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 DISCOURSES 
 
 ON 
 
 SEVERAL SUBJECTS, 
 
 BY SAMUEL SEABURY, D. D. 
 
 Bishop of Connectriut and Rhode-Island. 
 
 VOL. IL 
 
 ^.x-""*^ -^ A?^X, 
 
 HUDSON: 
 
 PUBUSHED BY WILUAM E. NORMAN. 
 
 ft 
 
 1815. 
 

 ^ 
 
 t 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 VOLUME IL 
 DISCOURSE I. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Observations on the Faith and Conduct of Abraham. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 GAt. iiL 6. SUbraham believed God, and it Ttms accounted to him for righteous- 
 ness. Knov) ye therefore^ that they -which are of faith, tlie same are the chil- 
 dren of Abraham. - - - " " ' " ^ 
 
 PART II. 
 
 The same Subject continued. 21— <)1 
 
 DISCOURSE II. 
 
 The Stcdfastness of Job. 
 Job. xiii. 15. Though lie slay me, yet vnll I trust in him^ - - 33—39 
 
 DISCOURSE IIL 
 
 Tlie Example of the Israelites. 
 
 1 Con. X. 11, 12. JVW all these things happened unto tJiemfor ensampks: and 
 tliey are torittenfov our admonition, upon -whom the ends of the world are come. 
 Wherefore, let him that thinketh lie sta/ndeth, take heed lest he fall. - 41 — 54 
 
 DISCOURSE IV. 
 
 No Temptations unsurmountable by Christians. 
 
 1 Cob. X. 13. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to 
 man: But God is faithful, -who -will not suffer you to be tempted above that yv 
 are able ,- but -mil luith the temptation also make a liiay to escape, that ye may 
 te able to bear it. - - - - - - - 55—68 
 
 DISCOURSE V. 
 
 Observations on tlie Cure of the Paralytic Man who was brought to Christ. 
 
 Matt. ix. 2. Jesus seeing t/ieir faith, saith tmto the sick of the palsy. Son, 
 
 be of good cheer, thy nns be for^ven thee. - - - - 69—89 
 
 s'^kif/ii7 
 
CONTENTS 
 DISCOURSE VI. . 
 
 Blind Bartimeus. fage. 
 
 ^•LriCE xviii. 42. Jtnd Jesus said unto him. Receive thy sights thy faith hath saved 
 
 thee. - . - . - . . - 81—88 
 
 DISCOURSE VII. 
 
 The Blessedness of having- Eyes that see and Ears that hear. 
 
 Matt. xiii. 16. BxU blessed are your eyeijfor they sea ; and your ears, for they 
 
 hear. - - - - - - - - 89—103 
 
 DISCOURSE VIIL 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Thfr Atonement of Christ. 
 
 1 JoBX ii. 1, 2. My little children, these things torite I unto you, that ye sin not. 
 .And if any man sin, ive have an advocate toith the Father, Jesus Christ the 
 righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for our sins only, 
 but also for the sins ofihe -whole -world. - - - - 105 — 114 
 
 PART II. 
 
 The same Subject continued. 115—122 
 PART III. 
 
 The same Subject continued- 123 — 130 
 
 DISCOURSE iX. 
 
 The necessary Effects of Sin and Holmess. 
 
 Gai. vi. 7, 8. Be not' deceived ; God is not mocked ; for -whatsoever a man 
 soiueth, that shall lie also reap. For he tluxt so-weth to Ms flesh, shall of the 
 fiesh reap cornipiio7i : but he that so-weth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap 
 life everla^ing. - - - - - - - 131 — 137 
 
 DISCOURSED 
 
 The Case of Esau. 
 
 Heb. xii. 17. For ye know ho~w that afterward, -when he -worddhave inherited the 
 blessing, he -was rejected ; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought 
 it carefully loith tears. - - - - - - 139 — -151 
 
 DISCOURSE XI. 
 
 The Exultation of Zacharias. ^ Christmas Sermon. 
 
 LtJKE i, 68, 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and re' 
 deemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, in the house 
 of his servant David, - - - - = , 153 — 16^ 
 
CONTENTS. vii 
 
 DISCOURSE XII. 
 
 The Circumcision of our Lord, or New-Year'sDay. 
 
 Gai. vl. 15. In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thin^, ^or vncir- 
 cumcision, buUa new creature. ----- 165—17/ 
 
 DISCOURSiE XIII. 
 
 Deliverance from Sin the Design of Christ's commg. 
 
 J JoHif iii. 8. He that committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth/rom 
 the beginmng. For this purpose the Son of God -was manifested, that /le might 
 destroy the works of the devil. - . - - - - 17'9 — 190 
 
 DISCOURSE XIV. 
 
 No Respect of Persons with God. 
 
 Rom. ii. 28, 29. ffe is not a Jeto, which is one outwardly ,- neither is that circum- 
 cision which is outward in the fe,sh : But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; 
 and circumcision is that of the hearty in tlie spirit, and 7iotin the letter / wjwse 
 praise is not of men bitt ef God. - - - - . 191 — 200 
 
 DISCOURSE XV. 
 
 The Children of AVisdom. 
 . Matt. Jti. %9. But wisdom isjustifed of her childre^i. 201 — 213 
 
 DISCOURSE X^I. 
 
 The Christian Race. 
 
 Heb. xii. 1, 2. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a 
 cloud of witnesses, let its lay aside every weight, and tfi» sin which doth so easi- 
 ly beset us, and let us run with patie^ice. the mce that is set before us, looking 
 •unto Jefus the author andfnisher of our faith ,• who for the joy t/uit was set 
 before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right 
 hand of the throne of God. - ... - 2 15-— 220 
 
 DISCOURSE XVII. 
 
 The Strait Gate. 
 
 Luke xiii. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate : For many, J say unto you, 
 
 will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. - - - 227 — 235 
 
 DISCOURSE XVIII. 
 
 Tlie Parable of the Virgins . 
 
 Matt. xxv. 13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the hmir, 
 wherein tlie Son of man come(h. - - ^ . - 237-- 247 
 
CONTENTS. 
 DISCOURSE XIX. 
 
 Cautions with regard to hearing SermoHSo 
 hVK-EVmAS. Take heed how ye-hear. . - . , 249—262 
 
 DISCOURSE XX. 
 
 The Doom of Jei*usalem. 
 
 hvKE xix. 41, 42. And -when he -was cometwar, he beheld the city, and ivepf over 
 it, sayings If thou hadst knoiun, even thoul at least in thii thy day, tfie thinga 
 •wJiich belong unto thy ppace / but now they are hid from thine eyes. 263*-373 
 
 DISCOURSE XXI. 
 
 PARTI. 
 
 Heaven the City of Christians. 
 
 Pflilipp. iii. 20, 21. For our conversation is in heg,ven, from whence also we look 
 for the Snviow, t/ie Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall change our vile body, that 
 it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working wfwre- 
 by he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. - -* 273—280 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. 281—288 
 
 DISCOURSE XXII. 
 
 Mercy and Judgment. 
 
 Ron. -ix. 18. . Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have tnercy, and whord 
 ■ he will he hardtneth. . ' - - - .- - 289—309 
 
DISCOURSE L 
 
 PART I. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS ON THE FAITH AND CONDUCT OF 
 ABRAHAM, > . . 
 
 GAL. iii. 6. ■ " :., i? ''.^•'' 
 
 Ahraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for 
 rij^hteonsness. Know tie therefore^ that they which are of 
 faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE hi«jh character, which tlie inspired Servants of 
 God fi^ive of Abraham, jusily inlillf s him to our esteem. 
 lie is called, the '' friend of God,"^ "the father of all 
 them tl)at believe :"t his faith and obedience are set as 
 patterns for our imitation ; and we are taught to estimate 
 the value of our faith by it> conf(»rmity to his. Proprie- 
 ty, therefore, as well as duty, require us to examine the 
 nature and effects of that faith and obedience which were 
 So eminent in him, that we may jud^e whether we are 
 possessed of them. To this inquiry we are led by the 
 text, which presents four things to our consideration. 
 
 I. The meaning of the phrase, " Abraham believed 
 God." 
 
 II. What is meant by his belief being " accounted to 
 him for rijjhteousness." 
 
 III. What is meant by the expression, ^' They which 
 are of faith." 
 
 IV. What we are to understand by " the children of 
 A^braham." 
 
 * J^iTi. n< 153^ t Rom. iv. 11 
 
 VOL. ir, R 
 
n 
 
 . 
 
 10 Ohservaiions on the Faith 
 
 I. The first thin<j; into which we are to inquire, is 11r 
 meaning of the phrase, " Abraham believed God.'* To 
 ascertain this, I know no better way than to apply lo tlie 
 history of the faith of Abraham, as it is recorded in the 
 Bible; for to that history tlie subsequent writers refer, m 
 their commendations of him. 
 
 The first instance we have of Abraham's faith, is his 
 leaving his father's house and his country, at the command 
 .of Gad; 'Pjr««3 going into a strange land to sojourn, " not 
 kno^Ving'whitlier he went,"* nor what was to be his por- 
 iib-jilasith^/'i^prjld. When we reflect, that by the com- 
 mand of'tibd*, Abraham was obliged to leave his country, 
 family, friends, connections, and all the interest and ad- 
 vantages which could arise from them ; and to throw him- 
 self, unconnected, unsupported, friendless, and a stran- 
 ger, on the wide world, trusting merely and solely to the 
 promise which God had made, that he w^ould be with him, 
 and protect, and support him; it luust appear, tliat his 
 faith in the divine promise was exceedingly strong. 
 
 Should a reason be asked, why God commanded Abra- 
 ham to leave his coimtry ; the common opinion is highly 
 probable, that his countrymen were degenerating fast in- 
 to idolatry ; and that it was to preserve him, and, through 
 him, the line from w hich the great Mediator was to spring, 
 in the pure worship of the true God. For thisproiuise 
 was made to him at this time, " Thou shalt be a blessing — 
 and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. "f 
 This promise evidently relates to Messiah, the Mediator 
 whom God had promised to Adaui. It was, therefore, 
 his faith in the promise of a Mediator to spring from bin, 
 that induced Abraham to leave his country and religion, 
 and to become a stranger and sojourner in the world. It 
 could not be the promise of the land of Canaan — That 
 was rather made to his descendants than to him ; nor were 
 they to enjoy it, till four hundred and thirty years after. 
 Nor could it be the promise of worldly prosperity ; of 
 being made a great nation, and living under the blessing 
 and protection of God. Worldly prosperity seems to have 
 
 * Ilcb. xi. 8. t Gen. xii. 2, " 
 
and Conduct of Abraham. I ] 
 
 been more in his power, in his own country, than when 
 he uasashaniierand wanderer in the world. His father's 
 laniily were probably of considerable note, if not amono* 
 the first in Chaldea ; and consequently his chance of world- 
 ly advantages was j^reater by stayini> at home, than by 
 wandt'iin^ abroad. But he sought "a better country, 
 tliat is, an heavtnly" — " a i:\\y which hath foundations, 
 whose build< r and maker is God."^' He, therefore, re- 
 "^feigned liims< If up into the hands of God, to be directed 
 . by him in all tlimtj^s ; knowinoj, tlmt tlie promise he had 
 received was merely of grace and favour, and only to be 
 obtained in the precise way God should direct. Accord- 
 inj^lv, at the next interview which God afforded him, he 
 graciouslv promised tiiin a son, whereby the promise that 
 all nations should be blessed in his seed became possible 
 to Imn. Great must have t)een the support of this prom- 
 ise to his faitli and tiope ; for it is with regard to this very 
 promise, that Aliraham is said to tiave " believed in the 
 Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness."t 
 
 Another instance of the faith of Abraham, was his con- 
 fident assurance, that lie should have a son by Sarah tiis 
 "wile, who had ever been cJiildless, and was then arrived 
 at the age, wlien the bearing of a child was beyond the 
 power of nature. At the tifne this promise was made, the 
 rite of circumcisiim was enjoined him. The great age of 
 Sarah staggered not his faith in the promise; nor did the 
 pain and inconvenience of circumcision make him hesitate 
 in his obedience. He knew in whom he believed, and 
 whom he oi^eyed ; even the " Almighty God," before 
 whom he was directed to " walk, and be perfect ;"J that 
 is, with a sincere and upright heart, to believe all his de- 
 clarations, and obey all his commands. This God, he 
 knew, was able to fulfil the promise, and had a right to 
 im[)(»se ttie command. He believed the promise, that he 
 sl.ould have a son by Sarah, even against the course of na- 
 ture, through whom the blessing of all nations should 
 come : and tie submitted to circumcision as the means of 
 entering into ihat covenant which was to l>e established 
 
 Heb xi. 10, 16. | Gon. xy. 6, ± Gen. xvil 1. 
 
1 2 Observations on the Faith 
 
 through the promised seed — a mark f»r seal on the part of 
 God, that he would inake ^nod tl.at promise; and a les- 
 timony to him, that lie and his seed were heirs tliroiioji 
 liope of tlie promise, partakers in the covenant of medi- 
 ation, and entitled to all the rights and piivileges of it. 
 
 1 shall mention but one instance more of the faith of 
 Abraham, and that is his offering up his son Isaac in sacri- 
 fi<*e, at the conimand of God. Tins, probably, was the 
 greatest trial tliat ever happened to meie man. He liad 
 received Isaac as the child of tlie promise, beinoj assured, 
 tltat in his seed all the natir)ns of i\\e eaith should be bi^ «s- 
 ed ; and just as he was come to the yeais of manhooa,* 
 lie had a positive and peremptory command to offer him 
 tip a buint-offering to God. Who could bear this? An 
 unheaid of thing! A human sactjfice ! An obedient and 
 beloved son to be slain and offered in sa( * ifice by a t* n !t-r 
 father! The child of promise to be put to death by him 
 to \Nhom the promise had been made! Wheie now istJ e 
 mercy, and truth, and loving-kindness of God? '' His 
 trutl) endureth to all generations,"t — his " mercy is great 
 above the heavens/'J and fiis " faithfulness reacleth unto 
 the chmds."^ This Abraham knew, and that no word of 
 liis would fall to the groimd. God had promised, and he 
 would perform— God had commanded, and he vv( uld jus- 
 tify the deed. He knew that he had received Isaac by 
 the power of God, and not according to the couise of na- 
 ture; that HE who gave him a son, was able to raise him 
 from the dead ||, and to fulfil all his |)romises in hnn ; and 
 be humbly trusted he would do so. 7'herefore he stum- 
 bled not* at the cominand, but was confident God would 
 fulfil the word which had gone out of his moutli. Gra- 
 ciously did God accept his faitii and submission, andgia- 
 ci<'usly did he reward them, by sending his angel to pre- 
 vent tlie death of his son; by blessing him with temporal 
 promises; and by renewing to him the assurance, that the 
 blessing of all nations should come through him. 
 
 This instance of Abraham's faith affords the most live- 
 
 * According to the chronology of the Bible, Isaac ^sls, at this time, twenty 
 ave years old. 
 t Ps?« c. 5. :^ cviii= 4. § xxsv? S, g Heb. si. 19. 
 
and Conduct of Abraham. 1 3 
 
 ]y representation of the Inve of God, in the r'^^dennption 
 of the world, that was ever exhibited. Through faith and 
 love of God, Auraham gave up his only, liis beloved son, 
 in sacrifice to him; and consented to take away his life 
 and reduce his body to aslies, because he commanded. 
 The me^k and hn»nble submission of Isaac demands also 
 our attention. Though able, he made no resistance; nor 
 did opposition proceed from his mouth. Abraham, throuoU 
 faith, submitted lo make the required oHerm<^ ; and Isaac, 
 throuojh faith, submitted to become the offering w liich 
 God demanded, and thereby sliewed himselt an eminent 
 type of the Saviour of the world. i\nd behold the re- 
 ward from the jroodness of God ! Abraham withheld not 
 bis son from God ; and God gave up his Son for Abraham, 
 and all tie families of tl]e earth. Isaac refused not t() be- 
 come a sacrifice when God required ; and the Son ot God 
 refused not to be made a sacrrfice for Isaac, and for all 
 who weie to be blessed through the promised seed. 
 
 But to form a true estimate of Abraham's faith and sub- 
 nii'ision, it is necessary to take one ciicumslance more 
 into the account — the tender scene which passed between 
 the father and son, as they walked together to the place 
 of sacrifice. Isaac, loaded with the v\ood, seeing tie 
 knife and fire in his lather's hands, said, " Behold, my 
 fittier, the fire and the wood ; but v.'here is the lamb for a 
 burnt-otlering ?" " God will |)rovide himself a lamb for a 
 burnt-ofiering," replied the heart-rent father. So mur h 
 has Moses recorded — The scene he has not described- 
 Fet>l it every parent must; but what imagination can do 
 justice to the emotions of nature, the agonies of piety, 
 the rendings of affection, which tore the heart of Abra- 
 ham while he informed his son, that he himself was the 
 lamb which God had provided for a burnt-ofiiBiing ? We 
 may figure the scene to ourselves, but it cannot be de- 
 scribed. * 
 
 Equally beyond the power of description must have 
 been the feelings of I<^aac's heart, on that occasion. He 
 knew himself to be the heir of the promise made to his 
 father. Yet, just when he was come to man's estate, he 
 
 /) 
 
l-l Obs€7'vations on the Fctith 
 
 consented to be cut otf by a violent deatli — a death, loo, 
 inflicted by a lender parent — and in obedience to the coiii- 
 mand of God who had made the promise. Nothing but 
 a firm belief in the power, and truth, and goodness of 
 God, that he would raise Isaac to life, and in him fulfil 
 liis promises, though his blood should be poured out and 
 bis body reduced to ashes, could have supported either 
 father or son, in so great a conflict between faith and 
 sense, grace and nature. They both knew, that throuijjh 
 Isaac, the promised seed, the blessing of all nations, was 
 to come : And they firmly believed, that under the direc- 
 tion of God, by ways and means they could not account 
 for, and which to Ruman reas6n appeared dark and intri- 
 cate, they w ere contributing to tlie grand event. 
 
 Let any one now diaw the conchision, and I trust he 
 will determine with me, that the meaning of the phrase, 
 " Abraham believed God,'» is, that he had so firm and un- 
 doubtiug a belief of the promises of God, as produced 
 the most willing and absolute obedience to every thing he 
 commanded, even against the workings of nature, the 
 dictates of reason, and the suggestions of sense. 
 
 II. The second -thing promised from the text was, to 
 inquire into the meaning of the declaration, that Abra- 
 Iiam's faith was " accounted to him for righltiou=;ness." 
 
 The works of every man proceed from his failh; and 
 such as his faith is, such will his life be. If he believe 
 that his happiness is to proceed from the riches, honours, 
 or pleasures of the world, it will be the endeavour of his 
 life to obtain them. If his faith be in the world to come, 
 and he should believe that the favour of God is that alone 
 which can give him peace of conscience in this world, and 
 happiness in the next, his life will be according to his faith ; 
 it will be passed in obedience to God, that he may obtain 
 his favour. Works, then, are the fruit of faith, the ef- 
 fects whici it produceth, and cannot be necessary for the 
 information of God, who knoweth the state of our hearts 
 without them, and will accept us as our heart is towards 
 him. But they aie necessary for us and for the world. 
 They increase and strengthen our faith and patience by 
 
and Conduct of Abraham. 1 5 
 
 exercise ; they ^ive us comfort in ourselves, and confi- 
 deiife in Ihe grace and protection of our heavenly Father; 
 and they are examples of faith and holy livinor to the 
 world, as well as evidences of the truth and reality of the 
 divine power and 2[oodness. 
 
 There is, therefore, no absurdity in supposino;, that it 
 is the state of the heart which God principally regards; 
 and that where he sees that to be stedfastly fixed in firrn 
 faitli and trust in him, he accepts the person as ritrhteous 
 and upiight before him, without waiting for those works 
 of holiness which are necessary evidences to tfie world; 
 because he knows his faith, when tried, will produce tl em. 
 
 God promised Abraham a son in his old age, and that 
 his seed should be innumerable like the stars of heaven:^' 
 Abraham believed God without hesitation or doubt, and 
 God esteemed it a righteous act, and him a righteous man 
 on account of it. But it will not follow from hence, ttiat 
 no works were after this expected of Abraham; no acts 
 of obedience, and patience, and self denial. His history 
 shews that they were required, and that God commanded 
 particular instances of them. Nor will it follow, that they 
 had no ejffect in his justification, that is, in procuring re- 
 mission of his sins. 8t. James affirms expressly, tliat 
 "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone;" and 
 saith, that " Abraham our father was justified by works, 
 when he offered Isaac his son on the altar.;" that his "faith 
 wrought with his v*'orks, and by works was faith made 
 perfect;*' and that thereby "the Scripture was fulfilled 
 which saith, Abraliam believed God, and it was imputed 
 to him for righteousness." He then draweth this general 
 conclusion, " that by works a man is justified, and not by 
 faith only;" and that, " as the body without the soul is 
 dead, so faith without works is dead also.^f Abraham's 
 faith was, therefore, accounted to him for righteousness, 
 because he implicitly believed every promise which God 
 niade, humbly obeyed every command he gave, and pa 
 tiently endured every trial he laid on him. Now, this is 
 
 ' Gen. XV. 5. 6. t Jam. ii. 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26. 
 
1 6 Observations on the Faith 
 
 nojhteousne«s itself — the very state in which all created 
 beinj{s ou«fht to live. 
 
 I have hitliei to considered this matter on gjeneral prin- 
 ciples ; but there is another sense in which the text oufijht 
 to be re«[arded, and which, J suppose, St. Paul principal- 
 Jj intended, when he wrote it. 
 
 From his Epistle to the Galatians it appears, that at 
 least some of those, who had been converted from Gentil- 
 is(n, had'been beguiled by judaisina; teachers, to submh to 
 the law of Moses; estnemmj? circu ncision and the ob- 
 servance of the law of the Jews necessary to obtain justi- 
 fieation, or remission of sins, under the Gospel. As^ainst 
 this error St. Paul contended ; and, from it endeavoured 
 to rescue the Galatians, by his Epistle, Among other ar- 
 guments, he reasons from the instance of Abraham, who 
 was not justified either by circumcision, or the law of 
 Moses; neither of which were instituted, when his faith 
 was accounted to him for righteousness ; but on account 
 of his faith in the promises of God, among which, that of 
 the Mediator, or seed \x\ wiiom all tne families of the earth 
 were to be blessed, was a principal one. The -conse- 
 quence is evident, tliat as Abraham was justified, without 
 circumcision or the law of Moses, by his faith looking for- 
 ward to the fulfilling of the promises of (lod ; so Chris- 
 tians were to expect justification, not by submitting to cir- 
 cuf ncision and the Mosaic law 5 but by faith in the promi- 
 ses of God, particularly the great pro nise of a Mediator, 
 which God had fulfilled to tliem in the person of Jesus. 
 
 St. Paul, therefore, hath said nothing against the good 
 works of Christians, which spring from faith m Christ, 
 that is, a firm belief of the Gos[)el. He argues merely 
 from the inefficacy of the law of Moses, called the law 
 of works, to obtain justification with God ; shews that 
 Abraham was not justified by it; and that, therefore, it 
 would be idle and wicked in the Gabuians to renounce 
 their dependence on the Gospel of Ctirist, and s*ek for 
 justification by circumcision and the law of M :)ses, by 
 which even Abraha^n liimself did not obtain his justifica- 
 tion, or the honouiabie titles of the Friend of God? and. 
 
and Conduct of Ahrahnm. 17 
 
 ilie Father of those who believe. T > t! is \f^i it be aditd, 
 tliat M. Paul as str(>nii;ly recomnen<lsCI)ristian works, as 
 he rliscountenarK'es those of Judaism; and as for^'ibly in- 
 sisis on tl;e necessity of obedience to the Gos{)e|, as he 
 rej cts the necessity of obedience to the law of Moses. 
 
 III. Let us now attend to the third particular, the mean- 
 ing of the exptession, " they which are of faith." 
 
 To be of faith, as Abrahairi was of faith, means, un- 
 doubtedly, to believe God as Abraham believed him. 
 He b«-lieved God to be true and faithful, and that his pro- 
 mises were sure and certain— that he was infinite in power, 
 and therefore able to fulfil all that he engaged, even when 
 it ap[)eaied incongruous to reason, and against the course 
 of natural events-^that he was the Creator, and conse- 
 quently the Proprietor of all tilings ; and therefore had a 
 riglit to dispose of them, and order thefU all as he saw 
 best — that every creature was bound to obey him, who, 
 as he was just and holy, woidd command nothing evil; as 
 he was good and gracious, nothing cruel or unnecessary — » 
 that the obedience of his creatures ought, therefore, to be 
 unieserved and unlimited, extending to all circumstances 
 and deijrees. 
 
 He believed moreover, for he found himself to be a 
 weak, helpless creature, who wanted the favour and di- 
 rechnn of his Ahnighty Creator ; a sinful, errmg creature, 
 wl o needed his mercy and forgiveness. He therefore 
 willingly obeyed wliat God commanded, that he might 
 enjoy his favour and protection. He embraced thankful- 
 ly and eagerlv that mediation and atonement which God 
 pomted out to him ; and cheerfully submitted to all the 
 institutions of that i*eligion which God thoughl best for 
 him, that he might, by the mercy ot God, obtain, in the 
 use of them, that remission of sins which he so much 
 needed. 
 
 This appears to me to be a summary of the properties 
 of Abraham's faith: and to be "of faith" as Abraham 
 was, we must have the same faith which he had— Believe, 
 that as God is the Creator, so he is tlie supre-ne Governor 
 of all things^ that therefore it is the duty of man to obey 
 
 ^OL, ii4 n 
 
18 Ohservations on the Faith 
 
 tvliat he cniDmands ; to g^jve up his own paHial, dark, 
 blind nnderstandinsj, to his direction — that he isTruf^ and 
 Almighty, and therefore will perforin his promises, how- 
 ever diffi(Milt and improhabie they may appear to our lim- 
 ited capacities — that he is Holy and Just, and will finally 
 recompense every one according to his deeds — that he is 
 the Lord of life — that, therefore, life is his propert)^, and 
 to he given on what terms he pleases— that as all men are 
 sinners against him, it belongs to hiin to appoint the mode 
 of reconciliation and remission of sins ; and tliat we have 
 ro other paft to act, than to submit to what he shall di- 
 rect — that whatever atonement he hath appointed for sin, 
 or whatever institutions he hath commanded in order to 
 make us partakers of the atonement, our duty is to obey 
 absolutely and implicitly — that whatever mode of conduct 
 he shall prescribe, weouiilit cheerfully to conform to it — 
 that, therefore, we must do all those things which he com- 
 ma ndetb, and refrain from every thing which he forbid- 
 di th. Then shall we be "of faith, and," consequently, 
 "the children of Abraham;" for so it is asserted in the 
 text, " They which are of faith, the same are the children 
 of Abraham." This was the last thing into which I pro- 
 posed to inquire, namely, 
 
 IV. The meaning of the expression, " the children of 
 Abraham." 
 
 The relative state of father and child is used in a varie- 
 ty of senses in the Bible, but they are not necessary to be 
 here considered. 
 
 The Jews called themselves " the children of Abraham," 
 
 not only on account of their natural descent from him: 
 
 • ■' 
 
 but also because they were heirs of the covenant of cir- 
 cumcision, and of all the promises made to him. In this 
 sense, they who were proselyted to their religion, and ad- 
 mitted into the covenant made with iVbraham, were hie 
 children equally with those who were born Jews. In con- 
 formity to this Hebrew expression, St. Paul uses the 
 phrase, " children of Abraham" in the text, to mean those 
 vho imitated Abraham's faith, by believing. God as he did. 
 And as children are entitled to their father's inheritance, 
 
 J 
 
and Conduct of Abraham. 19 
 
 it will follow, that they who are of faith, and thereby the 
 children of Abraham, shall possess the blessinfijs pioiriised 
 to him, and conferred on him by God, in whom he believ- 
 ed. Accordingly the Apostle saith, '* They which be of 
 faith are blessed witli faithful Abraham ;"* thai is, they 
 who believe God, as Abraliatw believed him, shall have 
 their faith accounted to them for riiijhteousness, evf^a as 
 their father Abraham had his faith accounted to hitn. 
 
