it is hard to conceive; since it is a clear
demonstration of the contrary. Thus the doctrines of
election and reprobation stand confirmed against all
objections, beyond a doubt. For there is no reason-
ing against facts. And it is a plain fact, that God
has elected and appointed a part of mankind to salva-
tion and reprobated the other part of mankind to de-
struction. So long as the case of Judas stands re-
corded in the word of God, the Bible must be re-
nounced, or the doctrines of election and reprobation
must be believed.
3. It appears from the instance of Judas, that sin
may be the occasion of good. It has been so in one
case; and it may be so in other cases. It is certain,
that the sin of Judas was the occasion of good. His
SERMON XVIII.
317
betraying his Lord and Master was a sin of the first
magnitude; and perhaps, all circumstances considered
the greatest sin, that ever was committed by men, or
devils. Yet it proved the occasion of the greatest bles-
sings, that ever came to our fallen race. lt was the
occasion of all the benefits of Christ's redemption. If
it be asked, what is intended by sin's being the occasion
of good; I answer, the same that is meant by a mur-
der's being the occasion of an excellent sermon.
Not
that the murder makes the sermon, but that the mur-
der was that, without which the preacher would not &
could not make the sermon, adapted to that particular
occurrence of divine providence. So sin, in itself, does
not make good, but is that, without which some good
cannot take place. Now, if the sin of Judas may, in
this sense, be the occasion of good, then the sin of any
other man, or of all mankind may be the occasion of
good in the same sense. There is no absurdity in the
supposition. And if it be possible, in the nature of
things, for sin to be the occasion of good, then it is cer-
tain from the rectitude of the divine character, that
it will be so.
God would neither introduce sin into
the world, or suffer it to exist, but for the wisest and
best ends. So that we may, with the Psalmist, be as-
sured, that the wrath of man shall praise the Lord and
the remainder of wrath he will restrain. God will so
order and govern the conduct of men, that no more sin
shall exist than shall be the occasion of good.
4. The case of Judas shows, that sin's being the oc-
casion of good is no excuse for the sinner. It was
none to Judas. He felt as guilty as if no benefit had
ever come to the world by his sin. And whilst he be-
holds the whole number of the redeemed, through the
blood of Christ, in the mansions of eternal blessedness,
it will never afford him the least excuse for betraying
innocent blood. He will be conscious to himself, that
he never desired nor intended that good, by betraying
Christ; and therefore his guilt is the same, as it no
good had flowed from his crime. And it is true of ev-
ery sinner, that his guilt is not the least extenuated by
م
318
SERMON XVIII.
ner's.
the good, that may arise from his sins. God's end in
the taking place of sin is directly opposite to the sin-
God aims at good, but the sinner aims at evil.
So it was with the king of Assyria. To him God
said, "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger and the
staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him
against an hypocritical nation; against the people of
my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil
and to take the prey and to tread them down, like the
mire of the streets. Howbeit, he meaneth not so, nei-
ther doth his heart think so ; but it is in his heart to de-
stroy and cut off nations not a few." On account of his
intention & design, the Assyrian monarch was inexeus-
ably guilty and deserved the divine indignation. Ac-
cordingly God threatens to punish him for his ambi-
tion and cruelty. "Wherefore it shall come to pass,
that when the Lord hath performed his whole work
upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish
the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and
the glory of his high looks " The conduct of sinners
is as evil, guilty and hateful in its own nature, as it
would be, if no good were ever occasioned by its exist-
ence. And therefore the wise and holy conduct of
God, in causing good to arise from the existence of evil,
can never afford sinners any excuse for their sinful con-
duct. Hence,
5. Sin's being the occasion of good affords no en-
couragement to commit sin. Sin brings both guilt
and punishment upon the sinner. It did upon Judas.
Behold the guilty, miserable man! He betrays in-
nocent blood. His conscience awakes and condemns
him. He comes trembling and throws down the thirty
pieces of silver, the reward of iniquity. He confesses
his guilt and sinks down into horror and despair, under
the stings of a guilty conscience.
"A wounded spir-
it who can bear !" He feels the worm, that never
dies and tastes the beginning of eternal sorrows. His
punishment is greater than he can bear. He can con-
ceive of nothing more terrible in the bottomless pit than
his present anguish and torment. And, therefore, by
SERMON XVII.
319
the violence of his own hands, he plunges himself into
the regions of darkness and despair. There he lies,
bound in chains unto the judgment of the great day;
when he shall appear with shame and contempt, hear
his fearful doom and sink again into the fire, that never
shall be quenched. Endless punishment, torment and
despair in hell, are all the encouragement, there is to
sin. God" will render indignation and wrath, tribula-
tion and anguish unto every soul of man, that doeth
evil." Hence,
excuse, if they abuse the
offers of life and expose
One of their number has
and found himself without
And those, who tread in
6. Sinners will have no
means of grace, reject the
themselves to eternal ruin.
made the awful experiment
hope and without excuse.
his steps, will come to the same end. They will have
no excuse for their wickedness and misery from the
patience of God, from the native corruption of their
hearts, nor from the divine decrees. Their mouths
will be shut; and they will stand guilty and confound-
ed before God. Into such a state Judas brought him-
self by his own voluntary and desperate wickedness.
And every sinner will find, that his guilt is all his own
and that he alone must bear it, though it sinks him into
endless torment and despair. Therefore,
To conclude, let every sinner be entreated to flee
from the wrath to come. Be assured there is wrath
to come; and that your damnation slumbereth not.
Notwithstanding the mercy of God in the gift of Christ,
the common smiles of divine providence upon you and
the patience and forbearance of God towards you; yet
it is in the heart of God to send you down to the pit
of woe and despair, if you do not repent and believe
and obey the gospel. He treated Judas as kindly in
this life as he has treated you. And yet he has turned
him into hell for his sins. And he will treat you in the
same awful manner. Be entreated, then, by the ter-
rors of the Lord, by the mercy of Christ, by the joys
of heaven and by the torments of hell, to fall down
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SERMON XVIII.
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immediately before the righteous God. And not on-
ly confess your sins, as Judas did, but heartily repent
and truly believe the gospel and give up yourselves to
the Lord in an everlasting covenant.
"Behold, now
is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salva-
tion;" He, that repents and believes, shall be saved;
but he, that believeth not, shall be damned.
SERMON XIX.
THE SONG OF HEAVEN.
REVELATION, XIX. 3.—And again they said,
Alleluia.
John, the last of the apostles, wrote this book, while
in banishment in the Isle of Patmos. He was favor-
ed with extraordinary visions of the heavenly world
and inspired to foretel the most important changes,
which were to pass over the world from his day to the
end of time. From the fourteenth chapter to the close
of the book, he gives very striking representation of
the increase and prosperity of the Church and the
final overthrow of Babylon, which mystically rep-
resents Antichrist, the great head of all opposition to
it. He says, "I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on
mount Zion and with him an hundred and forty four
thousand having his Father's name written in their fore-
heads." This Lamb was an emblem of Christ surround-
ed by those, whom he had redeemed from the earth.
After the safe arrival of the Church in heaven, he says,
there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all na-
tions drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
And after these things he says. "I heard a great voice
of much people in heaven, saying Alleluia: salvation
and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God.
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with
fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants
at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her
smoke rose up forever and ever." Alleluia signifies,
Praise ye the Lord. This is the truth, which lies
on the face of the text:
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322
SERMON XIX.
The heavenly hosts will praise God for punishing the
finally impenitent forever.
It is proposed to show, in the first place, that they
will praise God for punishing the finally impenitent for-
ever, and then to inquire, why they will do it.
I. I am to show that the heavenly hosts will praise
God for punishing the finally impenitent forever.
1. This appears, from the representations of scripture.
The Church of God on earth sang praises to God for
the display of his justice in the destruction of Pharaoh
and his army in the Red Sea. When the people of
God had passed through it on dry ground and saw
the Egyptians overwhelmed in the merciless waves;
"Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song
unto the Lord and spake, saying, I will sing unto the
Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse
and the rider hath he thrown into the sea." And the
apostle John heard the inhabitants of heaven sing this
same song in the praise of God for destroying his im-
penitent and incorrigible enemies. When the seven
angels, who had the seven last plagues to inflict upon
the wicked world, as marks of God's just & awful dis-
pleasure, were prepared to pour out the vials of divine
wrath, then John heard "them sing the song of Moses,
the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Al-
mighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of
saints."
When Isaiah had a vision of heaven and of
the desolating judgments, which God had sent upon
the wicked, upon earth, he heard the heavenly hosts
cry one unto another, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord
of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah
and John were eye and ear witnesses of the feelings
and language of the heavenly world, in the view of
God's vindictive justice in punishing the wicked. They
assure us, that the heavenly hosts do actually praise
God for displaying his righteous and holy displeasure
against the enemies of all righteousness. They cry
Alleluia, when they behold the smoke of their tor-
ments rising up forever and ever. This leads me to
observe,
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SERMON XIX.
323
2. These representations are perfectly agreeable to
the character of perfectly holy beings. The pure spir-
its in heaven are holy as God is holy and just as God
is just; they feel as God feels towards himself and all
his holy and unholy creatures. As God loves holiness
and hates sin, so they love holiness and hate sin, and
as he is disposed to punish sin, so they are pleased to
see him punish sin. It is altogether reasonable, there-
fore, to suppose, that they are disposed to love him and
praise him for giving sinners a just recompense of re-
ward. They see him cast the wicked down to
hell. For John heard the third angel, who was the
executioner of divine vengeance, say,
"If any man
worship the beast and his image, the same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the
Lamb and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
forever and ever." Who can suppose, that the holy an-
gels and spirits of just men made perfect can be specta-
tors of such a scene without peculiar sensibility? They
must be pleased or displeased with the divine conduct;
they must approve, or disapprove of it. And of neces-
sity, they must either praise, or blaspheme God, while
they see him express the indignation of his benevolent
and holy heart towards the disobedient, impenitient
and unbelieving. Those, who believe what the whole
current of scripture gives us the fullest evidence to be-
lieve, that some of our sinful race will be finally and
forever cast off, cannot disbelieve that the heavenly
world will approve of God's casting them off forever,
and sincerely praise him for all the displays of his am-
iable and awful justice in the eternal condemnation and
punishment of the wicked. For if they do not praise
God, they must blaspheme him and deserve the very
punishment, which they condemn. No one can carry
his thoughts to heaven and believe, that there will be any.
blasphemy there against him, who sitteth on the throne
and the Lamb, but perpetual praise for the bright dis-
324
SERMON XIX.
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2
plays of divine justice, as well as divine. grace. I pro-
ceed to show,
11. Why the heavenly hosts will forever praise God
for his forever pun shing the wicked according to his
threatenings in his word.
Here it may be proper to premise, thatthe holy and
benevolent inhabitants of heaven do not praise God for
punishing the wicked, because they take pleasure in
their punishment, simply considered. The God of
love himself can take no pleasure in punishing the
wicked, simply considered; and he says so under the
solemnity of an oath. "As I live saith the Lord God,
I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but
that the wicked turn from his way and live." All the
heavenly world possess the same benevolent spirit,
which can take no pleasure in the pains and sufferings
of the damned, simply considered; and therefore they
do not praise God merely for the punishments he in-
flicts, but for the pure, perfect and holy justice, which
he displays in punishing. Nor do they praise God for
punishing the wicked, because they have no regard to
the worth of their immortal souls and the importance
of their eternal happiness. They know that their
souls are as capable of enjoying eternal happiness as
their own and that their eternal happiness is as valuable
as their own, simply considered. And were it consis-
tent with the highest good of the universe, they would
rejoice to see them converted, released from punish-
ment and admitted into heaven, in any future period of
their existence. For they love to enjoy happiness
themselves and to see all their fellow creatures enjoy it
to as great a degree and to as long a duration, as the
best good of the universe requires, or admits. Some
seem to think, that if the heavenly inhabitants do praise
God in the view of the miseries of the damned, they
must necessarily feel and express perfect malevolence
towards those sinful and miserable objects. But this
idea ought to be discarded, because there is no founda-
tion for it in scripture, or reason. The way is now
prepared to bring forward the plain and positive rea-
SERMON XIX.
325
sons, why the heavenly hosts do say "Amen, Alle-
luia," while they behold the endless sufferings of the
wicked.
1. The first and most obvious reason for their prais
ing God for forever punishing the wicked is, that they
deserve to be punished forever. There is an insepara-
ble connection between sin and ill desert. Every sin
deserves punishment and must forever deserve it; be-
cause punishment has no tendency to take away its ill
desert. Every transgressor of a human law, after he
has suffered the penalty of it, still deserves to be pun-
ished as much as he did before; because the punish-
ment he has received has not either removed, or di-
minished his guilt, or desert of punishment. It is true,
the good of the public does not require a transgressor
of the law, to receive a perpetual punishment, in many
cases; and for that reason, the law does not require
him to suffer a punishment as long as he lives; but in
some cases it does require this and that justly; because
his sufferings do not remove, nor diminish his ill desert.
And this holds true, in respect to punishment in a fu-
ture state. Whatever punishment God may inflict
upon the finally impenitent at the last day, they will
deserve to suffer as long as they exist. For they will
deserve it at any future period of their existence, as
much as they did at the moment God at first inflicted it
upon them.
It is as true, that sinners deserve eternal
punishment, as that they deserve any punishment at
all. But it seems to be universally allowed, by sin-
ners themselves, that they actually deserve some pun-
ishment and even more than they are willing to suffer.
There can be no doubt but that the angels of light and
the spirits of just men made perfect have a much clearer
and juster view of the ill desert of sin than any of man-
kind in this present imperfect state. They have seen
apostate angels and apostate men and some of them
have been apostate creatures themselves. They have
had great opportunity and abundant occasion to exam-
ine the evil nature and ill desert of sin, with the deep-
est sensibility and attention. They must all know,
•
326
SERMON XIX.
нау
that sin deserves not only some punishment, but endless
punishment. And those, who have been redeemed
from the earth, know that they have felt and acknowl-
edged that they have deserved and still deserve eter-
nal death. But if all these holy creatures know that
sinners deserve eternal punishment, they must see that
they have a good reason to praise God for inflicting
upon them the punishment they deserve. They do
not praise God without a motive, nor from a malevo-
lent motive, but from supreme love to God and the
general good of the universe, which is the highest and
best motive they can act from. Vindictive justice
flows from the pure, disinterested and universal be-
nevolence of the Deity; and every expression of it in
punishing the guilty, gives unequivocal evidence, that
he has a supreme regard to the highest good of all holy
beings and is willing to sacrifice the good of individual
transgressors for the blessedness of his holy kingdom;
which reflects the highest glory upon him. It must be
the desire of all holy creatures, who see and condemn
the ill desert of sinners, to desire that the punishment
they deserve may be inflicted upon them. David pray-
ed to God, that he would treat sinners according to their
ill desert. "Give them according to their deeds, and
according to the wickedness of their endeavours give
them after the work of their hands, render to them
their desert." There is such an apparent congruity
or fitness between the ill desert of sinners and the pun-
ishment, which God inflicts upon them, that the heav-
enly hosts, feel that they have reason to praise God
for adapting and inflicting a punishment upon them
One reason
perfectly correspondent to their desert.
is plain and obvious, why the heavenly hosts say
Amen, alleluia, in the view of the punishment God in-
flicts upon those, who deserve it.
2. Not only the ill desert of sinners, but the moral
beauty and excelleney of vindictive justice, is another
reason why the heavenly world praise God for the ex-
ercise of it. If vindictive justice were a blemish in the
divine character, as many maintain, then there could
SERMON XIX:
327
•
bat 32
be no reason why any of God's creatures should love
or praise him for it. Many suppose, that the and
pure
perfect benevolence of the Deity excludes vindictive
justice from his moral character. They endeavor to
make themselves and others believe, that God is all
mercy and has not the least trait of vindictive justice
in his nature. But this supposition is contrary to the
nature of true benevolence, to the plainest declarations
of scripture and to the general course of divine provi-
dence, from the beginning of the world to the present
day. How many persons and how many nations has
God judicially destroyed? and how expressly has be
declared, that vindictive justice belongs to his essential
character? The apostle says, "We know him that
hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will re-
compense, saith the Lord." We know, as well as the
apostle, where God hath said this. It is in the 32d of
Deuteronomy, where we read, "See now that I, even
I, am he and there is no god with me: I kill and E
make alive: I wound and I heal: neither is there any
that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my
hand to heaven and say, I live forever. If I whet my
glittering sword and mine hand take hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will re
ward them that hate me." God has here drawn his
true character, in which his vindictive justice is the
most prominent trait. If there be any beauty in his
moral character, their is a beauty in his vindictive jus-
tice, or holy and benevolent disposition to punish sin.
And if this disposition be amiable, then the actual dis-
play of it must be equally amiable and glorious, in the
view of all holy beings. The heavenly hosts, there-
fore, see a good reason, why they should admire and
praise God, for giving a just recompence to those,
who have known and hated him, without a cause.
3. The heavenly host have reason to praise God for
his goodness, as well as justice, in maintaining his mor-
al government over his moral subjects, by confining
and punishing the irreconcilable enemies of it. It
belongs to God to exercise not only a natural govern-
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328
SERMON XIX.