 Upon the whole, tlie meaninor of the text appears to be 
 this — That Abraham believed God to be the Creaior and 
 Disposer of ^11 things; the supreme Lord of all nature ; 
 that he was wortliy to be relied on in all he said, and able 
 to peiform all he prottiised ; that he was^ood, and uouid 
 not fail to ^ive him all ^i^od thlnjijs necessary for him ; that 
 be was his Creator, and liad a right to command his obe- 
 dience ; his Sovereign whom he liad otiended, and. there- 
 fore, it was his duty to submit to the terms of reconcilia- 
 tion which he should appoint, and faithfully perform them: 
 That accordingly he did do all these things with a sincere 
 heart; believed what God said ; embraced what he prom- 
 ised ; obeyed what he commanded : Particularly with re- 
 gard to the great Mediator whom God j<ave him a right to 
 expect, tliat, by faith, he embraced him, and entered in- 
 to covenant with God, that he might receive tlie blessings 
 of his mediation : That God accepted his faith and piety, 
 and accounted him righteous, forgiving his sins on account 
 of it: That all they, of whatever age or nation, who do 
 imitate this faith of Abraham, shall be esteemed by God 
 as his children, and heirs of the spiritual promises made 
 to hinr; particularly of that forgiveness of sins, through 
 the Mediator, which he obtained. 
 
 The way, then, is plain and open before us. God is 
 the same now, as he was in the days t)i Abraham ; merci- 
 ful, and gracious, and just, and powerful; as ready to 
 help, and protect, and bless us, as him. With us, then, 
 it remains to imitate Abiahacn's faithful and .ibedient dis- 
 position; and God will give us the blessing of Abraham, 
 the lioly protection of his good piovideace, the powerful 
 
20 
 
 Ohservations en the Faith 
 
 assistance of his divine grace, the remission of our sina 
 tl^roii^h the atonement of the Mediator, and eternal life 
 in the heavenly Canaan^ 
 
DISCOURSE I, 
 
 PART 11. 
 
 T 
 
 HE failh and piety towards God, for which Abraham 
 hath always [)een justly celebrated, have been already no- 
 ticed, in the more remarkable cn( umstances of his life. 
 I lit as some of Ihem were but slightly considered, I shall 
 bfiriii: tliem again under consideration, with a view of 
 draw ins: tn m tl:em some lessons of use to us, in our Chris- 
 tian conduct. And, 
 
 1. When Abraham, at the command of God, quitted 
 his native country, it seems to have been sinking fast into 
 idolatry and wickedness. To preserve him pure in reli- 
 gion and virtue, God probably took him out of it. He 
 readily obeyed the command of God to leave it, renoun- 
 cing at once all the advantages of family, friends, and 
 connections, wl en they came in competition with his duty. 
 In tins let Abraiiam be our example. 
 
 God does not command us to leave our country, and 
 the advantages of family connections, and to sojourn in a 
 strange land ; but he does command us to renounce the 
 world, and not to live by its temper and spirit, because 
 " the friendship of tlie world is enmity with" him'^ — He 
 does require us to forego all advantages of every kind, 
 and all gratifications of body or mind, which are incon- 
 sistent with our duty to him; all extravagant appetites of 
 nature, the lust of covetousness, the pride of life, he does 
 Cduiniand us to nK)rtify and keep under. And if we would 
 be * the cltildren of Abraham," and heirs of the promi- 
 se^ God made and fulfilled to him, we must imitate his 
 faith and obedience — believe stedfastly what God hath 
 said, and obey exactly what he hath commanded. Then 
 shall ti.e bh ssings of Abraham descend on us — the protec- 
 tion and grace ot God, the remission of sins, and everlast- 
 
22 Observations en the Faith 
 
 in^ life through the Redeemer: For ** they which be of 
 faith, are blessf d with faithful Abraham." 
 
 2. When Abraham s(»j<>urned in Canaan, the inhabitants, 
 thoiio^l} their iniquity v\as not full, were irr«'hgi«»us and 
 wicked; yet Abraham lived amono; them, without having 
 his religion or moral? corrupted bv Iheir evd example. 
 God promised, if he would obey him vvith an honest and 
 upright heart, to protect and bless him, and to give tliat 
 country to him and his descendants : He alst> promised, 
 that the Mediator, who should be a blessing to him an I to 
 all the families of the earth, should be born of his poster- 
 ity. That our state does, in many respects, resenible ttiat 
 of Abraliam, a little reflection will convinc us. 
 
 By God's providence we are to sojourn in Christ's 
 Ctiurch or Kmgdom in this world, which is infested with 
 idolatry, heresy, schism, false doctrines, and wicked mem- 
 bers. He hath commanded us to govern ourselves by his 
 laws, that our laiih be not corruf)tecl, nor our unitv with 
 bis Church destroyed, nor ou?- Christian practice deprav- 
 ed, by their errors and evil exa'uple; and hath proujised, 
 that if we do walk before him in faith and uprightness of 
 heart, in union with his Church, and m holiness of life, 
 according to the gospel, he w ill protect and bless us, and, 
 through the mediation of Christ, make us partakers of 
 eternal life m his heavenly kingdom. 
 
 This is a short account of our true and real stale; what 
 then ought to be our conduct in it? We call ourselves 
 reasonable creatures, and, I hope, endeavour to behave 
 as such : How' then will reason direct us to act un^U-r 
 such circumstances? to pay no regard to the com nands, 
 and promises, and threats of Almiji^lity God? to he un- 
 concerned about our religious principles? and fondly ifu- 
 agine, that if we choose error, our ( hoice will have an 
 influence on him, and reconcile him to it ? that if we in- 
 dulge the vicious appetites of the body, and the 'ualignant 
 passions of the mind, they must of course a(>pear as harm- 
 less to him, as they do to us ? that if we perversely con- 
 found good and evil, virtue and v?f'e, sin and holiness, 
 truth and Jalsehood ; and, regaruluss of tlie disttiiction 
 
and Conduct of Abraham,, 23 
 
 <jod bath made between Ihem, rush as it were headlong 
 into elernitv, v\e shall be as acceptable to hi id, as the 
 homble, penitent, and holy Christian? If tliis be n(>t rea- 
 sonabh', " consider ^ our ways,'* and amend your lives. 
 
 VVe are apt to imagrine, that if we had the s^me sensible 
 appearances of God which Abraham and the Patriarchs 
 had ; th( same demonstrative presence of the Holy Ghost 
 which the Apostles enjoyed, we should be convinced and 
 governed by them, in all the ways of holiness, as they 
 were. That there is a delusion in this supposition, we 
 have reason to conclude from what our Saviour hath said 
 concerning Moses and tie Prophets, to whom we may add 
 Christ and his Apostles — That he who is not persuaded by 
 them, would be persuaded by no evidence, not even by- 
 one rising from the dead."^ We have the evidences of 
 those appearances, the revelations God made, and the 
 commands he gave, transmitted to us. If we believe 
 them, they ouijht to have the same effect on us, as if they 
 had been made to us personally. If we do not believe 
 them, the matter must rest on the authenticity of the his- 
 tory of the Bible. This history Christians are supposed 
 to believe : Their name implies this faith ; and if they do 
 not live according to it, they are condemned by their own 
 principles and profession, and no excuse can be made for 
 them. 
 
 Among other things, they believe that he who made 
 atonement for their sins by his death, and who now make^ 
 intercession for tliem, as their great High Priest in heaven, 
 will, at the end of the world, lay aside his priestly office, 
 and come as King and Head of his Church, and Governor 
 of the world, to judge the quick and the dead — all who 
 have ever lived — those who shall be alive, and those who 
 have dit d : Ttiat all nations of the earth shall then be ga- 
 thered before him, and '* all that are in the graves shall 
 hear Ins voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done 
 good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have 
 done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."t Com- 
 mon sense, it is presumed, ouglit to induce Cluislians to 
 
 * Luke XVI. 31 t Jol^'^ ^ '^ p, "^^ 
 
24 Observations on the Faith 
 
 live as persons under the influence of this faith, that they 
 inav be found of their Judi^e in peace. If they wish, in 
 that awful hour, to be amono; the children of Abraham, 
 that they may be blessed with him, they must do as he 
 did ; live by the same spirit, and in the satne faith and 
 obedience towards God, which so eminently shone in his 
 ■venerabl-' character. They must, therefore, remember, 
 that, 
 
 3. While Abraham sojourned in Canaan, he not only 
 kept himself undefiled by the idolatry and immoralitv of 
 the country, but he served God faitlifully in his religion, 
 and upriij;hljy in liis life, accordincj to those revelations 
 and directions which God was pleased to give him. God, 
 too, hath given a revc^lation to us, respecting our religious 
 services towards him, and directions concerning our con- 
 duct while we sojourn in Christ's Cliurch militant here on 
 earth. Our duty, therefore, requires that we serve hin 
 faithfully according to that revelation which he hath made 
 to us. Tliis revelation is contained in the Bible, and more 
 especially in the New Testament, which gives directions 
 for* the conduct of Christians as they are members of 
 Christ's Church, regulating both their faith and practke. 
 As far as Ihe latter is concerned, these directions are plain, 
 and level to common capacities. And that we might not 
 err in matters of faitii, the Church hath comprised the es- 
 sential articles of our religion in her Creeds, which are 
 recited in her public Stnvice, and tauglit to her young 
 members in her Catechism. Ignorance, therefore, of tlie 
 doctrines or precepts of our holy religion must be our 
 own fault, pioceeding either from our carelessness in not 
 attending to them, or from our perverseness in corrupting 
 them. Reason and duty both recjuire that we take pains 
 in a matter of so much impoitance, and study our reli- 
 gion with attention ; that we use all proper helps to gain 
 information and knowledge, both of its doctrines and 
 practical precepts; and then, that we conform ourselves 
 exactly to it in faiih and practice. 
 
 4. God entered into covenant with Abraham, and for 
 his comfort and securAiv in it, he gave him the rite of cir- 
 
and Conduct of Abraham. 21^ 
 
 cumcision, by which he was to know himself to be in cov- 
 enant with God, entitled to all the blessini^s, and subjt^ct 
 to all the obliojations of it. And the instituted means of 
 kee|)ir);L^ up fellowship with God in this covenant, were 
 sacrifices and public worsliip. By the sacrifices, the fu- 
 ture atonement of the Mediator was represented, and ap- 
 plied to the soul of the (iiithful for the remission of sin: 
 And by the public worship with which the sacrifices were 
 attended, God was recognized as the Creator, and Lord, 
 and supreme Governor of all things. Hereby his moral 
 government was acknowledged, and submission to it en- 
 forced. 
 
 With us also God hath entered into covenant, not by 
 the blood^' rite of circumcision, but by the blood of Christ ; 
 and hath appointed the sacrament of Baptism by which to 
 admit us into his cov» nant, making us members of Clirist 
 by making us members of his Church, which is his body f^ 
 and also to be a sign and token to us of our right to all 
 the f promises and blessings of tfie covenant, and a remem- 
 brancer to put us in mind of the obligation of our Chris- 
 tian professicm, ' which is to follow the example of oui^ 
 Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him ; that as he 
 died and rose again for us, so should we, who are t^aptis- 
 ed, die from sin, and rise aeain unto rig! teousness, cnn- 
 tinually mortifying all our evil and corrupt aff«'Ctions, and 
 daily proceeding in all virtue and godluiess of living.f 
 
 The benefits of this sacrament are, Regeneration oi* 
 1Si<v\ -birth, by which we are, through the r^eration of the 
 Holy Ghost, br>rn into, that is, made members of the 
 Chmch or Kingdom of Christ, and, being washed from 
 the defilements of sin, are made the children of God by 
 the grace of adoption. In this blessing our bodies par- 
 take equally with our souls. Being sanctified and dedi*- 
 cal» d to God, they become fit habitations for the Holy 
 Spirit to reside in : And in Confirmation, which is the 
 completion and final ratification of Baptism by Christ's 
 chief Minister, we humbly presume he does condescend 
 
 * Coloss. i. 1«. |- Public office cf Bspthm- 
 
 Toil, fT.^ B 
 
26 
 
 Observalions on the Faith 
 
 to take possession of his temples ;* to preserve them pure 
 and undefiled IVoni sin ; to ^uard Ihem fro^n the assaults 
 of their spiritual enemies ; and to build them up and 
 ad >rn them with all the tempers and habits of holiness and 
 vii tue, that they may be prese?it( d without spot to their 
 heavenly Father and mf^reiful Redeemei. 
 
 T ) keep uj) this fellowship and union with Clirist, which 
 throuii;li the Holy Ghost we obtain by beinaj made meai- 
 b.^rs of his Clujrch, he hath ifistituted the other sacrament 
 of his Church, the Holy Eucharist, or Con uunion of 
 his own m'>st precious b>dv and blood. This is, in truth, 
 thi C'jrisiian Sac'rifice of praise ariri thanksa^iving tr) Al~ 
 miffhty God (or the atonemetit and exination of J;isus 
 Christ for the sins of t;ie world; the representation and 
 memiuial of his suflferinijs and death, by which we ob- 
 tain remission of sins, and everlastinsf life. The bread 
 and the cu[), beiny; the representatives of the body and 
 blood of CInist, are offered to God by his authorised 
 priest, sanctified by prayer, thankso;ivin^, and ttie words 
 of Christ's holy institution; and, we humbly trust, by the 
 p >vverful operation of the Holy Gliost. The merit of 
 C .rist's death is, by these consecrated memorials, pleaded 
 before the Almiojhty Father, by his appointed Priest ; and, 
 we assure ourselves, by our Great High Priest himself in 
 heaven, for the remi^^sion of our sins ; for the stren«;th- 
 ening and refresh. ini( of our souls in all heavenly virtues 
 and sjraces; for the assurance of a happy resurrection, 
 and eternal life in the kiuiiidon of God, through the body 
 and blood of. Christ, " whicli are verily and indeed taken 
 and received by the faithful in the Lord's supper'' — Christ 
 himself havittjr said, " Whoso eateth my flesh and drink- 
 eth my blood, hath eternal life, and 1 will raise him up 
 at the last day/'f 
 
 HoiV will reason and coin mo n sense direct people to 
 act, who believe these thin-rs ? Most certainly to comply 
 with them with an uprii(l>t and sincere lieart ; remember- 
 in-, tl/^* God's fijrace and Holy Spirit do ever accompany 
 his ordiiiances, when they are odministered and received 
 
 * 1 Gor. vi. 19 
 
 f John Yi. 54. 
 
 Ti 
 
and Conduct of Abraham, 27 
 
 arrordino: to hi.^ appointment. And the death of C!irist 
 loi all men lays ail men under oblii^ation, when th« y liave 
 opporkinity, to enter into tliis Covt*nanr by holy Raptis n, 
 with that penitence for their sins past, and faitli in the merit 
 and mediation of Christ, wliich the reason and nature of 
 that holy sacrament demand. That they seriously con- 
 sidt^r tlie obligations it lays them uu'ler, and faithfully en- 
 deavour by God's ^lace to fulfil them. Tlmt tliey a^s^^.n- 
 h\< themselves tooi;ether on all proper occasionsf for the 
 ynvA and pnblic worship of liis Churcii, to recoo;nize the 
 Cieator, as maker and j^overnor of the world : Tlrat they 
 do, as they have oppcutunity, keep up their; union with 
 Christ tlieir head, and with his body llie Church, by fre- 
 quenting the holy G(mimunion joinino with their breth- 
 rf n and Christ's minister in offering' the Eucharistic sacri- 
 fice in connnemoralion of the passion and deatli of their 
 R'deeu)er, receivinl^ the pledtres of his love and leaven- 
 1> benedictiem, anij in oivin^ praise and adoration to the 
 AliMij>hiy Father for the innumerable t)enefiis obtained for 
 us by him. We do not, otherwise, do justice to ourselves, 
 nor to tlie Saviour who died for us, nor to God our heav- 
 enly Father wtio ^ave his Son for om' redemption ; who 
 lath ordained his Church as the ark of our salvation, and 
 his sacraments as the means of our growth in grace and 
 all lioly dispositions. 
 
 5. The sentiments 'of St. Paul and St. James, upon 
 this subject, havinsf been both m; ntioned, it may be worth 
 while, tlioui^h the present subj-cl may not strictly require 
 it, to mention the ddferent objects those two A()ostleshad 
 in view, in their ar^ojuments. By tiiis nieans, their differ- 
 ent expressions v\ill be fairly understood, and every ap- 
 pearance of inconsistency between them will vanish. St. 
 Paul saith, that Al)iaham was not justified by works,'^and 
 that he offered up Isaac by faith.f St. James a^ks the 
 question " Was not Abraham our father justified by 
 works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon ihe altar ?".t 
 
 In ttiis argument, botli these Apostles were treating- 
 with the Jewish converts to Christianity. St. Paiirs view 
 
 * Kom. iy, 2, S:c. f Heli xJ. l.'". i ^wr 
 
28 Ohservations on the Faith 
 
 was to hrinfi^ iliem off from the law of Moses, by ronvinc- 
 ins: them, that justification vvith God was not to be obtain- 
 ed by i1, but by the Gospel of Christ. He calls the Gos- 
 pel Faifhy and the law of Moses Works; because faith 
 ^nd works were the two ^reat leadinsj points of those dis- 
 pensations, and on which justification by them depended. 
 The voice of the Gospel is, " Believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved :"^ But the Law saith, 
 ^' Tlie man which. doHh those thinsijs shall live by the!n."t 
 He proves, that justification could not be had by the law, 
 because no man could perfectly obey it, and it condemn- 
 ed ev( ry trans(yression. He proves also the possibility of 
 obtaininji juslification without tlie law, by the instance of 
 Abrahaui, who had his faith accounted to him for rii^ht- 
 eousness before the law was ijiven, and therefore he was 
 not justified by it. Consequently, as Abraham was justi- 
 fied by liis faith in the promises of Cfod, pointing out to 
 hiai the atonement of a Mediator U\ come, before the 
 law was ^iven ; so Christians mi^ht be justified by their 
 faith in the promisees of God, and in the atone!nent of a 
 Mediator already come, after the law was abrogated and 
 done away. 
 
 The reasoning is just, and the conclusions he draws 
 from it are warranted — Tliat the law had nothins^ to do 
 with justification with God but was a temporary institu- 
 tion, intended to keep the Jewisli nation, from whom the 
 promised seed was to come, in the true Worship of tl)e 
 4rue God, till he should appear on earth, and then to point 
 him out, and ascertain him to the world. " It was added," 
 that is, instnuted by God, ** because of transojressions, 
 till the seed should come, to whom the protnise wj?3 
 made"J — by pointing out the guilt of sin to restrain men 
 from coTumitting it, and to excite them to seek deliver- 
 ance from it. It was a school-master to bring the Je'*vs, 
 and by their irieans, the rest of the world, to Christ, that 
 tley miglit believe on him. The law having answered 
 this end, became useless, and was taken away ; and tfie 
 (^rms of j'jstificition remained the same th«y ever had 
 
 j^ct3 XVI. oK i Rom s, :^ :: Gal- ."• 3% 
 
 ^ 
 
and Conduct of Abraham, 29 
 
 brpn, faiOi in the merit and atonement of the great Medi- 
 al ni ; hut yet, such a faith as Abraham's was, producing 
 obedience to the commands of God. 
 
 The design of St. .Jauies was to convince the Jewish 
 Cluistians, that an inactive, dead faith was not that belief 
 of the (i<»spel which would obtain justification with Gnd — 
 that true Gospel faith always produced love and obedience 
 toward God, charity and mercy towards men — -that it was 
 to be known and juds^ed of by its fruits. He affirms pos- 
 itiv«^ly, that faitli without works can no more save us, or 
 obtain Justification with God, than good wishes without 
 good deeds can relieve the necessities of our poor bielh- 
 reu. To say to the hungry, Be fed ; or to the naked. Be 
 clothed; while we give them neither food nor raiment, 
 IV ill neither feei\ ncu' clothe them. Actual deeds must be 
 added to our kind words. Food and raiment must be con- 
 ferred, or our charity is nothing worth. So, he saith, is 
 that faith to which fchrislians must look for justification 
 will God It must produce obedience to God, and love 
 to man. The instance of Abraham is brought as an ex- 
 ample to explain his meaning — His " faith," when he of- 
 fered Isaac his son, " wrought with his works, and by 
 woiks was faith made perfect.""^ Hjs faith, therefore, 
 was not a dead, but an active faith. He believed God in 
 his heart, and he obeyed him in his life, and therefore was 
 he jusiified — '' His faith was imputed unto him for right- 
 eousness ; and he was called the friend of God," 
 
 6. Should it be thought, that the foregoing account of 
 Abraham's faith ascribes more efficacy to the works of 
 obedience in obtaining justification for him, than ought to 
 be attributed to them ; let it be considered, that it ascribes 
 no more to them, than the Holy Scriptures do. Both St. 
 Paid and St. James include obedience in their n>tion of 
 faith. Of tl)e sentiments of the latter, there can be no 
 doubt. He says expressly, ih^i AEraham was justified by 
 works ; and that by works his faith rvas madeperfecty which 
 w* uhl have t)een imperfect and dead, being alone. 
 
 That vSt. Paul teacheth the same doctrine, will appear 
 
aO Ohservations on the Faith 
 
 to every candid reader of the eleventh chapter f»f the 
 Epistle to the Hebrews. The instames of faith Ihere 
 mentioned, either directly inchide works of obt dience, 
 or fairly imply them. For example, " Ey faith Abel of- 
 fered unio God a more excellent sacrifice tl)an Cain" — ' By 
 faith Nodh prepared an ark to tlie savinsj of his household, 
 by the which he uecame heir of the righteousness which 
 is by faith" — ** By faiih Abraham" left his orvn country and 
 " went out, not knowing whither he went ;" and '' hy faith'^ 
 he ojftred up Isaac. In these instances it must be evident, 
 that Abel's offcrins^ his sacrifice, Noah's preparing the 
 ark, Abraham's /eaui/z^ nis country ?ix\(\ offer in<j^ liis s<»n 
 Isaac upon the altar at the command (»f G )d, were works 
 of obedience wliich perfected their faith', and rnade it ef- 
 fectual to their justification ; and that without these wotks, 
 their faith would liave been '' dead being ahuie." 
 
 Should this be supposed to attribute a degree of merit 
 to works which do not belong to them, I apprehend it to 
 be without reason. That the faith and good works of 
 Christians proceed fro n the operation of the [loly Spirit 
 of God in them, tlie Scriptures uive ussuflSiient reason to 
 believe. Considered as the fruits of liiis S()irit. I kno»v 
 not why we should liesitate in ascribing merit to the n. 
 At the same time, when we take into the account our o.vn 
 perverseness in resisting and grieving tlie Hoi} Spirit, and 
 quenchmg his heavenly motions, we can take n«> m*-rit to 
 ourselves, nor have " whereof to glory before- God,"* ei- 
 ther on account of our faith or works. Not on account 
 of our faith, for it is weak; and we liave constant need to 
 beg with the Apostles, that the Lord would ^* increase" 
 it; and with the distressed father in the gospel,." Lord, I 
 believe; help thou mine unbelief."t Nor, on account of 
 our works, for they are imperfect ; and should we even 
 do all that is commanjled us, still we should be " Unprofi- 
 table servants," and have done no more than *' was our 
 duty to do."J. Wetnust not, therefore, look to the merit 
 of our faith or works for our justification, bui to the mer- 
 cy of God through the merit of Christ. His mercy gave 
 
 ■• Rom. iv. 2. 1 1^^® 2ivu. 5. Mark ix. 24. t Luke jtvii. 10. 
 
a7id Conduct of Ahraham, 31 
 
 r;l)ri?>t to be the propitiation for sin ; the Mediator between 
 fallen man, and the divine Majesty. Throuo;h love, Christ 
 becajne this Mediator, and made atonement for our sins. 
 Ey his resurrection and ascension into heaven, God hath 
 declared his acceptance of the atonement which he made; 
 and hath prornised remij-sion of sins to all those who trust 
 in it. ThroujJjh this Mediator, God hath condescended 
 to enter into covenant with us, and is graciously pleased 
 to accept of our sincere obedience instead of that which 
 is perfect ; of our penitence instead of innocence. He 
 requires us to bt lieve on tliis Mediator, and to enter into 
 this covenant, that our rdiance on him and his atonement 
 mav be open and public. All who do enter into it he calls 
 his Church ; the Body of Christ ; the Family of the Me- 
 d ator ; and hath gjiven them his Spirit, to be in them the 
 principle of a new, holy, and heavenly life ; that under 
 his^ in^jpirations they may become fit inhabitants of his kino^- 
 dom in heaven, and may live with him in happiness for- 
 ^ver> 
 
DISCOURSE II. 
 
 THE STEADFASTNESS OF JOB. 
 
 Job xiii. 15. 
 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. 
 
 HERE is nothing that affords so strong an arcjument 
 against the particular providence of God, or that raises so 
 many doubts and misgivinjjjs in the minds of men respect- 
 ini( the tnoral crovernment of God, as those apparently 
 unmerited disasters and calamities which frequently hap- 
 pen to ^ood and virtuous people. Both reason and reve- 
 lation teach us that vice and wickedness are displeasmg 
 to Gnd, and the objects of his aversi<m ; and that virtue 
 and 2;oodness are agreeable to him, and beloved by him. 
 Must we not, then, suppose that vice will be invariably 
 pui'ished, and virtue invariably rewarded by him the 
 moial and righteous Governor of the world; the one be- 
 inii opposite to his nature and will, the other agreeable to 
 both ? and yet do tve not often «?ee the viituous man mise- 
 rable, and t[je vicious man, in all appearance, happy ? — 
 nay, the righteous man involved in the most distressing 
 ciicumstances, in consequence of that very virtue which, 
 we are taught, is so agreeable to the nature of God? and 
 the vicious man flourishing in prosperity, even in conse- 
 quence ol that vice and villany which God hates and ab- 
 hf.rs? How is this to be reconciled with the providence of 
 G<n}, the tnoral Governor of the world? In no other way 
 than by admitting that future state of rewards and punish- 
 HJents, of which revelation informs us, and which reason 
 had l(»ng hinted to the more candid and thinking part of 
 marikuid. 
 
 ll this life be only our time of trial, and the next life 
 the season of retribution, we are wrong in expecting an 
 
 YOL. II. E 
 
34 The Sleadfastness of Job. 
 
 exact dislribulion of rewards and punishments in this life; 
 and the vicioi's man may here be fiappy, and the virtuous 
 man miserable, without any impeachment of the moral 
 government of God, the justice of which is only to be 
 fully displayed in the next world. 
 
 This answer seems perfectly satisfactory, as far as it 
 goes ; but, I fear, it sjoes not to the bottom of the matter. 
 If vice and villany be more or oftener successful in pro- 
 curino; the hafjpiness of the world, than virtue and good- 
 ness, ttien the advantai^e in this world is on tlie side of 
 vice; because more men will be influenced by present 
 happiness than by the distant prosprct of that which if 
 future. We must therefore look for some further solution 
 of the difficulty before us; and if we take the nature of 
 God and of man both into the account, it will not, 1 trust, 
 be liard to obtain it. 
 
 That God is a God of truth, and justice; and goodness* 
 cannot be doubted. He will, therefore, conduct his go- 
 vernrrient so as upon the whole to produce tlie greatest 
 possible happiness, not only to the universe in genei-al, 
 but to every creature in particular. 
 
 That the being of man is not confined to this world, but 
 will extend into futurity, is a belief supported both by 
 reason and revelation : That this world exhibits a scene 
 made up of a mixture of good and evil, our own experi- 
 ence evinces: That the state of man in another world will 
 be either in hapjiiness or misery unmixed, we have all the 
 reason in the world to believe: We have equal reason to 
 suppose that our particular state will be happy or misera- 
 ble, according as we conduct ourselvt s m this life. Let 
 it be also considered, that our state in this world is short 
 and uncertain; but in the next, will be fixed and eternal. 
 I'he happiness of the next hfe is therefore of much more 
 Consequence to us, than the happiness of this ; because it 
 will l)e perlect in degree, and infinite in duration. 
 
 Must we not, then, in reason conclude, that God is 
 principally concerned to secure the future, the eternal 
 hnpifiness t)f his creatures? Tliat, considering this world 
 as only preparatory to the next, lie will conduct the af- 
 
The Steadfastness of Job. 35 
 
 fairs of it, ao as to <(ive men the greatest possible chance 
 for a blessed immortality ? If he sees, tliat an uninl'^rrupt- 
 ed course of worldJv prosperity would bind our affections 
 wholly to this world, and entirely take off our attention 
 froHi the next, leavino^ us neither leisure nor inclination to 
 provide for our eternal state; would it not be mercy in 
 God to interrupt our temf)oral felicity — to send calanities 
 to our aid, and make tfiem the means of weaniniij our af- 
 fections from the world, and of turning: our thou«ijhts to 
 him, and fixing oui confidence in liim ? Should any vice 
 have acquired a particular ascendency over us; any evil 
 tempers have taken deep not in our hearts, so as to en- 
 danirer our future welfare ; would it not be an instance of 
 God's ii;oodness, should he send afflictions and distresses 
 upon us, if these only could be tlie means of bringing us 
 to repentance and amendinent of life.' Or, 
 
 Supposing there was nothing amiss in us (an opinion 
 which I hope no one will be forward to entertain of him- 
 self) but that God saw afflictions and calamities would .in- 
 crease or Confirm our good tempers and dispositions, and 
 tl'creby increase our capacity of happiness with him: 
 Would there be any injustice ; would tliere not be mercy 
 and goodness in visiting us with afflictions, uncler such cir-^ 
 cumstances? Would any one attribute it to the want of 
 tenderness in a parent, that he gave his child an education 
 rather more rough than the common arnde, that he might 
 qualify him to enjoy an estate which he was to inherit, 
 with more dignity and satisfaction ; or to discharge an em- 
 ployment that belonged to his family, with greater honor 
 to himself, and advantage to the public? 
 
 There are two errors which men are apt to run into, in 
 this matter. The one is the supposition, that God takes 
 little or no notice of our conduct in this world ; that he 
 sits rather an unconcerned spectator, and permiis virtue 
 and vice, honesty and villany, to contest the matter be- 
 tween themselves ; and that, therefore, there is in reality 
 no great difference between them; but either of them is 
 best, as it happens to succeed best, in proiiiotiuii our in- 
 terefit. The pther is the supposition, that worldly pros- 
 
36 The Steadfastness of Job. 
 
 perity and adversity are to be considered as instances of 
 tlie favour or displeasure of God ; and that a man is just 
 so louch the favtiurite of heaven, as he is blessed with 
 worldly prosperity. 
 
 That God never interposes, for the reward of virtue or 
 the punishment of vice, in this vvoild, we do not pretenri ; 
 but we do say, that we are not to expect an exact display 
 of the justice of God in this world, but must wait for that 
 future state, when his ways shall be vindicated to !nan, and 
 every one shall receive the just recompense of his deeds: 
 And this belief, we affirm, is supported botn by reason 
 and revelation. 
 
 The di?()ensations of God's providence are, therefore, 
 to be re^arde<l as the means which infinte wisdom and in- 
 finite «joodness make use of, to correct the evil tempers 
 and passions of men ; and to lead them, throu<2jh faith and 
 obedie'nce, to that eternal state of blessedness with their 
 Creator, to wiiich all those shall be admitted, who shall 
 be found capable of enjoyinor it, in the day when he shall 
 judoe the world in rii^hteousness by that Man who ii he 
 bath ordained. 
 
 Tt)e jrreat lesson which Almighty God is endeavouring 
 to teach mankind is that of faitli, and trust, and depend- 
 ence on hiihseli — the only sure foundation of virtue and 
 goodnf ss. That virtue which is built only on popular sen- 
 timent, or public ^ood, or the fitness of thinsjs, depends 
 so much on mode and fashion, upon the caprice and some- 
 times the folly of men, tt at it carmot be permanent or en- 
 tire. But the belief that God sees and regards all our ac- 
 tions, and the principles from which they proceed ; tliat 
 be will, jn a future life, jud^e us according to the law of 
 the gospel, and of that reascmable nature wliich he haih 
 given us, and will re xard or punish us according as our 
 life has been — this belief fixes virtue on a sure foundation, 
 carries its principh s to tlie heart, and extends its influence 
 thr<MJgh all the scenes of life; and, in conjunction '%vith 
 the belief of the particular providence of God, becomes 
 the ground woik of that fi«m faith and trust in God, which 
 abides all trials, and remains unshaken by the storms and 
 
The Steadfastness of Joh. ' 37 
 
 commolions of the world, the temptations of vice, the al- 
 lurements of pleasure, the strokes of adversity, and the 
 smiles of prosperity. 
 
 The author of the text was a remarkable instance of the 
 trutfi of wnat I have said ; and indeed the most of the^ire- 
 cedin<i observations presented themselves to my mind, 
 when eontemplatinfij tlie history of so extraordinary a man. 
 From the height of worldly prosperity, •lie was suddenly 
 plunged rnto the depth of adversity ; and that by such 
 events as human prud<'nce could neither foresee nor pre- 
 vent. His wealth seized by rapacious enemies — his chil- 
 dren crushed by unnatural deaths — his body smitten by a 
 str;mo;eand loathsome disease — the wife of his bosotn fiet- 
 tino^ and.tenjpling him to murirmr and abjure his God — and 
 his friends upbraidini^ him as a vile liypocritical reprot>ate 
 then sufferins; the vengeance of incensed heaven. Un- 
 bap|)y man I to vvliat should he look for support, or where 
 find it under this pressure of complicated misery ! He 
 could look for it, he could find it only in that firm trust 
 and confidence in God, which it had been the business of 
 his life to cultivate ; and which the conscious iimocence 
 of his heart assured liim, was not placed in vain. 
 
 Wlsen acquainted with the loss of his substance, and of 
 his children ; thoujiih oppressed with the deepest sorrow, 
 he recalls to his mind a due sense of his own natural indi- 
 creiwe and inability to supply his own wants, and trusts 
 himself to that never failinjif anchor in all the battering 
 storms of affliction, hope and confidence in God, and sub- 
 mission t(» his will — '' Naked came I out of my mother's 
 womb, and naked shall 1 return thither: The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the naaie of 
 the Lord!" 
 
 To the grating importunity of a fretful wife urging him 
 to renounce the maxims of his former life, and to abjure 
 bis God, he answers, gently reproving her folly and im- 
 piety, with meekness and patience unparalleled — " Thou 
 speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh,: W hat ! 
 shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we 
 not receive evil ?*' — Sliall we place our hope and trust in 
 
 i 
 
38 The Steadfastness of Job, 
 
 God, only when he bJe^sses us with pn^sperity, and crowns 
 our wishes with success? Shall we not also'considHi liioi 
 as our heavenly father, when Ik visits us with affli( tions^ 
 and chastises us for our sjood ^ Slmll we trust in him arid 
 submit to him, only when he supports and protects us with 
 his staff? Shall we not also trust in him, and submit to 
 him, when he corrqcts us with his rod ? 
 
 Against the remonstrances and upbraidings of his friends, 
 who considered his misfortunes as the vengeance of God 
 against his impiety and hypocrisy, which they supposed 
 lie had covered with the garb of religion and sanctity, he 
 pleads the innocency of his life, the integrity of his heart, 
 the uprightness of his intentions ; and, a^^sures himself tliat 
 whatever might be the design of Almighty God in over- 
 whelming him with such a deluge of calamities, it could 
 not be for the punishment of vice, becau>^e he had n^ver 
 lived in it; nor for the correction of evil tempers and pas- 
 sions, because he had never indulged tf)em. Upon the 
 most exact review of his life, he could not find any rea- 
 son to repent of it, or wish his general conduct had been 
 other than it was. He therefore resolves, that, though 
 his sufferings were so exceeding great as to make him curse 
 the day of his birth, and wish himself out of exi<^tence; 
 he would still live and act upon his old principless — patient 
 submission to the will of God, and firm trust and confi- 
 dence in him, be the consequence whatever it migtit — • 
 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. 
 
 From what has been said, and particularly from the ex- 
 ample of Job, let us learn to fix our own principh s and 
 regulate our own conduct. Should we see virtue and In- 
 tegrity bending beneath the burthen of distress, and en- 
 during every species of misei^ to which this transitory 
 life is exposed, reaping only calamity and reproach as the 
 fruit of its ways — should we see vice and villany trium- 
 phant, exulting in prosperity, and rejoicing in the full suc- 
 cess of its iniquitous schemes ; let us not conclude with 
 the silly wife of Job, tliat God regards not the actions of 
 men — that trust and confidence in him are vain and fruit- 
 less — and that the best thing we can do is, to renounce 
 
 I 
 
M 
 
 The Steadfastness of Jot. 3d 
 
 both him, and our intetjrity, and to ajive ourselves up to 
 tlio c(»n(luct of knavery and hypocrisy, as the more cer- 
 tain way to obtain the happiness of ttie world : Nor, let 
 us conclude with Job's friends, that misfortunes and ca- 
 lamities are instances of the vensjeance of God; and that 
 every man who falls into disastrous circumstances, is an 
 object of the wrath of God, suffering llie just punishment 
 of tiis wickedness and hypocrisy. But, let us remember, 
 that God, whose knowledaje, and o;o(>dness, and wisdom 
 are infinite, has many ends to answer by the various dis- 
 pensations of his providence — that it is his property to 
 bring good out of evil, happiness out of misery, order 
 and regularity out of confusion and contention: And that 
 if he permits virtue and integrity to be distressed, and 
 vice and villany to succeed, lie has some good and gra- 
 cious end to accomplish, which could no other way be so 
 well effected : And that he will finally make his righteous- 
 ness clear as the sun, and his justice as the noon-day ; re- 
 warding every one according to his deeds, giving happi- 
 ness and glory to the good, and recompensing infamy and 
 iTiiserv to the wicked. 
 
 Let it also be the care of every one of us, through the 
 whole period of life, so to imitate the integrity and faith 
 of holy Job, that should distress, affliction or poverty 
 come upon us, we may be able with him to appeal to our 
 own hearts, and consciences, in the presence of God, for 
 the upriglitness of our intentions and designs, for the vir- 
 tue and ntegrity of our actions and principles : For, then 
 only may we with equal confidence, place our hope and 
 trust in God, and reasonably expect liis support and pro- 
 tec tion, when like Job, we hold fast our integriiy, and 
 will! \]\m resolve. Though God slai/ me, yet will I trvM 
 in him. 
 
DISCOURSE III. 
 
 THE EXAMPLE OF THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 1 Cor. X. 11, 12. 
 
 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples : and 
 they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends 
 of the world are corne^ Wherefore, let him that ihinkeih 
 he standeth, take heed lest he fall, 
 
 J^T. Paul, in the end of the preceding chapter, tells us, 
 that he disciplined himself by self-denial ; so that, by keep- 
 ing under the appetites of the body, he might obtain a 
 part in that life eternal through Christ, which he preached 
 to others. He had been called to the profession and 
 preaching of the gospel, in a miraculous manner. He 
 had b^en favoured with revelations from God, in greater 
 number, and of a more extraordinary nature than any- 
 other Apostle. He had been taken up into the third hea- 
 ven, and there saw and heard things which it exceeded 
 the power of human nature to describe. He had preach- 
 ed and laboured more, in the propagation of the gospel, 
 than the other Apostles had done. He had been assured 
 by God, that his grace was sufficient to support him under 
 the infirmities and distresses of the body, and all tempta- 
 tions to which he was liable. Could any man be sure of 
 his salvation, we might reasonably presume St. Paul had 
 obtained that assurance. And yet he disclaims all preten- 
 sions to it. He continued still to run his Christian race; 
 and so to run, that he might obtain the reward of it. He 
 Etrove to get the mastery over the inordinate passions and 
 appetites of his nature, that he might obtain the incorrup- 
 tible crown of glory in the life to come; and, therefore, 
 he kept under his body, and brought it into subjection by 
 temperance and mortification ; denying himself liberties 
 
 TOL. 11. F 
 
42 The Example of the Israelites. 
 
 which were indifferent, and in themselves innocent ; lest 
 while he "preached to others," he himself "should be a 
 cast-avvay" — reprobated, or rejected of God. 
 
 To the imitation of his patience and self-denial he calls 
 bis Corinthian converts ; and exhorts them to strive for the 
 mastery over unrul/ tempers and passions, as he did. 
 And to encourage them by example, as well as direct 
 them by precept, he, in the tenth chapter, sets before 
 them the conduct of the Israelites in the wilderness, and 
 the dreadful judgments of God which their wickedness 
 and obstinacy brought on them. His whole reasoning 
 proceeds on this ground ; that the hopes of future happi- 
 ness founded on the promises of God, ought always to 
 include obedience to what God commands ; because if we 
 fail in our obedience, the promise is no longer in force as 
 to us. 
 
 To prove this point, he adduces the instance of the 
 Jewish Church. He mentions several of the blessings and 
 privileges God conferred on it, and the great promises he 
 made to it ; all which they failed to obtain, through unbe- 
 lief and disobedience, and miserably perished in the wil- 
 derness. The inference he draws ought to be a warning 
 to us, lest any of us be hardened through the deceitful- 
 ness of sin, and fail of entering into that rest which is 
 promised to the people of God, under the gospel. 
 
 The Jewish Church, in its time, was the true Church of 
 God ; differing, indeed, in many things in its oeconomy, 
 from the Christian, but resembling it also in many circum- 
 stances. That was the oeconomy of types, and represen- 
 tations, and shadows ; the Christian, of substance, and re- 
 ality, and truth. St. Paul frequently calls those types 
 and shadows by the name of the reality which they repre- 
 sented. The Jews he calls our ancestors or fathers, though 
 they were so, only in a figurative, or in a spiritual sense — 
 having been in the family or Church of God, and having 
 bad a right to the blessings of his covenant, before us. 
 The rock which gave them water at Horeb, he says, was 
 Christ ; that is, a figure or type of Christ. 
 
 But we will take a nearer view of the discourse which 
 
 m 
 
The Example of the Israelites, 43 
 
 introdiicelh the text ; and by which, St. Pan! excites the 
 Corinthians to diligence and care in their Christian profes- 
 sion. 
 
 " I would not that ye should be ij^norant, how that all 
 our fathers," the Church of Israel, " vverejnnder the cloud, 
 and all passed through the sea ; and were all baptised un- 
 to Moses," their appointed conductor and mediator, "in 
 the cloud, and in the sea;" that is, they were baptised 
 figuratively into the covenant God made with them, and 
 into the belief of the doctrines taught by Moses at God's 
 command. Accordingly, this covenant was formally 
 made; and the Law, containing the peculiar doctrines of 
 it, published a short time after, at Mount Sinai. 
 
 St. Paul considered the Israelites being under the cloud 
 and passing through the sea, as figures of Clnistian Bap- 
 tism. And their going into th*e bed of the Red Sea, and. 
 coming again up out of it, had a resemblance of the mode 
 of administering Baptism by immersion, it was also be- 
 lieved by the Jevi^s, that their fathers were baptised in the 
 desert, and admitted into covenant with God, before the 
 giv-ing of the Law.'^ To this opinion of theirs the apostle 
 probably alludes, and thence draws the figure ol Christian 
 Baptism. 
 
 But, to understand how this Baptism was typified by 
 tjieir being under the cloud, it will be necessary to ad- 
 Tert to the several uses which the cloud served. One was 
 to direct their marches; and this it did as a pillar or co- 
 lumn going before them. Another use was to illuminate 
 their horizon in the night, that they might have light to 
 march on their journey, when God gave them notice by 
 putting the cloud in motion ; or to go about their camp, 
 when they rested. Thus we read, that " the Lord went 
 before them by day, in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them 
 the way ; and by night, in a pillar of fire, to give them 
 light. "t A third use was to cover them by its shade from 
 the intense heat of the sun on the sands of the wilderness, 
 where there are neither trees nor verdure, but in particu- 
 lar places. " He spread a cloud," saith the Psalmist, "for 
 
 * araimonides, according" to Peccck, g-lves this account, f Exod. xH). ?.\. 
 
44 The Example of the Israelites, 
 
 a covering ; and fire to give light in the night."* A fourth 
 use was to be a defence against their enemies. Thus the 
 cloud stood betwixt the host of Israel and the Egyptians, 
 giving a bright light to the former, but being impenetra- 
 ble darkness to the latter.f 
 
 The cloud, then, was to them a perpetual indication of 
 the presence, power, and protection of Almighty God — 
 It covered them from inclement heat; it directed and .illu- 
 minated their path and their camp ; and it surrounded and 
 guarded them against the assaults of their enemies. As, 
 therefore, their passing through the sea was a figure of 
 our baptismal washing with water; so their being under 
 the cloud was a figure of our baptism with the Holy 
 Ghost administered in the Christian Church, by the rite of 
 Confirmation or laying on of hands,J which is the full 
 completion of Christian Baptism. 
 
 The Jews acknowledge, that the cloud of glory signi- 
 fied and represented the Spirit of God.^ This Spirit pro- 
 tects us Christians, (to whom he is given through the me- 
 diation of Christ, into whose name we have been bapti- 
 sed,) under the temptations and persecutions which come 
 on us in the wilderness of this world, which, without his 
 support, would overcome and destroy us ; even as the 
 beat of the sun would have overpowered and destroyed 
 the Israelites in the desert, had not the cloud been inter- 
 posed for their protection. The Holy Spirit is also a de- 
 fence against our spiritual enemy, eminently called the 
 evil one, the destroyer; so that he shall not assault ue, 
 " above that" we " are able to bear." He likewise is 
 the guide in our Christian journey ; preventing, or going 
 before us, and leading us in the w ay to the heavenly Ca- 
 naan. Lastly, He is " a lamp unto" our '' feet, and a 
 light unto" our " path," that we may not walk in dark- 
 ness, and stumble, and fall ; but may have the light of di- 
 vine truth, while we sojourn in this world, to direct our 
 feet in the way of God's commandments. 
 
 Rightly, therefore, did the Apostle point out the pas- 
 gage of the Israelites through the Red Sea, and their be- 
 
 * Psalm cv. 39. f Exod. xiv. 30. A Heb. yi. 2. ^ Masius on Josh. i. 
 
The Example of the Israelites. 45 
 
 in^ under the guidance and protection of the cloud in 
 tlie wilderness, as figures and types of Baptism with Wa- 
 ter and the Holy Ghost, under the dispensation of Christ. 
 
 Let us now pass on to the next verses — " And did all 
 eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same 
 spiritual drink," which Christians do eat and drink. The 
 Apostle undoubtedly refers to the Manna, and water 
 from the rock, with which the Israelites were sustained 
 in the wilderness. And we have the testimony of Christ 
 himself, tliat the Manna was'a type of him who is " the 
 living bread which came down from heaven ;" which bread 
 he declareth himself to be : and that " if any man eat 
 of this bread," (his flesh which he would give for the life 
 of the world) " he shall live for ever ;" and he would 
 ." raise him up at the last day."* The Apostle calls the 
 Manna which the Israelites did edii, spiritual meat ; be- 
 cause, though it was a bodily substance, it might, by the 
 appointment of God, be the food of the soul to them 
 who ate it with faith in the providence and promises of 
 God. For the same reason, he calls the water which flow- 
 ed from the rock, spiritual drink. And we have his au- 
 thority for saying, that the rock, from which this spiritual 
 water flowed, rvas Christ ; that is, a figure or type of 
 Christ : consequently, the water was the figure or type of 
 that " living water" which Christ giveth unto us ;t that is, 
 of all the blessings of his Holy Spirit. And, as all those 
 blessings were obtained for us by the shedding of Christ's 
 blood ; therefore was the water, which flowed from the 
 rock in Horeb, a lively and expressive figure of the blood 
 of Christ poured out on the cross for the sin of the world. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to read St. Paul's account of the 
 Baptism of the Israelites in the sea and in the cloud, with- 
 out perceiving the allusion he has to the Christian Sacra- 
 ment of Baptism. Nor can we attend to his account of. 
 the Manna, and the water which flowed from the rock, 
 which he calls the same spiritual meat and drink of which 
 Christians partake, without seeing the allusion he must 
 have intended to the other Sacrament of the Christian 
 
 * S€e Cl>ri»t'» di»cour»«, John vi. f Jolin ir. 10. 
 
46 The Example of the Israelites, 
 
 Church, the Holy Eucharist, or Communion of the body 
 and blood of Clirist. Ey the Manna and the Water, the 
 Israelites were preserved from famishing in the barren and 
 dry wilderness : and, by the body and blood of Christ, 
 truly represented and exhibited l)y the consecrated bread 
 and the cup of the Eucharist, our spiritual famine in this 
 world is prevented, and our souls refreshed by the love 
 and grace of God through Christ. They who ate of that 
 spiritual meat, and drank of that spiritual drink, with de- 
 pendence on God's providence, and faith in his promises, 
 found them conducive to their spiritual comfort, and growth 
 in grace, and all holy tempers. And when we receive the 
 Holy Communion with faith in the promises of God, and 
 in the atonement of Christ ; we do, in virtue and elTect, 
 receive the body and blood of Christ, the true bread 
 which came down from heaven, and drink that living wa- 
 ter, which shall be in us " a well of water springing up 
 into everlasting life."* The manna came down from hea- 
 ven, and is called the food or bread of angels; and Christ 
 fcaith of his body, that it is the true bread which came 
 down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. The 
 rock, the figure of Christ, poured out its water when mi- 
 raculously cleft by a stroke of the rod of Moses, to the 
 preservation and refreshment of the host of Israel perish- 
 ing with thirst. And when the Saviour's side was cleft 
 and torn by the soldier's spear, *' forthwith came thereout 
 blood and water," to the refreshment and preservation of 
 man, perishing with spiritual thirst, in the barren desert 
 of sin and iniquity .f 
 
 * John iv. 14 
 
 f In commemoration of the blood and water which flowed from our Saviour*? 
 side when pierced with the spear, the Christian Church universally administered 
 the Sacrament of the blood of Christ in a mixed cup of wine and water, till the 
 reformation, when the Genevans (1 believe first) departed from this primitive prac- 
 tice. The otlier Reformers on the continent generally followed their example, 
 merely as it should seem, to get as far as possible from the Chmxh of Rome. But 
 in justification of the practice it may be observed, tliat as our Saviour instituted 
 the Holy Eucharist immediately after the celebration of the Passover, the cup 
 which he took was the last paschal cup, called the cnp of blessing, because the masr 
 ter of the family used to bless it. This cup la well known, from the testimony of 
 Jewish writq^-s, to have been a mixture of wine and water. Of this mixed cup our 
 Saviour said. This is my blood which is shed for you. All the old Liturgies of the 
 CSiurch now extant, Greek, Latin, and African, direct the Eucharist to be celebra- 
 
The Example of the IsraeUles. 47 
 
 Tiioui^li so many and so great favours had been confer- 
 red on the Israelites; " with many of them," saith the 
 apostle, " God was not well pleased; for they were over- 
 thrown" by liim, "in the wilderness." He then mentions 
 some of the crimes by which they lost the favour of God, 
 and drew dow^n his judgments on them to tlieir utter de- 
 struction. But first he puts us in mind, that '* all these 
 things are our examples ; to the intent, we" who sitccee-d 
 them in tlie flavours and blessings of God, " should not 
 lust after evil things, as some of them also lusted" — un- 
 gratefully murmuring, and demanding flesh from God to 
 gratify the craving of appetite,^^ when he had already giv- 
 en them food sufficient for health and support, in the man- 
 na which he rained down on them. At their desire, God 
 brought them quails, and rained flesh upon them, as thick 
 as dust. " But, while the meat was yet in their mouths, 
 the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the 
 wealthiest of them, and smote down the chosen men that 
 were in Israel."t 
 
 " Neither be ye idolaters, as were-some of them" — eat- 
 ing of the sacrifices offered to idols, and thereby acknow- 
 ledging them as their God — "As it is written. The people 
 sat down to eat and to drink" of the sacrifices dflfered to 
 
 ted in the mixed cup. All the old writers, who mention the subject, speak of th« 
 cup as mixed. And, as the practice of the mixture can be traced up to Justin Mar*- 
 lyr, and was the universal usage of the Church in his time, there is no doubt of its 
 being" derived from the Apostles. In the New Testament, the cup is always called 
 expressly by that name, and never called 7ei7ie simply. To cite pai'ticularly the au- 
 thorities of the old Liturg-ies and Writers would take up too much room. I shall 
 therefore content niyself with observing", that tlie first English Liturgy of Edward 
 VI. directed the Communion to be administered with a mixed cup. And that when 
 that mode was altered by a second reformation in the same reign, it was probably 
 omitted in compliance with the sentiments of Calvin and Beza, and hi hopes that 
 the foreign Protestants would unite, and make one Church with the Church of Eng- 
 land. In this, however, they were mistaken. This last Prayer-Book of Edward 
 VI. never had any Ecclesiastical authority to support it, till the revision of the book 
 under Charles 11. but, during that period, subsisted on authoi-ity purely regal and 
 parliamentary. ' 
 
 Whoever wishes to examine into this matter, may consult Dr. Brett's Disserta- 
 tion on the Old Liturgies, p. 348, &c. Bishop Hicke's Preparatory Discourse to 
 the Rights, &c. edit. iii. p. 63. Mr. Tliorndike's Weights and Measui-es, p. 159. 
 Dr. Heylin, Antidotum Lincolnicnse, p. 110. To whom maybe added, Mr. Bing- 
 ham, and Mr, Johnson's Unbloody Sacrifice. And also, Reasons for restoring some 
 Prayers and Directions, as they stand in the Communion Service of tlie first Eng-- 
 lish Reformed Liturgy ; with its defence, vindication, &6. 
 
 * Num. xi. f Psalm cv. 40. Ixxviii. 28, 31. 
 
48 The Example of the Israelites. 
 
 the golden calf, " and rose np to play" and dance in horior 
 to it, after the manner of the heathen. This caution was 
 particularly necessary for the Corinthians, who seem to 
 have had no scruple about eating things offered to idols, by 
 which they avoided persecution on account of their reli- 
 gion. In justification of themselves, they pleaded, that 
 an idol was nothing ; and that, therefore, there could be 
 no harm in eating what had been offered to it. To this 
 the apostle replies, that though an idol be nothing; yet 
 eating of sacrifices offered to it, was worshipping it, and 
 acknowledging it to be our God — That the devil was the 
 author of idol-worship ; and that the sacrifices offered to 
 the idol were in reality offered to devils. It was, there- 
 fore, a renouncing of their God and Saviour, and giving 
 his glory to evil spirits, and to the works of men's hands — ' 
 an abomination to be abhorred of all Christian people.^' 
 
 "Neither let us commit fornication as some of them 
 committed;" namely, at the sacrifices of Baal-peor; 
 " and," by the judgment of God, " fell in one day three 
 and twenty thousand." The necessity of this admonition 
 to those to whom the apostle was writing, appears from 
 the proneness of the Corinthians lo the crime he reproved. 
 Of this we have several intimations in his two Epistles > 
 particularly \yhen he says, " Lest when I come, I shall be- 
 wail many which have sinned already ; and have not re- 
 pented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lascivious- 
 iiess which they havecommitted."t 
 
 " Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also 
 tempted" him, " and were destroyed of serpents." In the 
 history to ^vhicli this relates, we find, that " the people 
 spake against God, and against Moses; Wherefore have 
 ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? 
 for there is no bread, neither water ; and our soul loatheth 
 this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among 
 the people, and they bit the people ; and much people of 
 Israel died."t The murmuring of the people against God, 
 their distrusting his providence and power, and despising 
 the provision of manna he had made for them, is, by the 
 
 * 1 Cor. X. 18. Sec. t 2 Cor. xii. 21. ^ Num. xxl. 5, 6. 
 
 1 
 
The Example of the Israelites* 48 
 
 apostle, called tempting of Christ. And from hence an 
 argument has been drawn to prove the divinity of Christ — 
 that he was the Lord who brought the Israelites out of 
 Egypt; who published the law from mount Sinai; who 
 gave Ihem manna from heaven, and w ater from the rock ; 
 who led them through, and supported them in the wilder- 
 ness ; who drove the Canaanites before them, and finally 
 settled them in their country : and that he is the very God 
 Jehovah whom they worshipped. 
 