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ment over the natural world, but to exercise a moral
government over the moral world. The proper mode
of governing moral subjects, is by laws, rewards and
punishments. It is in this way, that mankind govern
one another. They find it necessary to make laws
and see that they are executed, in order to preserve
peace and harmony and to restrain the lawless and dis-
obedient. And wise and just rulers have always been
admired and applauded for supporting the government,
which they are appointed to administer. So God,
the supreme ruler of the universe, is worthy of the ad-
miration and praise of all his moral subjects, for sup-
porting his wise and holy government over them, by
the laws he gives, the rewards he promises and the
punishments he inflicts upon the lawless and disobe-
dient. He has promoted the security, the order, and
the happiness, which have been enjoyed in heaven and
earth, by his holy laws, his great rewards and his aw-
ful judgments. We know, that when his judgments
have been abroad in the earth, the inhabitants of the
world have often learned righteousness and enjoyed
peace and security in consequence of them. What
a favor it is to heaven, that God has banished the apos-
tate angels from it and confined them in chains of dark-
ness? What a favor it is, that God has banished
Pharaoh and the long succession of tyrants from the
earth and by his almighty and invisible hand has re
strained them from ever returning to spread misery and
destruction on earth and from ever entering and dis-
turbing the peace and harmony of heaven? And
what a great favor it is, that he restrains the malignant
spirits of the regions of darkness from appearing and
wreaking their vengeance upon any of the living inhab-
itants of the world? We as well as all heaven, have
reason to praise God, that he displays his amiable
goodness and justice, in supporting his wise and holy
and benevolent government over the whole universe,
by separating, restraining and punishing his and our
enemies. The heavenly hosts mention this reason for
their singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
SERMON XIX.
329
"Great and
When they sing that song, they say,
marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just
and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
:
Who
shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for
thou only art holy for all nations shall come and
worship before thee; for thy judgments are made man-
ifest." The heavenly inhabitants praise God for the
displays of his goodness and justice in governing this
world, as well as the world above. I may add,
4. The spirits of just men made perfect have a pe-
culiar reason for their praising God, for punishing the
finally impenitent, because it eminently displays his
sovereign grace towards them. They realize, that
they had deserved to be finally cast off and consigned
to endless wo, as well as those, whom they see doomed
to everlasting darkness and despair; and that it is of
the Lord's mercies, that they are not consumed, but
admitted to see, admire and praise their divine Re-
deemer. The miseries of the damned will forever be
a mirror, in which the redeemed from the earth will
see and feel and gratefully acknowledge the astonishing
grace of God, in renewing, sanctifying and conduct-
ing them to heaven. How must Moses feel in seeing
Pharaoh? How must Paul feel in seeing Pilate?
How must parents feel in seeing children and childr n
in seeing parents and friends in seeing friends, separa-
ted from them and doomed to unutterable and unend-
ing misery. What gratitude must the happy ones feel
and how sincerely will they praise God for his sover-
eign and distinguishing mercy? John will tell us ;
"And I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on mount Sion,
and with him an hundred and forty four thousand hav-
ing their Father's name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many
waters and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard
the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they
sung as it were a new song before the throne and before
the four beasts and the elders; and no man could learn
that song, but the hundred and forty four thousand,
who were redeemed from the earth."
}
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330
SERMON XIX.
3
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IMPROVEMENT.
1. Will the heavenly hosts praise God for all the
displays of his vindictive justice in the punishment of
the damned; then we may learn that there is an essen-
tial difference between saints and sinners. Sinners
often disbelieve and deny this distinction; and it is very
difficult to make them see and believe it. Theyare
extremely loth to be convinced and argue, in their
own apprehension, very plausibly against it. They are
ready to allow, that some men are worse than others
and some are better than others; and this they think
they can easily account for, without supposing that any
are totally destitute of goodness & need to have an en-
tirely new heart, in order to become the friends of
God. But the Bible represents sinners as totally des
titute of the love of God and spirit of Christ and essen-
tially different from those, in whose hearts the love of
God has been shed abroad. And this sinners very
often undesignedly acknowledge. They sometimes
freely say, that they do not think, that heaven is
such a place as has been described, or that the inhab-
itants of it say Amen, Alleluia, while they see the
smoke of the torments of the damned ascend up forever
and ever. They desire and hope to go to heaven,
without ever being willing to speak such a language,
or to express such feelings in the view of the damned.
And is not this saying, that their hearts are essentially
different from those, who feel such a spirit and are
willing to adopt the language of heaven? Good men
do adopt the language of heaven before they arrive
there. And all, who are conscious that they cannot
say Amen, Alleluia, may know that they are yet sin-
ners and essentially different from saints and altogether
unprepared to go with them to heaven and join with
them, in praising God for the displays of his vindic-
tive justice in dooming all unholy creatures to a never
ending punishment. They must put away their carnal
mind, renounce their selfish feelings and exercise pure,
disinterested, holy love, before they can become real
saints and heirs of heaven.
SERMON XIX.
331
2. If any sinners think they desire to go to heaven,
it is a clear evidence that they are ignorant of heaven
and of their own hearts. Sinners generally are igno-
rant of heaven and view it as a mere asylum, or a place
of refuge from the miseries of the damned, which they
dread and wish by all means to escape. If they might
have their choice, they would greatly prefer living in
this world always and never go to heaven; but as they
are rationally convinced, that they must sooner or
later die and leave this world forever, so they would
rather go to heaven and not be doomed to take up their
final and eternal residence in the regions of darkness
and lie down in eternal sorrow. They feel as Balaam
felt and pray, if they do pray to God, "Let me die the
death of the righteous and let my last end be as his."
But Balaam afterwards recalled his wish; and so do
sinners very often, after they have made the same
prayer. How do young and old in a time of sickness,
or some other scene of trouble and distress, call upon
God, to shew mercy and admit them into his family ;
but as soon as they recover from sickness, or escape from
danger, cast off fear and restrain prayer before God.
But sinners, under the awakening and convincing in-
fluence of the divine spirit, are more deeply impressed
and more anxiously concerned to escape the wrath to
come; and they imagine they desire, above all things,
to go to heaven and fondly imagine that they are far
more willing to be in heaven, than God is to admit
them there. But all such persons are greatly mistaken.
They have no just idea of heaven, nor of their own
hearts. They are not under genuine convictions & are
grossly ignorant of the plague of their own hearts. They
are not convinced, that they deserve eternal destruction,
nor are they willing that God should cast them off
forever; but their hearts rise in sensible opposition to
God's amiable and awful vindictive justice and absolute
sovereignty. Though they ardently wish to escape
hell, yet they will not submit to God's absolute sove-
reignty to escape it. Though they should be admitted
to heaven, their hearts would rise against God and all
332
SERMON XIX.
•
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the heavenly hosts, who praise him for dooming the im-
penitent to the regions of darkness and despair. In-
stead of saying Amen, Alleluia, they would be speech-
less and inwardly curse God and die. If God would
give them the best place in heaven and offer them the
whole universe to fall down and cordially join the heav-
enly hosts in praising him for punishing any creature
eternally, they would reject the offer. They would
wish to exchange heaven for any other place. Sinners
under genuine convictions have often felt and said, they
had no desire to go to heaven with their present views
and feelings. And so long as any sinner retains his
carnal mind, which is enmity against God, he is
grossly and dangerously ignorant of heaven and of
his own heart, if he thinks he really desires to go to
heaven, for any other reason, than to escape future and
eternal punishment, which is a selfish and criminal de-
sire, let it rise ever so high. Awakened sinners are
extremely apt to imagine, that their strong and ardent
desires to go to heaven are really virtuous and accept-
able to God. But they are only desirous that God
would submit to them and sacrifice the good of the
universe to deliver them from deserved punishment.
The devil had as good a desire, when he said to Christ
"I beseech thee, torment me not." It is of infinite
importance, that sinners should have a knowledge of
heaven and of their own hearts.
3. If the place and business of heaven be such as
they have been described, then sinners may see what
is the real and sole difficulty in the way of their going
to heaven They generally plead, that they have not
power enough to go, though they wish, desire, seek and
strive to go. This is their most common and they think
the most forcible plea, when they are driven to make
any excuse. But it is totally groundless. The truth
is, they are too strong, instead of being too weak.
They are stout hearted. They cannot bear the spirit
and business of heaven. They know enough to hate
heaven and its holy and benevolent inhabitants. And
they have strength to avoid walking in the straight
SERMON XIX.
333
and parrow path to heaven; and to walk and even run
in the broad road to destruction. It is not true that
they have no strength, but that they have no heart to
go to heaven. The way of transgressors is hard.—
They put forth more strength, more courage, more res-
olution and more zeal, in travelling the forbidden paths
to ruin, than others do, in running their christian race
to heaven. If they would seriously, critically and im-
partially examine the exercises of their own hearts,
they would find that Christ has told them what is the
real difficulty in the way of their obtaining salvation.
"Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life."
4. It appears from what has been said, that it is as easy
for any to comply with the terms of salvation, as it is
to be in heaven and cordially unite with the heavenly
hosts in their enjoyments and employments. When
any specify the difficulties they find in embracing the
gospel, they mention the hard conditions upon which
it offers salvation. They seem to think that they are
much higher than they need to be and such as they
cannot perform. But let us examine these terms dis-
tinctly and see whether any, that have ever been pro-
posed, are more difficult to be complied with, than to be
willing to be in heaven, if God would actually take them
there. Is supreme love to God a term of salvation?
But can any be willing to be in heaven, unless they
love God supremely? All the heavenly hosts love
God supremely for what he is in himself, perfectly ho-
ly, just and good. And none can desire to be united
with a holy society, without being united with them
in affection. Is love to the decrees of God a term of
salvation ? But can any desire to be in heaven, where
the decrees of God are most visibly carried into effect
and most joyfully admired and adored, without believ-
ing and loving the sovereignty of God, in forming and
executing his decrees? Do some say, that love to a
damning God is a term of salvation? But does not
a sincere desire to be in heaven necessarily imply a de-
sire to see and adore God, in casting the wicked into
hell? All the heavenly hosts see, admire and praise
334
SERMON XIX.
God for doing this. Do some say that a willingness
to be damned is a term of salvation? But is it any
more difficult for any one to be willing to be cast off
forever himself, than to be willing to see others cast off
forever, though he has been nearly and tenderly con-
nected with some of them through life? The holy an-
gels have been willing to see the apostate angels cast
off forever. The spirits of just men have been willing
to see those, with whom they had been intimately con-
nected, cast off forever. The eleven apostles have
been willing to see Judas cast off forever; and no
doubt but David has been willing to see Absalom, his
darling son, cast off forever. Now, if there be nothing
more hard or difficult in complying with the terms
of salvation, than there is in being really willing to be
in heaven, then none have the least reason to complain
of them; for certainly they cannot complain, that God
requires them to be willing to be in heaven, in order
to his actually admitting them to dwell with him and
his holy subjects in that holy and happy place. The
truth is, there is nothing, which God requires men
to do in this life, in order to go to heaven, that is hard-
er to be done than to be willing to be in heaven. The
difficulty lies not in going, but in being there. A
sincere desire to be in heaven will certainly carry any
person there. Let no man deceive and destroy him-
self, by complaining of external difficulties in the way
of going to heaven; for they all lie within himself,
and nothing but his inwardly saying to God, depart from
me, I desire not the knowledge of thy ways, can shut
him out of the kingdom of glory.
5. It appears from what has been said, that lower-
ing the terms of salvation has no tendency to allure
men to heaven Let heaven be properly described
and let natural men really understand wherein its en-
joyments and employments consist and they would not
be willing to comply with any terms, that could be pro-
posed, in order to obtain admission into it. Let ex-
ternal obedience, common honesty, or common decen-
cy, be substituted in the place of supreme love to God,
SERMON XIX.
335
*
a cordial approbation of his eternal purposes and un-
conditional submission to his absolute sovereignty and
men be told, that they need not believe and love such
doctrines in order to be saved. They would no soon-
er comply with the lowest, than with the highest terms
of salvation, in a clear view of heaven. The exper-
iment of lowering the terms of salvation has often
been made. But what effect has it produced? The
effect is well known. It has only made such, as were
ignorant of their own hearts, think that they desire to
go to heaven and were actually going there, while
they possessed their natural heart, which is enmity
against God; and totally unfitted them for heaven.
This was the case in Christ's day, who told his disci-
ples, that except their righteousness exceeded the
external righteousness, which others had been taught
to depend upon, they should in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven. It is extremely dangerous for
those, who preach the gospel, to lower down the terms
of salvation, so as to please the natural heart. It may
allure some to perform the externals of religion and to
enjoy a hope of escaping the wrath to come; but such
a false hope is extremely dangerous and instead of
bringing men nearer to the kingdom of heaven, pushes
them the furtherest from it and must be removed in
order to embrace the gospel.
6. It appears from what has been said, that a clear
realizing view of heaven, would put every sinner in
the world out of doubt, in respect to his spiritual state.
Sinners often complain of doubts and say they are
troubled with fears. But let them realize the enjoy-
ments and employments of heaven and their doubts
would vanish and they would sensibly know, that the
love of God and of heaven is not in them and that they
are totally unfit to be united with saints and angels in
glorifying and enjoying God. They would know,
that if the gate of heaven were opened to them, they
would not enter into it. Their selfish hearts would
shut them out. How many of the most amiable sin-
ners have been brought to such a knowledge of their
1
*
336
SERMON XIX.
hearts and found by painful experience, that their
hearts and nothing but their hearts were the only obsta-
cles in the way of embracing the gospel & enjoying the
happiness of heaven, which it promises to all, that love
God. Sinners often live upon their doubts, as others
do upon their hopes. According to God's usual dispen-
sations of grace, he removes the doubts of sinners,
by showing them their hearts; and he shows them their
hearts, by showing them his true character and the
nature of heavenly enjoyments and employments.—
Careless sinners and merely awakened sinners, pay
but little attention to the nature of the salvation, which
they think they really desire. But their desires after
mere happiness are unholy and unacceptable to God;
and they can never obtain holy happiness without holy
desires after holiness. It becomes them to inquire, what
manner of spirit they are of and what is the supreme
object of their desires, whether holiness, or mere hap-
piness. As soon as they justly determine this point,
they will have no doubt, that they are in the gall of
bitterness and bonds of iniquity.
7. This subject teaches all real Christians, that
they have no just ground to doubt of their good estate.
They often see what they imagine are unjust causes of
their doubting; but if they would critically and impar-
tially examine their own hearts, they would find that
in them, which would remove their doubts. They
would find supreme love to God, sincere desires after
holiness and the enjoyment of God on earth and in
heaven. Such views and feelings all have, who have
passed from death unto life, and turned from sin to ho-
liness. And such views and desires are positive evi-
denee, that their hearts are right, notwithstanding all
the contrary views and desires, which they too often
experience. Though Paul found great moral imper-
fections cleaving to him, yet he could confidently say,
"I delight in the law of God, after the inward man."
And Peter, after he had denied his Master and la-
mented his conduct with tears, could appeal to Christ
and say, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou know-
SERMON XIX.
337
est that I love thee." Let Christians carry their hearts
to heaven, and there they will find an infallible stand-
ard, by which they may safely determine, that they are
friends of God and prepared to be with him and with
all the pure spirits in heaven, to see his glory and praise
him forever.
But after all, there may be a question in the minds
of sinners, which they wish to have answered. And
though it has been often answered, yet they still desire
to have it answered again. If it be so, that we have
no desire to go to heaven, because we have no desire
to be there; What shall we do? The answer is
short and plain. Renounce your enmity against God,
which you have felt and expressed without a cause and
love him supremely. And then you may rely upon his
promise; "I love them, that love me; and they, that
seek me early, shall find me."
43
1
1
2
A
+.
:
SERMON XX.
<
3
REFLECTIONS OF SINNERS IN HELL.
LUKE, XVI, 25.-But Abraham said, Son, re-
member that thou, in thy life time, receivedst thy
good things and likewise Lazarus evil things;
but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.
Since all men must soon exchange their present
probationary state for another, that is future, fixed and
eternal; it deeply concerns them frequently to carry
their thoughts into that invisible world, where they
know they must take up their everlasting residence.
Christ, therefore, who came into the world to prepare
men for their future and final destination, said more
about what is to be enjoyed and what is to be suffered,
in a future state, than any of the inspired teachers sent
before him. Though he often preached and discours-
ed about future happiness and misery; yet he never
gave such a clear, visible and affecting representation
of the deplorable condition of the damned, as he gives
in the parable that contains the text. By this parable,
he leads us to look into the world of spirits, to see a
poor, miserable, hopeless creature and hear him de-
scribe his views, his feelings and forlorn condition, in
his own language. Hear the parable, though you
have often heard and read it before. "There was a
certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine
linen and fared sumptuously every day. And there was
a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his
gate, full of sores and desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover
the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to
pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and
SERMON XX.
339
זי
t
:
was buried and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in
torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in
his bosom and he cried and said, Father Abraham,
have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip
the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue ; for
I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said,
Son, remember, that thou in thy life time receivedst
thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things ; but
now he is comforted and thou art tormented.” Though
this parable suggests a great many things of solemn
importance, yet that, which I would take particular no-
tice of in the present discourse, is this;
That those, who abuse their present probationary
state and are finally damned, will have most bitter and
tormenting reflections.
This is a serious subject indeed. It fills the mind
with terror. But it becomes every one, who is a pro-
bationer for a happy, or miserable eternity to contem-
plate it before it is too late. Unbar your mind and
give it leave to take a clear and affecting view of that
gulph over which it hangs, into which it may fall and
from which it is of infinite importance to escape. The
damned will have most bitter & tormenting reflections.
This may be illustrated, by showing, in the first place,
that they will have reflections; and, in the second
place, by taking a particular view of their reflec-
tions.