 By their tempting God is meant their requiririg further 
 and greater instances of his power, when he had already 
 done what was sufficient, which ought to have convinced 
 them that he was the Almighty God, infinite in power 
 and goodness. Their doubting of the power of God to 
 provide them with bread in the wilderness, when they 
 confessed he had brought water out of the dry rock to 
 relieve their necessity, is called by the Psalmist, tempt- 
 ing God.^ 
 
 " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, 
 and were destroyed of the destroyer." Wh^n the spies, 
 who were sent to examine the state of the country of Ca- 
 naan and of its inhabitants, returned, and represented the 
 country as too strong for them to conquer, the people were 
 discouraged, and " murmured against Moses, and against 
 Aaron ;" and said, " Would God that we had died in the 
 land of Egypt; or would God we had died in this wilder- 
 ness. And they said one to the other. Let us make a Cap- 
 tain, and let us return into Egypt."t For their punish- 
 ment, God sent a plague among them — the angel ot death 
 — the destroyerj — "him that had the powder of death, that 
 is, the Devil."^ And all the men, w ho had been to ex- 
 amine the country, died in the plague, except Caleb and 
 Joshua ; who had not joined in their report, nor discoura- 
 ged the people, but had believed the Lord and trusted in 
 his power.ll 
 
 At this time, also, though God withdrew the plague, 
 at the intercession of Moses, and did not destroy the 
 
 * Psalm lixvlii. 19, f Num. xiv. 2, 4. i- II?b. x-4. 28, 
 
 f^ Heb. ii. 14. If Num. xiv. Z7, 3S. 
 
 vot. If. G 
 
50 The Example of iJie IsraeliUs. 
 
 whole congregation; yet in his anger he deteraiined that 
 none of those wlio came up out of Egypt, " from twenty 
 years old and upr.ard," should enter into rest in Canaan; 
 l3Ut should die in the wilderness, as they had wished;^ 
 being unworthy, through obstinate unbelief, to be made 
 partakers of his promises. 
 
 " Now all these things happened to them for ensamples" 
 to us, " and they are written for our admonition, upon 
 whom the ends of the world are come." 
 
 By " the ends of the world," is meant the last dispen- 
 sation of God to man. The Jews divided the duration of 
 the world into three periods, which they called ages. The 
 tirst was the Patriarchal age or dispensation, which con- 
 tinued to the giving of the Law. The second was the 
 age of the Law ; and the third was the age after the Law, 
 or the age of Messiah. This dispensation they called the 
 last age — the end of the ages; because no dispensation 
 was to succeed ; but the end of the world was lo come, 
 when the dispensation of Messiah sljould cease. 
 
 According to the text, the design of God in having the 
 crimes of the Israelites intlie wilderness recorded, togeth- 
 er with the judgments with whieh they were punished, 
 was,, that they might be examples and admonitions to his 
 Church, in after times; particularly to those who live un- 
 der the last dispensation of God, the age of Messiah. 
 And the lesson we are to learn from them is, not to "lust 
 after evil things, as they also lusted;" nor to "be idola- 
 ters," nor " conimit fornication," nor " tempt Christ," nor 
 "murmur" at the dispensations of God; of all w'hich 
 crimes some of them were guilty ; lest we be rejected of 
 God, as they were ; ancl he determine with regard to us, 
 as he did with regard to them, that we shall not enter into 
 his rest — the heavenly Canaan — ^^the rest reserved for " the 
 people of God."t 
 
 From the example of the Israelites, we may also learn, 
 that the covenanted privileges which God gives to men, are 
 not only the objects of their faith, but imply obligations 
 of obedience to what God commands; and that without 
 
 * Num. xiv. 28, 29. f Hcb. iv. 9. 
 
The Example of the IsratlUes, 51 
 
 both faitli and obedience on our part, they will fail and 
 be lost to us. We may leaiji also, that the greater those 
 priv^ileges and mercies are, the greater ought to be our 
 gratifude ; the stronger our faith ; the more punctual, and 
 cheerful, and steady our obedience. That the mercies 
 and promises of the Cliristian covenant are greater and 
 more precious than those of the Jewish, cannot be doubt- 
 ed ; and the greater and more dreadful will be our pun- 
 ishment, if we be faithless and disobedient under them : 
 For if God spared not his old people who sinned under 
 less, how can we expect he wilt spare us, if we sin under 
 greater advantages ? In this Scripture, then, we see ^* the 
 goodness and severity of God : on them which fell" in the 
 wilderness, "severity; but towards" us, "goodness," (in 
 causing their example to be recorded for our admonition) 
 " if" we " continue in his goodness ; otherwise'* we " also 
 shall be cut off."^^^ 
 
 It will now be easy to assign the meaning of the latter 
 verse of the text ; " Wherefore, let him that thihketh he 
 standeth, take^heed lest he fall." " Let him" — let every 
 Christian-—" thatthinketh he standeth" high and securely 
 in the favor of God, and that there is no danger of losing 
 it by his own ill conduct, " take heed lest he fall" from it, 
 through want of faith in GodV promises, or by disobedi- 
 ence to his commands. 
 
 The Israelites who came out of Egypt w ere once as tru- 
 ly the Church, or chosen people of God, as we are now. 
 They had entered into covenant with God, as well as we 
 have. He promised their fathers to bring their children 
 into the land of Canaan, and give it to them for a posses- 
 sion. He, therefore, brought them out from their oppres- 
 sion in Egypt with a " mighty hand," and by "great signs 
 and wonders; He parted the Red Sea, and made a pas- 
 sage for them through it on dry land ; He published his 
 Law to them, at Sinai, from the midsC of thunders, and 
 lightnings, and earthquakes ; Fie satisfied them with man- 
 na, when they were hungry ; and when they were thirsty, 
 with water from the rock; He directed their marches by 
 
 * Eom. xi, 22. 
 
52 The Example of the Israelites, 
 
 the pillar of a cloud ; illuminating their camp by its shin- 
 ing, and spreading it over their whole host, to guard them 
 from the heat of the sun, and from the attacks of enemies. 
 They murmured ; they distrusted his power; they did not 
 believe his promises; they disobeyed his commandments ; 
 and he cast them off—" He sware in his wrath, that they 
 should not enter into his resf'-r—and they perished in the 
 wilderness. 
 
 And now, what greater security have we of inheriting 
 the promises of God, than the Israelites had ? Theirs were 
 *' (he adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the 
 giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promi- 
 fies.'"^ They had, therefore, the same security which we 
 have : yet they failed ; and failed through unbelief and 
 disobedience : And are not unbelief and disobedience as 
 great crimes in a Christian, as they were in an Israelite ? 
 Or hath God changed his nature, and will now overlook 
 crimes in Christians, which he formerly punished severely 
 in the Israelites ? 
 
 God does not change his mind, nor alter his purpose. 
 His promises are " yea, and amen" — sure and certain. 
 They are made to the faithful and obedient ; and if the 
 unbelieving and disobedient fail to obtain them, it is be- 
 cause they want that faith and obedience on which the 
 promises are grounded. Let us, then, learn instruction 
 from the lesson which the apostle endeavours to teach us, 
 by setting before us the conduct and punishment of the 
 old Israelites— the lesson of faith and obedience to God. 
 
 We have sufficient authority to say that the Church of 
 the Israelites was typical of the Church of Christ — Their 
 redemption from Egypt, of our redemption from sin and 
 satan — Their baptism "in the cloud and in the sea, of our 
 baptism with water and the Holy Ghost— Their manna and 
 water from the rock, of the Christian Eucharist, or com- 
 inunion of the body and blood of Christ — Their journey- 
 ings in the wilderness, of our pilgrimage in this world-— 
 and the promised land of Canaan, of the heavenly king- 
 dom of our Redeemer. I would to God there was no re- 
 
 * Rom. ix. 4 
 
The Example of the Israelites. 53 
 
 semblance between their unbelief and disobedience, and 
 ours. The holy apostle, however, thought his Corinthian 
 converts to be in danger of similar judgments, because he 
 saw them guilty of simijar crimes. He, therefore, ^Yarn~ 
 ed them of their danger ; and in warning them, he hath 
 warned us also. Happy will it be for us, if we pay atten- 
 tion to his warning, and govern ourselves by his admoni- 
 tion. Consider, therefore, the similarity of their situa- 
 tion, and ours ; and act accordingly. But remember, we 
 are not travelling to an earthly, but to a heavenly Canaan ; 
 and if we fail of entering into it, terrible indeed will be 
 the failure. 
 
 What St. Paul hath said in the context, did not arise 
 from a transient view of the subject, but from deliberate 
 judgment. He produceth the same argument in his Epis- 
 tle to the Hebrews. Citing from the ninety-fifth Psalm, 
 " Wherefore the Holy Ghost saith, To-day if you will 
 hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provoca- 
 tion, in the day of temptation in the wilderness,"* &c. ; 
 he asks, " With whom was he grieved forty years ? was it 
 not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the 
 wilderness? And to whom sware he, that they should not 
 enter into his rest, but to them that believed not ? So, we 
 see, that they could not enter in because of unbelief." In 
 the next chapter, he continues his exhortation in the most 
 earnest manner ;" Let us therefore fear, lest a promise 
 being left us of entering into his rest" — the heavenly Ca- 
 naan — " any of you should seem to come short of it. For 
 unto us was the Gospel" — the good tidings of a rest for 
 the people of God — ^" preached, as well as unto them. 
 But the word preached did not profit them, not being 
 mixed with faith in them that heard it." Let us labour,* 
 therefore, to enter into " that rest, lest any man fall from 
 it, after the same example of unbelief."t 
 
 " Let him," therefore, that thinketh he standeth, " take 
 heed lest he fall." Does a man think, that because God 
 hath adopted us for his children, and made to us the pro- 
 mise of future rest in the kingdom of heaven, that be 
 
 * Heb. iii. 7, &.c. t Ileb. iv. 11. disobedience, 
 
64 The Example of the Israelites. 
 
 cannot fail of obtaining that rest? let him know, that the 
 promise of God is made to the faithful and obedient; and 
 that unbelief and disobedience will render it vain with re- 
 gard to him. Does he think, that (let him live as he wilJ) 
 because Cinist hath made atonement for sin, and reconci- 
 led God to us, that therefore he cannot fail to obtain the 
 promise of that eternal life which Christ hath purchased ? 
 let him know, that " without holiness no man shall see the 
 Lord ;" and that though the promise of God is certain, it 
 is made only to those who believe and obey God. 
 
DISCOURSE IV. 
 
 NO TEMPTATIONS UNSURMOUNTABLE BY CHRISTIANS. 
 
 1 Cor. X. ]3. 
 
 There halh no temptation taken you, hut such as is common 
 to man : But God is faithjul, who ivill not suffer you to 
 he templed above that ye are able ; hut will with the temp- 
 tation also make a way to escapCy that ye may be able to 
 bear it. 
 
 HERE are two errors into which Christians, who are 
 not well grounded in the principles of their reliojion, are 
 apt to run. The one is presumption on the promises of 
 God, which they suppose to be so absolute that they can- 
 not fail to obtain them, be their conduct whatever it may. 
 Against this error St. Paul sufficiently cautions us, when 
 he said, " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest 
 he fall"-— Let him who thinketh he standeth secure in the 
 favour of God, take heed that he forfeit it not by unbelief 
 and disobedience. The other error is dejection of spirits, 
 and despondence at the prospect of the temptations and 
 difficulties that lie in the way of a holy and Christian life. 
 Sensible of the weakness of nature, many people suffer 
 (he imagination to dwell on the difficulties that are before 
 them ; till they persuade themselves, that these difficul- 
 ties are so. inevitable, that they cannot avoid them, and 
 so strong that they cannot resist them. This conclusion, 
 iiad they nothing but their own wisdom and strength to 
 depend on, \Vould be perfectly just, and they would have 
 every reason to dread all the evils they so anxiously fore- 
 bode. Blind indeed is human wisdom in the things of 
 God ; and, to resist temptations, the greatest strength of 
 nature is perfect weakness. But to the wisdom and weak- 
 ness of nature God hath not left us. His power, his grace. 
 
56 No Temptations unsurmounlable hij Christians, 
 
 his Holy Spirit, are our defence and security in our Chris- 
 tian warfare. And the holy Apostle appeals to the expe- 
 rience of his Corinthian converts, that no insupportable 
 temptation had yet come upon them — none " but such as 
 is common to man," and therefore such as all men must 
 expect ; and, of course, such as all men may, by God's 
 grace, endure. The same appeal, I trust, may be made 
 to us; and every one of us must acknowledge the justice 
 of it. If, then, God hath hitherto preserved us from in- 
 supportable trials, why should we doubt that he will con- 
 tinue to preserve us, if we do our duty ; place our trust 
 in him, and exercise that portion of reason and grace 
 ^vhich he hath given us, and make use of those means of 
 religion and holy living, which he hath put in our power? 
 
 Besides, " God," saith the Apostle, " is faithful, who 
 will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; 
 but will, with the temptation, also, make a way to escape, 
 that ye may be able to bear it." We, therefore, are not 
 left to the general notions we have of the goodness and 
 power of God for the ground of our faith in him, that he 
 Avill preserve us from,, or succour us under severe tempta- 
 tions ; nor to the bare testimony of our own experience, 
 that he hath, as yet, ever done so : But we have his ex- 
 press promise, that as he " redeemeth the soul of his ser- 
 vants," so " none of them that trust in him shall be des- 
 olate."* "But (he Lord shall help them, anddeliver them : 
 He shall deliver them from the wicked" — -not only the 
 wicked of this world, but hom the wicked or evil one— 
 " and save them because they trust in him."t In these, 
 and in many other places of Holy Scripture,, we have the 
 express promise of God to confirm what is asserted iti the 
 text; and he " is faithful," and will faithfully make good 
 what he hath engaged — that we shall be protected against 
 all temptatioFfS iasupportable by human nature, so that 
 they shall never come upon us ; or, we shall receive su- 
 pernatural strength to enable us to bear them ; or, a way 
 shall be provided for us to escape from them. 
 
 AYhat the Apostle hath said in the text, stands on the 
 
 * Psalm xxxir. 22. t Psalra xxxvii. 40. 
 
No Temptations unsurmouniahle ty Christians. 57 
 
 ceiiainty of our being exposed to a variety' of tempta- 
 tions in our Christian course. To lessen the apprehension 
 of this certainty, or of the strength of those temptations 
 which we must endure, can answer no good purpose: It 
 would only make us more careless of ourselves and of our 
 duty, and less watchful against the trials of our faith and 
 patience which must come upon us ; and, consequently, 
 more liable to sink under them. We will, therefore, con* 
 sider, 
 
 1. The different kinds of temptations to which we are 
 exposed. 
 
 2. The sources from which they rise. 
 
 3. The power we have to resist and overcome them. 
 From all which it will appear, that however numerous 
 
 and strong the temptations may be which we have to en- 
 counter, God hath amply provided for our security under 
 them ; and that we have no good reason for dejection or 
 despondency of spirits, at the prospect of them* 
 
 1. We are to consider the various kinds of temptations 
 to which we are exposed. 
 
 The word temptation, though now generally used to sig- 
 nify excitement or solicitation to evil, meems trial, or experi- 
 ment ; and in Scripture, persecution on account of reli- 
 gion is sometimes expressed by it ; because such persecu* 
 tion brings our religion to the trial, and makes an experi- 
 ment of our faith and sincerity in it. In this sense it is 
 used by St. Luke,* " These have no root, which for a 
 while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." In 
 the parallel place of St. Matthewf it ia, " when tribulation 
 OY persecution ariseth on account of the word, by and by 
 he is offended." This, probably, is the more precise 
 meaning of the word temptation in the text ; by which the 
 apostle warns his Corinthian converts of those persecutions 
 on account of their religion, which were then common in 
 the world, and which they were to expect both from Jew- 
 ish and Gentile unbelievers ; exhorts them to behave with 
 patience and confidence in God, should they come o» 
 
 * rni. 13, t m, n, 
 
 yoL. ir^ H 
 
58 No Temptations unsurmountablt hy Christians. 
 
 them; and assures them, if they did so, God would sup- 
 poi t and deliver them. 
 
 Sometimes temptation signifies the troubles and afflic- 
 tions of this life. With these the servants of God are fre- 
 quently tried : Not because God is ignorant of the state 
 of their hearts, but to make them sensible of the weak- 
 ness of their nature, ami well acquainted with their own 
 spiritual condition ; to exercise and strengthen their faith 
 and patience ; to set them for examples to others ; to cor- 
 rect whatever may be amiss in them ; to show the pleasure 
 be takes in those who remain faithful to him, by fitting 
 them for a brighter crown of glory in his heavenly king- 
 dom. In this sense the word is used bv St, James, " Mv 
 brethren, count it all joy when ye fail into divers tempta- 
 tions; knowing that the trying of your faith workelh pa- 
 tience," which is the proper fruit of affliction that is borne 
 with Christian temper. Again, " Blessed is tlie man that 
 endureth temptation ; for when he is tried, he shall receive 
 the crown of Iife."=* 
 
 Sometimes temptation signifies the arts and excitements 
 of the evil one, the Devil, to draw us into sin. This seems 
 to be the more particular sense of the word in the Lord's 
 Prayer, " Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
 from evil" — Suffer us not to fall into the snares of the 
 devil, but deliver us from sin. 
 
 To temptations of all these kinds we are liable, and 
 must expect to be encountered by them all, in a greater 
 or less degree. The state of the world in which we live 
 is such, that persecution on account of our religion must 
 be endured, especially by those who *' will livej^odly in 
 Christ Jesus." The malice of wicked men will exert it- 
 self either openly or secretly ; if not to the injury of the 
 body by direct violence, yet to the vexation of the mind 
 by scoffs and revilings, and to the prejudice of the reputa- 
 tion by false reports and wicked calumnies. 
 
 Nor can we reasonably hope to pass through life, with- 
 out suffering some of tlie troubles and afflictions to which 
 it is liable. The constant experience of the world hath 
 
 * James i. 2, 12. 
 
No Temptations unsurmounlable hy Christians. 59 
 
 fully eslablislied the trulh of the observation made by ho- 
 ly Job, that " man is born to trouble as the sparks fly up- 
 ward." Disappointment of our expectations, damage of 
 our substance, loss of friends, sickness of body, vexa- 
 tions of mind, are among the evils lo which we are expo- 
 sed, and mme of which we must feel. 
 
 And who is secure against the assaults of that iVdversa- 
 ry who, armed with sublilty and inflametl by malice, "goes 
 about as a roarinq: lion, seeking whom he may devour ?" 
 While we are subject to the cravings of appetite, and to 
 the influence of the passions, v/e mnst be exposed to his 
 attempts : And the attempts of one who knows so well 
 how to let in excitements to sin upon us by every avenue, 
 to gild them over with cunning, and to urge them with art, 
 are always to be dreaded. By him also the passions of 
 evil men are inOamed, and their malice excited, till it 
 vents itself in persecuting the Church and servants of God : 
 And he reiiders the troubles and afflictions of life more 
 bitter, by the impatience and despondency which he ex- 
 cites in the soul. 
 
 2. Let us next attend to the sources from which these 
 temptations spring. 
 
 It hath already been noted, that one kind of temptation 
 proceeds from the devilj the great adversary of God and 
 man. By this word is meant, not only the prince, but 
 the whole host of angels who kept not their first estate, 
 but " being lifted up with pride," lost their heavenly na- 
 ture, and were filled with malice and all evil. A desire to 
 become independent of God, and to stand in their own 
 strength and power, seems to have been the cause of their 
 fall. With this bait they beguiled and caught the unhap- 
 py parents of mankind ; and have ever since been the con- 
 stant and successful tempters of their posterity. To re- 
 pair the fall of human nature which they introduced, and 
 to make-anan again capable of heavenly happiness, was 
 the object the Son of God had in view when he came into 
 the world ; and of all his doctrines, and miracles, and suf- 
 ferings. It must, therefore, be necessary for us to re- 
 nounce the temptations and inspirations of the devil, be- 
 
60 No Temptations unsurmountable hy Christians, 
 
 cause Ibey are contrary to the nature of God, who is the 
 source of all happiness ; they tend only to that which is 
 evil ; and to live according to them, will make us incapa- 
 ble of happiness in heaven. 
 
 In a larger sense, all sin and wickedness of every kind 
 and degree are the works of the devil, because he is their 
 original author and fountain. In a more particular sense, 
 the malevolent passions of the mind, and the actions which 
 proceed from them, anger, envy, hatred, malice, revenge, 
 murder, are his works. The crafty, subtle, serpentine 
 dispositions and actions of men, fraud, cheating, hypo- 
 crisy, lying, deceiving with an intention to injure, are al- 
 so ascribed to him. Aversion from God, hatred of him, 
 the refusal to give him the reverence and worship that are 
 due to him, idolatry, or the worship of any thing besides 
 God, are particularly attributed to the devil. 
 
 When we are tempted to any of these things, the temp- 
 tation is properly said to come from the devil ; and our 
 duty requires that we resist and renounce every inclination 
 to such tempers and actions. If we do so, we really " re- 
 sist the devil ;" and if we do so, earnestly and faithfully, 
 " he will flee from us.'* Nor let us suppose, that any 
 thing singular happens to us, when we are thus tempted 
 by him ; but remember that the " same afflictions and 
 temptations" with which we are tried, " are accomplished 
 in our brethren that " are in the world"- — in all the mem- 
 bers of the Christian Church. 
 
 The world in which we live is another source of temp- 
 tations. Its vain pomp, the covetous desire of its riches^ 
 and the lust after its magnificence and grandeur, often 
 draw us from our duty, and consequently from the true 
 road to happiness with God. Many people, indeed, make 
 the world and its enjoyments the great business of their 
 lives, the object of their most passionate desires. Difii' 
 cult will it be to persuade them that the world can be their 
 enemy, or that there is any harm in gratifying to the ut- 
 most the tempers which spring from it. Well, however, 
 would it be for them, if they would pay some regard to 
 the observation of their Saviour, ^[ Ye cannot serve God 
 
No Temptations iinsurmountahle hy Christians. 61 
 
 and Mammon ;" and would remember, that one apostle 
 liath said, ** If any man love the world, the love of the 
 Father is not in him ;"* and another, " the friendship of 
 the world is enmity against God."t It is also suggested to 
 tbem, that covetousness, which is a temper purely world- 
 ly, is called Idolatry ;% and that God is said particularly 
 to abhor the covetous.^ 
 
 On account of the wickedness of the world, and its en- 
 mity against God, he hath called us out of it, that we 
 might not l^e defiled by it, and live in that state of enmity 
 against our Creator in which itlieth : And he hath brought 
 lis into his Church, which is not of the world, but of him 
 who hath created and redeemed us ; that in his own fami- 
 ly we might be trained up in holiness, and made fit to be 
 partakers of his heavenly kingdom. 
 
 Our duty, therefore, requires us to deny and keep under 
 the thirst for grandeur and magnificence which vanity and 
 ambition inspire ; that greedy desire of riches, and confi- 
 dent dependence on them, which draw the heart from God, 
 and prompt it to look to the world for happiness ; that 
 care for this world, which prevents our caring for the next; 
 and that love for temporal things, which makes us forget 
 the things that are eternal. Then may we assure our- 
 selves, that we shall get the victory over the world, and 
 shall stand superior to all its hopes and feara, — God will 
 not suffer us to be tempted by it, above that we are able 
 to bear. 
 
 The lusts of the flesh involve us in another scene of 
 temptation. By the lusts of the flesh are meant the appe- 
 tites which belong to the body. These, though not direct- 
 ly sinful in themselves, lead men into all the sins of impu- 
 rity and sensuality. The love of pleasure is so strong in 
 us, that, spurning the restraints of reason and religion, we 
 fceek it where it is not to be found — in extravagance and 
 excess. Under the restraint of reason and religion, the 
 appetites of the body are not only innocent in themselves, 
 but necessary to our well-being. Excess, therefore, in the 
 indulgence of bodily appetites, is what we are particular- 
 
 * 1 Jolm ^ 15. t James It. 4. i Celos. iii. 5. § Psalm x. 3. 
 
62 No Temptations unsurmountahle by Christians, 
 
 ly to guard against. Every instance and degree of sen- 
 sual indulgence which reason disallovrs, or which the law 
 of God prohibits, must be forborne, because " fleshly lusts 
 war against the soul ;"* because, also, " they who do the 
 works of the flesh, shall not inherit the kingdom of God."t 
 
 Thus are we every "way exposed to temptations, not 
 only from our enemies who are without, but from ene- 
 mies also who are among " them of our own household." 
 With the power of the evil oncy him who in the Scripture 
 and by the Church is emphatically called the enemy, are 
 combined the force and impetuosity of our passions and 
 appetites ; and powerful indeed must be the temptations 
 of the adversary, when our own hearts are by nature, pos- 
 sibly too by habit, disposed to favour his solicitations. 
 Let us then consider, 
 
 3, The power we have to resist and repel them. 
 
 Against a confederacy so strong, and under the direc- 
 tion of an artful managci instigated too l)y malice and 
 envy, our own ability can do but litlle, for our strength 
 is only weakness. But the goodness of our God hath pro- 
 vided strength for us fully sufficient for our necessities, 
 even the power of his own most Holy Spirit, whom he 
 hath given to his church, the mystical body of his Son ; 
 and through the church, to every member of it. This 
 Spirit, Christ promised to his apostles under the character 
 of the Comforter, who was to abide with themy and conse- 
 quently with his church to the end of the world; to lead 
 them into all truth; to support them under adversity; to 
 secure them against the whiles of the devil; and to renew 
 and sanctify their hearts. This promise was most gra- 
 ciously fulfilled, when, on the day of Pentecost, he de- 
 scended in a bodily shape, like to cloven tongues of fire, 
 on the heads of the Apostles, and of the other Christians 
 who were assembled with them. To this Holy Spirit, St. 
 John had reference, when he said, " Greater is he that is 
 in you, than he that is in the world."t To the power of 
 this J3ivine Being, St. Paul had regard, when he said, " I 
 can do all things through Christ who strengthenelh me."^ 
 
 * 1 Peter ii. 11. f Gal. v, 19, 20, 21. j 1 John iv. 4. § Vh\\\^. iv. IS. 
 
No Temptations wisurmountahle hy Christians, 63 
 
 For ^vllat Christ doth for us in this world, he doth by the 
 Holy Ghost, to whom the care of the church in its mili- 
 tant state is committed. If we faithfully rely on the pow- 
 er and presence of (his Holy Spirit, and steadily endeavor 
 to do our duty in the station to which God's providence 
 hath called us ; we shall find his influence in us of more 
 efficacy to overcome the temptations of satan, the love of 
 the world, the evil propensities of the flesh, and to renew 
 in us the spirit of holiness; than all the power and subtilly 
 of the devil can be of, to destroy us. 
 