1. We have reason to believe, that the damned will
have reflections. It is true, the miseries, which men
feel in this life, are sometimes so great, as almost to
prevent any regular and consistent thoughts. The
mind is overwhelmed with such keen sensations of pain
in body and mind, as leave but little room for the ex-
ercise of any of the rational powers and faculties.
But though the damned may suffer severer pains and
torments than can be endured in the present state;
yet God can give them strength to endure all that he
sees fit to inflict upon them, and make them capable
of reflecting upon what is past and of anticipating what
is future. For,
340
SERMON XX.
1. Their natural powers and faculties will not only
be continued, but vastly strengthened and enlarged.
The fallen angels, we know, retain all their intellectual
powers; which they have undoubtedly vastly improved,
by all they have seen and heard and thought, while
passing through various and important scenes, in the
course of nearly six thousand years.
And it is rea·
sonable to suppose, that the spirits of wicked men
made miserable will retain all their mental faculties and
find them greatly invigorated by passing out of time
into eternity. And of course, they will be able to
think, to reflect and to anticipate incessantly and in-
tensely.
2. They will not meet with the same obstructions to
mental exercises, that they met with here in their pre-
sent state of probation. Here their cares, their troub-
les, their employments and various amusements dissi-
pate their thoughts and obstruct reflection. But there
such objects will be entirely removed from their reach
and pursuit. The prison of hell is a place of confine-
ment, but not of employment. Those, who are con-
fined there, will have nothing to do but to think
through interminable ages. Had men no employments,
nor diversions to pursue; and had their bodies no oc-
casion for sleep and repose, they would find much time
in this short life for thinking about, reflecting upon and
anticipating ten thousand different objects and subjects.
The damned rest not day, nor night. Their eyes are
never closed. Their minds are always awake. Con-
templation on things past, present and future is their
sole and perpetual employment. Besides,
3. God will continually exhibit before their view
such things, as will excite the most painful reflections
and anticipations. He will set their sins in order be-
fore them, in their nature, magnitude. and peculiar ag-
gravations, so that they cannot obliterate them from
their minds. He will exhibit all his great, amiable
and terrible attributes of power, holiness, justice and
sovereignty before them, and give them a constant and
realizing sense of his awful presence and displeasure.
He will give them clear and extensive views of the
SERMON XX.
341
works of creation, providence and redemption; and of
the happiness and misery, that exist in every part of
the universe, which will keep their minds in the most
painful reflections and anticipations, in spite of their
utmost exertions to banish them from their thoughts.
He will give them no rest and no hope. Let us now,
II. Take a serious view of their bitter reflections
in the regions of despair.
1 They will realize what they are.
Here they
are told, that they are rational and immortal creatures.
But the truth of their immortal existence makes very
little impression on their minds. It gives them neither
much pleasure, nor much pain. Their powers of rea-
son, conscience and memory they lightly esteem and
are ready to bury them in a napkin and neglect to use
them for the purposes, for which they were given.—
It gives them no pleasure to think, that they are to
survive the grave, to be spectators of the whole intelli-
gent universe at the great day, to know all the trans-
actions of God, of Christ and of holy and unholy be-
ings; and in consequence of this knowledge, to be
perfectly holy and happy, or perfectly sinful and mis-
erable forever. But as soon as they exchange time
for eternity, they will no longer view their rational
powers and faculties and immortal existence in such a
low and despicable light, as they do here; but find
that they are creatures of vast importance to them-
selves & that their rational & immortal-powers were of
immense value to them, if they had rightly improved
them; but by abusing them, they are become sources
of unspeakable misery. It seems that Dives was gross-
ly ignorant of himself, while he thought that he had
nothing to do, but to feed and clothe his body; but as
soon as he lifted up his eyes in torment, he found that he
had a rational and immortal soul, which was infinitely
more valuable than his body, which he had left behind
to corrupt & perish in the grave. And all gospel sinners,
who shall meet his awful doom, will know, to their
sorrow, that they are, what they were told they were,
rational and immortal beings, who can never cease to
exist, nor to suffer.
1
342
SERMON XX.
2. They will realize where they are. Though they
had often read and heard of hell, yet they would not be-
lieve it to be such a dismal place as the Bible and min-
isters represented. But as soon as they lift up their
eyes in torment, they will find it to be a place of con-
finement, from which there is no deliverance. The
keys of death and hell being in the hands of Christ,
who shutteth & no man openeth, were it in the hearts of
the whole creation to release them, the omnipotent
hand of Christ would prevent it. Being delivered to
the judge and by the judge to the officer and by the
officer cast into prison, they can never come out thence.
What a painful reflection must this be! But this is
not the worst. They will reflect with whom they are
confined: with the devil and his angels; with the dregs
of mankind; with those, who are devoid of every amia-
ble quality, being hateful and hating one another. How
must it make the heart stoop, to think of forever see-
ing and feeling the baneful influence of all the malig-
nant passions, rising higher and higher and putting on
still newer and more dreadful forms. O, says the
damned spirit, where am I? I am certainly in hell.
3. The damned will reflect whence they came to
that place of torment. They will reflect upon the
land of light and the precious advantages they there
enjoyed, before they were confined to the regions of
darkness. They will call to mind how many days and
years of peace and comfort they had spent on earth.
They will remember how they lived under the smiles
of providence and in the enjoyment of the bounties of
heaven. No place they were in, no scenes they pass-
ed through, no favours they enjoyed, will be forgotten,
but called to remembrance with bitterness and sorrow.
This Abraham suggested to Dives. "Son, remember
that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things:
and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is
comforted and thou art tormented." The damned
spirit will say to himself, O my soul, never canst
thou forget the innumerable privileges, favours and
blessings, which a kind, and merciful God bes-
towed upon thee and by which thy ungrateful and im-
penitent heart treasured up to thyself wrath against the
;
SERMON XX.
343
}
day of wrath and righteous judgment of thine injured
and abused Sovereign. O that I could forget that
world, where I first received my existence and drew
my breath; where I was mercifully placed as a proba.
tioner; where life and death were set before nie;
where I trifled away a blessed eternity and prepared
myself for this world of wo. But I never can forget
the good things, which I once enjoyed and abused.
I never can forget the infancy of my being & the place
from which I have fallen, never to rise again. These
bitter reflections must fill the minds of the damned, with
unutterable pain and anguish.
4. They will reflect upon all that was done for
them, to prevent them from falling into the pit of per-
dition. They will then know how much had been
done for their future and eternal good, which will be a
source of most painful reflections. They will remem-
ber what God did for them, in sending his Son to re-
deem them, in offering salvation to them and in waiting
upon them even to long suffering to accept his invita-
tions of pardoning mercy. They will remember what
Christ did for them in suffering and dying to open the
door of mercy to them. Nor will they forget the faith-
ful instructions and tender warnings and counsels of
their pious and affectionate parents. Nor the solemn
instructions and exhortations of Christ's faithful am-
bassadors. Nor the still, small, powerful voice of
conscience. Nor especially the Bible, that sacred,
solemn important book, which they had often read and
as often slighted and contemned. They will be ready
to say to themselves, How plain was the divine char-
acter described? how clearly was Christ exhibited ?
how justly was our own character and conduct deline-
ated? and with what plainness and solemnity was
even this place of torments set before our eyes? What
more could have been done that was not done, to re-
strain us from evil, to reclaim us from folly and bring
us to God and heaven? We had line upon line and
precept upon precept. We were urged by considera-
tions, the best suited to impress the minds of rational
and immortal creatures, to escape from the wrath to
344
SERMON XX.
+
come.
How often had we been called to the house of
mourning? How often had we been led to the sides of
the grave? How often did we sit under the joyful
sound of the gospel ? How time was lavished upon
us ? What precious seasons did we enjoy for reading,
meditation and prayer? And the Sabbath! what
a weariness it was to us? How did we profane it, or
neglect its services, or hypocritically perform them?
But alas! notwithstanding all that has been done for
us to prevent our ruin, we are ruined; and every ef
fort for our good has been lost upon us and only serves
to render us more inexcusable and more miserable than
we could have been, if we had not enjoyed and abused
such great and undeserved mercies.
5. They will realize that they destroyed themselves,
which will be a source of bitter and perpetual reflec-
tions. They will be conscious to themselves, that they
choose the path of ruin, that they hated the light ex-
hibited before them; that they resisted the strivings of
the Spirit; that they loved vanities and after them they
would go; that they would not examine their spiritual.
state, nor see the plague of their own hearts; that
they put far away the evil day and would not consider
their latter end; but counteracted all the means used to
save them. Their conscience will tell them, that they
cannot cast the blame of their destruction on God, nor
on Christ, nor on the Holy Spirit, nor on saints, nor
on sinners, nor on the great deceiver. They will be
conscious, that nothing could have destroyed them,
without their own choice and consent. They will find,
that they were bound merely by the cords of their own
iniquities. They will be convinced, that neither the
native depravity of their own hearts, nor all the sins of
their lives could have destroyed them, if they had not
remained impenitent and continued to reject the coun-
sel of God against themselves. They will know, that
the chief of sinners were saved, by returning to God
through faith and repentance; and that they might
have been saved upon the same gracious and conde-
scending terms. They will stand guilty and condemn-
ed, not only by God, but by the verdict of their own
SERMON XX.
345
4
consciences. They will be constrained to say,
"This is our condemnation, that light came in-
to the
the world, but we loved darkness. rather
than light, because our deeds were evil." There-
fore while their whole souls are wrung with the
keenest tortures, they will utter these mournful ac-
cents, "How have we hated instruction and our
hearts despised reproofs; and have not obeyed the
voice of our teachers, nor inclined our ears to those,
who instructed us! Had we been wise, we should
have been wise for ourselves; but since we foolishly
scorned, we alone must bear it."
6. They will reflect upon what they had done, not
only to destroy themselves, but others. Whether
they will retain their natural affections, or not, they
will doubtless deeply regret that they were instrumen-
tal in destroying the souls of men. The rich man in
hell is represented as deprecating the torments of oth-
ers and especially of his own relatives, whom while
living his vicious life had corrupted. He could not
bear the thought, that his brothers should share his
fate. Many of the damned will be chargeable with
the guilt of corrupting and destroying precious and
immortal souls, which must give them bitter reflections.
How can unfaithful parents, unfaithful ministers and
ring-leaders in vice, bear to meet those, whom they
have been instrumental in leading in the broad road to
destruction? Such ruined creatures must be perpet-
ual objects of their dread and subject them to the in-
supportable pain of self-reproach and self-condemna-
tion. The miseries and reproaches of those, whom
they have ruined, will add an awful emphasis to their
own torments, which will last as long as they can see,
or hear or remember.
7. They will reflect upon what good they might
have done, while they lived in the world. They will
remember what a price was put into their hands to
get and diffuse wisdom, to restrain folly and vice and
to promote holiness and happiness. It will give them
extreme pain to recollect what talents they buried or
perverted and what numerous opportunities of doing
4
44
346
SERMON xx.
•
;
good they neglected. How will they feel, when they
reflect what a blessing they might have been to all
around them, by a life of virtue, piety and usefulness
but that instead of being a blessing, they were a curse
to the world and that instead of having the blessing of
many come upon them, the curses of many will justly
fall upon them and wound their feelings forever. Every
talent they buried, every opportunity of doing good
they neglected and all the good they might have done,
will conspire to increase their guilt and sink them in
misery.
S. It will pain them to think how they once des-
pised and reproached godliness and all who lived holy
and godly lives. They said it was a vain thing to
serve the Lord; and there was no profit in keeping
his ordinances and walking mournfully before him.
They esteemed and applauded the workers of iniquity
as the wisest and happiest men in the world. But they
now see and feel, that the way, which once seemed
right to them, was the way of death; and that those,
whom they once esteemed fools, were the only wise
mon on earth. They will be forever ashamed and con-
founded, that they despised the wisdom of the just
and applauded the folly of the unjust. The lives of
their pious parents, friends and acquaintance will nev-
er recur to their minds, without leaving a sting behind.
They can never forgive themselves, that they were so
unwise and wicked, as to love those, whom they ought
to have hated and hated those, whom they ought to
have loved.
•
1
9. Their clear view of the happiness of heaven
will be a source of tormenting reflections. They are
represented as being punished in the view of heaven.
Saint John says, "They shall drink of the wine of
the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture
in the cup of his indignation: and they shall be tor-
'mented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the
holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." And
Christ says of Dives, "In hell he lifted up his eyes,
being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Laz-
arus in his bosom." And all the damned will have
•
SERMON XX..
347
the same view of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and of
millions more, living under the smiles ofod, united
in love, employed in praise and animated with the joy-
ful prospect of rising in glory and blessedness to all.
eternity. This amazing contrast between the state of
the blessed and their own wretched and. forlorn con-
dition will be forever exhibited before their eyes and
constrain them to reflect, with the most painful sensibil.
ity, what they might have been. The gate of heaven
was opened to them as well as to others, but they refus-
ed to enter in. They might have drank of those riv-
ers of pleasure, which flow at God's right hand; but
now they have not a drop of water to cool their tongues.
Neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob, nor one of
the inhabitants of heaven, will be either able, or dis-
posed to pity, or relieve them. When they turn
their eyes to heaven, they can only gaze, lament and
despair!
Finally, they will reflect not only upon what they
have been and might have been ; but upon what they
are and always will be. They will reflect, that being
filthy, they shall be filthy still; that being unholy,
they shall be unholy still; and that being miserable,
they shall be miserable still. They will reflect, that
God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and angels and
saints will forever hate them; and that they will forever
hate one another. They will reflect, that as long as
heaven resounds with joy, hell will resound with sorrow.
This will constrain them to say, O eternity, eternity,
eternity! Who can dwell with devouring fire! who
can dwell with everlasting burnings!
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If the state of the damned has been properly de-
scribed; then it is of great importance, that ministers
should preach plainly upon the subject; and if possible,
make their hearers realize the danger of going to hell.
There are many, at this day, who profess to doubt
whether there be any such being as the Devil, or any
such place as hell. And there are not a few others who
would not have ministers use the name Devil, if there
348
SERMON XX.
be such a subtle adversary, nor the word hell, if there
be such a place of torment. They wish preachers
would be so complaisant, as not to wound their feelings
and disturb their peace by exhibiting such disagreeable
scenes and objects. That they are sincere in these de-
sires, there can be no manner of doubt. But it may
bé justly doubted, whether the ministers of Christ ought
to condescend to gratify their unreasonable and dan-
gerous desires. Christ preached much about the devil
and hell. He called the great deceiver by his proper
name; and used the proper word to designate the place
of the damned. He said more about the person, the
character, and the malignant designs of the devil; and
more about the miseries of the damned, than any other
teacher sent from God. And why should not his
ministers imitate his example and preach plainly upon
the same subjects, upon which he preached plainly?
Yea, rather why should they not preach as he com-
mands them to preach? His command is, "Go
ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. He, that believeth and is baptised, shall be
saved; but he, that believeth not, shall be damned."
He scrupled not to say, "If thy hand offend thee, cut
it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands, to go into hell into the fire
that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth
not and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot of-
fend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt
into life, than having two feet, to be cast into the fire
that never shall be quenched : where their worm dieth
not and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye of
fend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having
two eyes, to be cast into hell fire where their worm
dieth not and the fire is not quenched." And he
put this plain and pointed question to the impenitent :
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell?" He also gave this sol-
emn warning to his followers: "Fear not them, who
kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him, who is able to destroy both soul and
t
1
·
SERMON XX.
349
body in hell." And is it strange, that he, who came
to save the souls of men, should preach so plainly and
pungently upon this most solemn and interesting sub-
ject? And can they, who watch for souls, as those
who must give an account and who view sinners in the
utmost danger of being cast into hell fire and suffering
the damnation of hell, neglect to warn them of their
danger, in the very language of Christ, without being
guilty of the blood of souls?
2. If the miseries of the damned be such, as have
been described, then it deeply concerns sinners to take
heed how they hear the gospel. It is the
gospel only, that has brought life and immortality to
light and revealed all that we know, or can know, con-
cerning the invisible scenes and objects of the invisible
world. The heathens have conjectured that there is
some place beyond this world, where some departed
spirits are happy; and that there is some place beyond
this world, where some departed spirits are miserable;
but they know nothing about such a place, as the gos.
pel represents heaven to be and nothing about such a
Even Cic-
place, as the gospel represents hell to be.
ero, the wisest and most learned of the heathen moral-
ists, was doubtful whether the soul were immortal, or
had any existence beyond the grave. But the gospel
gives us infallible evidence, that the souls of men are
immortal and shall enjoy everlasting happiness, or suf-
fer everlasting misery, after they leave this mortal
The gospel clearly describes the place, the
business and the blessedness of heaven; and the place
and bitter reflections of the damned. The gospel re-
veals the method, which God has devised to save sin-
ners from the wrath to come, and to raise them to the
world of glory and blessedness. The gospel, there-
fore, is the only medium through which sinners can
possibly be saved. If they hear, understand and cor-
dially embrace it, they shall have everlasting life ; but
if they refuse to hear, understand and cordially em-
brace the terms of salvation, they must suffer the dam-
nation of hell. These are the most important truths
and the most weighty motives, that can be exhibited
state.
C
350
SERMON XX.
+
before the minds of sinners, to awaken, convince and
convert them. So Abraham thought; for when
Dives entreated him to send Lazarus to warn his
brethren of the danger of their coming to that place of
torment, where he was confined, he said, "They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And
he said, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto
them from the dead, they will repent. And he said
unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be pursuaded, though one rose from
the dead." It men believe the gospel, they must be
saved; but if they disbelieve and reject it, they must
be damned. It is a solemn thing to hear the gospel,
which must infallibly be a savour of life unto life, or a
savour of death unto death, to every one that hears it,
3. If the miseries of the damned be such, as have
been described; then we see why the scripture repre-
sents this world so dangerous to sinners. The Bible
is full of the most solemn warnings and admonition. to
sinners to guard against the love of the world and the
things of the world. Christ preached a great deal
He declared that no
against the love of the world.
He
man could embrace the gospel and become his sincere
follower, unless he denied himself, took up his cross,
and renounced a supreme attachment to the world.
He preached this doctrine so plainly to the amiable
young man, that it destroyed all his hopes, and sent
him away sorrowful. He said, "It was easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." And
he spake the parable of Dives and Lazarus on purpose
to warn sinners against the love of the world.
represents the rich man as clothed in purple and fine
linen & faring sumptuously every day; plainly intimat-.
ing that it was owing to his undue attachment to the
world, and the enjoyments of the world, that he
lived and died impenitently and plunged himself
into the bottomless pit of destruction. And he spake
another parable of a more laborious and industri-
ous man, who destroyed himself, not by luxury or
intemperance, or any thing that is called vicious, but
SERMON XX.
351
by the supreme love to the world. But why is the
love of the world represented so dangerous and de-
structive to the souls of men? The plain reason is,
that the world and all the things of the world, directly
and powerfully tend to dissipate the thoughts of men;
and so to prevent all serious reflections upon God and
upon every thing serious, important and eternal. An
habitual attention to this world excludes an habitual
attention to another world; an habitual love to this
world excludes an habitual love to another world ;
and worldly mindedness excludes heavenly mind-
edness. While the scenes and objects of this
world engross the attention and affections of men, they
are always stupid and regardless of the happiness of
heaven and the torments of hell. Why are young men
men so generally careless and stupid about the
salvation of their souls? The cause is visible.---
They are all attention and zeal in pursuing the vanities
and amusements of the world. Why are those on the
stage of action and in the meridian of life, so stupid
and regardless of future happiness and misery.? It is
2
- because the more serious business and concerns of this
life shut out the thoughts of a future and eternal life.
Men are formed for thinking, reflecting and anticipa-
ting; and they cannot help employing their thoughts.
about either temporal, or eternal things. And if it
were not for thinking about and loving the world, they
would think about and love God and divine things.
The world would do, men no harm, if they would only
give it its proper place in their thoughts and in their
:hearts. But it is of the most ensnaring nature and
has ruined the souls of millions among the poor as
well as the rich; among the learned as well as the un-
learned; among the industrious as well as the idle;
among the moral as well as the immoral; and among
the old as well as the young. The world would de-
stroy'all men, who live in it, if it were not for the sove-
reign grace of God, in controling the views and renew-
ing the hearts of some. The apostle's admonition
therefore, deserves the most serious regard. "Love
not the world, neither the things of the world. If any
·
.
<
:
352
SERMON XX.
man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him." But Christ's question is still more solemn and
impressive. "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?"
4. If the miseries of the damned arise from bitter
reflections; then all sinners in their present state are
fit for destruction. They have just such views and feel-
ings and reflections in kind, as the damned have. They
hate to be what they are, rational, immortal and ac-
counta ble creatures. They hate to be where they are
in a state of probation, where life and death, eternal
happiness and eternal misery, heaven and hell are so
often exhibited before them. They hate to reflect up-
on what God is and what they are; or upon what oth-
ers have done to save them, or upon what they have
done to destroy themselves; or upon the state of the
blessed in heaven; or upon the state of the miserable
in hell, or upon what they may be to all eternity. They
have the same love to sin and hatred to holiness, that
the prisoners in despair have. They have the same the
enmity to God, to Christ, to good men and to one an-
other, that the great adversary and all his subjects have.
Christ has told them, that they are of their father, the
devil. And they need no change of heart, to fit them
to be his companions in sin and misery forever. Their
own weight of guilt would sink them down to the re-
gions of darkness and despair, if the forbearing mercy
of God did not prevent it. But yet they think and say,
that they are not totally depraved; that they do not
deserve endless torments, nor are in danger of being
cast into hell; that they are whole and need not a phy.
sician; that their character and state are misrepresent-
ed; and that they have a right to trust in their good-
ness. They justify themselves and condemn God and
his law and despise the thought of being in danger of
hell fire which they think is too often mentioned. They
say to themselves, that they are rich, and increased with
goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that
they are wretched and miserable, and poor and blind
and naked. Such views and feelings, if continued in,
A
SERMON XX.
353
must ripen them fast for destruction. They are in the
situation of one, who was cherishing the vain hope of
long prosperity, but whose soul was suddenly called
into eternity.
5. If the miseries of the damned and the character
of sinners be such, as have been described, then there
is reason to fear, that some sinners are very near to the
pit of perdition. They are in the broad road, which
has led many such persons as they are to the place,
where there is no light and no hope. The symptoms
of eternal death are upon them, though they know it
not. They have reason to fear, that God will cut them
down, or say, let them alone. To such Christ said,
"Ye şerpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye es-
cape the damnation of hell ?" It is God's usual meth-
od to send the spirit of slumber to sinners, before he
executes the sentence of eternal death. And has not
the spirit of slumber been long visible among many sin-
ners here? And does not this forbode, that the time
may be near, when they will awake and lift up their eyes
in torments ? Preachers did not make these marks of
danger, but God has made them in his word. Be en-
treated to read his word and compare your characters
and conduct with his word. And if you do not find
yourselves condemned by Moses and the prophets, by
Christ and his apostles, you need not fear what preach-
ers say.
But if you do find yourselves condemned by
Christ himself, "fear him, who is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell."
45
t
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??
SERMON XXI.
CONSTANT JOY IN GOD THE DUTY OF CHRIS-
TIANS.
PHILIPPIANS, Iv, 4.-Rejoice in the Lord al-
ways and again I say, Rejoice
:
The apostles took peculiar care of the Churches,
which they planted, and employed many means to con-
firm them in their faith, preserve them from error and
promote their peace, consolation and growth in grace.
They either visited them personally, or wrote to them
frequently and directed them to read the epistles they
severally received to each other, that they might all de-
rive edification and comfort from them. Paul wrote
most of his epistles on some particular occasions, in or-
der to rectify some particular error, or to guard against
some particular danger, or to reprove some unchristian
practice. But he seems to have written this epistle to
enforce a particular duty, which all Christians were
too apt to neglect; and that is the duty of rejoicing in
God. He had said in the first verse of the third chap-
ter in this epistle, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in
the Lord." And recollecting what he had said before,
he still thought it proper to repeat again and again the
same injunction in the fourth verse of this fourth chap-
ter, "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say,
Rejoice." These repetitions plainly indicate, that
Christians in general are very backward to perform
the duty enjoined in the text; and that their duty of
rejoicing in the Lord is not only very important, but
needs to be repeatedly and forcibly inculcated upon
them. Accordingly it is proposed in this discourse,
SERMON XXI.
355
1
1. To consider wha. is implied in the duty of Chris.
fians rejoicing in God always;
II. To consider the propriety of their being requir
ed to perform this duty always;
And,
III. To consider some peculiar reasons, why they
should rejoice in the Lord always.
I. Let us consider what is implied in the duty of
Christians rejoicing in the Lord always, And
1. This implies that they are pleased, that God does
really exist. All mankind are naturally unwilling,
that there should be a God. The fool hath said in his
heart, there is no God. Every man, in a state of na-
ture, dreads the thought of the divine existence. And
though he cannot resist the weighty evidence of an
eternal and self-existent Being; yet his belief of God
instead of giving him the least pleasure, fills his mind
with the same kind of fear and trembling, which apos-
tate spirits feel. All men naturally wish to be inde-
pendent, and therefore cannot bear the thought, that
there is a Being above them, who can control and dis-
pose of them, according to his pleasure. But Übris-
tians, whose enmity to God has been slain, are willing
that he should exist. It is impossible, that men should
rejoice in a Being, whose existence they disbelieve and
dislike. If Christians, therefore, did not believe and
like the existence of God, they could not rejoice in him.
So that their rejoicing in God implies, that they re-
joice, that he now exists and always will exist, without
the least variableness, or hadow of turning.
2. The duty, enjoined upon Christians in the text,
implies their rejoicing not only that God exists, but
that he exists possessed of all divine excellencies and
perfections. God is infinitely superior to any other
and all other beings in the universe. His power, his
knowledge, his wisdom and his goodness are unlimited
and incomprehensible. It is the duty of Christians to
rejoice, that God is the first, the greatest, the wisest
and best of all beings, without the possibility of change,
or becoming in the least degree mutable in the essen-
tial attributes of his nature. They ought to rejoice,
that he always has been and always will be, without
356
SERMON XXI.
it
Y
the least imperfection in power, knowledge, wisdom,
or goodness. For they could not rejoice in him, if it
were possible, that he should either intentionally, or
unintentionally make any mistake, or use any deception.
But they know, that he cannot deceive and cannot err,
because he is immutable in his natural & moral attributes;
and there is as solid ground to rejoice in them, as to
rejoice in his necessary existence. They are pleased,
therefore, that he is altogether such a Being as he is.
3. Their duty, enjoined in the text, requires them
to rejoice, that he formed the most wise and just and
benevolent designs from eternity. They would have
no reason to rejoice either in the existence, or perfec-
tions of God, if he had not immutably determined to
employ all his natural and moral attributes in promot-
ing the greatest, the wisest and best designs. Had
he never determined to act out and display his great
and amiable character in the works of creation, provi-
dence and redemption, there would have been no
ground or reason of rejoicing in him. Strip God of
all his wise and holy designs and we strip him of all his
moral excellencies; and when he is divested of these,
his natural perfections lose all their lustre, and are no
longer objects of complacency and delight, but only
of fear and dread. To rejoice in God, therefore, im-
plies rejoicing in all his wise and holy purposes, re-
specting himself and every creature, object and event,
that ever have existed, or ever will exist. Nor can
Christians sincerely rejoice in God, unless they are
pleased, that he is in one mind, that his counsel shall
stend and that it is as impossible, for any created be-
ing to frustrate, counteract, or defeat his purposes, as
to destroy his existence. I may add,
4. To rejoice in God is to rejoice, that he is con-
stantly and irresistibly carrying into effect all his orig-
inal and eternal designs, or that he is working all things
after the counsel of his own will. "The Lord reigns,
let the earth rejoice " If it be desirable, that the
greatest, the wisest and best of beings should govern
the universe, then it is desirable, that he should direct
every event & dispose of every object, just as he origin-
SERMON XXI.
H
357
64
ally intended, before the foundation of the world. And
Christians cannot do their duty to rejoice in God, unless
they heartily rejoice in all the dispensations of his prov-
idence and grace.
In all these respects, Christians are
required to rejoice in God and to rejoice in him always.
So runs the divine command. Rejoice in the Lord
always" God's existence is always the same; his
perfections are always the same; his designs are al-
ways the same; and he always governs all things ac-
cording to his designs; and therefore we must suppose
the command in the text requires Christians to re-
joice in the Lord, at all times, in all places and under
all circumstances whatsoever. Let us now inquire,
II. Whether there be a propriety in the precept,
which requires Christians to rejoice in the Lord
always.
:
There is no question whether God may, with pro-
priety, require men to rejoice in him sometimes; but
it may be a question, whether there be a propriety in
requiring them to rejoice in him always, or at all times.
He certainly requires men to mourn sometimes. Sol-
omon says, that "there is a time to weep and a time to
laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance." Men
are required "to weep with them that weep, as well as
to rejoice with them that rejoice." In Joel's day God
said to his people, "Turn ye even to me with all your
heart and with fasting and with weeping and with
mourning Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord
weep between the porch and the altar, and let them
say, Spare thy people, O Lord and give not thine
heritage to reproach." Now, since God expressly
requires men to mourn, it must unquestionably be their
duty to obey this command. But how is it possible,
that we should obey his command to rejoice always and
yet obey his command to mourn sometimes. His com-
mand to mourn sometimes seems to forbid our rejoic-
ing always. Where then is the propriety of the pre-
cept to rejoice always? Certainly we have no right
to call the propriety of this precept in question; and
of course we must believe, that it is consistent with
he precept to mourn; and that its consistency may
358
SERMON XXI.
*
to
be known and made to appear. It cannot be denied,
that there have been, from the beginning of the world
to this day, thousands and millions of things, under the
divine government, which are proper objects of regret
sorrow and mourning. Every natural and moral evil,
that has ever taken place, in any part of God's exten-
sive dominions is an object of mourning and sorrow.
The sin and misery of the fallen angels, the sin ånd
misery of Adam and of all his posterity and all the
pains and groans of the animal creation are to be re-
gretted and lamented, as disagreeable and undesirable
evils, in themselves considered. There is an essential
difference between evil objects and good objects in
themselves considered. Good objects are matters of joy;
and evil objects are matters of sorrow. Holiness and
happiness are good objects; but sin and misery are
evil objects. There is always a good reason to rejoice
in holiness and happiness; but no good reason ever
to rejoice in sin and misery. It is one thing to rejoice
in God and another thing to rejoice in the holiness and
happiness, which he causes to exist. And it is
1
""
one thing to rejoice in God and another to rejoice, in
his introducing sin and misery into his mal system.
There is always reason to rejoice, that God is what
he is and does what he does. He rejoices in
himself on both these accounts. e says, "I form
the light and create darkness: I make peace and
I, the Lord, do all these things.
create evil.
Now it is easy to see a good reason to rejoice in what
God is and in what he does. He is good in himself and
he always acts from wise and good motives, whether
he forms light, or creates darkness; whether he makes
peace, or creates evil: that is, whether he produces
natural, or moral good, or whether he produces natural
or moral evil. Hence there is a propriety in his re-
quiring us to rejoice in himself always; but there is no
propriety in his ever requiring us to mourn in himself.
Nor do we find a single command to mourn in the
Lord. The ground of mourning is entirely different
from the ground of rejoicing in all cases. There is
ground of rejoicing in God and in all the natural and
•
SERMON XXI.
359
moral good he causes to take place; and there is ground
of mourning in all the natural evils his creatures suffer,
and in all the moral evils they commit. There is just
cause to mourn for creatures, but no just cause to
mourn for God. Therefore mourning for creatures is
perfectly consistent with always rejoicing in God.----
Notwithstanding the ten thousand natural and moral
evils,that abound all over the world and wring the hearts
of multitudes every day with anguish and sorrow, there
is always abundant reason to rejoice in God. For God
acts as wisely and benevolently in bringing about sin and
misery, as in bringing about holiness and happiness.
A patient may rejoice in the skill and benevolence of
the surgeon, while he mourns and bewails the pains of
amputation. Men may rejoice in God's wisdom and
goodness in causing all things to take place as they
do; and yet lament and mourn on account of a vast
many things that do take place. God may, therefore,
with great propriety require us always to rejoice that
he is, and that he reigns, while he requires us to mourn
for sin and misery in ourselves and others. This being
true, I proceed as proposed,
•
III. To mention some peculiar reasons, why we
should rejoice in God always. And,
1. We have reason always to rejoice in God, be-
cause he always knows what is best to do with all his
creatures. His understanding is infinite and compre-
hends all his creatures and all his works at one clear,
intuitive view. All creatures and all objects always
lie equally open and naked to his all seeing eye, from
eternity to eternity. "Known unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world." He is the
only wise God; and he alone knows what is wisest
and best to do with all created beings and objects. He
is light and in him there is no darkness at all. Amidst
all the natural and moral evils, that abound and al-
ways will abound in the universe, he sees no doubtful
or difficult cases; but always knows what is best to do
and how it is best to treat every rational and irrational
creature and every holy and unholy creature, in the
innumerable circumstances in which they are placed.
360
SERMON XXI.
He is the only Being, who has this universal and all
comprehensive knowledge. Among all created be-
ings, there is not one, who knows all things. The
highest, noblest and wisest intelligent creatures cannot
see all things at once; and much less to all eternity.
And of course, they cannot see what is best for them-
selves, and much less what is best for their fellow crea-
tures, through every period of their existence. It is
therefore, a matter of great and universal joy, that God
always knows what is best for the whole intelligent
universe, who always will be inseparably connected and
have a mutual influence upon each other. There is no
ground to rejoice in the knowledge or wisdom of any
created beings, because their wisdom and knowledge
are limited; and they may err through ignorance or
design. But there is a just and solid ground to re-
joice in God, who always knows what is best for the
whole intelligent universe, though more numerous than
the stars of heaven.
2. We have always reason to rejoice in God, be-
cause he not only knows what is best to do with all
his creatures, but is always immutably disposed to do
what is best. He has them all under his eye and sees
all their external circumstances and knows all their
internal views and desires, hopes and fears, joys and
sorrows. As a father feels towards his children, so
the Father of mercies feels towards his whole family,
whether in heaven, or earth, or any other part of the
universe. He is good unto all and his tender mercies
are over all his works. He beholds all his creatures
from the highest to the lowest. with an impartial and
benevolent eye. As he knows what is best, so he is
always disposed to do what is best. This is far from
being true in respect to short sighted and sinful crea-
tures. They are not disposed to do what they know
to be right and believe to be best; but employ their
rational powers in doing evil, instead of doing good;
and would, were it in their power, destroy all the holi-
ness & happiness in the universe. And since there is
no ground of rejoicing in the goodness of any created
beings, it is matter of high and pure joy, that there is
SERMON XXI.