 Should it be asked. How it comes to pass, that we do 
 not see the efficacy of the Spirit in the lives of Christians? 
 How it happens, that they are so easily led away by their 
 spiritual enemy, to live in malice and envy, and to be^ 
 come slaves to the world, and to their own lusts, when 
 they have so strong a support against temptations, and so 
 powerful a principle of holiness always with them ? I an- 
 swer ; That the presence and efficacy of the Holy Spirit 
 is apparent in many Christians, who allow themselves in 
 no wickedness, and who delight to practise all goodness ; 
 and that this would be the case with every one, did eve- 
 ry one faithfully obey his holy inspirations. It is a truth 
 which cannot be too strongly inculcated, that every thing 
 good in us is from God, and the fruit of his Spirit. And 
 tiiat every thing which is evil — every evil desire, wish, 
 purpose, word, or action — is from ourselves, from our 
 own carnal and corrupt affections. No person who fairly 
 reflects on the operations of his own mind, and on his 
 conduct as it proceeds from his own deliberate determina- 
 tion, can doubt that he has an own will, by which he can 
 turn himself to a compliance with the good purposes and 
 desires which form themselves in him ; or to the fulfilling 
 of tlie evil, selfish, malicious, proud, and sensual passions 
 and appetites of his nature. No one can otherwise be ac- 
 countable for his actions, because no one can be account- 
 able for actions which he could not have forborne. Here- 
 in then lies the difference between the good and bad man. 
 The one attends to, and complies with all good desires 
 and inclinations within his power ; and, in so doing, he 
 
64 No Temptations imsurmounlahle hy Christiahs, 
 
 eo-operates with the Spirit of God, from whom evely 
 thing in him that is good must proceed. He rejects every 
 evil thought, desire, and propensity ; and, in rejecting 
 them, he rejects and resists the devil, the world, and the 
 flesh. The other turns from and checks the good desires 
 and dispositions which rise up in him, so long and so of- 
 ten, that either they cease, or he ceases to perceive them ; 
 and, in so doifig, he resists, and grieves, and quenches, 
 and drives from him the Spirit of God. He delights in 
 the gratification of the appetites and passions of his na- 
 ture ; and, is ever ready, when it is in his power, to com- 
 ply with their impulse, and thereby acts with the devil, 
 becomes his servant, the slave of the world and of his 
 own wicked inclinations ; for his servants we are to whom 
 we obey."* Hence it comes to pass, that so many Chris- 
 tians are Christians only in name ; for no person is any 
 further a Christian in the true sense of the word, than as 
 he acts and lives under the constant influence of the Spir- 
 it of God. 
 
 That we are placed in a state which exposes us to so 
 many and so strong temptations, with which w^e have but 
 little power to contend, has been urged as an argument 
 against the goodness of God. If we acquit those who 
 make this objection of all sinister purposes, we must sup- 
 pose it to be made without due consideration of the sub- 
 ject. God hath sufficiently provided for our security by 
 the gift of his Holy Spirit. By temptations he proves us, 
 whether we will obey him; and, by the proof, he forms 
 the heart to habits of holiness and virtue, that we may be 
 made fit for the kingdom of heaven. If we renounce that 
 state of apostacy into which human nature fell by the dis- 
 obedience of its first parent, by resisting stedfastly the 
 inspirations of satan, the impurities of the flesh, and the 
 perverse, selfish tempers of the world, that great object 
 will be fully accomplished. For these corrupt passions 
 and tempers constitute our fallen nature : they make up 
 the " old man" of sin and death which hold us in bondage. 
 We cannot be delivered from the evil of our nature, but 
 
 * Bora. ri. IS. 
 
No 7'emptations unsurmountahle hy Christians. 6^ 
 
 l)j beino' made superior to it: we cannot be made superior 
 to it, but by overcoming it : we cannot overcome it, but 
 by overcoming the temptations which arise from it. Temp- 
 tations, therefore, are necessary for us; and it is only 
 through them that we can be made capable of heavenly 
 happiness. For which reason, the blessed apostle St. 
 James sailh, " Count it all joy when ye fall into divers 
 temptations ; knowing that the trial of your faith," if ye 
 endure it, " worketh patience ;" and patience, if it be not 
 interrupted, but hath its " perfect work," will make you 
 " perfect and entire, wanting nothing."^ 
 
 The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through 
 temptations and sufFerings.t He endured the fiercest as- 
 saults of satan, the bitterest persecutions, and sharpest 
 pains that the world could inflict : And being " in all things 
 made like unto his brethren,"! having been " touched with 
 the feeling of our infirmities," and "in all points tempted 
 like as we are," continued " yet without sin."J Neither 
 the desires of the flesh, nor the evil passions of the mind, 
 nor the spirit of the world, prevailed in him. In that hu- 
 man nature which he assumed, he triumphed over them 
 all : He then sacrificed it on the cross, having first offered 
 it to God to bear the punishment, that he might deliver it 
 from the curse of sin : He raised it from the dead, that he 
 might rescue it from the power of the grave, of hell, and 
 the devil : And he carried it triumphantly to heaven, that 
 he might make it again capable of inheriting God's king- 
 dom of glory and happiness. 
 
 Did the Captain of our salvation do all this to exempt 
 his soldiers and servants from all enduring of temptations 
 and sufferings ? No, certainly ; but to set them an exam- 
 ple of patience and constancy ; that they might follow his 
 feteps.ll 
 
 Ttiat the process of our salvation through Christ might 
 be carried on, and we enabled to endure suffering and 
 temptations with firmness and patience, we, as hath been 
 observed, are called into the Church of Christ, and put 
 
 * Jam. i. 2, 3, 4. f H^b. ii. 10. t Hcb. ii, 17. § Hub. iv. 15. \ 1 Pet. ii. 21, 24. 
 
 VOL. ir. I 
 
66 No Templalions unsurmouniahle hy Christians. 
 
 under the guidance of the Ho!j Spirit of God. Into this 
 Church we are entered by baptism, whicii " representeth 
 unto us our profession, which is to follow the example of 
 our Saviour Chi ist, and to be made like unto him; that 
 as he died and rose afi;ain for us, so should we, who are 
 baptised, die from sin, and rise again unto righleousness, 
 continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, 
 and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living.'' 
 Therefore, at our baptism, we promise to renounce tho 
 devil and all his works ; the vain pomp and glory, with all 
 covetous desires cjf the world; -and tlie carnal desires of 
 the flesh, so as not to follow nor be led by them :" But on 
 the contrary, " ol^ediently to keep God's holy will and 
 commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our 
 life." Therefore the church prays for the baptised per- 
 son, " That the old Adam," the body of sin " in him may 
 be buried, and the new man raised up in him : Th'at he 
 may have power and strength to have victory, and to tri- 
 umph against the devil, the world, and the flesh : That 
 all carnal alTections may die in liim, and that all things 
 belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in him:'* And, 
 that he being " endued with heavenly virtues, may be ever- 
 lastingly rewarded through the mercy of God." There- 
 fore dolh the Church teach us in her Catechism, that the 
 inward and spiritual grace of baptism is a * death unto sin, 
 and a new birth unto rii;hteousness; for being by nature 
 born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby 
 made the children of grace.' 
 
 It being, therefore, the state of our nature in this world, 
 that makes temptations necessary for us ; and the presence 
 of the Holy Spirit of God being our only security against 
 their prevailing over us, there are several duties wbicli 
 arise from it, and which most highly concern us. 
 
 1. Through the weakness of nature and the corrupt dis- 
 position of the heart, we have all erred and strayed frora 
 the ways of God, and have thei-eby added the guilt of our 
 own personal misdeeds to the depravity of nature. Re- 
 pentance, therefore, that is the conversion of the heart 
 from evil, must be our first step ; and this repentance must 
 
No Temptations un$urmounlable hy Christians, 67 
 
 be sincere and absolufe. It must reach to (be tilter rejec- 
 tion of all evil propensities and desires, and to the turning 
 of the will to the love and practice of every thing that is 
 good. If we attend to those checks and restraints from 
 evil which we cerlahily do and shall lind in us; and com- 
 ply wiUi the motions to goodness and holiness, which the 
 Spirit does put into our hearts, we shall find that God's 
 grace is snfficient for us ; and timt his strength is made per- 
 fect in our weakness. But as the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit is necessary to produce repentance, as well as every 
 other grace and virtue, we must, 
 
 2. In the second place, apply earnestly and faithfully 
 to God by constant prayer foF the precious gift. Sensible 
 of our need, and trusting in the intercession of our great 
 High Priest and Advocate in heaven, " Let us come bold- 
 ly to the throne of grace," and make our humble suppli- 
 cations to Almighty God our heavenly Father, through 
 the merit of his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, "that we 
 may obtain mercy" for our sins, " and find grace to help 
 in time of need,'^ when temptations and trouble press upon 
 us; remembering that the blessed Saviour hath said, "If 
 ye, being evil, know how to give good gifis unto your 
 children, bow much more shall your heavenly Father give 
 the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ?"t 
 
 3. The same divine lips have declared, that " whosoevei* 
 bath not, from him &hall be taken even that which he 
 seemeth to have."t As we pray for the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit, we must be careful to follow his heavenly motions 
 and inspirations, lest the gift of which we make no use, be 
 taken from us. Not to comply with the motions of the 
 Spirit, that is, with the good desires and dispositions that 
 rise up in us, is to resist and quench him ; and to turn from 
 tliem towards that which is evil, is to grieve and drive 
 him away. 
 
 4. Another great security against temptations is watch- 
 fulness : ^* VValch and pray," said Jesus to his disciples in 
 the greatest extremity of his life, " that ye enter not into 
 temptation." J To our fervent prayers, therefore, to Al- 
 
 * Heb. iv. 16. t Luke xi. 13. ^ Luke vlii. 18. § IVfatt. xxvi. 4^. 
 
68 No Temptations unsurmouniahle hy Christians, 
 
 mighty God, we must add steady attention to our own 
 hearts, that we may perceive and repress all emotions to 
 evil in their first rise, before they obtain the consent of 
 the will, which makes them to be formally sinful. 
 
 The Christian life may be. comprised in two words ; 
 namely, penitence and faith. By the former we forsake 
 all sin and every thing that is evil. By the latter we re- 
 sign ourselves up to God in all things; looking only to 
 him, and relying solely upon him for everything necessa- 
 ry for this life and the next. Whenever this shall be the 
 state of our hearts we shall fully experience the goodness 
 and faithfulness of God — that he " will not suffer us to be 
 tempted above that we are able." Then, too, we shall 
 be blessed with tjie full power of his Spirit ; and " he will 
 defend us under his wings, and we shall be safe under his 
 feathers; his faithfulness and truth shall be our shield and 
 buckler." 
 
DISCOURSE V 
 
 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURE OF THE PARALYTIC 
 MAN WHO WAS BROUGHT TO CHRIST. 
 
 Matt. ix. 2. 
 
 Jesus seeing their faith, saith unto the sick of the 'palsy ^ 
 SoHy be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. 
 
 B 
 
 Y comparino^ together the accounts which St. Matthew, 
 St. Markj and St. Luke^ have given of the paralytic man 
 to whom the text refers, we shall collect the following cir- 
 cumstances : That, returning from the country of the Ger^ 
 gesenes, Jesus came again to Capernaum, the place of his 
 ordinary residence — that as soon as it w as generally known 
 lie was returned home, such a multitude assembled as fil- 
 led the house and crow^ded the door ; and among the rest, 
 a number of Pharisees and Doctors of the law — that he 
 took the opportunity of such an assembly to preach the 
 words of eternal life to them- — that while he was preach- 
 ing, a paralytic man was brought on a bed borne by four 
 people, who, not being able to get through the crowd in^ 
 to the house, went upon the roof, and, opening a passage 
 through the tiling, let him down on his bed into the room 
 where Jesus was — that, seeing this instance of their faith, 
 he said to the sick man, " Son, be of good cheer, thy sins 
 be forgiven thee" — that thereupon some of the Scribes 
 said " within themselves, this man blasphemeth" — and that 
 Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, demanded of them, why 
 they accused him of blasphemy ? whether it required 
 greater, or a more divine power to forgive his sins, than 
 to cure his disease by a word \ But that ye may be convin- 
 ced I have the power to forgive his sins, I say to thee, O 
 sick man, " Arise, take up thy bed, aod go unto thine 
 
 -* Maj-k. ii. 3. Lvkc v. 18. 
 
'70 The Cure of the Paralytic Man. 
 
 house" — that accordingly the man " arose and departed to 
 his house ;" and the people " marvelled, and glorified 
 God, which had giveji such power unto men." 
 
 This, in few words, is the history of the transaction. 
 My duty is to make such observations on it, as shall tiefid 
 to confirm our faith, and regulate our practice. 
 
 1. The first observation relates to the Ministers and 
 Preachers of the Gospel. They have in this conduct of 
 their Master, an instance of his readiness to instruct all, 
 in the will of God, who would give him an opportunity 
 to do so. It was indeed the great desire of his heart — his 
 meat and his drink — the pleasure of his life — "to do the 
 will of him that sent him, and finish his work." For this 
 end, he travelled through the cities of Judea, and taught 
 and " preached Hie Gospel of the kingdom" of God ; and 
 *' healed all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease 
 among the people.'" The desire of doing good, which 
 actuated ail his actions, excited him. to embrace the op- 
 portunity of instructing the multitude, which cro.wded 
 about him, upon his return from the country of the Ger- 
 gesencs, by preaching the word to them. 
 
 Let this convince his Ministers, that every fair oppor- 
 tunity of giving instruction to those who are disposed to 
 receive it, ought to be embraced ; and that when such op- 
 portunities present themselves, it is their duty to lay hold 
 on them, and to spread the knowledge, and declare the 
 terms of salvation through Christ, and to persuade and 
 entreat men to be reconciled to God through him. If they 
 be sincere in their holy profession, this duty will be their 
 pleasure ; to it all their views and designs will be directed, 
 and every thing else will be managed so as to promote it. 
 
 2. The second observation relates to the multitude 
 which assembled to hear our Saviour's instructions. No 
 sooner did the people of Capernaum know that Jesus was 
 returned to their city, than they assembled about the house 
 where he resided. They knew the goodness of his heart 
 always disposed him to give instruction to those who would 
 hear ; and they doubted not of his doing so, at that time. 
 Be their conduct our pattern ; and let it teach us, that b» 
 
Tlie Cure of the Paralytic Man. 71 
 
 opportunity of hearing the words of eternal life from 
 Christ's authorised ministers is to be neglected, but ought, 
 on the contrary, to be sought for, and embraced with plea- 
 sure. By God's goodness, these opportunities are fre- 
 quently presented to us in his holy Church ; where we 
 meet, as well to hear his Woid, as to celebrate his praise 
 and m^ke our requests known unto him. Were our hearts 
 rightly disposed, no trivial excuse would keep us away 
 from the stated assemblies of the church. The sloth of 
 the morning and indolence of the afternoon would no 
 more assume the names of sickness and indisposition, to 
 cover the shame of absence. Like the people of Caper- 
 naum, we should crowd even the door to join in adoration 
 to our Almighty Creator, and receive the instructions he 
 hath provided for us. 
 
 3. The third observation relates to the temper with 
 which the people of Capernaum went to hear the instruc- 
 tions of Jesus. A multitude of hearers must have various 
 dispositions. Some, probably, went because they were 
 convinced he spake to them the words of eternal life, and 
 pointed out the road to the favour and mercy of God ; 
 others because they loved to liear a good sermon — to have 
 their imaginations delighted with lively images, and their 
 cars with melodious accents. The former, no doubt, re- 
 ceived instruction as well as delight ; while the pleasure of 
 the latter was, probably, much greater than their profit. 
 if we may judge of the conduct of those people fromob- 
 «iervatians made on the same class of hearers, at this pe- 
 riod of the world, no rapture could exceed theirs. The 
 sermon they undoubtedly extolled as the best they had 
 ever heard — greatly exceeding their utmost expectation : 
 And then, the Preacher — such music in his voice ; such 
 energy in his expression ; such grace and dignity in his 
 manner, as exceeded everything of which they had any 
 conception. To this encomium was probably added the 
 resolution, that if he ever preached there again, they would 
 certainly increase the number of his hearers. Here, in 
 all likelihood, the matter ended — quiet and easy in their 
 sins and vices, they sat down contented, and gave them- 
 
72 The Cure of the Paralytic Man, 
 
 selves, and expected that God also would give tliem great 
 credit, because they had heard a i^ood sermon. 
 
 If this be all such people get from a good sermon, they; 
 might as well not hear. They are, in truth, the very per^ 
 sons who " hearing hear not." A good sermon is a great 
 blessing to those who improve it as they ought to do. 
 Preaching is one of the means God liath appointed to in- 
 struct us in our duty ; to confirm our faith ; to enliven 
 our hopes ; to open our hearts to the impressions of his 
 grace, and the motions of his Spirit within us; to call us 
 lo repentance, and build us up in piety and holiness. But 
 if it answer none of these purposes; like other abused 
 means of grace, it will harden the heart, and increase oui: 
 condemnation. " Take heed therefore how ye hear." 
 
 The Scribes and Pharisees seem, on several occasions, 
 to have attended Christ with very perverse dispositions — 
 to watch his words, and try to find something on which 
 their malice might fasten, and render him obnoxious to 
 public authority, or lessen his influence with the people. 
 Their accusing him in their hearts of blasphemy, because 
 Le said to the man sick of the palsy, " Thy sins be forgiv- 
 en t?hee," makes it probable they came, at this time, with 
 that malevolent intention. To such hearers a good ser- 
 mon is a grievance. If the Preacher's voice and manner 
 be agreeable, and they can fix no imputation of heresy 
 or false doctrine on what he delivers, they Will be disap- 
 pointed, and displeased. In such cases, the too general 
 practice is, where they cannot find faults, to make them 
 —to catch at appearances, to misrepresent expression, and 
 pervert everything tljat can be perverted; and, at the 
 same time, to cover their evil purposes with the greatest 
 professions of liberality and candour. 
 
 It is a comfort that truth fears no watching, and malice 
 commonly brings confusion on its own head ; always tor- 
 ment to the heart infested with it. This was the issue in 
 the case before us. The cure of the paralytic man witli 
 a word, excited universal admiration; and while it con- 
 founded the malirious Scribes and Pharisees, and obliged 
 them to hold their peace, it loosed the tongues of the as- 
 
The Cure of the Paralytic 3Ian. 73 
 
 seinbly to ascribe praise anil glory to God, who had given 
 such power unto man. 
 
 4. The fourth observation relates to the great power 
 and efficacy oi faith. No conduct can show stronger faith 
 than that of the persons who brought the paralytic man to 
 Christ. The pains they took to bring him, and the man- 
 ner of their conveying him into the house, show the ut- 
 most confidence in the power and goodness of Christ. 
 They made no verbal application to him, for there needed 
 none. He saw their faith— Their earnest desire, their re- 
 liance on his power, and trust in his goodness, appeared 
 by what they had done. These circumstances, with the 
 helpless condition of the poor man, pleaded with him be- 
 . yond all words, and instantly called his benevolence into 
 action. 
 
 Fie came to bear our infirmities, and to take our sins 
 upon him. All our infirmities spring from sin: From the 
 same source proceed all our sicknesses, diseases, and ad- 
 versities. To the root of tiie evil the mercy of Jesus ap- 
 plied the remedy : " Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be 
 forgiven thee." 
 
 From this circumstance let us learn, at least, this use- 
 fullesson : That spiritual blessings are to be preferred to 
 temporal ones ; the health of the soul before the health of 
 the body ; the forgiveness of sins before recovery even 
 from a dead palsy : Always remembering, that Christ ap- 
 plied the balm of forgiveness to the soul of the paralytic 
 man, before he healed his diseased body. And, 
 
 With regard to the power of faith in this matter, let us 
 be cautious in ascribing any merit to it, as the cause of 
 Lis forgiveness, or of healing his disease. Such is the 
 %veakness of human nature, that in quitting a false opinion, 
 men seldom stop at the true medium, but run to the other 
 extreme. From the Romish absurdity of the merit of 
 ^Vorks, the common divinity seems to have passed to the 
 ^'alvinistic absurdity of the merit of Faith. Whereas, 
 neither our faith nor our works can have any merit in them 
 with God, or be, in any sense, the cause of the forgive- 
 ness of our sins. In the text, it is not said, became of their 
 
 ** 
 
 
74 The Cure of the Paralyfic Man. 
 
 faith, or, on account of their faith, but " Jesus seeing their 
 faith, said to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be for- 
 given thee." Their " faith wrought with" their " works, 
 and by works was faith made" manifest.^ In this transac- 
 tion, Christ saw a fair opportunity ()f making known his 
 divine nature and Godhead ; his w^isdom embraced it, and 
 conducted the miracle so as to answer all the purposes he 
 intended by it. 
 
 Here, then, let us fix our foot even on the foundation 
 which God's word bath laid for us, and be content to show 
 our faith by our works, without ascribing merit to either. 
 Works are the trial and fruit of faith : without them our 
 faith cannot appear unto men, nor bring glory to God ; 
 nor can we ourselves be certain of it. In reality it is no 
 faith : Being alone it is dead ;t and what is dead is of no 
 avail. 
 
 5. The next observation I shall make from the iexi is, 
 that the faith of others is sometimes of use to us in pro- 
 curing the favour and blessing of God. Upon this ground 
 it is we ask the prayers of good people, and of the church 
 of God for us. If their faith can do us no good, their 
 prayers can do us none, unless prayer vpithout faith will 
 prevail with God. One distinction is here necessary to be 
 made ; tliat where the party is capable of personal faith, 
 and in cil-cumstances to declare it, there it is required, to- 
 gether with the public profession of it. 
 
 It was our. Saviour's general custom to demand of those 
 who came to be healed, Whether they believed ? Whether 
 they had faith in his power — that he was able to do that 
 for them which they requested of him? He sometimes 
 toid them their faith had saved them — their faith had made 
 them wfiole. At other times, he dismissed them with the 
 declaration, " According to your faith be it unto you." 
 But where the party was, by immature age, by disease, 
 or by distance disqualified for acting personally, the faith 
 of others was accepted for him. J The paralytic man, be- 
 yond ail doubt, obtained forgiveness of his sins and health 
 of body through the faith of those who brought him. No 
 
 ' .Taip&s ii. 22.- f James il. 17. ■* Sec Matt. viii. 13. xv, f8. xviii. 6» 
 
The Cure of the Paralylic Man. lb 
 
 reason rap be §e\\^u wliy Christ did not inquire of him, as 
 lie commonly did of others, Whether he beli<ived him able 
 to do what was requested of him? but that he was unuble 
 to act for hiJnself ; possibly, unable to speak : And if we 
 suppose liim incapable of thlnkiniy, the suf)position will 
 not be unreasonable — a violent stroke of the palsy fre- 
 quently affecting the faculties of the mind, as well as those 
 of the body. 
 
 Upon the sarpe ground does God sometiiues remit, or 
 postpone his judgments against wicked people and coun- 
 tries. Ten righteous persons would have saved Sodom 
 froQ! destruction : Lot was saved from that overthrow, on 
 account of faithful Abraham : And the faith of Ahab in 
 tiie declaration of God by Elijah, and his consequent pen- 
 itence, though some have supposed it to have been mere 
 hypocrisy, postponed the destruction God had denounced 
 against him and his wicked house. 
 
 6. Another observation ariring from the text is, that it 
 affords a strong, and, to ingenuous minds, an irresistible 
 argument of the Divinity of Ciirist. Th^^ argument, I 
 confess, applies only to those who believe divine revela- 
 tion, and the reality of miracles ; and that they are a 
 proof of a commission from God. ' This was the case of 
 the Jews: To them, therefore, the argument did apply, 
 and ought to have convinced them of the Divinity of the 
 person by whom this miracle was wrought. It also applies 
 directly to Christians, and ought to keep us stedfast ia 
 the faith, that Jesus is the Son of God, of the same Di- 
 vine Nature with the Father. 
 
 If we attend to the process of the cure of the paralytic 
 man, we shall have reason to suppose, that Christ con- 
 ducted that miracle, with a particular view to make his 
 Godhead appear to all whe would fairly consider it. The 
 uncommon way in which the man was brought to him— ^ 
 lying on a bed borne by four friends ; and the singular 
 method they took to get him into the house, must have at- 
 tracted the notice of all who saw it. The scene was as 
 open and public as could be. Among the spectators was 
 a number of Pharisees and Doctors of the law — persons 
 
76 The Cure of the Paralytic Man. 
 
 of learning and observation, who probably came to watch 
 him, and catch an opportunity to blast his reputation. 
 
 The cure of paralytic complaints by natural means, has 
 always been so difficult and uncertain, that but few in- 
 stances of recovery from a severe attack are to be found 
 on the records of medicine. This man's disease seems to 
 have been severe. It had deprived him of the use of his 
 limbs; most probably also of the power of speech and of 
 reflection. To restore a person in this situation to perfect 
 healib, in an instant; to send him, >vho the moment be- 
 fore wag unable to move hand or foot, home to his house 
 strong and hearty, and loaded with the bed on which he 
 had been brou^^ht, with a word only — " Rise, lake up thy 
 bed, and depart to thine house," could be effected only 
 by him who is the Lord of life and death, of sickness and 
 health. Look through all nature ; try all art ; nothing 
 short of his power who made the body, and informed it 
 with a reasonable soul, could restore body and mind to 
 perfect soundness, when so disordered. The power, then, 
 which did so, must have been the power of God; and the 
 person who could, in this case, command, and be obey- 
 ed, must be a divine person. 
 
 By the appointment of God, Moses wrought his mira- 
 cles with his rod. Both he and the Prophets delivered 
 their messages in the name of the Lord, prefacing all their 
 declarations with, " Thus saith the Lord." The Apostles 
 of our Lord preached and did miracles in his name, and 
 in virtue of that power he conferred on them, w^hen he 
 said to them, " These signs shall follow them that believe : 
 In my name shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak 
 with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ; and if 
 Ihey drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they 
 shall lay hands on the sick, and -they shall recover."^ 
 But Ciirist preached and wrought miracles in his own name. 
 In his sermon on the mount, he delivered his precepts by 
 his own authority — " I say unto you." Cleansing a leper, 
 he said, " I will; be thou clean." To the Centuricfn who 
 sought relief for his servant, he replied, " Go thy way \ 
 
 * Mark xvi. 17, 18. 
 
The Cure of the Paralytic Blan. 11 
 
 ;in(], as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." 
 When he raised the daughter of Jairus to life, he took 
 her by the hand, and said to her, " Maid arise." When 
 he called Lazarus from the grave, it was widi his own pow- 
 erful voice, " Lazarus come forth." He named ^p pow- 
 er ; he invoked no power ; he appealed to no power but 
 his own. 
 
 A circumstance so peculiar to him ought to have excit- 
 ed the attention of the .Tews, and to have convinced them, 
 that as he, in his own name, did such works as none but 
 God could do, he must be a Divine Person — God in. hu- 
 man nature. This circumstance they, however, over- 
 Jooked. They saw his miracles, and wondered, and gave 
 glory to God who had visited his people and raised up a 
 mighty prophet among them : But more than a prophet 
 (hey considered him not. 
 
 To turn their attention to this subject, and place it in 
 such a point of view, that they could not miss to observe 
 it, seems to have been one design of our Saviour in con- 
 ducting the miracle of healing the paralytic man. Instead 
 of making any experiment or inquiry about his faith, or 
 applying himself to heal his disease according to the ex- 
 X)ectation of those who brought him ; he declared to him 
 the forgiveness of his sins without limitation or condition. 
 This drew the attention of the Scribes and Pharisees. That 
 none could forgive sins but God only, was a principle of 
 their religion, as v/ell as it is of ours. In their hearts they, 
 therefore, accused hiui of blasphemy ; because, being a 
 man, he assumed the prerogative of God. They, how- 
 ever, kept their thoughts to themselves for the present, 
 waiting probably for an opportunity to bring their charge, 
 when they could do it to more effect. But though they 
 kept their thoughts to themselves, they could not conceal 
 them from him with whom they had to do. " Why rea- 
 son ye," or " think evil in your hearts ?" said he to them. 
 How knew he, that they did reason, or think evil of him 
 in their liearts ? How knew be the evil which they thought ? 
 or the subject and conclusion of their reasoning? He could 
 only know them, because he knew every thing, even the 
 
78 The Cure of the Paralytic Man. 
 
 secrets of the hearts of men. But to know the hearts, and 
 search out the spirits of men, is the property of God only. 
 It never did, nor can belong to any creature. He who 
 breathed the soul into man, and he only, can know its 
 Ihoughti and operations. So the Scribes and Piiarisees 
 ought to have reasoned ; and to have concluded, that lie 
 who knew their thoughts was a Divme Person ; he who 
 possessed this incommunicable attvibule of God must be 
 God ; and, of course, had the right to forgive sins. But 
 througli prejudice, they overlooked, or resisted both the 
 argument and its consequence. 
 