361
One Being, in whose boundless goodness there is a
permanent foundation always to rejoice. The per-
fect goodness of God is, in its own nature, a just
and immutable cause of rejoicing aside from the ten
thousands streams of goodness, which flow from it.-
There is, indeed, a good reason to rejoice in the
streams of divine goodness; but these are nothing and
less than nothing, in comparison with the fountain of
all good. All the good effects of divine goodness are
in themselves considered, just cause of rejoicing; but
to rejoice in these properly, we ought to rejoice prin-
cipally and supremely, because they flow from God the
fountain of all good; who remains the same perfectly
good being, whether he directs the streams of his good-
ness to us, or to any of our fellow creatures; or wheth-
er he turns the streams of his goodness from us to oth-
er objects of his benevolence, or complacency.
As
God is always disposed to do what is best in regard
to his whole intelligent creation, we have always reason
to rejoice in him, because he is disposed to do all things
that are wisest and best to be done; for we ought al-
ways to desire what is best should be done and to re-
joice when we know that it is done. I must add,
3. We have reason to rejoice in God always, not
only because he always knows what is best and is dis-
posed to do what is best; but absolutely able to do
what is best. If his power were not as unlimited as his
wisdom and goodness, there would be no just founda-
tion to rejoice in him always. If there were a single
case, among all his creatures in any part of the uni-
verse, in which he could not do what he saw wisest
and best to be done, it would shake all confidence in
him and forbid our ever rejoicing in him. For if his
power should fail in one instance, it would be impossi-
ble for us to know that it would not fail in ten thousand
instances; and in those, which would be most injurious,
if not destructive to the holiness and happiness of the
whole intelligent creation. If he were not able to gov-
ern any, or all his rebellious creatures, we should have
no permanent foundation to rejoice in his government,
either in time, or eternity. Indeed, we should have
1
46
362
SERMON XXI.
no just ground to rejoice always in his wisdom, or in
his goodness, if he were not always able to do what he
saw to be best. But the scripture assures us, that his
power is absolutely unlimited and irresistible. Job
says, "I know that thou canst do every thing." The
power of God is almighty and irresistible. There is
none can stay his hand.
He has the same controling
and irresistible power over all his creatures, that the
potter has over the clay. The Psalmist says, "Our
God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he
hath pleased." And he always is able to do whatsoever
he pleases. If he knows what is best and is pleased to
do whatever is best, he certainly always will do what
is best. God is an infinitely wise and benevolent and
powerful being, who has formed the wisest and best
designs and who is infinitely more zealous to employ
his almighty power to accomplish them, than any of
his creatures are to employ all their powers and facul-
ties to accomplish any of their most important and
desirable purposes. That such a being exists & rules
in the armies of heaven above and among the inhabi-
tants of this lower world, is a matter of just and univer-
sal joy to the whole intelligent creation. The apostle
had good ground to call upon all Christians to rejoice
in the Lord always. And David had as good ground
to call upon all mankind to rejoice in God.
The
Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude
of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are
round about him: righteousness and judgment are the
habitation of his throne." This is calling upon man-
kind to rejoice in God always, notwithstanding the in-
numerable evils, which are a just occasion of lamenta-
tion, sorrow and mourning. There is every thing in
God, which always renders him worthy of the trust, the
confidence and joy of the whole world and the whole
universe.
IMPROVEMENT,
1. It appears from what has been said, that to re-
joice in God always is the most difficult duty, that
Christians have to perform. They are required to re-
SERMON XXI
363
joice, in God always, to rejoice evermore. There is no
duty more expressly and repeatedly enjoined upon good
men, than rejoicing in the Lord, or before the Lord.
The pious Israelites were required to rejoice before
the Lord, with all their children and households.-
David calls upon all good men to rejoice in the Lord.
"Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous. Rejoice in
the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the re-
membrance of his holiness." It seems to be a very easy
duty to rejoice in the Lord sometimes, but not so easy
to rejoice in him always. But Christians are com-
manded to rejoice in the Lord always, amidst all the
calamities, afflictions, bereavements, sorrows and trials,
which fall upon the world in general and upon them-
selves in particular. Hence says the apostle Peter to
Christians scattered all over the world, "Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which
is to try you, as though some strange thing happened
unto you but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be re-
vealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." To
rejoice in God always implies something different from
rejoicing in his favours and from rejoicing in his frowns.
It implies rejoicing in his goodness, which seeks the
highest good of the universe and not the separate high-
est good of any individual creature in the universe. Re-
joicing in God can flow from nothing but a disinterested
love to God and the good of all intelligent beings; which
disposes a person to be willing, that God should seek
his own glory and the highest holiness and happiness
of his holy creatures. God's goodness is disinterested,
impartial and universal; and none but those, who pos-
sess the same kind of goodness can rejoice in his good-
ness. It is owing to his goodness, that he introduced
natural and moral evils into his original and eternal
purpose of creation; and it is equally owing to his
goodness, that these evils have abounded and will con-
tinue to abound, as long as the world stands and sinful
and miserable creatures exist. And to rejoice in his
goodness is to rejoice, that all these evils take place un-
der his universal government. To rejoice in God is to
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14
$
rejoice that he governs all things in the very manner, in
which he does govern them. The heavenly hosts re-
joice, that he governs this evil world just as he does.
They cry "holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the
whole earth is full of his glory." They see his good-
ness, in all the dark as well as light dispensations of
his providence in this world and rejoice in it. Though
they see this world, which is so often and properly
called a vale of tears and observe thousands every day
plunged in the most pungent sorrows and anguish, yet
they rejoice in God, who inflicts all these evils upon
mankind. And it is the duty of Christians thus always
to rejoice in God, notwithstanding all the scenes of
sorrow, affliction and mourning they are called to pass
through. But is there a more difficult duty to
perform, than rejoicing in God under such circum-
stances?
2. Christians, who always rejoice in God, perform
a duty, which is the most pleasing to him. He says,
"I love them that love me." Those, who rejoice in
God at all times and under all circumstances, exercise
the purest and highest love to God. They love h.m
for his goodness, which is the sum and comprehension
of all his moral excellencies. God is love. He is
perfect goodness itself. And it is only because he is
supremely good and exercises supreme and universal
goodness in all his conduct, that he deserves to be su-
premely loved by all his intelligent creatures. Were
not his power and knowledge and wisdom and sover-
eignty under the constant influence of his supreme
goodness, there would be nothing in him or done by
him, which would deserve the supreme affection of men
or angels. But his goodness, which spreads a moral
glory over all his other attributes, renders him infinite-
ly worthy of the supreme affection of all created intelli-
gences. And when they love him for his goodness, they
love him for what he is in himself; and when they love
him for what he is in himself and for what he loves him-
self, their love is highly pleasing to him. Their love
is not mean and mercenary, but sincere and supreme.
Such was the love of Abraham, when he offered up
·
SERMON XXI.
365
I
Such was the love of
his son Isaac upon the altar.
Moses, when he was willing to suffer affliction with
his people, in order to lead them to the land of prom-
ise; and when he was willing to have his name blotted
out of the book of life, if it might be the means of sav-
ing his people from threatened and deserved destruc-
tion. And such is the love of sincere Christians, who
are willing to give up all for the kingdom of God's
sake: or when they rejoice in the hope of the glory of
God and glory in tribulations also: God rejoices over
Christians, when they rejoice in him, amidst all the
evils, which he inflicts upon them and upon the world,
for the promotion of his own glory and the holiness
and happiness of the universe. Nothing but pure dis-
interested, supreme love to God can dispose Christians
to rejoice in him always, whether they receive good,
or whether they receive evil at his hands. To rejoice
in the Lord always, therefore, is the most acceptable
duty, that Christians can perform, because it is the
most difficult duty to perform. It is easier for a man
to give all his goods to feed the poor, or his body to
be burned, than to rejoice in God in times of public
calamities, or personal trials and tribulations. Satan
supposed, that Job could not perform this diffi
cult duty, but God convinced him that he was
able to perform it. And when he did perform it,
it was highly acceptable to God, who pronounced
him a perfect and upright man. When Christians
rejoice in God, while they are receiving good at his
hands,, he is pleased with them; but he is much more.
pleased, if they rejoice in him, when they receive evil.
3. It appears from what has been said, that those
Christians, who always rejoice in God, do peculiar
honour to religion. They give clear and striking evi-
dence, that true religion, or a christian spirit, will
cause men to rejoice in God always, which is a pecul-
iar and most desirable effect, that nothing else will
produce. Mere selfishness will dispose men to rejoice
in prosperity, or while they are receiving good at the
hand of God. The world in general, who are impeni-
tent, unbelieving and totally destitute of religion,
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SERMON XXI.
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are very joyful in prosperity; but adversity spoils all
their j›y and fills them with nothing but pain, sorrow
and grief. Haman was joyful till his good fortune
forsook him. The Israelites were in raptures of joy at
the side of the Red Sea, but sunk in despondency, when
the spies returned. The stony ground hearer receiveth
the word with joy and dureth for a while; but when trib-
ulation or persecution arises, he is by and by offended.
Multitudes, who embrace the gospel upon selfish mo-
tives, greatly rejoice and imagine that they shall al-
ways rejoice; but as they rejoice in themselves and
not in God, their joy generally soon forsakes them;
which brings a reproach upon themselves and upon re-
ligion itself. But those, who understandingly and cor-
dially embrace the gospel, rejoice in God and as
they see cause to rejoice in God at first, so they see
cause to rejoice in God always. They, like the noble
Ethiopian, go on their way rejoicing, at all times and
under all circumstances; by which they manifest to
the world the nature and tendency of true religion to
produce pure and permanent joy and rejoicing; which
reflects great honor upon Christianity. By always
rejoicing in God, Abraham, Moses and Job did great
honor to religion. In the same way, the apostles and
primitive Christians adorned the doctrine of God their
Savior. They say of themselves, "We are troubled
on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast
down, but not destroyed; as sorrowful, yet always re
joicing." When they were taken, thrown into prison
and threatened with severe punishments for preaching
the gospel, by the highest ecclesiastical judicatory,
they departed from the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ.
Yea, they took the spoiling of their goods joyfully.
They always rejoiced in God, by which they manifest-
ed the reality, the beauty and excellence of that relig-
ion, which caused them to rejoice at all times and un-
der all circumstances of adversity and affliction. There
is nothing, which gives the men of the world such a
deep and painful conviction of the reality and impor-
1
SERMON XXI.
367
tance and excellence of religion, as to see Christians
rejoicing always, under both the smiles & frowns of di-
vine providence; & saying, as the Shunamite did, "all is
well." This is something, that they do not feel and
cannot say. We are always struck with the beauty,
excellence and sincerity of those Christians, who appear
to be happy and rejoice under such trials and calami-
ties and afflictions, as throw other men into gloom,
darkness and inconsolable sorrow and distress. The
reason is, they appear to enjoy the supports of religion,
while all other supports are taken away.
The joy
and rejoicing of the primitive Christians made the
world ready to say, that they were beside themselves ;
they could not see the source of their joys and consola-
tion. But the men of the world at this day, who doc-
trinally understand the gospel, are convinced, that
those, who really believe and love it, must rejoice in
God, under all his dispensations of providence, that are
designed to promote his glory and the highest good of
the universe. And when they see Christians actually
rejoice in adversity as well as in prosperity, in sickness
as well as in health & in the nearest prospects of death,
they cannot help believing, that religion is, of all things,
the most desirable and most important.
4. It appears from what has been said, that Christ-
ians, who obey the precept in the text and rejoice in
God always, are the happiest men in the world. It
cannot be denied, that the men of the world are in
some measure happy, so long as they do rejoice; but
their rejoicing is often interrupted, diminished and even
turned into sorrow. Joy in the world is essentially
different from joy in God, even while it continues.
Their joy is generally mixed with a consciousness of
its folly and criminality. Hence says Solomon,
"As
the crackling of thorns under a pot; so is the laughter
of fools. This also is vanity." The bursts of joy
and laughter in sinners are always attended or follow-
ed by a sense of guilt and self-reproach. Accordingly,
Christ pronounces a wo to such vain and sinful joy.
"Wo unto you that laugh now: for ye shall mourn
and weep." Whether the joy of sinners arises from
Σ
368
SERMON XXI.
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}
mere trifles and vanities, or from the more valuable,
laudable and important worldly objects, it is altogeth-
er vain, sinful, inconsistent, interrupted and short lived.
The world and the things of the world are no source
of pure & permanent joy. But God is a source of pure,
never failing and satisfactory happiness; and all, who
always rejoice in him, derive from him constant, pure
and lasting happiness. Hence Christ says, "Whoso-
ever drinketh the waters of this world, shall thirst
again. But 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." The great and precious
promises, which God has given to Christians, lay a
solid foundation for their pure, constant, increasing
joy and rejoicing. So the primitive Christians thought
and said, "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or persecution, or distress,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long ;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay in
all these things we are more than conquerors, through
him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor pow-
ers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sep-
arate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Je-
sus our Lord." These promises all belong to sincere
Christians, and they all live by faith in them; and of
course rejoice in the Lord always. The sources of
other men's rejoicings are continually failing and
will finally all fail. But Christians have a source of
joy, which will not fail, when all other sources of joy
will fail. They must be, therefore, far more happy
even in this vale of tears, than any other men in the
world. "The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasant-
ness and all her paths are peace."
5. It appears from what has been said, that Christ-
ians are very unwise and sinful in neglecting to rejoice
in God. They all know, that rejoicing in God affords
them the purest and highest happiness; and that re-
SERMON XXI.
369
joicing in themselves, or in the world, deprives them
of the happiness they have derived from rejoicing in God,
They know, therefore, that they injure their own souls
as well as injure God, by neglecting to obey the com-
mand, which he has given them for their own good and
his glory. They are more inconsistent and criminal in
neglecting to rejoice in God, than sinners are in neg-
lecting this duty. They often imagine, that God can-
not be a source of joy and rejoicing; and therefore they
forsake God the fountain of living waters and hew out
to themselves cisterns broken cisterns, that can hold
no water. It is extremely unwise and sinful for those
who have tasted the happiness, which flows from re.
joicing in God, to neglect deriving their happiness
from God and seek to obtain happiness from the world.
Their neglecting this duty, not only diminishes their
own happiness, but greatly dishonors religion. By
their not always rejoicing in God, they lead the men of
the world to conclude, that their religion, instead of
doing them any good, does them a great deal of hurt.
It prevents them from rejoicing in any thing and makes
them more disconsolate and gloomy, than those, who
have no religion and pretend to none.
It is a great
blemish and imperfection in the character and conduct
of Christians, to suffer the trials and tribulations, which
God brings upon them, to overwhelm them in sorrow
and to banish all joy and rejoicing from their hearts:
David's conduct at the death of Absalom, was highly
displeasing to God and to Joab and to the people in
general; and it was happy for him that Joab had cour-
age and resolution to reprove him and bring him to right
feelings and conduct. Christians, who neglect to re-
joice always, never fail to give occasion to the enemies
of religion to think and speak reproachfully of it.
Nor is this all the evil arising from neglecting to rejoice
in God. It unfits them for all religious duties. When
they neglect to see God and to rejoice in him, they are
always either in darkness, or stupidity, which makes
every religious duty irksome and leads to the neglect of
those duties, in which they once took peculiar pleasure.
and delight. While Christians rejoice in the Lord
ๆ
47
370
SERMON XXI.
}
they are always active and constant in every religious
duty; especially in times of trouble, sorrow, or mourn-
ing; and never enjoy more happiness, than they then
derive from rejoicing in the Lord. These considera-
tions ought to excite all Christians to rejoice in the
Lord always, as the most important and indispensable
duty.
Finally this subject calls upon sinners. to renounce
all their worldly and sinful joy and to rejoice in God,
who is the only source of pure and permanent joy.—
All other sources of joy and rejoicing will soon forsake
you; and then you must be wretched indeed. You
cannot begin to be truly happy, until you rejoice in
God; and you cannot always be happy, unless you al
ways rejoice in God. All the happiness of heaven
will flow from rejoicing in God; and all the miseries
of the damned will flow from the entire loss of this
source of happiness. God is infinitely worthy of your
supreme love and joy, on account of his essential and
amiable perfections. And not only so, but also for
what he has done for you, bestowed upon you and of
fered to you.
You will be the most ungrateful and
guilty, as well as the most wretched creatures in the
universe, if you continue to refuse to rejoice in God.
You have no right to rejoice in any thing, so long as
you neglect to rejoice in God. He calls you, therefore
to mourning; and you have reason to mourn for all
your rejoicing, which God has forbidden. Be entreat-
ed then to rejoice in God inmediately and forever.
י
1
↑
SERMON XXII.
DIVINE AGENCY.
ISAIAH. XLV. 7.-I, the Lord, do all these
things.
In this chapter God foretells the character and con-
duct of Cyrus, whom he designed to employ as the prin
cipal instrument of restoring his people from their long
captivity in Babylon to their native country. And to
give more weight and solemnity to his prediction, he
asserts, in the strongest terms, his own divinity, unity,
"Thus saith the
supremacy and universal agency.
Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I
have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will
loose the loins of kings; to open before him the two
leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut. I will
go before thee and make the crooked places straight :
I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sun-
der the bars of iron : & I will give thee the treasures of
darkness and hidden treasures of secret places, that
thou mayest know that I, the Lord, who call thee by
name, am the God of Israel: For Jacob my servant's
sake and Israel mine elect, I have called thee by thy
name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not
known me. I am the Lord and there is none else,
there is no God besides me: I girded thee, though
thou hast not known me; that they may know from
the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is
none beside me. I am the Lord and there is none else,
I form the light and create darkness: I make peace,
and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things."
This is the connection of the text, which in this con-
nection contains a truth, which it equally concerns all
mankind to understand and believe. The truth is this;
The agency of God is universal,
•
372
SERMON XXII.
P
To set this important truth in as clear a light as I
am able, I shall endeavor to show,
I. In what the agency of God consists; And,
II. That his agency is universal.
All, who acknowledge the existence of God, are
agreed, that he brought this world out of nothing by
his own proper agency. But they are not so well
agreed in what his agency consists. The variety of
opinions on this subject has been a source of many
great and dangerous errors respecting the doctrines of
the gospel. A misapprehension of divine agency has
been the occasion of involving some important subjects.
in great darkness and obscurity. It is, therefore,
much to be desired, that the agency of the first and
supreme cause should be exhibited in a clear and intel-
ligible manner. There can be no agency, where there
is no choice, or design. An agent is one, who exerts
his power to produce some effect. Accordingly God,
to convince mankind of his great and powerful agency,
mentions the great and important effects he has pro-
duced. He says, he held the hand of Cyrus, subdued
nations before him, loosed the loins of kings, opened
before him the two leaved gates, brake in pieces the
gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron. And
after mentioning these great effects, he adds, "I form
the light and create darkness: I make peace and cre-
ate evil: I, the Lord, do all these things." That is, I
produce all these great and marvellous effects, of choice
or design. Hence we may safely say, that the agency
of God consists in his will, his choice or volition; and
in nothing, which is either the cause, or consequence
of his willing, or choosing to produce any effect, or
bring about any event. It is plain that his bare knowl-
edge cannot produce any effect. Our knowledge of
any thing present, or to come, has no tendency to pro-
duce any effect. And though God's knowledge be
infinite, or unlimited, yet his knowledge never did and
never can produce any effect. His knowledge, that
he should create the world, had no tendency to create
it; and his knowledge of any future event never had
the least tendency to bring it to pass. So that his agen-
•
SERMON XXII.
373
Pow-
We
We have
cy does not in the least degree, consist in his knowl-
edge. Nor does his agency consist in his wisdom,
which enables him to form the most extensive and per-
fect designs. His forming the great plan of creation,
of providence and redemption, had no tendency to pro-
duce those great and glorious effects. That plan ex-
isted completely in his own mind, before he took one
step, or made one exertion, to accomplish it. His
wisdom in forming any design has no tendency
to carry it into execution. So that his agency does
not consist in his wisdom. Nor does his agency con-
sist in his power, which is always prior to it. He had
power to create the world, before he created it.
er may exist without any exercise or exertion.
have power, which we do not exercise.
power to do a thousand things, which we never do.
Action and the power of action are very different.
The agency of God, therefore, does not consist in his
power to act, or in his omnipotence. Now, if his agen-
cy does not consist in his knowledge, nor in his wis-
dom, nor in his omnipotence, nor in any of his natural
perfections, the inference is plain, that it must consist
in his will, or choice, or volition and in nothing else.
None of his natural perfections can produce any ef-
fect without his willing it; and after he has willed it,
his agency is no further concerned in its production.
His agency consists in nothing before his choice, nor
after his choice, nor beside his choice. It does not
consist in the cause of his choice, any more than in
the effect of his choice. We can form as clear ideas
of the agency of God, as we can of his existence, or
of any one of his natural attributes. And the clear
idea we
have of his natural attributes contrains
us to believe, that his agency cannot consist in any one
or all of them, but solely in his will, choice, or volition.
We cannot conceive, that his acting is any thing, but
his willing or choosing to produce an effect.
willing or choosing a thing to exist is all, that he does
in causing it to exist. This is the dictate of reason
respecting the nature of divine agency; and reason
in this case entirely harmonizes with scripture. Mo-
His
374
SERMON XXII.
ses represents creation as produced merely by a divine
volition. "God said, Let there be light; and there
was light." And David represents God as producing
the world in precisely the same manner.
"He'spake
and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made:
and all the hosts of them, by the breath of his mouth."
Thus it appears from both scripture and reason, that
the divine agency consists in the divine will or choice
and not in the cause, or consequence of the divine will
or volition.
We may now safely proceed a step further and ob-
serve, that God is a perfectly free agent.
Voluntary
agency is complete free agency. We cannot conceive
of any agents acting more freely than his acting of
choice. So far as God acts voluntarily, he must of
course act freely. But we have seen that he is perfect-
ly voluntary in acting; and indeed, that his whole
agency consists in choice. Choice always implies a
motive, or an object chosen. We cannot choose with-
out choosing someting; and that something, which we
choose, is the motive of choice: of consequence we
always act from motive, when we act of choice. This
holds true with respect to the Deity. As he acts of
choice, so he acts from motive; and as he acts from
motive, so he acts freely. He is a free agent just so
far as he is a voluntary agent; and as he is a perfectly
voluntary agent, so he is a perfectly free agent. God
was as free, as he was voluntary, in creating the world.
This all the heavenly hosts solemnly and gratefully ac-
knowledge. We read, "the four and twenty elders
fall down before him that sitteth on the throne and wor-
ship him, that liveth forever and ever; and cast their
crowns before his throne, saying, Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for
thou hast created all things; and for thy pleasure they
are and were created." God was perfectly free to
create, or not to create the world; and so his creating
He is also
it was a perfectly free and voluntary act.
just as free and voluntary in upholding and governing
the world, as he was in creating it.
SERMON XXII.
375
1
•
This leads us to observe still further, that God is
a moral, as well as a free and voluntary agent. There
is a wide difference between merely free and voluntary
agency and moral agency. Any creature is a free
agent, that acts of choice in the view of motives. The
animal creation are free agents, because they act of
choice; but they are not moral agents, because they
cannot distinguish between right and wrong, or moral
good and moral evil. But God has the most perfect
discernment of the difference between moral good and
evil. He perfectly knows and loves moral good; and
"The
as perfectly knows and hates moral evil."
righteous Lord loveth righteousness;" but sin, iniquity,
and every species of moral evil is the abominable thing,
which he hates. He has made mankind capable of
knowing what is right and what is wrong; and he calls
upon them to judge of the rectitude of his own conduct
towards them. "O house of Israel, are not my ways
equal? are not your ways unequal?" God always acts,
not only voluntarily and freely, but benevolently. All
his volitions are virtuous and holy. He always chooses
to act perfectly right, or to do what is wisest and best
to be done. It is morally impossible for him to have
a selfish or sinful volition. "He is the rock, his work
is perfect for all his ways are judgment; a God of
truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." There
is no more difficulty in forming clear and just concep-
tions of the free, voluntary, and moral agency of God,
than in forming clear and just conceptions of his power,
wisdom and goodness. Nor is there any more diffi-
culty in forming clear & just conceptions of his power,
wisdom, goodness and agency, than in forming clear
and just conceptions of human power, wisdom, goodness
and agency. Power in God is of the same nature as
power in man. Wisdom in God is of the same nature
as wisdom in man. Goodness in God is of the same na-
ture as goodness in man. And free, voluntary, moral
agency in God is of the same nature as free, voluntary,
moral agency in man.
If this be not true, we can
form no right conceptions of our Creator and can never
know that he is a wise, powerful, benevolent and ae-
>
376
SERMON XXII.
1
tive Being. For we derive all our ideas of God from our
ideas of ourselves. To say, therefore that God's agency
is different, in nature, from our own, is as absurd as to
say that his knowledge, his power, or his moral rectitude is
different from our own. And to say this, is to say, that
we have not & cannot have any true knowledge of God.
We may, then rest satisfied, that God is a perfectly
free, voluntary, moral agent; & that his free, voluntary,
moral agency solely consists in the mere exercise of
his will. I have dwelt the longer on this point, becuse
it is a point of great importance to be understood, in
in order to have just conceptions of God, who is the
first, the greatest and best of beings, of whom and
through whom and to whom are all things. And
now if we have properly explained the agency of God,
we may easily make it appear,
And
II. That his agency is universal. God claims to
be the universal agent. "I am the Lord and there is
none else. I form the light and create darkness: I
make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these
things." He here claims to be the supreme and univer-
sal agent in both the natural and moral world.
such universal agency is ascribed to him through the
Bible. He is said to cause the sun to rise and the
rain to fall. He is said to cause the regular succes-
sion of day and night, winter and summer, seed time
and harvest. He is said to set up and overturn king-
doms and nations. He is said to turn the hearts of
kings and of all men whithersoever he pleases. He is
said to work in all men both to will and to do of his
good pleasure. These and all other things are ascribed
to God, by all the sacred writers. The truth of such
representations of the universality of the divine agency
may be illustrated and confirmed, by various conside-
rations. Among others I will mention the following.
1. God has made all things. He existed eternally,
before any other being or object existed in infinite
space. He once existed alone; and might have al-
ways existed alone, if he had pleased. It was owing
to the pure benevolence of his heart, that he formed the
great and glorious design of creation. And it was
SERMON XXII.
377
owing to his free, voluntary and almighty agency,
that he brought the heavens and the earth, angels and
men out of nothing into being. He created all things,
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers. He is the Creator of every
object in the universe besides himself. Every thing,
that lives and moves and exists in the immensity of
space, is a demonstration of his universal agency.
Creation is exclusively a divine operation. No being
but God could give existence to the smallest atom, or
the meanest insect. Human agency can move and
modify what is created, but cannot give existence to
the least material or immaterial object. Though the
works of creation are immensely great and numerous
and various, yet they are not more extensive than the
divine agency, which brought them out of nothing into
existence. God grounds his claim to universal agency,
upon his having actually made all things. "I am the
Lord and there is none else; there is no God beside
me. I form the light and create darkness: I make
peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these
things." As the first cause of all things he must ne-
cessarily be an universal agent.
2. This further appears from his upholding all things.
God did not and could not make any creature or ob-
ject independent and give it the power of self-preserva-
tion. The Creator of all things must of necessity be
the supporter and preserver of all things. The same
almighty agency, which is necessary to give existence
to any creature or object, is equally necessary to up-
hold that creature or object in existence every moment.
Preservation is, strictly speaking, nothing less than
continued creation. The first agent must be the su-
preme agent; that is, he must exercise a constant
agency over all other agents. For in him they live
and move and have their being. This some of the
wisest heathens believed and taught. He, that made
angels agents, must exercise a constant agency over
them. He, that made men agents, must exercise a
constant agency over them. To suppose, that either
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SERMON XXII.
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angels or men can act independently of God, is to
suppose, that they themselves are gods. But the De-
ity cannot make a Deity, any more than he can make
a self existent and eternal creature. This is totally
inconsistent with the nature of creative power, which
God illustrates in the instance of Cyrus. "For Jacob
my servant's sake and Israel mine elect, I have called
thee by name I have surnamed thee, though thou
hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is no
God beside me; I girded thee, though thou hast not
known me." God, who created Cyrus; exercised a
constant agency over him and girded and guided and
preserved him through every period of his life. And
this is equally true of all intelligent creatures from the
highest to the lowest. The preparation of the heart
in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
He exerts his agency in producing all the free and vol-
untary exercises of every moral agent, as constantly and
fully as in preserving and supporting his existence. It
is as demonstrably certain, that God exerts his agency
in upholding all things, as that he exerted his agency
in creating all things. For no other power, but that
which made the world, can uphold it in existence a
single moment. The first agent, therefore, must be the
constant and universal agent. I may add,
3. God must extend his agency to all created ob
jects in the universe, because he has made all things for
himself. As he was voluntary in making all things, so
he must have had some supreme motive in creating all
things; and that motive could have been no other, than
his own glory. He ought and did regard himself su-
premely in the work of creation. His infinite wisdom
and goodness required him to propose a wise and good
design in creating angels and men and every other
creature he formed. He made nothing in vain. He
created no superfluous objects. He brought no more,
nor fewer creatures and objects into existence, than
he saw necessary to answer his ultimate end in creation.
None of these creatures and objects are capable of
guiding their own motions, or directing their own ac-
tions, to promote the purposes for which they were
SERMON XXII.
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made. It is, therefore, utterly impossible, that God
should make all these created natures and objects an-
swer his own original design in creation, without exer-
cising a constant and controlling agency over them.
He has both a right and a power to do what he will
with his own and to govern them, in the best manner,
to answer the purposes of his own glory. But we can-
not conceive it to be possible, even for God himself to
do this, without exercising a constant powerful agency
over all his creatures and all his works in every part of
his extensive dominions. Should any object in the
material world or any creature in the intellectual world,
act or move in a manner different from that which he
originally intended, it would mar his glory and injure
the universe; which he is under indispensable moral
obligation to prevent. If the divine agency be a moral
agency, it must be an universal agency. To speak
with reverence, God is morally obliged to extend his
agency over all the creatures and objects he has
brought into existence, without the least limitation or
exception. He must form light and create darkness;
make peace and create evil, when and where and to
what degree, the good of the universe requires; be-
cause he is the owner and rightful sovereign of the
universe. And we may be confident, that the same
motives, which induced him to create all things, will
constantly dispose him to uphold and govern all things
by his wise and almighty agency, so as to make them
all subservient, in some way or other, to his eternal
purpose, which he formed before the foundation of the
world and before he gave existence to angels, or men,
or any other creature or object in the natural or moral
world.
IMPROVEMENT.
1. If divine agency wholly consists in volition, then
human agency must wholly consist in volition. Many
maintain, that moral agency in creatures does not con-
sist in volition, but in the cause of volition. This is
absurd, because it is placing free agency in something,
which is involuntary. How can a man act freely,
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when he does not act voluntarily? If a man should
move without choosing to move, his motion would not
be a free, moral action, worthy of praise, or blame.
We never feel ourselves to be praise, or blame worthy,
in any case, in which we do not act freely and of choice.
It appears from what has been said, that God's agency
does not consist in his power, knowledge, or wisdom, or
in any one of his natural attributes, but entirely in his
choice or volition. His agency in creating the world
wholly consisted in his free, voluntary, spontaneous ex-
ertion. He said, "Let there be light, and there was
light." His whole agency in the work of creation con-
sists in his will, his choice, or volition. So human
agency does not consist in reason, conscience, or any
other intellectual faculty, but merely in volition or
choice. A power or capacity to act is not acting.
Though mankind have power or capacity to act, yet
they never act, until they choose to act; and in their
choosing to act their free agency consists and in noth-
ing else. It does not consist in any thing either before
or after their choosing to act. Many imagine, that
their free agency consists in a power to cause or orig-
inate their own voluntary exercises; but this would
imply, that they are independent of God, in whom they
live and move and have their being; which is far from
being true. God is the primary cause of every free.
voluntary exercise in every human heart. But this is
consistent with their having free voluntary exercises,
which is the essence of free agency. We cannot con-
ceive of man's having more freedom to act, than their
having a freedom to act voluntarily. A power to act
without choosing to act, would be of no advantage to
them, if they possessed it. But they do not possess
such a power; neither does God himself possess such a
power. God has not a power to act without a choice,
or to act contrary to choice. He has a capacity to
choose and refuse; and in choosing and refusing, he
acts with the highest possible freedom. And since
his free agency wholly consists in choosing and refus-
ing, we may safely conclude, that human agency whol
ly consists in choosing and refusing and can consist in
SERMON XXII.
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nothing else. Free agency must be the same in all
intelligent beings. If God can possess no higher mor-
al freedom, than freedom of choice, it is very certain,
that mankind cannot possess any higher moral freedom
than freedom of choice. This freedom we know we
possess by our own experience; and therefore know
what our free agency is, as well as we know what our
reason, or conscience is.
2. If the free, moral agency of God consists in vo-
lition or choice; then there may be as many free, mor.
al agents, as there are intelligent creatures in this, or
any other world. It is often said, that if God be a free,
moral, universal agent, there can be but one free, mor-
al agent in the universe. But there is no ground to
draw this inference from God's universal agency. He
may act upon the minds of all his rational creatures,
without infringing upon their free, moral agency in the
least degree. As his giving them existence does not
imply, that they do not exist; and as his giving them
perception, reason and conscience does not imply, that
they have not perception, reason and conscience; so
his giving them an heart, which consists in free, volun-
tary exercises, does not imply, that they have not free,
voluntary exercises, or perfect moral freedom. God's
acting on their hearts and producing all their free, vol-
untary, moral exercises, is so far from preventing them
from being moral agents, that it necessarily makes
them moral agents. If his agency deprived them of
their reason and all their moral and intellectual facul-
ties, it would indeed deprive them of moral agency;
but so long as it leaves them in the full possession of all
their moral and intellectual faculties, it leaves them in
the full possession of their moral agency.
To say,
that men cannot be free agents under the universal
agency af God, is virtually to say, that God cannot
make free, moral agents. Men are as much free, volun-
tary, moral agents, while dependent on God and under
his universal agercy, as if they were self-existent and
independent of all other beings. Their dependance on
God and bis controlling power over them are periect-
ly consistent, with their enjoying the same free, moral
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agency that God himself enjoys. He enjoys no other
free, moral agency than what consists in his volition;
and they enjoy all the free, moral agency, that consists
in their volitions. He is voluntary in acting and so
are they. The apostle accordingly represents men as
acting freely and voluntarily under a divine operation
on their hearts. He calls upon men to work out their
own salvation, for it is God that worketh in them both
to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Though
God exercises a controlling influence over every intel-
ligent creature in the universe, yet every intelligent
creature is a free, moral agent. It is extremely un-
reasonable and unscriptural for mankind to deny God's
universal agency, or their own free moral agency.