 Our Redeemer then brought the matter to a short issue, 
 addressing himself to them to this effeci — * Tn your hearts 
 you accuse me of blasphemy, because I said to this man,' 
 " Thy sins be forgiven thee." *But does it not require as 
 great, and as truly a divine power, to rei^tore him to health 
 by a word, as it does to forgive his sins ? Does one en- 
 croach more on the prerogative of God, than the other ? 
 I have said to him, " Thy sins be forgiven thee." That 
 ye may know that I have this power, I will now, " with a 
 word restore him to health and strength." Tiien said he 
 to the sick of the palsy, *' Arise, take up thy bed, and go 
 unto thy house.'* He spake, and it was done. The man 
 who could not move his limbs, arose at the instant. He 
 who was brought on a bed, carried back the bed on which 
 he had lain. He who had been borne by the strength of 
 others, returned in full vigour— in vigour imparted by his 
 God and Saviour. Light must have been his burden, when 
 God supplied strength to bear it. Light, too, must have 
 been his heart, when the absolution of God had removed 
 its load of guilt. 
 
 This subject deserves the attention of the finest imagina- 
 tion and genius. The tongue of an Archangel would 
 scarcely do it justice. Yet in the light in which my abili- 
 ties have placed it, I dare trust it to the decision of all 
 reasonable men, whether this miracle ought not to have 
 convinced all who saw it, of the Divinity of Christ ? That 
 it failed to do so is no less true, than hard to reconcile 
 with candour. Strange is the perversity of human nature. 
 
The Cure of the Paralylic Man, 79 
 
 Piiaraoh's heart was hardened by the miracles which were 
 w roiifijht for his conviction and amend menl. The miracles 
 of Christ, though such as no mere man ever did ; and the 
 subsequent miracles of his apostles, though wrought ia 
 his name, had the same unhappy effect on the body of the 
 Jewish nation : Intended for iheir conviction, tliey harden- 
 ed them in tiieir impiety. Pharaoh sinned against Moses 
 the messenger of God : the Jews against Christ the Son of 
 God. As their guilt exceeded his, more terrible was their 
 destruction. " Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are 
 thy judgments." We see in what they erred, and we 
 know the destruction which swept them away. " Be wise 
 now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges" and 
 people " of the earth." ''Serve the Lord with fear, and 
 rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, 
 and ye perish from the way : When his wrath is kindled 
 but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him.'* 
 7. The last observation I shall make from the text most 
 nearly concerns us all, and I hope will make a deep and 
 lasting impression on us : People who have a high notion 
 of the rectitude of human nature, and of the all-sufficiency 
 of human reason, may, if they please, treat it with ridi- 
 cule : The pio^js Christian will feel its truth, and cordially 
 embrace it : It is, that the poor paralytic man who was 
 brought helpless to Christ, is the perfect emblem of hu- 
 man nature. As he was diseased in body, so are we all 
 diseased in soul : To goodness as motionless, as he to bod- 
 ily action. From nature he could get no relief ; and from 
 nature no relief can come to us. To a miracle of grace 
 he owed his recovery ; and where he found his cure, we 
 too must find ours. In his distress, God's providence pro- 
 vided friends to carry him where only he could obtain 
 help : Blessed be God, he hath provided means to lead us 
 also to the arms of his mercy. His Word, his Provi- 
 dence, his Ministers, his Church, are the four supporting 
 friends who convey us to Jesus the Saviour, and present 
 us to the embraces of his love. This further advantage 
 we also have — In our helpless state, he disdains not to 
 come to us, by the influence of his grace, by the.inspira- 
 
80 The Cure of the Faralj/iic 3Ian, 
 
 tion of his Spirit, by the force of his mercy, by the merit 
 of his sufTerino's. AndO! that he could see our faith; 
 that he could behold our penitence; that he could witness 
 our earnest desire of his salvation. Then should we feel 
 the power of those blessed words, '' Son, be of good 
 cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.'* And, till this be done ; 
 till the absolution of God, in the forgiveness of sins 
 through the mediation of Jesus shall descend upon us, the 
 palsy of our nature must still continue : Nothing else can 
 give health and soundness to us. Nothing else can cure 
 the broken spirit, or heal the contrite heart, or relieve the 
 weary, famishing prodigal from his distress. " Come un- 
 to me," said Christ, " all ye that labour, and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." 
 
 We see then from whence our help must come. They 
 who feel their malady, and wish to have it removed, will 
 apply for relief; and they who apply in faith and peni- 
 tence will surely find it in the mercy of God, and through 
 the mediation of Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord 
 and Saviour. Amen. 
 
DISCOURSE VL 
 
 BLIND BARTIMEUS. 
 
 Luke xviii. 42. 
 
 And Jesus said unto him. Receive thy sight, thy faith u 
 
 saved thee. 
 
 Ti 
 
 k 
 
 HIS is the answer which our Redeemer made to the 
 blind man, who earnestly intreated of him the restoration 
 of his sight. St. Mark gives the history of the same tran- 
 saction, and nearly in the same words with St. Luke.^' 
 From the two accounts we learn, that as Jesus came from 
 Jericho attended by his disciples, a multitude followed 
 him. Blind Bartimeus, who sat by the road side to beg, 
 hearing the noise of many people passing by, inquired 
 the occasion of it. Being informed that Jesus of Naza- 
 reth was passing by, he cried out, Jesus, thou son of Da- 
 vid have mercy on me. Some of the people desired him to 
 be quiet, and make no disturbance; but, regardless of 
 their admonition, he cried with greater earnestness, Thou 
 son of David have mercy on me. The compassionate heart 
 of Jesus was affected. He stopped, and ordering him to 
 be called, demanded of him, What wilt thou that I should 
 do unto thee ? He replied. Lord that I may receive my sight. 
 And Jesus said unto him. Receive thy sight : Thy faith 
 hath saved thee : Or, as St. Mark expresses it, Thy faith 
 hath made thee whole. 
 
 The proper inquiry here to be made is. By what virtue 
 did this man's faith procure sight to hia blind eyes? Was 
 it by its own power and energy ? Or, by calling forth the 
 miraculous power and energy of Jesus to operate upon 
 bis blindness, and pour the light of day upon his darkness? 
 
 * Mark x. 46- 
 TOL. II» L 
 
82 Blind Barlimtus, 
 
 Bartimeus had undoubtedly heard of the miracles o[ 
 Jesus, and believed that he could cure the blindness ol 
 his eyes. He had heard and believed that Jesus was good 
 and gracious, and would not drive from him a distressed 
 object who itnplored his help. But Bartimeus was blind 
 and could not direct his owu steps. His very disease pre- 
 vented him from applying where only he hoped to find re- 
 lief. God's providence befriended him — Jesus, whom he 
 wished for, passed by. He no sooner heard it, but his 
 faith burst forth into action — * My relief is at hand — I 
 shall now obtain my wish — I shall receive my sight'— 
 " Thou son of David have mercy on me." Here was a 
 proper object for the power and benevolence of Jesus. 
 *' Receive thy sight" was the gracious answer. The light 
 broke in upon his eyes, and " he followed him, glorifving 
 God." .... 
 
 Bartimeus, in his blindness, is the very picture of hu- 
 man nature: God grant that his conduct may be our pat- 
 tern. Blind from disease, he was incapable of directing 
 his own steps to obtain that happiness which he longed to 
 enjoy. And which of us can direct his own steps in the 
 way to that happiness which v/e seek ? How often, how 
 generally do we mistake in our choice, and place our hap- 
 piness in that which cannot profit, and seek it where it 
 cannot be found? pursuing shadows instead of substance; 
 phantoms instead of reality ? For what better does that 
 man, who places his happiness in worldly enjoyments, and 
 seeks it in this life ? What better does the covetous man 
 who thinks to be happy by possessing much ? and that he 
 may possess much, spends little, even on himself: To 
 whom the precepts and demands of benevolence and libe- 
 rality are like swords and daggers that pierce his heart : 
 Who must of course fall under every temptation of injus- 
 tice, knavery, and meanness, that he nray increase his 
 possessions. He cannot be happy, for he cannot be satis- 
 fied. He still thinks himself poor, and however fast his 
 boards increase, his covetousness increases faster, and like 
 the grave, cries incessantly, " give, give."* The God of 
 
 * Pi'ov. XXX. 15. 
 
Blind Bartimms. 83 
 
 this world bath blinded his mind,^' and he sees not, that 
 worldly wealth is incapable of giving happiness to an im- 
 mortal spirit. 
 
 Nor does he who pursues the opposite course of prodi- 
 S^ality and licentious pleasure, provide any better for ra- 
 tional happiness. .Nature hath laid a bar in the way : By 
 limiting our capacity she has limited our enjoyment. For 
 we are so made and so circumstanced in this world, that 
 misery and not happiness is the consequence of unlimited 
 indulgence. 
 
 The palled appetite turns with loathing from the repe- 
 tition of a voluptuous entertainment, till time and absti- 
 nence have renewed its craving. Every sensual enjoy- 
 ment, frequently repeated or immoderately indulged, pro- 
 duces disgust and not pleasure ; debases the mind, and en- 
 ervates the body; and, if long continued, is certainly 
 succeeded by a premature old age, accompanied with 
 painful reflections or sottish stupidity. He, therefore, 
 that pursueth pleasure, is blind to his own happiness. He 
 goeth to destruction, " as an ox goeth to the slaughter,"! 
 and thinketh not, till misery striketh through him like a 
 dart. 
 
 Grandeur and ambition seem to be as little calculated 
 to ensure happiness, as either riches or pleasure. Duty 
 requires that a man should live according to his income 
 and station : Otherwise he defrauds the labourer and arti- 
 ficer of his employ ; and by lessening the apparent digni- 
 ty of his station, he weakens its real influence and useful- 
 ness. But sumptuous buildings and rich furniture can add 
 nothing to the happiness of life, nor give pleasure to any 
 but weak minds. Food relishes as highly in a cottage as 
 in a palace; and the sleep of the servant is as sweet and 
 refreshing, as that of his lord. How the mind fares in this 
 state, none can tell but they who have made the trial. 
 The corrodings of envy, and the mortification of disap- 
 pointments, seem peculiarly attached to this condition of 
 life. Such persons either do not, or fear they shall not 
 receive that court and homage they pant to enjoy. And 
 
 * 2 Cer. iv. 4. f Prov. vli. 22, 23. 
 
84 Blind Barihneus, 
 
 can that state be happy, whose enjoyments depend on the 
 submissive behaviour of other people ? 
 
 When Haman wished to enjoy the highest state of pomp 
 and glory, he could think of nothing better than a royal 
 robe and diadem; to be led through the streets, mounted 
 upon the king's horse ; and have it proclaimed before him, 
 *' Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delight- 
 eth to honour."* We think this an instance of Haman's 
 folly. Let human wisdom, then, try to do better, and 
 she w^ill find no reason to condemn Haman. Every effort 
 of this kind will confirm the sentence of king Solomon ; 
 that the highest state of worldly riches, pleasure, and gran- 
 deur, " is vanity and vexation of spirit."t It is true, this 
 desire of wealth, and pleasure, and magnificence, shows 
 the original dignity of the human soul, and is a convincing 
 proof that it has capacities too large for this world to fill. 
 
 How comes it, then, that we do not extend our view be- 
 yond this world, and look forward to the substantial rich- 
 es of the kingdom of God ; to the pleasures that flow at 
 his right hand, and to the magnificence of the New Je- 
 rusalem? How, but because sin and folly have blinded 
 the eyes of our mind, have weakened and perverted our 
 reason and understanding, and levelled the dignity of our 
 nature with the beasts of the earth ? Insomuch, that when 
 light enough breaks in upon us to convince us of the in- 
 sufficiency of all worldly possessions and enjoyments, and 
 to excite us to look forward to another world, we are ut- 
 terly unable to direct our own steps in the way, or to pur- 
 sue the path which we know leadeth to eternal life and 
 happiness. At every step we hesitate, and stumble, and 
 fall. Folly beguiles us, passion and appetite enslave us, 
 and weakness leaves us a prey to every temptation. And 
 ^vhy does this happen ? How comes it that man either 
 knows not the road to his own happiness, or is unable to 
 pursue it ? Because man is not as God made him : " For 
 God made man uprighfj without any perversity in his 
 will or understanding ; but " they have sought out many 
 inventions" — They have sinned against their Maker, by 
 
 * Estli. vi. t Eccl. ia. t Eccl. rii. 29. 
 
Blind Bartimcus. 85 
 
 forsaking his law, and followinoj their own imaginations. 
 Having broke loose from restraint, they will not return. 
 Seeing what is right, they follow what is wrong. Know- 
 ing the good, they chuse the evil ? Neglecting the riches, 
 and glory, and happiness of heaven, they will seek for 
 riches, and glory, and happiness where they are not to be 
 found. Daily disappointed, they daily repeat the search ; 
 and " groping" for happiness " at noon-day, as the blind 
 gropeth in darkness," they '' stumble as in the night," and 
 " fall like dead men," and yet eagerly renew the pursuit.'^ 
 
 Better to imitate blind Bartimeus, and sit patiently by 
 the way-side begging relief, than to travel on in the road 
 to destruction. His blindness prevented him from going 
 to Jesus, who alone could heal him ; and God's provi- 
 dence brought Jesus to him. And has hot God's merciful 
 providence brought Jesus to us also ? to open the eyes of 
 our minds by the light of his Holy Spirit ? " to bless us 
 by turning every one away from his iniquities ?"t and to 
 gave us from sin and misery by the merit of his own death ? 
 Bartimeus could not see his Saviour, for he was blind, but 
 he heard he was passing by. We cannot see him now 
 with our bodily eyes, for he is in heaven ; but we have 
 heard of his sojourning in human flesh, and of (he won- 
 derful things he did, and suflfered for our salvation. The 
 faith of this blind man excited and enabled him to cry out 
 with confidence. Son of David have mercy on me. May 
 God inspire us with the same earnest faith, and enable us 
 to " cry mightily unto him,"J to be made partakers of all 
 the blessings of redeeming love ! Jesus stopped and order- 
 ed the blind man to be brought unto him? " Be of good 
 comfort," said they that stood by ; " rise, he calleth thee!"J 
 Be ye all of good comfort too, for he calleth you also. 
 " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest."|| " Lord, that I may receive 
 my sight," was the ardent prayer of the poor beggar. 
 " Receive thy sight," said the merciful Saviour, and with 
 rapture he beheld the sun, and glorified God. 
 
 Deliverance from the power of sin, and from the ma- 
 
 * Isa. lix. 10. t Acts iii. 29. + Jonah, iii. 8. § Maa-k x. 49. 8 Matt. xi. 28. 
 
S6 Blind Bartimeus, 
 
 lice of safan, from evil lusts and tempers, from wicked 
 habits, and from everlasting death, should be ttie fervent 
 prayer of our hearts : And the prayer of faith will not 
 return empty. The compassion of Jesus will be excited; 
 and, " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I 
 am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto 
 your souls,"* will be the gracious reply. Rest from the 
 slavery of sin, from the tyranny of satan, from the sting 
 of guilt, from the doniinion of lust and passion, from ma- 
 lignant tempers, from anxious care, from the vanities of 
 the world, from the dread of death, and from the terrors 
 of a future judgment. 
 
 Whatever reason Bartimeus had to give glory to God 
 for his mercy, we have more. He was delivered from 
 blindness, and enabled to behold the wonders of creation, 
 to rejoice in the splendour of the light, and to find his 
 way upon all occasions. We are delivered from blindness 
 of heart and mind, and from the error of sin; are enabled 
 to behold the wonders of redemptii^n, to rejoice in the 
 jnercy of God, the love of Christ, and the grace of the 
 Holy Ghost; by the light of divine truth, to contemplate 
 the glories of the invisible world, the " things which God 
 has prepared for them that lov^ him ;" such as " eye hath 
 not seen, nor ear heard, and which the heart of man can- 
 not conceive."t 
 
 But let us ever remember the words of Christ to the 
 blind man; " Thy faith hath made thee whole; thy faith 
 hath saved thee." J Not that his faith had any virtue or 
 efficacy to cure his blindness ; but it assured him of relief, 
 and excited him to apply with such confidence of hope, and 
 earnestness of desire, as always find acceptance with God. 
 And as it made him a fit object for mercy, so it called 
 forth the miraculous power of Jesus to heal him. Let 
 him then be our pattern. In him we see how ready the 
 blessed Saviour is to be found of those w^ho seek him; to 
 attend to those who call upon him ; to present himself to 
 those who cannot come to him; to help those who rely 
 upon him; to heal those vvho trust in him. If we wish 
 
 * Matt. xi. 29. f 1 Cor. ii. 9. + Mark x. 52. 
 
Blind Barimeus. 87 
 
 lo receive (he blessings of bis mediation, our failb miiat do 
 for lis, wbat Ibis blind man's. faith did for him : it must ex- 
 cite us to cry to the Son of Darid, the Saviour of sinners, 
 to have mercy upon us. And he will hear the prayer of 
 faith, and regard the humble desires of the penitent heart: 
 For '* he loved us, and gave himself for us,""^' and is 
 " able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by 
 him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."t 
 
 So great was the desire of this poor man to be freed 
 from the darkness which involved him, that when our Re- 
 deemer called him, he instantly obeyed. He stayed not 
 even to wrap his weeds about him, but casting them away, 
 obeyed the joyful summons. If we have the same earn- 
 est desire to'^^e cured of our spiritual blindness; to be de- 
 livered from the power of sin and the sting of ^uilt, from 
 the delusion of error and vice, and the dominion of pas- 
 sion and appetite, we shall do as he did ; cast off every 
 incumbrance, especially " those sins that easily beset us,"J 
 and fly to him for deliverance and health. We shall be 
 as ready to part with every vice and wicked habit, with 
 every sinful affection and temper, with every unlawful 
 pleasure and gratification, as he was to abandon his worth- 
 less raiment. 
 
 Let this then be the test of our faith, and let us fairly 
 try ourselves by it. When God calls us by the admoni- 
 tions gf conscience, by the motions of his spirit, by the 
 dispensations of his providence, by the preaching of his 
 ministers; are we ready to give up the sinful habits and 
 tempers, the worldly views, and evil indulgences, which 
 we find reproved and condemned of God / If not, we 
 want that faith in God, and that earnest desire of spiritual 
 health and salvation, which influenced the conduct of blind 
 Bartimeus; and which must influence the conduct of eve- 
 ry person who hopes to partake of the benefits of redeem- 
 ing love. 
 
 He that cometh to Christ must be ready to forsake fa- 
 ther, and motlier, and wife, and children — even all he 
 hath, his own life also, if they come in competition with 
 
 ♦ Gal. a. 20. t Heb. vU. Q5. t Ueb. xii, 1. 
 
S8 Blind Bar iimeus. 
 
 his duty .=^^ How much more must he abandon sin, and 
 vice, and error; evil affections, and tempers, and passions, 
 covetousness and the love of the world ; the lust of the 
 eye, and the pride of life.f These things are enmity 
 against God, and cannot be reconciled to him, either in 
 this world, or in the next. He hath told us so ; and if we 
 will not believe his word, nor regard his warning, we must 
 abide his judgment, and endure his wrath. 
 
 If, on the contrary, we suffer ourselves to obey the 
 calls of God, to return to him by patience and faith ; put- 
 ting iniquity away from us, and relying upon his mercy ; 
 we shall as surely find redemption from misery, and health 
 lo our souls, as Bartimeus found sight to his blind eyes: 
 For " if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for- 
 give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
 iiess."J 
 
 Let us, then, renouncing the spirit of the world, the 
 concupiscence of the flesh, and the inspirations of satan, 
 attend to the impressions of goodness which we find upon 
 us ; for they are the motions of the Spirit of God in us ; 
 and if we willingly follow, he will lead us into all truth in 
 believing, and all holiness of living. Light will break in 
 upon the darkness of our mind, and strength succeed to 
 the weakness of nature. Faith will lead us to obey God 
 and trust in him. Love will constrain us to practise all 
 the duties of justice and charity ; and purity of heai't will 
 shew itself in temperance and sobriety of life. We shall 
 die in hope, and rise to glory and immortality. 
 
 * Luke xiv. 26. f Rom. viii. 7. James iv. 4. ^ 1 John i. 9.. 
 
DISCOURSE VIL 
 
 rilE BLESSEDNESS OF HAVING EYES TPIAT SEE AND 
 EARS THAT HEAR. 
 
 Matt. xiii. 16. 
 
 But blessed are your eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for 
 
 thty hear. 
 
 O come at the hue meaning of these words, it will be 
 necessary to consider the occasion on which they were 
 spoken, and to compare them with similar expressions in 
 Holy Scripture. 
 
 Our Saviour having spoken the parable of the sower to 
 Ihe multitude that attended his preaching, his disciples 
 were embarrassed with regard to its meaning, and asked, 
 why he chose to speak to the people in parables, rather 
 than in plain and familiar language ? the former being 
 hard to be understood, and liable to misconstruction ; the 
 latter easily intelligible, and not subject to misinterpreta- 
 tion. He answered, that he had no intention to conceal 
 bis meaning from them ; nor from any who, like them, 
 were ready to hear and to obey. To such, said he, " it 
 is given" — ;it is permitted, allowed — " to know the myste- 
 ries of the kingdom of heaven" — to have them explained 
 so as to be understood by them. But to the multitude — 
 the bulk of the Jewish nation—'' it is not given." They 
 have stopped their ears, and shut their eyes, and hardened 
 their hearts against the truth, and have thereby rendered 
 themselves incapable of plain instruction. To them, there- 
 fore, the mysteries, or abstruser doctrines of the king- 
 dom of heaven, are not explained in an open and familiar 
 manner. " For whosoever hath" — whosoever improves 
 the means of instruction and holy living which God hath 
 put in his power—" to him shall be given, and he shall 
 
 VOL. II. M 
 
90 The Blessedness of Eyes that sec and Ears that hear, 
 
 have more abundance" — God will increase the means of 
 bis knowledge, will open his heart and enlarge his under- 
 slandin^DJ, that he may comprehend the revelation of his 
 will, as far, at l^ast, as his duly is concerned. " But who- 
 soever hatli not" — whosoever makes no proper use of the 
 knoivledoe, understandiri^^, and opportunities of instruc- 
 tion which he hath, and therefore is as though he had them 
 not — " from him shall be taken away even that he hath," 
 but hath without profit or advantage to himself. 
 
 The reason, therefore, why our Saviour spake to the 
 Jews in parables, was not that he affected dark expres- 
 sions, hard to be understood; but because, through their 
 obstinacy and perverseness, they had rendered themselves 
 incapable of profiting by his instructions, had they been 
 ever so plainly delivered. .The experiment, in f^ct, had 
 been made, and the issue was unfavourable. Soon after 
 be entered- on his public ministry, he read and expounded 
 a passage of the prophet Isaiah, in the synagogue at Na- 
 zareth — '' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
 hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he 
 hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliv- 
 erance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the 
 blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach 
 the acceptable year of the Lord."'^ When he told tliem, 
 that the Scripture he had read was that daj fulfilled in him, 
 though they acknowledged and admired "the gracious 
 •words which proceeded out of his mouth," their prejudi- 
 ces were immediately excited — Does this man pretend that 
 the prophecy he hath read is fulfilled in him ? Who is he ? 
 " Is not this .Joseph's son," the carpenter ? What arrogance 
 to assume so much to himself! However illiberal this con- 
 duct was, it excited no resentment in the meek and lowly 
 Jesus. But unreasonable prejudices always hurt ihe per- 
 sons who entertain them. To discountenance them, is 
 right ; to endeavour to remove them, is kind ; and kind- 
 ness, and a regard to that which is right, excited Christ 
 to attempt it. 
 
 The Jews had long considered themselves a» the pecu- 
 
 * Luke iv. 16, hz: 
 
Th.e Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears thai hear. 91 
 
 liar people of God. They claimed, and to tliem pertain- 
 ed " the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and 
 the givinsf of the law, and the service of God, and the 
 promises:" Theirs were '* the fathers," and of them, '' as 
 concerning the flesh," Messiah or Christ was to colne.* 
 These privileges tliey considered as their birlh-right, and 
 could not endure that other nations should sliare in them. 
 The Scripture which Christ had expounded of himself 
 \vas general, and contained a commission to extend tlie 
 blessing of Messiah to the poor, broken-hearted, blind, 
 bruised captives of satan in every nation and country. 
 That this was the design of Almighty God, he had inti- 
 mated to them, and their passions were alarmed. They 
 expected that Messiah would conquer and subject all na- 
 tions to their dominion : In that sense they would have al- 
 lowed, he might be a blessing to the world. But, how 
 could Joseph's son be Zvlessiah ? How could he subdue all 
 nations by preaching glad tidings to poor, blind, misera- 
 ble, broken-hearted objects ? 
 
 It is the property of goodness, not to be weary in the 
 works of benevolence ; of mercy, to be long suffering. 
 One step more the holy Jesus took to calm the passions 
 and abate the prejudices of these unhappy people, and 
 addressed them to the following purpose : — You think all 
 the blessings of Messiah are to be confined to you : But 
 remember, God hath promised him for a blessing to all 
 the families of the earth: To you primarily and particu- 
 larly, unless you reject the gracious purpose of God to- 
 wards you. If you do, others will readily receive the 
 glad tidings which you refuse. For however you may 
 construe the promises of God, and appropriate them ex- 
 clusively to yourselves; he hath, in fact, sometimes pas- 
 sed you over, and employed even his miraculous power 
 for the relief of persons of other nations, in preference to 
 you. In the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for 
 three years and six months, and great famine prevailed ; 
 though there were many widows in Israel wdio wanted 
 support, the prophet was not sent to one of them, but to 
 
 ' Horn. \x. 4, 5. 
 
92 The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears that hear, 
 
 a widow w^oman of Sarepta, a city of Sidon. iind though 
 there were many lepers in Israel, in the days of Elisha, 
 none of them were cleansed by him : that blessing was 
 conferred on Naaman the Syrian only. When they heard 
 this, they were filled with wrath, and tumultuously forced 
 him out of the city ; intending to throw him headlong 
 from the precipice on which it was built. 
 
 From this transaction it is plain, that the generality of 
 the Jews would not have borne to have had the great revo- 
 lutions in their government and religion, which were then 
 impending, declared in plain language. Necessity, and 
 not choice, therefore, carried Christ into the parabolical 
 inethod of teaching; and that method he seems constantly 
 to have used, in his public discourses, ever after. In kind- 
 ness to them he forebore plain declarations ; and in apt 
 similitudes represented the approaching destruction of 
 their city, the dissolution of their civil and religious poli- 
 ty, the progress his religion would make in the world, not- 
 withstanding their strong opposition, and the calling in of 
 the nations of the world to partake of the promises which 
 they rejected. While they were attending to a parable, 
 their prejudices were quiet, their passions asleep, and the 
 danger of exciting resentment was much lessened by the 
 time and reflection it took to ascertain its meaning. 
 
 This reason our Lord gives of his conduct, " Therefore 
 speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, see not; 
 and hearing, they hear not ; neither do they understand." 
 These seem to have been proverbial expressions, by which 
 the Jews reproached the inconsiderate and slothful, who 
 neglected to act according to their knowledge and belief. 
 And because they had, through prejudice, worldly views, 
 and attachment to their sins, wilfully shut their eyes 
 against that light which was intended to lighten, not them 
 only, but " every man that Cometh into the world," and 
 stopped their ears against his instructions who had "the 
 words of eternal life," he declares the prophecy of Isaiah 
 to be fulfilled in them, which saith, " By hearing ye shall 
 hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, 
 and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed 
 
The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears that hear. 93 
 
 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 understand 
 with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should 
 heal them."=^' Then foUoweth the text, " But blessed are 
 your eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for they hear." 
 
 Having now considered these words, and shewn their 
 connection with the context, we will endeavour to ascer- 
 tain their meaning, by comparing them with similar ex- 
 pressions in Holy Scripture. 
 
 The phrase of having eyes and not seeing, and ears and 
 not hearing, is common among the prophets. We will 
 first attend to Jeremiah, who addresseth his countrymen 
 in this manner : " O foolish people, and without under- 
 standing; which have eyes and see not, which have ears 
 and hear not."t The reason of this sharp rebuke soon 
 follows ; they feared not the Lord, but had " a revolting 
 and rebellious heart ;" had *' revolted and gone :" that is, 
 they obstinately continued in their transgressions, unin- 
 formed by instruction, unreclaimed by reproof and cor- 
 rection — " Among my people," said God, " are found 
 wicked men — As a cage is full of birds, so are their hou- 
 ses full of deceit." Not less than ten time^ doth God ex- 
 postulate with his people by the mouth of this prophet, 
 reproaching them for their perverseness in refusing the in- 
 structions and admonitions of the messengers he had sent 
 among them, " rising up early and sending them ; but 
 they would not hear, ihey would not hearken, they would 
 not incline their ear." They had perversely shut their 
 eyes and stopped their ears, and resolved, in opposition 
 to all they saw and heard, to continue in their own way. 
 Therefore are they described as having eyes and ears that 
 could neither see nor hear.J 
 
 I shall content myself with citing one passage more on 
 this subject, and that shall be taken from the prophet Eze- 
 kiel, to whom God saith, "Son of man, thou dwellest in 
 the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, 
 
 * Mjitt. xlii. 14, 15. from Isa. vi. 9, 10. f Jcrom, v. 21. 
 
 4 Sec Jerem. vir. 13. xxv. 3, 4. xxvi.5. xxix. 19 xxxv, 14j 15, sJiv. 4. 
 
94 The Blessedness of Eyes thai see and Ears thai hear, 
 
 and see not ; they have ears to hear, and hear not ; for 
 they are a rebellious house."=^ So that rebellion against 
 God in refusing to be governed by his laws, and to receive 
 his instructions and reproofs by his prophets and ministers, 
 is the true meaning of the phrase of having eyes and not 
 seeing^ and ears and not hearing. 
 
 Thus it fared with tlie old prophets. And when God 
 sent his Son into the w^orld, having none greater by whom 
 to send, and because ail other messengers had proved in- 
 effectual, he found the same temper among his country- 
 men. He came not only to make expiation for our sms 
 by his death, but also to found a spiritual kingdom of 
 peace and holiness, of grace, and mevcy, and truth. When 
 he began to publish his commission, to explain the nature 
 of the kingdom he was about to establish, and to invite 
 men to come into it by repentance aqd faith, that tiiey 
 might be trained up for eternal life, the Jews shewed the 
 same perversity of temper, the same obstinacy of heart, 
 the same attachment to the WT»rld, the same prejudice and 
 resentment against him for attempting to reform them, 
 which the old prophets had experienced from their fathers. 
 That he should, under these circumstances, speak of them 
 in the terras tl^e prophets had used. That they had eyes 
 and saw not, and ears and heard noty was not strange, eS' 
 pecially as those terms were v.ell understood by those who 
 heard him. And when he found that their perverseness, 
 and attachment to their prejudices and vices, would not 
 bear plain and open declarations concerning the nature of 
 his kingdom, it was an instance of humility and kindness 
 in him, to deliver those truths in expressions which were 
 iigurative, and something obscure, which their preposses- 
 sions and passions w ould not permit them to receive in a 
 plain and familiar dress. 
 
 The audiences to which our Saviour spalie were mixed. 
 The love of truth brought some to hear him; curiosity 
 others ; while not a few came that they might watch his 
 words, and find occasion for censure. Against these last, 
 the parabolical way of speaking was a good guard, and, 
 
 * Ezek. xii, 2. 
 
The Blessedness of Eyes that see mid Ears that hear. 95 
 
 at the same time, afforded free scope for instruction and 
 reproof. By it the curious were gratified; and while 
 their attention was eno^ai^ed, and their ears were delight- 
 ed, thdr minds oftentimes were informed, and their hearts 
 made better. And the diligent hearer, and candid in- 
 quirer after truth, found his parables capable of an easy 
 interpretation, and full of the most excellent and instruc- 
 tive meaning. 
 
 What our Lord intended principally to reprove, was 
 the rebellious temj^er of the Jews against Almighty God, 
 manifested by their disregarding his instructions and re- 
 proofs. This appears by his applying to them the afore- 
 cited prophecy of Isaiah, '' By hearing ye shall hear, and 
 shall not understand," &c. The passage of Isaiah to 
 which this refers, is evidently intended to declare God's 
 giving up his people to the consequences of that dulness 
 and deadness of heart, which they had brought on them- 
 selves by their obstinate continuance in thOvSe sins which 
 his prophets were sent to reprove; and to desolation and 
 destruction, as a punishment for their rebellion and idola- 
 try, in which they had persisted, notwithstanding his re- 
 peated calls to repentance : but they woidd not hear, they 
 would not see, they would not understand. Therefore 
 they were to lie under the curse of seeing without perceiv- 
 ing, of hearing and not understanding, until their cities 
 were " wasted without inhabitant," and their *' houses with- 
 out man," and their " land" was " utterly desolate."* 
 
 When it is said, " This people's heart is waxed gross,'* 
 &c. or, " Make the heart of this people fat, and make 
 their ears heavy," &c, we are not to suppose that God 
 brings on people an incapacity, or inability to receive di- 
 vine truth, and to attend to his admonitions and threats. 
 They declare the state into which wicked people liave 
 brought themselves, by their vices and lusts. Having 
 eyes, they will not see the latal tendency of sin and error: 
 Having ears, they will not hear the calls of God's Spirit 
 within them, nor of his word and ministers, to repentance 
 and amendment of life. Tliey " hate to be reformed," 
 
96 Tht Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears thai hear. 
 
 and persist in their impenitency till they become incapa- 
 ble of repenting at all. Then will God " pluck them 
 away," and there shall be " none to deliver them."^ 
 
 On account of this temper — because they shut their 
 eyes, and stopped their ears, and hardened their hearts 
 against reproof, God gave up the old Jews to desolation 
 and destruction. Christ, finding the same rebellious, ob- 
 stinate, perverse temper in the Jews of his time, seeing 
 them shut their eyes against the evidence of his miracles, 
 and stop their ears against his instructions, and harden 
 their hearts against his reproofs and calls to repentance, 
 "warned them, that they would bring the same curse and 
 judgments on themselves, which came upon their progen- 
 itors: Though they had eyes and ears — capacity andabili- 
 ty to do it — they would not see, nor understand the things 
 that belonged to their peace, till they sliould be hid from 
 their eyes ; that is, till they had rendered themselves in- 
 capable of perceiving them ; and then their city and tem- 
 ple would so entirely be given up to destruction, that not 
 one stone should be left upon another. 
 
 Of this kind, but dreadful warning, they took no no- 
 tice, but going on in their hardness and impenitency, they 
 filled up the measure of their iniquity by crucifying the 
 Lord of Glory. Still God waited forty years for their 
 amendment : but this space they abused, and converted 
 their day of grace into a season of persecuting the Church 
 of God. At length his judgments came upon them like a 
 flood. That dreadful scourgf which God had provided for 
 the wicked inhabitants of the earth, the Homan power, 
 wasted their country, besieged, and took, and destroyed 
 their city ; many of them w^re crucified, near a million 
 were sold into slavery, and the residue were banished from 
 Judea, under the penalty of death if they ever returned. 
 God thus visiting on the impenitent children, the innocent 
 blood which their fathers, when Ihey demanded Christ to 
 be crucified, had audaciously imprecated on themselves 
 and their posterity. 
 
 In this dreadful state of dispersion over the whole worlds 
 
 '^ Fsalixj 1. 17, 22- 
 
The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears that hear. 97 
 
 and in the more dreadful slate of dereliction of God, hav- 
 ing eyes that see not, and ears that hear not, and hearts 
 (liat understand not the things that belong to their peace, 
 do they still continue : And thus must they continue till 
 the purpose of God is completed ; till the measure of their 
 punishment, like the measure of their iniquity, being full 
 and running over, they shall comply with the overtures of 
 divine mercy, and acknowledge for their God and Saviour 
 the Lord and Giver of life, whom their fathers condemn* 
 ed, and delivered up to be slain. Having, as a standing 
 miracle to the world, to prove the truth of God's threats, 
 the justice of his judgments, the superintendency of his 
 providence, fulfilled the time of their punishment, they 
 shall become a miracle bf divine grace, and, by their con- 
 version, bring in the fulness of the Gentiles to the faith of 
 Christ, and make, with them, one sheep-fold under one 
 shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
 
 If the true exposition of the expression, having eyes 
 and not seeing, and ears and not hearing, hath been given, 
 it will be no difficult matter to ascertain our Saviour's 
 meaning when he saith to his disciples, " Blessed are your 
 eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for they hear." The 
 conduct of his disciples was different from that of the bulk 
 of their nation. In their notions of Messiah they were, 
 it is true, mistaken. In common with their countrymen, 
 they expected a temporal deliverer, who would lead them 
 to victory and triumph. But they shewed not that obsti- 
 nacy of temper which generally pervaded the Jewish na- 
 tion. They had no attachment to error and vice which 
 hindered them from understanding the thinga of the king- 
 dom of God. They gave up all they had in this work!, 
 and followed Christ, being determined to abide by him,^ 
 and take their portion with him, whatever it might be. 
 They were convinced by the miracles theV saw, and the 
 doctrines they heard, that he was Messiah; and on all oc- 
 casions showed a ready disposition to obey his will and 
 conform to his instructions-^" Thou art the Christ," said 
 Peter to him on a particular occasion, "the Son of the 
 living God." When some who had set out to follow him, 
 
 VOL, n. JVJ 
 
98 The Blessedness of Eyes thai see and Ears thai hear. 
 
 were offended at the purity be required, and went away 
 and walked no more with him; the disciples remained 
 firm in their resolution to abide by him — " Lord, to whom 
 sliall we o^o? thou hast the words of eternal life:- And we 
 believe and are sure, that thou art the Christ, the Son of 
 the living God." This, it is true, might, at first, have 
 been done from worldly considerations ; but their preju- 
 dices in favour of the temporal nature of Messiah's king- 
 dom gradually declined. The example and instructions 
 of their Master furnished them with new and just notions 
 of hi% kingdom; and they, at last, came to understand, 
 and prize, and seek those spiritual blessings which can be 
 had only through him, and which exceed all the pomp, 
 and power, and victories, and triumphs of the world. 
 
 The reason, therefore, why their eyes and ears are pro- 
 nounced blessed, is, because they saw and believed, that 
 Jesus was Messiah, and received his instructions as ttie 
 words of eternal life : because Christ saw them to be of 
 an honest disposition, ready to learn and to obey the will 
 of God — like little children, of teachable and candid 
 minds, disposed to receive instruction, and to " under- 
 stand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." To the.m, 
 and to all like them, the parables of Christ were explain- 
 ed, and the mysteries of his kingdom laid open. They, 
 having eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts to under- 
 stand, did attend to the doctrines and instructions of tlie 
 Son of God, which, like good seed on good ground, took 
 deep root, and sprang up, and grew, and bore fruit, some 
 thirty fold, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 
 
 Blessed indeed were their eyes which saw the Son of 
 God in human nature, and beheld the wonders he did for 
 the children of men ! Blessed were their ears which heard 
 his heavenly doctrines, and listened to the divine instruc- 
 tions of his moulh ! But beyond comparison were they 
 blessed, who, having heard his word, kept it ; who in sim- 
 plicity of heart obeyed his -call, and left not only Iheir 
 worldly possessions, but their' worldly tempers, and evil 
 habits, and errors, and vices, that they might listen to him 
 who had the words of eternal life, hear the mysteries of 
 
The Blessedness of E^es that see and Ears that hear. 9^ 
 
 his kingdom explained, and be made partakers- of the 
 "good word of God, and the powers of the world to 
 come."* 
 
 1 have hitherto endeavoured to illustrate the text, by 
 considering the conduct of those .Tews who rejected Christ, 
 and of those others who received him in simplicity of 
 heart. To discover ihe eriors of others, and see on what 
 rock they sufTered shipwreck, will not only be a warning 
 to us, but may enable us lo avoid their d^n2;er. And to 
 see by what means the eminent servants of God overcame 
 the world, and obtained the prize of their high calling, 
 will excite our endeavours to imitate their faith and holi- 
 ness, that we may, with them, partake of the precious 
 gift of eternal life. 
 
 When you reflect on. the conduct of those Jews \vho 
 rejected Christ and accomplished his death, your indigna- 
 tion is moved against them ; you are -amazed at their per- 
 verseness and obstinacy. Had you been in their place, 
 you imagine, you should have acted very differently. To 
 have heard tl>e gospel preached by Christ himself; to have 
 seen his gracious mouth opened, and holy hands raised t6 
 dispense instruction and blessing to mankind, would have 
 affected you so deeply, that nothing could have hindered 
 you from embracing his gospel with your whole heart. — 
 Take heed, lest in condemning them, you condemn your- 
 selves. 
 
 What prevented the Jews from doing that which you 
 suppose you should have done, had you been in their 
 place ? They wanted not the strongest means of convic- 
 tion. Miracles were wrought, and prophecies fulfilled be- 
 fore their eyes. The most heavenly doctrines were preach- 
 ed to them, and in the most engaging manner. The 
 brightest, and most perfect example oif holy living was 
 exhibited to their view, by the same person who wrought 
 the miracles, fulfilled the prophecies, and taught those 
 pure and sublime truths: and yet they rejected him. 
 Would you know the reason ? Christ hath told you, it was 
 ^*' because their deeds were evil ;" because they loved their 
 
 * Heb. vi. 5. 
 
1 00 The Blessedness of Eyes thai see and Ears that hear. 
 
 sins, and were resolved not to part from tbem. They, 
 therefore, came not to the light of divine truth, lest their 
 deeds being discovered to be evil, they should be made 
 uneasy by reproof and conviction. 
 
 In this case be your own judges: only, for your own 
 sakes, judge righteous judgment. If you also love your 
 sins and evil habits, so as to be unwilling to give them up, 
 and embrace the holiness and purity of the gospel, in what 
 are you better than those Jews were ? If you reject Christ 
 preaching to you by liis Spirit, his Word, his Ministers — 
 putting into your hearts good desires, exciting you to re- 
 pentance and amendment of life ; if you refuse the order, 
 and government, and discipline of his Church, his sacra- 
 ment^ and laws ; you do reject him as certainly, as entire- 
 ly, as wickedly as ever the Jews, did, though you have 
 not rejected him preaching to you in the flesh. Say not 
 Ihat you believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Saviour of the 
 world, while you love your sins, the works of the devil 
 which he came to destroy. Pretend not to be his disci-^ 
 pies, if you renounce the authority of his Church, the 
 obligation of his sacraments, the preaching of his word, 
 the administration of his ministers. 
 
 Can it be supposed, that Christ came into the world, and 
 did, and suffered what is recorded of him, to call men to 
 the mere outward profession of his religion ? barely to 
 take the Christian name upon them ? No ; it was to call 
 them from sin to holiness, from the power of satan unto 
 God ; to kill aod destroy sin in them; to make them pure 
 in temper and disposition, in mind and thought, that they 
 might be capable of happiness with God. 
 
 Let not the man, therefore, who loves his sins, and re- 
 fuses to forsake them ; who disregards the holiness and 
 virtue which the gospel requires, think, that he is in any 
 respect better than the Jews were. Had he lived in their 
 time, he would have done as they did. And he lies under 
 the same curse that was inflicted on them, having eyes 
 that see not, and ears that hear not, and a heart that un- 
 derstands not. From this curse nothing can deliver him 
 but repentance, or conversion of the heart to God — ^giv- 
 
The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears that hear. 101 
 
 jiio himself up to be ordered and governed by the Holy 
 Spirit, who is constantly calling him to repentance, by 
 the checks of conscience, and by the inspirations of holi- 
 ness, inviting him to return to the ways of God from 
 which he hath erred and strayed by his evil de^e^d^.: Then,, 
 " though his sins be as scarlet, they shall be. \Vhii(i as snow ; 
 though they be red as crimson, they shaU be'.lj^e At peyy'?^; 
 washed in the " fountain opened to the liouse *bf DaVid,* 
 and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for un- 
 cleanness,"" even the precious blood of the " Lamb of God 
 which taketh away the sin of the world."* 
 
 Often, and affectionately did the Redeemer invife those 
 to w horn he preached to repentance and amendment, that 
 they might receive the forgiveness of God — proclaiming 
 mercy to the penitent, and warning the impenitent of the 
 sure destruction which would overtake the hardened offen- 
 der. And when all his invitations and admonitions w^ere 
 ineffectual, knowing that in crucifying him they would fill 
 up the measure of their iniquity, and become ripe for the 
 judgments of God, tenderly did he lament the approach- 
 ing calamities of his country. Going in his humble tri- 
 umph into Jerusalem, and knowing that all things written 
 of him in the Prophets and in the Psalms were about to 
 be accomplished, when he came within view of the city, 
 he beheld it and wept over it. Pronouncing the dreadful 
 doom which devoted it to the fury of its enemies, who 
 were to lay it, and its inhabitants even with the ground, 
 not leaving one stone upon another, bis heart melted with 
 pity, and his last words were words of sympathetic con- 
 dolence — " If thou hadst known, even thou," O Jerusa- 
 lem, " at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto 
 thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes," and 
 hid, " because thou knewest not" — because thou didst not 
 consider and improve "the time of thy visitation." 
 
 The day of God's grace and merciful visitation was not 
 confined to the Jews; it was extended to the rest of the 
 world ; it hath come even to us, giving " the light of the 
 knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesug 
 
 * Isa. i. 18. Zcch. xiii. 1. Jobn i. 29. 
 
102 The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears that hear. 
 
 Christ,"* and making known eternal life, through him, to 
 lost and miserable man. He hath proclaimed, " I. have 
 heard thee in a. time accepted, and in the day of salvation 
 have I succoured thee : Behold, now is the accepted time ; 
 
 . behold, nw:, is the day of salvation: Receive not, there- 
 
 ':* fcre, Ihc griade of God in vain."t 
 .; ;)3.;; vThf ;|)|Hiis}im which the Jews suffered, ou^^ht to be 
 .^o" ^"|)tif adnjomtionriot to sin after their example of unbelief; 
 and the obstinacy of lieart which they showed should cau- 
 tion us, not to harden our hearts through the de'ceitfulness 
 of sin, lest God should "swear in his wrath, Ye shall not 
 enter into my rest."J For the same self-denial, and renun- 
 ciation of the world, and of evil habits, and W-icked tem- 
 pers and passion?, which were necessary in the time of 
 Christ's personal ministry to qualify men to be his disci- 
 ples, are necessary now. That teachable disposition which 
 then enabled them to understand the mysteries of the 
 kingdom of God, must enable us to receive instruction in 
 the same divine science. And the blessings of Christ's re- 
 demption must be received by us in the same way of live- 
 ly faith and holy obedience, in which they received them, 
 who heard his personal preaching. 
 
 Examine yourselves, therefore, whether your hearts 
 are, in these respects, right with God ? whether you do 
 attend to his word, the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ, 
 with ears that hear, and with hearts that understand ; that 
 13, with minds free from the bias of worldly views, and 
 party attachments, and evil habits? If you do, blessed are 
 your eyes and ears : With the holy apostles and followers 
 of Christ, " to you it is given to know the mysteries of the 
 kingdom of heaven." By the illumination of the Spirit 
 of God, you will discover the "hidden things of his law," 
 and will have your " senses exercised to discern both good 
 and evil.''J By his heavenly influence you will also choose 
 that which is good, and avoid what is evil ; and will grow 
 m grace and knowledge, in faith and holiness to the end 
 of your lives. Then shall you receive, with the apostles 
 and faithful servants of God, your portion in that place 
 
 * 2 Cor, iv. 6. f yi. 1, 2. * Heb. iii, 8, &g. § Hcb. v. 14 
 
 I 
 
The Blessedness of Eyes that see and Ears thai hear, 103 
 
 which Christ hath prepared for those who love and obey 
 him. 
 
 On the contrai J ; if you are attached to schemes of am- 
 bition and covetousness, which you. do not choose (o re- 
 linquish; to habits of vice, which you are not disposed 
 to abandon ; to your own system of relio;ious opinions, 
 hy which, riglit or wrong, you are determined to abide, 
 know that you are in the same state with those Jews of 
 whom Christ said, they had eyes which saw not, and ears 
 which heard not, and hearts which understood not ; and 
 unless you repent, like them you will suffer the judgments 
 of God; possibly not temporal destruction, but what is 
 infinitely worse, " everlasting destruction from the pres- 
 ence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."^"^ 
 
 Consider these things; and may God, who is rich in 
 mercy, make the hours of your consideration conducive 
 to your soul's health. May he pour upon you the abun- 
 dance of his grace ; give you those blessed eyes which see, 
 ears which hear, and hearts which understand ; that you 
 may perceive, and pursue the things which belong to your 
 everlasting peace; through the uierit and mediation of 
 Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen, 
 
 ^ 3 TUess. i. 9.. 
 
mSCOURSE VIIL 
 
 PART I. 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 1 John ii. 1, 2. 
 
 My little childreUy these things write I unto you, that ye sin 
 
 not. And if any man sin, we ham an advocate with the 
 
 Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propi- 
 
 iiaiion for our sins ; and not for our sins only, hut also 
 
 for the sins of the whole world, 
 
 HE design of this Epistle of St. John seems to have 
 been to guard the Jewish converts against apostacy from 
 the Christian faith, and to preserve them stedfast in the be- 
 lief, that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God, and in that 
 holiness of life which his religion required. The perni- 
 cious doctrines which then prevailed among the Jews ; 
 that men were accounted righteous with God bv faith 
 alone, without doing the works of righteousness ; that 
 zeal for God, and his laws, and service would atone for 
 all crimes, even for the hatred and murder of their breth- 
 ren, made this conduct of the apostle necessary at that 
 time; and his judgment and authority in these points, will 
 serve for the instruction and correction of the church, to 
 the end of the world. 
 
 Our Saviour had foretold, that, a little before the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem, many false Christs and false Pro- 
 phets should appear, and should deceive many. To guard 
 the Christians against their seductions, was another point 
 the apostle had in view. He tells them, that these false 
 Christs and false Prophets were then abroad ; and, with 
 the most affectionate zeal and prudent advice, cautions 
 them against the pollution of their destructive errors. 
 
 YOL. ir. O 
 
100 l^he Atonement of ChriaL 
 
 The text shows particularly the exact judgment and 
 prudence of the holy man ; being calculated to preserve 
 them, on the one hand, from presumptuous sins; and, on 
 the other, from desperation of God's mercy. 
 
 '* My little children, these things write I unto you, that 
 ye sin not." To live in innocence, free from the defile- 
 ment of sin, is the first and great aim of every Christian. 
 It ought to be also the great aim of every one of Christ's 
 Ministers to imitate this holy apostle, in their endeavours 
 to preserve the people of God committed to their charge, 
 free from the stain of guilt, and the anguish of remorse. 
 They will, therefore, earnestly warn them of the dread- 
 ful end of a wicked life, and particularly of the fatal ten- 
 dency of those errors in doctrine which may prevail in 
 their neighbourhood, especially if they should be such as 
 may influence their practice. But with their people it 
 will remain to make their cautions and instructions effec- 
 tual. Unless they apply them to their own circumstan- 
 ces, and beg of God his grace and holy Spirit to lead and 
 preserve them in the way of truth and holiness, all their 
 Ministers can do, will be lost labour. 
 
 The text seems more particularly addressed to young 
 Christians, either in age, or on account of their late con- 
 version to the faith ; for of a Father in the church, these 
 are properly the " little children.'* And these, through 
 the levity of youth, and the strength of appetite and pas- 
 sion; or through ignorance and inexperience in Christian 
 knowledge and practice, are more exposed to temptations, 
 and more liable to be overcome by them. To them, there- 
 fore, the Christian Minister should particularly attend, 
 for they particularly need his admonitions and instruc- 
 tions. In general they will be more candidly received by 
 them. Their hearts are tender, their sense of duty to 
 God is quick, and blessing will be on the head of him who 
 helps to preserve their innocency, and keep them free 
 from the pollutions of this wicked world. 
 
 The other danger of which the text warns us, is despe- 
 ration of God's mercy, should we be so unhappy as to sin 
 against him. The weakness of nature, ignorance, inal- 
 
Tht Alontmmt of Christ. 107 
 
 <enlion, surprise, example, too frequently involve well 
 disposed Christians in offences which they sincerely la- 
 ment, and wish to avoid. And we trust, as they are more 
 in. number than we can recollect, God will, upon oiir gen- 
 eral confession and repentance, in mercy overlook them 
 for Christ's sake ; especially as they arise from infirmiiy 
 of nature which we cannot help, and against wliich it does 
 not seem possible always to guard ourselves. 
 
 Except they are people of weak understandings, or un- 
 der bodily disease, the Tempter can seldom find oppor- 
 tunity, from these sins, to drive men to despair. But 
 where the sense of duty is quick, the temper tnild, and 
 the heart affectionate, conscience is often exceedingly ten- 
 der. Remorse for wilful, premeditated sins, or what is 
 unhappily taken for such, will then occasion the bitterest 
 anguish, and deepest regret. Should the Tempter suC' 
 ceed in representing the inefficacy of penitence, and the 
 certainty of the wrath of God ; despair of his mercy en- 
 sues. This is the sharpest sting of sin ; the deadliest 
 wound that satan can inflict, and for which nature furnish- 
 es no medicine. 
 
 Faith in the propitiation of Jesus Christ the righteous, 
 our Advocate with the Father, is the only balsam that can 
 cure the wounds of conscience, or assuage the agonies of 
 guilt. To this remedy the apostle directs his children in 
 Christ ; " If any man sin, we have an advocate w^ith the 
 Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propi- 
 tiation for our sins.'* And, " If we confess our sins, he," 
 who hath " made a new covenant" with us in the blood of 
 Christ, and hath promised that he " will be merciful to our 
 imrighteousness, and our sins; and will remember our ini- 
 quities no more," "is faithful and just" to his word "to 
 forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright- 
 eousness."* 
 
 The text strongly asserts the doctrine of atonement for 
 the sins of the world by the death of Christ; in virtue of 
 which he is our Advocate in heaven, where he ever liveth 
 to make intercession for us; pleading his own meritorious 
 
 * Heb. viU. 8, 12. 1 John i. 8, 9. 
 
108 The Atonement of Christ. 
 
 atonement for the justificatioB, or remission of the sins of 
 all those who believe in him, and do his commandments. 
 And this is the invariable doctrine of the New Testament. 
 His intercession is mentioned by St. Paul in the most ex- 
 press terms; " It is Christ that died, yea rather that is 
 risen again ; who is even at the right hand of God ; who 
 also maketh intercession for us."^^ In another place, he 
 saith, " Wherefore he is able to save them to the utter- 
 most," or evermore, "that come to God by him; seeing 
 he ever liveth to make intercession for them.*' He also 
 speaks of Christ as having entered into the true holy place, 
 even " into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence 
 of God for us."t In as express terms, this same apostle 
 declares Jesus Christ to be a propitiation for sin, " whom," 
 he saith, " God hath set forth a propitiation, through faith 
 in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission," 
 or passing over " of sins that are past, through the for- 
 bearance of God."t He declareth the same doctrine, 
 though in different terms, when, speaking of Christ, he 
 sailh, " God hath made him who knew no sin, to be sin," 
 a sin-offering, an atonement " for us ; that w^e might be 
 made the righteousness of God in him."^ And the author 
 of the text hath said, " God loved us, and sent his Son to 
 be the propitiation for our sins." II 
 
 I have brought these passages of Holy Scripture toge- 
 ther, because they are full to the point, and concur in 
 proving, that the doctrine of atonement for sin by the 
 death of Christ, is the doctrine of the New Testament. 
 It is a doctrine, however, which is but little regarded by 
 some; openly denied by others who profess the Christian 
 faith ; and ridiculed as an absurd system, by all those who 
 reject it. Even that saying, which in the estimation of 
 St. Paul was " worthy of all men to be received, that 
 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," is as- 
 signed by some as the reason of their rejecting the gospel. 
 Should we suppose that something of vanity, or precipi- 
 tancy of temper had led these men to decide against the 
 
 * Rom. viii. 34. f Heb. vii. 25. ix. 24. i Rom. iii. 24, 25= 
 
 § 2 Cor. V. 21. 8 1 John iv. 10. 
 
Tlie Atonement of Christ. 109 
 
 doctrine of atonement, before they had duly examined all 
 the circumstances relating to it ; it would, I presume, be 
 no breach of charity towards them. 
 