For reason, scripture and experience require them to
believe both. Both are as certain, as God's existence
and their own.
3. If God be a universal agent, then to deny his
universal agency is virtually to deny his existence,
which amounts to perfect infidelity. God founds his
claim to divinity upon his universal agency; and im-
plicitly says that he should not be God, if he did not
form the light & create darkness, make peace and cre-
ate evil. This is strictly true. For if he be God, he is
the Creator of all things; and if he be the Creator of
all things, he must be the upholder, preserver, and dis-
poser of all things. If he be the free, moral agent,
who brought all things into existence, he is morally
obliged to exercise an universal agency in supporting
and governing all things. If he be God, he must be
perfectly wise and good; and if he is perfectly wise
and good, he must exercise a universal and powerful
agency over all his creatures and all his works and
dispose of them in the wisest and best manner pos-
sible. To deny his universal agency is to impeach
both his wisdom and goodness, which is virtually de-
nying his divinity, or his eternal power and God-
head. To deny his universal agency implies one of
these two things, either that he cannot exercise an
universal agency, or that he neglects to do it; but nei-
ther the one nor the other is consistent with his being
SERMON XXII.
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what he claims to be, the only living and true God;
and therefore the denial is either open infidelity, or im-
pious blasphemy. I would not, however, be under-
stood to assert, that all, who deny God's universal
But
agency, mean to be infidels, or blasphemers.
though they do not know, that to deny God's universal
agency is either infidelity or blasphemy, yet it ought to
be known that it is so, by those who call it blasphemy
to say, that God does exercise an universal agency over
all his intelligent creatures, whether holy, or unholy.
We often hear it said, that those, who maintain and
teach, that God does exercise an universal agency, and
is concerned in the production of all the good and evil
that takes place in any part of the universe, are guil-
ty of blasphemy. But it is certainly very unjust and
censorious to charge all, who believe and maintain an
important truth, which is plainly revealed and taught
from the beginning to the end of the Bible, with blas-
phemy. It is difficult to mention a more important
truth than the universal agency of God. It lies at the
foundation of all religion and deeply affects the whole
intelligent universe. For if he did not exercise an
universal agency over all his creatures and works, he
would not be worthy of the supreme love and entire
confidence of any of his creatures. It argues profound
ignorance, or bold presumption, to charge any one
with blasphemy, for maintaining or teaching the uni-
versal agency of God, which reflects the highest hon-
our upon him.
4. If God exercises an universal agency over all his
creatures and works; then we may confidently con-
clude, that he is constantly carrying into execution all
his original and eternal purposes, by every thing that
takes place in every part of the universe. For such
and only such events take place, as are brought about
by his own wise and powerful agency. He perfectly
knows his own designs, and the best means to accom-
plish them; and he has all means and second causes in
his hand, which he will certainly employ to answer his
own purposes. When he has occasion to form light,
he will form light; when he has occasion to create
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SERMON XXII.
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darkness, he will create it; when he has occasion to
make peace, he will make it; when he has occasion to
create evil, he will create it; and he is constantly do-
ing all these things according to the counsel of his own
will and for the accomplishment of his own purposes.
He brings about one event after another in that order
and connection, which will most directly and speedily
answer his original design. He makes no mistakes,
nor retrograde movements, but constantly and irresisti-
bly bows all hearts and bends all events in subservien-
cy to his ultimate end in creation. God has created so
little light and so little peace and so much darkness,
and so much evil, that mankind have been ready to say,
"the Lord hath forsaken the earth," he hath neglect-
ed to govern the world, he hath moved things backward
rather than forward, he has counteracted rather than pro-
moted his own purposes. Such has been the language
of some and the thoughts of ten thousand more. But
God's thoughts have been above their thoughts and
his ways above their ways. He has kept his eye and
his heart upon his own designs and exerted his universal
and almighty agency, in producing just so much light
and darkness; so much peace and evil, as he saw nec-
essary to accomplish them. He has never neglected
to do what it was best for him to do, nor been slack in
fulfilling his purposes and promises. Nor has he ever
failed to make his creatures, do what he saw necessary
for them to do, in order to fulfil his purposes. Divine
agency is not like human agency. Human agency is
visible. Mankind see each other act. But the divine
agency is invisible. They cannot see the hand of God
which governs the world. He can work and none can
let it. He can move those, who imagine that they
move themselves. He can guide those, who imagine
that they guide themselves. He can make those an-
swer his designs, who imagine that they are only an
swering their own. And he can defeat their purposes,
while they imagine he is promoting them. It is, there-
fore, just as certain, that God is constantly and irre-
sistibly carrying into execution all his briginal and
eternal purposes, by all the evil as well as the good that
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SERMON XXII.
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:
takes place, as that he is able and disposed to do all
his pleasure.
5. If God exercises an universal agency upon the
hearts of men; then he can form as many vessels of
mercy and vessels of wrath as he decreed to form, in
perfect consistency with their free agency. Divine
agency & human agency are perfectly consistent. Di-
vine agency consists in free, voluntary exercises; and
humana gency consists in free, voluntary exercises. God
can make men act right, freely, and act wrong, freely.
He can make them love and hate, choose and refuse;
and consequently can mould and fashion their hearts
just as he pleases, consistently with their perfect free
agency. He has always been forming vessels of mercy
and vessels of wrath from the beginning of the world
to this day; and he is now exercising his powerful and
irresistible agency upon the heart of every one of the
human race and producing either holy or unholy ex-
ercises in it. The vessels of mercy act freely in em-
bracing the gospel; and the vessels of wrath act freely
in rejecting it. He can make as many as he pleases
embrace the gospel in the day of his power, in one place
and another. All sinners are in his hand as the clay is
the hand of the potter; and he can turn the heart of
one as easily as the heart of another from sin to holiness,
from enmity to love, and from opposition to entire sub-
mission. Though God is creating darkness rather
than light, and evil rather than good, here and in ten
thousand other places in the world; yet the time may
not be far distant, when he will form light and not dark-
ness, make peace and not evil, here and all over the
earth. His hand is not shortened that it cannot save,
as well as destroy. His purposes have not changed,
nor will his promises fail. He will work and none
He will display the riches of his grace
here and every where else, as fully and as fast as possi-
ble. He is turning and overturning things in both the
natural and moral world, as fast as possible, in favour
of both Jews and Gentiles. He created darkness to
prepare the way for light; and evil to prepare the way
for peace. There is no ground for despondency un-
der the universal agency and government of God. It
shall let it.
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SERMON XXII.
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becomes the people of God to rejoice, that their God
reigneth, and is exercising an universal agency to pro-
mote their good and the good of the universe, as much
and as fast as possible. Though God causes both
darkness and evil; yet in him there is no evil nor dark-
ness at all. In his light, his people may always see
light; and in his government, his people may always
see good and enjoy peace. Let them only unite their
hearts and hands in carrying into execution his wise
and holy purposes; and they may rest satisfied & com-
forted, that all things shall work together for their good.
6. If God be an universal agent and operates upon
the hearts of all his intelligent creatures, then he will
infallibly counteract the designs and disappoint the
hopes of all his enemies, in every part of the universe.
Though God gives all men full liberty to devise their
own ways, yet he always directs their steps. Though
his agency always controls their agency, yet it never
destroys it. They are perfectly free and they are con-
scious that they are perfectly free, notwithstanding his
agency upon their hearts. Though his enemies freely
and voluntarily form a thousand designs to frustrate his
designs; yet he always can and does fulfil his own
designs and disappoints theirs. It is, as vain, as im-
pious, for them to attempt to rise up against him and
endeavor to frustrate his wise and holy purposes. For
the counsel of the Lord shall stand; and he will do all
his pleasure. The enemies of God have often made
the experiment and attempted to frustrate the counsel
of God, but have always been disappointed. Pharaoh
was disappointed. Esau was disappointed. Ahab
was disappointed. Saul of Tarsus was disappointed..
God will counteract the designs of all sinners at this
day However numerous and powerful and confident
the enemies of God may be, he will defeat all their
designs and exertions; and he will cause their folly
and wickedness to manifest his wisdom and goodness.
Their hands and their tongues and their hearts are con-
stantly and entirely under the holy and sovereign agen-
cy of God, who works all things after the counsel of his
own will. “For of him & through him and to him
are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
SERMON XXIII.
THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD.
ROMANS, I. 25. Who is blessed forever.
As Paul was the great apostle of the Gentiles, so
he was better qualified than any other of the apostles
to instruct the Gentiles, in the great and essential doc-
trines of the gospel. And as he had not had an op-
portunity of preaching to the Church at Rome, which
was principally composed of those, who were converted
from heathenism to Christianity, he wrote this epistle
to them, in order to give them a more clear, extensive
and systematic knowledge of the fundamental doctrines
of the gospel, which they had professed to embrace.
This is the apology he makes for writing to them.
"Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that
oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let
hitherto, that I might have some fruit among you also
even as among other Gentiles. I am a debtor both
to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise
and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready
to preach the gospel to you, that are at Rome also".
but as he did not know that he ever should be permit-
ted to go to Rome, he determined to write this letter
to the Christians there for their spiritual instruction and
edification. Accordingly, he first teaches them the
knowledge of the only living and true God, in contrast
with the gross ignorance and idolatry of the heathen
world, who were inexcusable for not acknowledging
"For the invis-
and glorifying their great Creator.
ible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse. Because that when they
know God, they glorified him not as God neither were
388
SERMON XXIII.
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thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened." He goes on to
describe the corruption and idolatry of these heathens,
until he says, "They changed the truth of God into a
lie and worshipped and served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen."---
Though the phrase, blessed God, be very commonly
used, yet it seems to be very rarely understood.
proposed, therefore, in this discourse,
It is
I. To describe the blessedness of God; And,
II. To show that he is perfectly blessed.
I. I am to describe the blessedness of God.
To bless is to make happy; and to be blessed is to
be happy. But though it be easy to define the term
blessed, when applied to the Deity, yet it is not so
easy to form clear and just conceptions of the blessed-
ness, or happiness of a being, who is all mind, or a pure
immaterial spirit. "God is a Spirit," who is neither
material, nor connected with any thing material, as our
spirits are. This obliges us to conceive of the divine
felicity, as purely intellectual. The blessedness of
God wholly consists in mental views, exercises and
emotions. And this leads us to inquire what those
mental views, exercises and emotions are, which con-
spire to produce his essential blessedness. And here I
would observe,
1. He is necessarily happy in his benevolent feel-
ings. God is love. He possesses not only the natural
perfections of intelligence, wisdom and power, but also
the moral attribute of universal benevolence. His be-
nevolent heart is as large as his infinite understanding,
which comprehends the knowledge of himself and of
all intelligent and unintelligent creatures. He has a
full and adequate view of all his own great and amiable
excellencies and perfections, which affords him the
highest self-approbation. He knows the infinite worth
and importance of his own infinite existence; and he ex-
ercises both benevolence and complacency towards him-
self, according to his supreme greatness and goodness.
And he has the same constant and comprehensive view
of all other beings besides himself; and he feels per-
SERMON XXIII.
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4.
7
fectly benevolent towards the immense number of in-
dividuals, who compose the whole family of his creat-
ures in heaven and earth and all parts of his vast do-
minions. In a word, his benevolence is as extensive
as the universe, and has a kindly influence over all,
that are capable of enjoying the least degree of happi-
ness. Now we all know, that benevolence of any
kind always gives pleasure to the mind. There is a
selfish benevolence, which is a happy feeling so long as
it continues. There is also a pure disinterested and
universal benevolence, which yields a purer, higher,
and more lasting satisfaction to the mind.
And such
is the benevolence of the Deity His benevolent feel-
ings, therefore, towards himself and all his various and
numerous creatures, must be a source of pure and
manent felicity.
per-
2. God is necessarily happy in expressing his be
nevolent feelings. This is something different from the
simple feelings of benevolence. There are immanent
emotions of benevolence, which are not productive of
any external act. Good men have a thousand benevo-
lent affections, which they never did and never could
express by any external actions. The benevolent
feelings of the Deity, which we have mentioned under
the first particular, were chiefly of this kind. He is
also both able and disposed to express his benevolence
in acts of kindness and beneficence, according to his un-
limited and unerring wisdom. He diffuses as much
happiness among his creatures as his almighty power,
guided by his unsearchable wisdom, can produce. He
is incessantly exerting his almighty power in upholding
and preserving both angels and men; and satisfying
the desires of the many millions of his dependent creat-
ures. And all these expressions of his goodness are
extremely gratifying to his benevolent heart.
makes himself happy by making his creatures happy.
Christ took great pleasure in going about to do good
and to promote the temporal and eternal happiness of
mankind. But God takes far more pleasure in the
innumerable expressions of his goodness towards all
creatures in heaven and earth. Do parents feel pe-
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390
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SERMON XXIII.
culiar satisfaction in expressing their love to their chil-
dren, so does the kind parent of the universe in expres-
sing his goodness and grace to his rational offspring.
Hence says our Saviour, "If ye being evil know how
to give good gifts to your children, how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them
that ask him?” The prophet Micah represents God
as delighting in the expressions of his pardoning mercy.
"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity
and passeth by the transgression of his heritage, be-
cause he delighteth in mercy." And God himself
gives the same representation of the pleasure he enjoys
in the expressions of his benevolence. "I am the
Lord, which exercise loving kindness, judgment and
righteousness in the earth: for in these things I de-
light, saith the Lord." Much of God's blessedness
results from the great and innumerable expressions of
his goodness. All his acts are benevolent in the works
of creation, providence and grace; and all conspire to
make him truly blessed. Besides,
3- God is necessarily happy in beholding the effects
of his benevolence. As he loves to promote the happi-
ness of his creatures, so he loves to see the happiness,
which he bestows and they enjoy. As all his works
flow from benevolence and tend to diffuse happiness
among intelligent and percipient beings, so all the ef-
fects of his power are no less effects of his love. Of
course he enjoys real felicity, in beholding all the works
of his hand and effects of his goodness. Agreeably to
this, we are told that when he had finished the work of
creation, "he saw every thing, that he had made ; and
behold it was very good. It perfectly pleased him
and gratified his benevolent feelings. He continually
beholds all his creatures and all his works and sees all
the happiness, which exists in the whole circle of crea-
tion. He sees all the joy and felicity, which fills the
minds of saints and angels in heaven and all the happi-
ness, which is enjoyed in this lower world. As heaven
and earth are full of his goodness, so they are full of
objects, which entirely please and gratify his benevo-
lent heart. Thus in feeling and expressing his pure
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SERMON XXIII.
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benevolence and in contemplating the fruits and effects
of it, through the whole universe, God is truly blessed.
The whole of his felicity results from or consists in
these benevolent views and feelings. Nor can we
conceive, that a pure and perfect Spirit should derive
the least degree of happiness from any other source.-
His natural perfections, without his moral could yield
him no pleasure, or satisfaction. His power, knowl-
edge and wisdom, though infinitely great, could only
enable him to do and see all things, without enjoying
any thing. For the bare view of objects, without any
exercises of heart, can afford neither pleasure, nor pain
to a percipient Being. Happiness is seated in the
heart and not in any mere intellectual faculties. This
is true of beings, that are composed of flesh and spirit;
and much more of him, who is a pure, uncreated
mind. If this great, original and external Spirit be
truly happy, his happiness must exist in his heart.
And if it exist in his heart, it must flow from his pure,
benevolent feelings; for no other kind of feelings can
afford real happiness to any intelligent, moral being.
Were the Deity a pure Intelligence, as many heathen
philosophers and Christian divines have supposed, it
would be impossible, in the nature of things, that he
should be truly blessed. But if he possesses true be-
nevolence, he must enjoy self approbation, which is real
happiness. I now proceed to show,
11. That he is perfectly and forever blessed. This
will appear from various considerations.
1. The blessedness of the Deity is without the least
alloy, or mixture. It is as pure as his perfect benevo-
lence, from which it flows. God is love and in him
is no malevolence at all. Though the benevolence of
saints in this life affords them some real happiness, yet
it is mixed with many painful feelings, which arise
from the mixture of their selfish with their benevolent
affections. Their selfishness opposes their benevolence
and obstructs the happiness, which they would other-
wise enjoy. But there is no such contrariety of feel-
ings in the divine Being. His goodness is without
alloy, his love without defect and his benevolence with-
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1
392
SERMON, XXIII.
out malevolence. All the affections of his heart are
uniform and harmonious. Though his affections are
infinitely strong, yet his mind is perfectly serene.
There is no perturbation in his feeling;; and though
they are as various as the immense variety of creatures
and objects in the universe, yet as they are all of the
same benevolent nature, he never feels the least con-
flict or discord in his own mind. If his benevolent
feelings, therefore, yield him the least degree of happi-
ness, they must necessarily give him pure, perfect and
permanent felicity.
ob-
2. The blessedness of the Deity must be not only
unmixed, but uninterrupted. There are many things,
which serve to interrupt the happiness of saints here in
this imperfect state, besides their discordant feelings.
But there is nothing in the universe to interrupt the
pure and unmixed felicity of the divine Being.-
He never slumbers, nor sleeps, nor falls into a
state of insensibility a single moment. He is
never obliged to turn his attention from one
ject to another, as all his intelligent creatures are.
They cannot view two worlds, nor even two distant
objects in the same world at once. But God can be.
hold all things done in heaven and earth and all parts
of the universe at one and the same time. He can
feel and express his benevolence and see all the effects
of it, among all his creatures, without a moment's in-
terruption, or intermisson. He never finds any diffi-
culty or obstacle in the way of extending his benevolent
regards to any of his creatures, who are always in his
sight and in his reach. He never sees a good to be
done, which is out of his power to do. He never sees
an evil to be removed from his creatures, which it is
out of his power to remove.
And he never meets with
any resistance from any other being, which he cannot
with infinite ease surmount. There is indeed nothing
within himself, nor without himself, which can in a
single instance, or for a single moment, interrupt the
most free and perfect exercise of his benevolence.
It necessarily follows, that his happiness which flows
from his benevolence, is constant, uninterrupted and
SERMON XXIII
393
༦. "་
permanent. His perfect love is a fountain from which
perpetual streams of happiness must constantly flow
and fill his vast, unmeasurable mind. Any interrup-
tion in the divine blessedness would be a great imper-
fection in it; but there can be no imperfection in the
nature, or happiness of the Deity. He so absolutely
fills and governs the universe, that he can never be dis-
appointed, or obstructed in the gratification of his per-
fect benevolence, which constitutes his felicity.
3. The blessedness of God must be unlimited, as
well as unmixed and uninterrupted. The happiness of
some created beings is unmixed and uninterrupted,
but never can be unlimited. Their finite natures will
forever set bounds to their enjoyments. Their felicity
must necessarily fall short of perfection. But the
blessedness of the Deity can admit of no limitation.
It is as great as possible. This is evident from the
great scheme or mode of operation, which God formed
from eternity. Among all possible modes of operation,
which stood present to his omniscient eye, his infinite
wisdom chose the best, to give the most free, full, ex-
tensive expressions of his perfectly benevolent feelings.
Among all possible things to be done he determined
to do all those, which would diffuse the greatest sum
of happiness through the universe. He determined to
make as many worlds and to place as many creatures
in them and to give those creatures as great capacities
for enjoying good, as would be necessary to form a sys-
tem, which should contain the highest possible happi-
ness. In short, he meant to display his infinite wis-
dom and almighty power, to give the benevolence of
his heart the largest possible field of operation. And
by forming this scheme of operation, which would give
the most unlimited indulgence to his benevolent feel-
ings, he laid a foundation for his own unlimited felicity
and self enjoyment. For he is so absolutely able to fulfil
his purposes, that he views them all as absolutely cer-
tain of accomplishment. Of consequence, he enjoys
his whole benevolent scheme before it is consummated
and brought to a close. If infinite wisdom could have
conceived of any creature, or of any object, or of any
50
394
SERMON XXIII.
;
event, which does not belong to that eternal scheme
of operation, which God has adopted, he would certain-
ly have taken that creature, or that object, or that
event into his original design of displaying his benevo-
lence to the greatest advantage. We may justly con-
clude, therefore, that God has devised and adopted the
best possible method to act out the perfect benevolence
of heart and to promote his own highest possible bles-
sedness. This leads me to observe,
·
4. That his blessedness is as perfect in duration as
in degree. The apostle says in the text, "He is
blessed forever." "He is in one mind and who can
turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he
doeth." He can never see any reason to alter his de-
signs; and therefore it is certain that he never will al-
ter them. He can never meet with any insurmounta-
ble difficulties in carrying his designs into effect; and
therefore he will infallibly accomplish them. And if
he does eventually accomplish all his purposes, his joy
will be full and his blessedness complete and eternal.
He was blessed in forming his benevolent designs;
he has been blessed in carrying them on; he will be
blessed in bringing them to a close; and he will be
blessed in contemplating them, through interminable
ages. His blessedness will certainly be as great at the
end, as at the beginning of the world. Nor does it
imply any absurdity, to suppose that it will be much
greater. At the end of the world, all the fruits and
effects of his infinite benevolence will rise into view
and actually appear as realities in all their variety, ex-
cellence, magnitude and importance. We must sup-
pose that God views things as they are and not as they
are not. He views things, which do not exist, as not
ex sting; and things, which do exist, as actually exist-
ing. He now views the end of the world and the con-
summation of all his designs, as things future and not to
come into existence. But when they have come into
existence, he will view them as present, and actually
existing. Where, then, is the absurdity of supposing,
that the happiness of the Deity will rise higher when
his great and benevolent scheme is accomplished, than
SERMON XXIII.
395
'it ever was before? And where is the absurdity of
supposing, that his blessedness should perpetually rise
higher and higher, as the successive scenes of eternity
are perpetually opening and displaying new effects
of his benevolence? It is certain, that the felicity of
saints and angels will perpetually and eternally increase
as they perpetually discover new and glorious effects
of the divine benevolence in the works of creation,
providence and redemption. And why should not the
divine felicity increase, as God perpetually and eter-
nally sees the growing holiness and happiness of all his
holy creatures, which are new effects of his infinite be-
nevolence? This does not imply, that the divine bles-
sedness has not been and will not be as great as possible
in any moment of infinite duration. But whether
his blessedness will forever increase or not, yet there is
a foundation in his nature and designs for being su-
premely and infinitely blessed for ever and ever.
IMPROVEMENT.
If the blessedness of God essentially consists in the
benevolence of his heart; then we may clearly under-
stand what is meant by his acting for his own glory.
The scripture represents him as making this his su-
preme object in all his conduct. We read that "the
Lord hath made all things for himself"--that "of him
and through him and to him are all things, to whom be
glory forever." God himself often declares in his
word, I will do this and that, for my name sake---for
my praise-- for my glory. These expressions are all of
the same import and signify that God always acts with
an ultimate and supreme regard to his own glory.
The question now is, what is to be understood by his
glory? It is often said, that his acting for his own
glory consists in displaying his perfections before the
eyes of his intelligent creatures. It is true, indeed,
that when he acts for his own glory, he does display
his perfections before the eyes of his intelligent crea-
tures; but this is only an end subordinate to his su-
preme end, which is his own glory, or the most perfect
gratification of his infinitely benevolent heart. If the
F
396
SERMON XXIII.
4
display of his perfections did not gratify his own be-
nevolent feelings, which are the source of his blessedness,
they would not promote his own glory. It has often
been asked, what motive could God, who is perfectly
happy, have to create the heavens and the earth and
give existence to angels and men? To say he created
all things to display his perfections does not appear to
answer the question; for it may still be asked, why
should a perfectly happy being desire to display his per-
fections? But if what has been said in this discourse
be true, that the happiness or blessedness of God con-
sists in gratifying his benevolent feelings; then it is
plain, that this must have been his motive in all his
works of creation, providence and redemption. He
supremely and ultimately aimed to promote his own
benevolent blessedness, in every thing he ever has done,
or ever will do.
As God saw from eternity all the
holiness and happiness, which it was in his power to
produce, by creating such a system as he has created,
his perfectly benevolent heart moved him to create it;
and he could not have been perfectly blessed, if he had
not created it. His creating the universe for his glory
means his creating it, for his own most benevolent and
perfect blessedness.
1
2. If God's blessedness, which consists in the grat-
ification of his benevolence, be his glory, which he
seeks in all his works; then his glory and the good of
the universe cannot be separated. Men are very apt
to separate them and to imagine that God's acting for
his own glory prevents his acting for the good of his
creatures. But this is not true. His acting for his
glory is acting to express his pure benevolence to his
creatures, in promoting their highest happiness. It is
impossible that God should promote his own glory to
the highest degree, without promoting the highest
good of the universe. Every benevolent being places
his happiness in the happiness of others, as well as in
his own happiness. David and Jonathan were both
benevolent and loved one another as their own souls;
and consequently they placed their own happiness in
the happiness of each other. Pious parents and pious
SERMON XXIII.
397
children are mutually attached to each other; and
place their own happiness in promoting the happiness
of one another. So the kind parent of the universe
places his happiness in the happiness of his immensely
numerous offspring; and it would diminish his bles-
sedness, if he saw a single individual among his crea-
tures, that was less happy than he could consistently
make him. As Creator, he stands in the same relation
to all his creatures and regards the good of the lowest,
as well as the highest among them, according to its in-
trinsic worth & importance. But he has let us know,
that he cannot make all his creatures happy consistent-
ly with the highest good of the whole, nor some so
happy as others. Nevertheless it would wound his
benevolent heart, if one human person were not as hap-
py as he could consistently make him. It is impossible
that God should seek his own glory, without seeking
to make his creatures as happy as his perfect wisdom,
goodness and power can make them His glory and
their happiness are, therefore, inseparably connected.
He knows infinitely better than creatures do, what is
most for his glory and for their good; and he means to
promote his own glory, that he day promote their
greatest good. He will be happy in seeing them hap-
py; and they will be happy in seeing him happy.
•
3. If God means to gratify his own benevolence in
all his conduct; then we may be assured, that he never
has suffered and never will suffer any thing to take
place in the universe, but what he knows will promote
the greatest good of the whole system of moral beings.
As this is his supreme object he has in view in all his
works, he will cause every thing to take place, which
will serve to promote his supreme purpose and prevent
every thing from taking place, that would either ob-
struct, or not promote his ultimate end in creation.
Since he has caused both natural and moral evil to ex-
ist among his other works of creation, we may be sure,
that no more natural, or moral evil shall exist, than he
sees necessary to promote his benevolent purposes. As
he designs, that the wrath of man shall praise him, so
the remainder of wrath he will restrain, or not cause
•
399
SERMON XXIII.
}
"We
to exist. As he designs, that the punishment of his
sinful creatures, shall promote the holiness and happi-
ness of the heavenly world, so he will not make a greater
number miserable, nor in a greater degree, nor in a
longer duration, than the accomplishment of his su-
preme benevolent design requires. He will not suffer
any thing to exist in any part of his vast dominions,
which will, not only gratify his own benevolent heart,
but every benevolent heart in the universe.
know, that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to
his purpose." And the heavenly hosts say to God,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power for thou hast created all things;
and for thy pleasure they are and were created." God's
original and eternal design in creation was to please
himself and all his holy creatures. He will not, there-
fore, suffer any creature, object, or event to exist,
which will not, all things considered, actually please
and gratify the hearts of all holy beings. This ap-
pears not only from particular passages of scripture,
but from God's supreme and ultimate end in creation.
It is not a wild and visionary sentiment, as many rep-
resent it to be, that every natural and moral evil is the
occasion of great good. It is a doctrine founded in the
essential attributes of the divine nature; and as certain
as the existence of the divine Being.
4 If it be God's supreme design to make himself
and his creatures as happy as possible, then we have
reason to rejoice, that he is absolutely sovereign. If
any of his selfish creatures could guide, or stay his
hand, they would not suffer him to seek his own hap-
piness, nor the greatest happiness of the universe, but
constrain him to promote their own private, personal,
selfish happiness. Orjif his benevolent creatures could
direct or control his conduct, they would prevent his
governing the world in the manner he does actually
govern it; for they do not discover the wisdom of his
providence in ten thousand important instances; and
consequently, if they were to direct his conduct, he
would order things very differently. But he is infi-
SERMON XXIII.
399
;
nitely above all his creatures; and his ways are above
their ways and his thoughts above their thoughts. He
always knows what is best; can do what is best, and
will do what is best, notwithstanding the short-sighted
views, or selfish desires of any of his creatures. And
they all have reason to rejoice in his absolute sove-
reignty. Christ rejoiced in it. "I thank thee, O
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight." All the inhabitants of the
earth have reason to rejoice, that the Lord reigneth as
an absolute sovereign; and all the inhabitants of heaven
do rejoice in his supremacy. The apostle John, speak-
ing of what he saw and heard in heaven, says, "I
heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty
thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God om-
nipotent reigneth." It is just matter of rejoicing to
the whole intelligent creation, that God always acts as
a sovereign, without the least control from any other
being in the universe. His own blessedness and the
highest felicity of all his holy creatures entirely de-
pends upon his being and acting as a sovereign. For
by acting in a sovereign and irresistible manner, he
will infallibly overrule all things for his own glory,
which will necessarily secure the highest good of all his
benevolent and dutiful servants.
If he
5. Since God places his highest happiness in pro-
moting the highest happiness of his creatures, we have
solid ground to believe, that he will fulfil all his great
and precious promises to believers. He has insepara-
bly connected their happiness with his own.
will certainly seek his own blessedness, he will as cer-
tainly seek theirs; and if he is able to make himself
most perfectly blessed, he is as able to make all those,
whom he has set apart for himself, completely blessed.
He has made as rich and large promises of good to his
people as he can make. He has promised, that "all
things shall work together for good to them that love
him; and that all things are theirs; whether Paul, or
+
+
F
400
SERMON XXIII.
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or
things present, or things to come; all are theirs." All
the promises, which God has made to his people, are
founded in his pure and perfect benevolence and can
no more fail, than his benevolence can fail. And his
love to his creatures can no more fail than his love to
himself, because it is pure disinterested love, which re-
gards their good as his own. The same perfectly
benevolent spirit, which moves him to seek his own
blessedness, equally moves him to seek the blessedness
of those, whom he has renewed and sanctified. As
he has begun a good work in them, he will irresistibly
carry it on until it is completed. Though they may
meet with a thousand difficulties, embarrassments, dis-
couragements and fiery trials in their Christian course;
yet these will no more prevent their receiving the end
of their faith, even the salvation of their souls, then
they will prevent God's obtaining his supreme and ul-
timate end, even his own supreme and everlasting bles-
sedness. For the very same things, which will pro-
mote his glory, will equally promote their final felicity,
Hence Christ said to his followers just before he left
them to go to heaven, "Because I live, ye shall live
also."
6. If God places his own blessedness in promoting
the highest good of the universe; then there is the
same solid ground to believe, that he will fulfil his
threatenings to the wicked, as there is to believe that he
will fulfil his promises to the righteous.
For the only
reason, why he determined to save a part and not the
whole of mankind, was because he saw that by saving
only a part, he could promote the greatest good of the
universe and most clearly act out the benevolence of his
heart. His decree of reprobation originated in the
same benevolence, in which his decree of election
originated. So that there is the same reason to be-
lieve, that he will carry into effect his decree of repro-
bation, as there is, that he will carry into effect his
decree of election. His own blessedness and the good
of the universe, both necessarily require him to execute
his decree of reprobation, as well as his decree of elec-
}


SERMÓN XXIII.
401
tion.
God's threatenings to the finally wicked stand
upon the same immovable foundation, that his prom.
ises to the finally righteous do. They both stand upon
the perfect, immutable benevolence of God. The ar-
gument, the principal argument, therefore, which is us-
ually employed to prove, that God will not fulfil his
threatenings to the wicked, demonstratively proves that
he will. The argument is taken from his infinite be-
nevolence. It is said, that God is too good to make any
of his creatures, even his most sinful ones, forever mis-
erable. But itwas owing to his benevolence to himself
and to the universe, that he decreed to save a part and
not the whole of the human race; and the same beney-
olence will infallibly move him to execute this decree.
There is precisely the same reason to believe, that
God will fulfil his threatenings, as that he will fulfil
his promises; and the same reason to believe both,
that there is, to believe that he is perfectly benevolent
and infinitely blessed.
7. We learn from what has been said, that none
can be miserable in time or eternity, but those, who are
unwilling that God should promote the highest good of
the universe. Those, who are desirous that God
should do this, must be completely gratified and bless-
ed, when they shall see this glorious and benevolent de-
sign accomplished. But those, who are unwilling
that God should bring about this happy event, must of
necessity be completely disappointed and wretched.
And do not those, who are hostile to the highest good
of the universe, deserve the disapprobation and con-
demnation of all holy and benevolent beings? Do
they not deserve the tokens of God's displeasure and of
the displeasure of all the heavenly world? But who
are they, that are unwilling God should promote the
highest good of the universe? They are certainly
such, as' are unwilling that God should glorify himself,
by punishing the finally impenitent and incorrigible.
And are there not many such in this world, who would
rather God should not be glorified in promoting the
highest blessedness of himself, and the highest happi-
ness of the universe than that he should make either
themselves or others miserable forever? All unre-
£
W
51
402
SERMON XXIII.
newed sinners possess such selfish feelings; and desire
that God would make them happy, though it should
diminish his own blessedness and obstruct the highest
good of the universe. And they bitterly complain of
God, if he will not gratify their selfish feelings. But
it is morally impossible for him to gratify their selfish
and sinful desires. He must pursue and accomplish
his benevolent purposes, though it sinks them in end-
less perdition. But this they might escape, if they
would only renounce their unreasonable and selfish
desires, and exercise pure and disinterested be-
nevolence, which is their indispensable duty. God's
ways are equal; he regards the good, of the whole,
more than the good of individuals; but their ways
are unequal; for they regard the good of indi-
viduals more than the good of the whole. It would
be infinitely wrong for God to renounce his benevolent
object and pursue their selfish object. But it would
be perfectly wise and right in them to renounce their
object, and pursue his. Therefore "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."
Finally, let all the friends of God, appear on his
side,in this murmuring, repining, unbelieving rebellious
world, who hate him and oppose him without a cause.
Let them go on their way rejoicing, while others mur-
mur and complain. Let them unite with God in carry-
ing on his designs, while others attempt to counteract
and oppose them. Let them love and promote truth,
while others run into errors and fatal delusions. They
have the greatest encouragement to do this; for God
is on their side and employing all his perfections for
their good. He is promoting the most benevolent de-
sign, which he will infallibly accomplish. By its
accomplishment, he will raise the holiness and happi-
ness of the universe to the highest possible perfection,
which shall continue forever and ever. And in the
highest holiness and happiness of the universe, God
will perfectly gratify his infinite benevolence and enjoy
infinite and everlasting blessedness. Amen.
DEC 2 7 1917

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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