 The man who professes to govern himself by reason, 
 must be supposed sometimes to reflect on the conduct of 
 his life, and to examine into the state of his heart. If he 
 should do so, he will find that he hath in many things of- 
 fended against the sentiments and dictates of his own mind, 
 to say nothing of his transgressions of the positive laws of 
 God. He will, therefore, feel himself to be accountable 
 for his actions, because his conscience condemns him when 
 he does what he know^s to be wrong. Now, the sentence 
 of conscience supposes a higher tribunal : For conscience 
 is nothing more than the judgment a man passes on his 
 own actions, compared with some law. If his actic-^ns 
 have been agreeable to the law by which he judges, the 
 judgment of his mind — his conscience, will acquit him. 
 If he hath been a transgressor, his conscience will con- 
 demn him. If you remove all law, you take away all 
 conscience also. Where there is no law, there can be no 
 transgression ; and where there is no transgression, there 
 can be neither judgment nor condemnation, because there 
 is no criminal. Therefore, without a law superior to con- 
 science, there can be no such thing as conscience at all. 
 
 Every law must come from a power superior to him 
 who is to be governed by it : he is not otherwise obliged 
 to obey it ; because no penalty could be inflicted upon its 
 transgression. Every law must also be superior to the 
 Judge who is to administer it; otherwise he might set the 
 law aside ; and should he do so, instead of judging by the 
 law, he would judge and condemn the law itself Con- 
 science, therefore, must be subject to the law^ by which it 
 judgeth. 
 
 No laws can bind the conscience but his, who is the au- 
 thor of conscience. He who made man, and gave him 
 the conscious principle, by which he can judge and form 
 an estimate of his own actions ; and he only can bind the 
 consciences of men. Human laws affect overt actions and 
 words only : the heart and conscience are beyond their 
 
1 10 The Atonement of Christ. 
 
 conlroul. We liave, Iherefore, a right to conclude, that 
 where conscience condemns, the law of God hath been 
 broken. And let such a man beware ; for " if his heart 
 condemn him, God is greater than his heart, and knoweth 
 all things."* 
 
 Here let nature, with her so much boasted reb'gion, try 
 her ability to screen the offender from punishment, who 
 is condemned of his own conscience, and who must look 
 forward to the sentence of a higher tribunal. No hope to 
 escape can come but from two sources — the mercy of God 
 — the repentance of the offender. 
 
 To say that God is too good and merciful to punish the 
 errors and failings of such weak and frail beings as we are, 
 were it true, is shooting beside the mark : It is applying 
 to mercy in a case of justice — applying indeed to mercy, 
 where it does not appear that mercy of itself could give 
 the proper relief. The condemnation and reproaches of 
 conscience are a species of punishment which simple mer- 
 cy seems incapable of removing. 
 
 Besides, errors and failings are one thing; crimes and 
 villanies another. If the mercy of God overlook the er- 
 rors of the judgment and the failings of infirmity, it will 
 not necessarily follow that it must pass over crimes and 
 villanies that spring from malignity of heart. 
 
 But, by punishment let us understand sufferings inflict- 
 ed by God for sin. And how does it appear that the mer- 
 cy of God will prevent him from punishing men for the 
 transgression of his laws ? Not from his promise, except 
 in divine revelation ; and then only upon repentance, and 
 in consequence of the atonement and satisfaction of Christ. 
 If it be said, that it appears from reason and the nature of 
 God : let them speak, and let us attend to what they say. 
 They declare God to be the moral Governor of the world ; 
 that he is good and merciful, holy and just. He is, there- 
 fore, as much obliged, considered as a just and good Gov- 
 ernor, to punish the wicked, as to protect the good. If 
 he be merciful to one sinner, he must, by the same rule, 
 be merciful to all ; and if he forgive one kind of sins, he 
 
 * 1 John iii. 20. 
 
The Atonement of Christ. Ill 
 
 may forgive all kinds. But if he forgive all sinners, and 
 every kind of sin, his character of ^noral Governor of the 
 world is destroyed, and moral evil may proceed to the 
 highest pitch without restraint from him. 
 
 With regard to repentance ; if it be asked, whether, if 
 a man repent, and amend, and sin no more, he may not 
 rely on the mercy and forgiveness of God ? I answer, Yes, 
 on Christian principles ; but not on the principles of nature 
 and reason. Put a case, and see what it will come to — 
 The malicious man, after having murdered a number of 
 his fellow creatures, is sorry for what he hath done, re- 
 frains from violence, and becomes humane and l)enevolent. 
 On Christian principles he is, through the atonement of 
 the Mediator, entitled to mercy ; but not on the principles 
 of reason and nature. For the laws of God have been 
 violated, his moral government insulted, and the man's 
 fellow-creatures destroyed; nor will his repentance i*epair 
 the breach of the one, nor re-establish the authority of 
 the other, nor restore life to the dead. Others might, by 
 his impunity, be excited to commit, at least, would not be 
 deterred from committing the same, or similar crimes ; and 
 the moral government of God would be as effectually de- 
 stroyed, as it would be, though no repentance were sup- 
 posed. Some method to re-establish the authority of the 
 divine law must be provided, before the offender can be 
 admitted to merc3'. When justice and mercy can be re- 
 conciled, we may reasonably hope for the forgiveness of 
 God ; but till then, the pardon of offenders would be the 
 destruction of divine authority. 
 
 it is, therefore, but a cold prospent which natural reli- 
 gion holds out to us. It has no claim on the mercy of 
 God, but leaves us exposed to punishment for every trans^ 
 gression. 
 
 Here Christianity interposeth, and proclaims the atone- 
 ment of a Substitute, who, by suffering in the stead of 
 man, made expiation for his sin, and re-established the 
 authority of the divine law, by submitting to its penalty ; 
 thereby reconciling justice and mercy, and making it pus- 
 sible for them to unite in the pardon of sin. 
 
112 The Atonement of Christ, 
 
 This Substitute is declared to be the Son of God, who 
 took human nature upjn him, and in it endured, and over- 
 came all the temptations to which it is liable ; sacrificed it 
 on the cross, sustained in it the full punishment of sin, in 
 the bitter pains of crucifixion, and in the agony which 
 arose from a sense of the displeasure and dereliction of 
 God. The Scriptures which contain the history of his 
 life, and Ihe doctrines delivered by him and his apostles, 
 affirm that God declared his acceptance of his atonement, 
 and ratified all he had said and taught, by raising him 
 from the dead on the third day, according to his own pre- 
 diction; by receiving him up into heaven in that body 
 which he had assumed, and which had been crucified ancl- 
 raised again ; and by sending the Holy Ghost upon his 
 apostles and followers, according to his promise. 
 
 That these are true facts is proved, not only from the 
 concurrent testimony of the four Evangelists who wrote 
 his life, but from the continuance of the Christian religion 
 in the world, from that period to this day. On the credit 
 of these facts, that religion was, in the course of a few 
 years, propagated over the whole Roman empire ; at a 
 time, too, when arts, and sciences, and learning, and free 
 inquiry were as highly esteemed and cultivated as they 
 are now. Nor were men more deficient in sense, and un- 
 derstanding, and reason, and argument then, than they 
 are now\ When, too, it would have been as. impossible 
 to have established such a religion as Christianity is, upon 
 the credit of pretended facts, as it would be to do so now. 
 
 I know objections have been made against the w'hole 
 scheme of vicarious sr.tisfaction. It hath been said to be 
 unjust and unreasonable in itself, that the innocent should 
 suffer and the guilty go free ; and that it will not answer 
 the end proposed by it, namely, the re-establishment of 
 the authority of God's laws. But, 
 
 1. If the Substitute be willing to submit to the terms \ 
 and, by doing so, injures no other being; and the party 
 offended be willing to accept the satisfaction ot the Sub- 
 stitute; the scheme of vicarious satisfaction is not unjust. 
 
 Now the readiness of Christ to become our Substitute, 
 
The Atonement of Christ, H3 
 
 lid of God to accept his satisfaction, are the foundation 
 of tlie procedure. Love and mercy excited, l)ut no force 
 did, or could constrain them. Nor does it appear how 
 any injury could accrue by it to any other beinoj. 
 
 2. Jf a greater good can be obtained by vicarious satis- 
 faction, Ihan could be obtained by exacting the full penal- 
 ty upon the offenders personally, then the scheme is not 
 unreasonable. 
 
 But to give the whole human race a new, and an ad- 
 vantageous opportunity of obtaining eternal happiness, is 
 a greater good than to consign them all without mercy to 
 everlasting misery; and the future happiness of a part of 
 mankind, is a greater good than the certain destruction of 
 the whole. 
 
 3. If the authority of the Lawgiver can be as effectually 
 supported, and the benefits of his government as fully se- 
 cured by vicarious satisfaction, as by inflicting punish- 
 ment personally on the offenders, then the scheme is not 
 deficient in efficacy to answer the end proposed by it. 
 
 Permit me then to state the matter as I understand it, 
 and I shall cheerfully submit the determination of it to 
 reason and common sense. 
 
 Adam sinned against his Creator, and involved himself 
 and his posterity in everlasting misery, the necessary con- 
 sequence of his disobedience. The Son of God became 
 his Substitute ; and, taking his nature upon him, made in 
 it full satisfaction to divine justice for his offence, and for 
 all the sins of the whole world. God approved and ac- 
 cepted this atonement. Adam and his posterity were, in 
 consequence of it, put under a new covenant, by observ- 
 ing which they may recover the favour of God, and ob- 
 tain endless happiness with him in heaven. 
 
 Suppose an hundred orders of intelligent creatures to 
 behold and contemplate this scene : How may we con- 
 clude they would be affected by it ? Should one of them 
 argue in this manner— Adam hath disobeyed God, and in- 
 stead of having the full penalty of his disobedience in- 
 flicted on hiui as God threatened ; the Son of God, by 
 suffering in his stead, hath redeemed him from cndlesjs 
 
 VOL. IT. P 
 
114 The Atonement of Christ. 
 
 misery, and put him into a capacity of obtaining the hap- 
 piness of hv^aven. There is, tlierefore, no great danger in 
 disobeying God, however severely he may threaten, t may 
 safely disobey him also ; for, at the worst, the Son of 
 God will suifer for me, as he hath done for Adam and his 
 posterity. 
 
 Should another reason in the following manner — How- 
 dreadful is God ! He hath indeed had mercy on fallen 
 Adam, and his wretched offspring. In a wonderful way 
 he hath reconciled mercy and justice in his forgiveness. 
 That he might pardon him, he hath accepted an atone- 
 ment. That his government, on which the happiness of 
 all his creatures depends, might be vindicated, he hath re- 
 quired that the atonement be of infinite merit. He hath 
 even permitted innocence to bear the punishment of guilt: 
 His own beloved Son to sufTerin Adam's stead. Happy 
 is Adam in finding such mercy — in having such a Redeem- 
 er. Let every creature now beware how he disobeys the 
 righteous laws of God — wonderful in mercy — terrible in 
 justice. For will God again accept an atonement ? Will 
 the Son of God again consent to be the propitiation for 
 sin ? It cannot be. Henceforth all must obey or be mis- 
 erable — ^Which of these two would reason most justly ? 
 
 Whatever may be the judgment of others, the pious 
 Christian will adore with gratitude, the astonishing display 
 of divine justice and mercy, holiness and goodness, right- 
 eousness and wisdom, all united and co-operating in the 
 redemption of man by Jesus Christ. And while the heart 
 is raised in grateful devotion; the tongue, with divine 
 rapture, will join the song of holy David, " Mercy and 
 truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have kiss- 
 ed each other," 
 
DISCOURSE VIIT 
 
 PART II. 
 
 HE business of this second part of the Discourse on 
 the atonement of Christ, is to inquire into the extent of 
 it, and into its influence in procuring eternal life, that is, 
 future happiness for men in heaven. < 
 
 With regard to the extent of Christ's atonement, the 
 text doth not confine it to any particular number of men, 
 nor to persons of any particular country or nation, nor of 
 any particular station or condition of life ; but extendeth 
 its benefits to the whole world. In conformity with what 
 this apostle hath said, St. Paul, speakinsj of Christ as the 
 Mediator between God and man, saith, " Fie gave him- 
 self a ransom for all" — that he *' will have all men to be 
 saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."* Our 
 Saviour, speaking of the atonement he was to make on 
 the cross, saith he would " give his flesh for the life of the. 
 world."t This doctrine is fully and strongly expressedf 
 by the Church in her prayer of consecration in the office 
 of the holy communion ; in which prayer we bless God 
 for our redemption by his Son Jesus Christ, " who, by 
 his one oblation of himself once offered, made a full, per- 
 fect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and saiisfaction for 
 the sins of the whole world." I shall only add the au- 
 thority of the holy Baptist, the harbinger of Christ, who, 
 when he saw " Jesus coming unto him," bare this testi- 
 mony of him, " Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh 
 away the sin of the world."t 
 
 The plain consequence of these authorities is. That all 
 the sins of all men, original and personal, from tiie begin- 
 ning to the end of the world, are remittable, or capable 
 
 ■ 1 Tim. ii. 4, 8;c. f Jolin vi, 51. ? John i. 29. 
 
116 The Atonement of ChrisL 
 
 of being forgiven, through the atonement and gatisfactiou 
 of Christ * 
 
 But though Christ be the propitiation for the sins of the 
 whole worlclj having made atonement for them by his 
 blood, and thereby rendered it possible for God to for- 
 give them; yet the Scriptures will not justify us in saying 
 that all sin is already forgiven, nor that all sin will be for- 
 given hereafter. All declarations of forgiveness in the 
 Bible are made to the penitent, either expressly, or by 
 fair implication ; and we have no right to extend theni 
 further than the " Oracles of God" will support us. 
 
 There is a manifest difference between being put into a 
 capacity of obtaining forgiveness, and having actually ob- 
 tained it — between being put into a state of salvation, and 
 having that salvation in actual possession. A man may be 
 put under advantages of acquiring, with the utmost cer- 
 tainty, some great worldly benefit; yet improper con- 
 duct may entirely destroy all his expectations. Some of 
 the benefits of Christ's redemption are indeed absolute, 
 and every human creature is born into the actual posses- 
 sion of them. The capacity, or possibility of having our 
 sins forgiven through the atonement of Christ, is one of 
 those benefits. Another is, the presence of the Holy 
 Spirit of God with us, manifesting his divine influence in 
 the sensibility and approbation of virtue and goodness, 
 and in the checks and admonitions of conscience, which 
 in a greater or less degree seem common to all men. By 
 the new covenant in Christ, we are also freed from the law 
 of perfect, unsinning obedience from which Adam fell, 
 and are put under the law of grace; and our unfeigned 
 obedience is accepted instead of that which is perfect. 
 But there are other benefits of Christ's mediation .which 
 are ours, at present, only by promise, being not put in 
 actual possession of them, but into a capacity of obtain- 
 ing them under certain conditions and limitations. Of 
 these, eternal life in the world to come is one. Let us 
 then see what the influence of Christ's propitiation is, in 
 
 * One exception ought to be made, because it is made by Christ himself, who 
 hath declared that " whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be 
 forgiven him, uwither in this world, neither in the world to come." Matt. xii. 32. 
 
The Atonement of Christ, 117 
 
 procuring this eternal life or felicity for us in the next 
 world. 
 
 "Eternal life" is always declared to be "the gift of 
 God through Jesus Christ our Lord."* It must conse- 
 quently be the effect of his mediation. I meaji not of his 
 death singly and by itself, but of his whole process as our 
 Redeemer — of all that he did, and suffered, and no\t does, 
 and will do for us. To the attainment of this everlasting 
 life, tiie remission of sins must be necessary, because, un- 
 less sin be forgiven, the sinner must be punished. Not to 
 be punished is one thing; to be put in possession ot eler^ 
 nal life is another. Suppose it possible that a sinner may 
 be so far pardoned as not to be punished by the positive 
 infliction of sufferings, may he not be yai excluded from 
 the happy enjoyment of the presence of God in beaten ? 
 If his nature be unholy and impure, he must be incapable 
 of happiness with God; for this plain reason, God is hply, 
 and with him nothing impiu'e can dwell. Such sinners, 
 therefore, as men are, defiled in nature, as well as by ha- 
 bit, in heart as vyell as in deed, in mind and spirit as well 
 as in life and manners, must have their nature new form- 
 ed, their heart changed, their mind and spirit renewed, 
 and reclaimed from sin ,to holiness, or they can have no 
 fellowship with God. I say not this, on the mere princi- 
 ples of reason, though both reason and experience join in 
 testifying, that contrary natures cannot be happy together. 
 The lion and the lamb consort not together, nor the hawk 
 and the dove. Modesty can have no complacency in im- 
 pudence, nor can malice delight in love. Opposite natures 
 flee each' other, and like only courts its like. 
 
 The Holy Scriptures attest the truth of what I have 
 said, as well in their general tenor, as in particular passa- 
 ges. Their general drift calls men off from sin to holi- 
 ness, from the pursuit of vicious pleasures to the denial 
 of ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to the practice of 
 pj^ty, justice, and temperance ; from the indulgence of 
 the malignant passions of envy, anger, hatred, and malice, 
 to the cultivation of meekness, and benevolence, and 
 
 * Rom. Ti. 23. 
 
118 The Atonement of Christ, 
 
 love; from covetousness to liberality; from every thing, 
 in short, that is evil, to every thing that is good. They 
 call us to holiness from the particular consideration that 
 God is holy; to be merciful and kind to our fellow crea- 
 tures, because God is merciful and good to us ; to be fol- 
 lowers of God as dear children, walking in love, and in 
 all the virtues of a holy life. 
 
 Why is all this ? Only because it is necessary for us ; 
 that so an '' entrance may be ministered to us abunfllantly, 
 into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ."* This penitence and holiness are not re- 
 quired as the meritorious cause of the forgiveness of our 
 sinSj or of our obtaining eternal life, which always was, 
 and ever will be the gift of God : But they are the quali- 
 ficalions which make us capable of receiving the one and 
 enjoying the other. The habits of vice and the indulgence 
 of evil aflfections, we are also assured, will exclude us 
 from the happiness of heaven. Impure, and covetous, 
 and profane persons, St. Paul hath told us, shall have no 
 inheritance in the kingdom of God and of Christ ; and 
 that on account of these things, cometh the wrath of God 
 on the children of disobedience.f This point was indeed 
 determined by Christ himself, when he declared tint at the 
 general resurrection, they that had done good should come 
 fortji from the graves, unto the resurrection of life; and 
 Ihey that had done evil, unto the resurrection of damna- 
 tion.J 
 
 The atonement which Christ made for sin by his death 
 is one step in the process he went through for our redemp- 
 tion. Should it be thought the grand one, I harve no in- 
 clination to dispute it. Every thing however which he 
 did was necessary to our salvation. By his resurrection 
 we obtain the privilege of rising again from the grave, 
 never more to die. By his ascension into heaven in human 
 nature, he hath opened to us the kingdom of heaven, and 
 made it possible for us to ascend thither also, where lie 
 the forerunner for us hath entered ;J that where he is, his 
 faithful servants may also be. In consequence of his as- 
 
 * 2 Pet. i. 11. t Eph. v. 3—6. ± John v. 28, 29. % Heb. vi. 20. 
 
The Atonement oj Christ, 119 
 
 cension it is, that he now sitleth at the right hand of God, 
 invested with authority to protect his Church by his pow- 
 er, to guide it by his Spirit in this world, and to bless it 
 with glor^i^nd happiness iq the next. To this we owe the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, by whom our minds 
 are enlightened to understand divine things, strengthened 
 to resist temptations, excited to work righteousness, to live 
 in holiness, and to obey from the heart the commandments 
 of God according to the new covenant under which his 
 goodness hath placed us ; and by whom we are enabled 
 to bear with patience the troubles, distresses, and perse- 
 cutions of this miserable world. To this we owe his per- 
 petual and prevailing intercession for us with the Almighty 
 Father in heaven, the true Holy Place, into which he hatli 
 entered, not like the Jewish High Priest, who went once 
 in every year into the most holy place of the tabernacle 
 with the blood of goats and calves, to make an annual 
 atonement for himself and the people ; but with his own 
 blood once, " having obtained," not annual but " eternal 
 re'demption for us : wherefore he is able also to save them 
 to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he 
 ever liveth to make intercession for them."^ From this 
 state of exaltation, he will come at the last day in his 
 glorious majesty, to judge the living and the dead, con- 
 cerning the things done in the body ; and will then make 
 an eternal distinction between the good and the evil, re- 
 compensing glory and immortality to the one, tribulation 
 and anguish to the other.f 
 
 What, therefore, Christ hath done for us, as our Re- 
 deemer, is exactly according to the wants and necessities 
 of our situation ; and our salvation is to be ascribed to 
 all that he did, and not to any particular thing. All that 
 he did, and now does, was and is necessary for us. No- 
 thing could have been omitted without rendering the plan 
 of our salvation incomplete. 
 
 The same observation may be made of those things 
 which are required to be done by us : all of them are ne7 
 cessary, and the omission of any mars the oeconomy of 
 
 *■ Heb. ix, 12, &c. and rii. 25. t ^^^- ''• 9- Matt. xxv. ^6. 
 
120 The Atonement of Christ. 
 
 our salvation. Christ calls us to repentance, and gives 
 us his Holy Spirit to enable us to repent; because repen- 
 tance is necessary to qualify us for that forgiveness of sins 
 which will ** cleanse us from all unrighteousjiels," and 
 " make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the 
 saints in lioht*"* He calls us to faith in him, that is, to 
 the l^elief of his gospel, comprehending every thing that 
 hath been done by the blessed triune God for the redemp- 
 tion of the world — of all that he did, and taught, and suf- 
 fered, and now does to perfect our salvation ; because 
 this faith is necessary to guard the heart from despair, un- 
 der the weight of that godly sorrow which worketh repen- 
 tance unto salvation,t laying the foundation of that con- 
 formity to God in temper and disposition of heart, which 
 makes us capable of happiness with him. He calls us to 
 the practice of every virtue ; to the doing of all good 
 works ; to the abounding in the fruits of righteousness ; 
 to the denial of ungodliness and worldly lusts ; to the pa- 
 tient endurance of all sufferings, especially for righteous- 
 ness sake ; to the renunciation of every worldly advan- 
 tage that would be inconsistent with innocence or holi- 
 ness; to the mortification of all covetous and selfish de- 
 sires, and malevolent passions ; and to the constant exer- 
 cise of liberality, mercy, and charity ; because all these 
 are necessary for us, that w^e may endure the judgment of 
 God, and be accounted worthy to obtain that future world, 
 and the resurrection from the dead; when we shall die no 
 more, but shall be equal unto the angels, being the chil- 
 dren of God, because the children of the resurrection to 
 eternal life.J 
 
 Though, therefore, Christ is the " Mediator between 
 God and man," and the propitiation for the sins of the 
 whole world, having tasted " death for every man," paid 
 " a ransom for all," and is become the Author of eternal 
 life ;^ yet the benefits of his mediation are not all of them 
 so absolute as to be unconditional, but some of them are 
 limited to certain terms and qualifications. And it ap- 
 
 * 1 Jolm I 9. Coloss. j. 12- f 2 Cor, vii. 10. i Luke xx. 35. 
 
 § 1 Tim, ii. 5, 6. lieb. ii. 9. v. 9- 
 
The Atonement of Christ, 121 
 
 pears, as well from the nature of the thing as from the 
 general tenor, and concurring testimony of various pas- 
 sages of Scripture, that penitence, faith, and obedience 
 or holiness, are the conditions of salvation through him ; 
 or they are qualifications which enable us to receive and 
 enjoy it. 
 
 St. John hath told us, that he that " committeth sin" — » 
 he that liveth in the haJDit of any known sin-—" is of the 
 devil." The habit of sin must, therefore, be broken by 
 penitence, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that the 
 guilt of it may be taken away by the propitiation of 
 Christ. The sinner must be delivered from the reigning 
 dominion of sin, by the sanctification of the heart ihrougli 
 the grace of God ; that he may be delivered from the 
 guilt and curse of it, by the atonement of Christ; that 
 living in holiness here, and fleeing from the corruption 
 that is in the world through lust, he may escape the mis- 
 ery which necessarily follows it; he may live hereafter in 
 happiness w4th God. 
 
 In repentance, holiness or obedience to God is included 
 of course. For there is the same reason why we should 
 obey God for the time to come, that there is why we should 
 repent of sin, by which we have disobeyed him heretofore* 
 All the laws of God are intended for our benefit—- by obe- 
 dience to lay in us a foundation for happiness with him. 
 When, therefore, we disobey God, we counteract our 
 own happiness, and rivet the chains of misery on ourselves. 
 That Christ hath relieved us from the law of unsinning 
 obedience, which, through the depravity and weakness of 
 nature, we cannot fulfil, is our great comfort. But he 
 hath not left us without laws to which he does require obe- 
 dience ; which, though it should be imperfect, must be un- 
 feigned. And by giving his Holy Spirit to help our in- 
 firmity, he hath enabled us to obey from the heart that 
 form of doctrine whereto we are delivered ;=^ that is, to 
 obey the law of the Gospel, under which we are placed. 
 However heavy our condemnation may be if we neglect 
 
 * Kom- vi. 17. 
 VOL. II. d 
 
122 The Atonement of Christ. 
 
 il, it will be Just. For the milder the law, the easier is 
 its observance, and the more inexcusable its transgression. 
 
 In addition to tliese considerations, it ought to be ob- 
 served, that all the benefit of our obedience is our own. 
 God requires nothing by our most punctual obedience ; 
 nor, if we disobey him, does he suffer any loss. His mo- 
 ral government stands sure, whether we observe or reject 
 bis commands. In the one case, his goodness will be de- 
 clared in our happiness ; in the other, his justice will be 
 vindicated in our punishment. Let it then be remember- 
 ed, that as Christ is the Author of eternal salvation, he is 
 so to those only who obey him.'^ 
 
 Of penitence and obedience, faith is the principle. The 
 belief of our sinful state and its evil tendency, of the jus- 
 tice of God against impenitent sinners, and of his mercy 
 to those who repent and forsake their sins, of the efficacy 
 of the atonement of Christ for the remission of sins, must 
 all unite in laying the foundation of true repentance. The 
 sense of sin witiiout the hope of mercy is despair ; and 
 the hope of mercy without the penitent sense of sin is pre- 
 sumption. 
 
 The belief of the authority of God to bind us by his 
 laws in all cases that he shall think proper ; and thai he 
 actually hath published laws for the regulation of our con- 
 duct, both to him, and to each other, is the foundation of 
 true obedience. For obedience means dutiful submission 
 to the authority of a superior — the doing, under all cir- 
 cumstances, what he shall direct to be done. Therefore 
 said the Apostle, " AVithout faith, it is impossible to please 
 God." To please God is to do what he commands, and 
 to live as he directs. And when we do believe his com- 
 mands and declarations, so as to live and govern ourselves 
 by them, vve have that faith in God whose fruit will be ho- 
 liness, and its end everlasting life through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. 
 
DISCOURSE VIII. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 F 
 
 ROM what hath been said upon (he atonement which 
 Jesus Christ hath made for sin, we may see the reason, 
 and be convinced of the truth of the declaration made by 
 St. Peter to the Jewish rulers ; " Neither is there salvation 
 in any other" than Jesus Christ ; " for there is none other 
 name under heaven given among men, whereby we must 
 be saved."* For this is only saying in other wocds, that 
 there is no salvation for fallen man but only through the 
 atonement and intercession of the One Mediator between 
 God and man, Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 On this subject, however, a question arises, to which it 
 may be proper to attend : The qiiestion is this; What is 
 to become of those who lived before the coming of Christ, 
 and of those who since his coming have never heard of 
 him, nor of his gospel ; and who consequently know no- 
 thing of his atonement, nor of salvation through him ? 
 
 To resolve this seeming difficulty let it be remembered, 
 that though Christ did not appear in human nature till he 
 was born of the Virgin Mary ; nor suffer death on ihe 
 cross, till the time ot Pontius Pilate the Roman governor 
 of Judea; yet, in a true sense, he assumed our nature 
 when he was promised to Adam as the seed, one of the 
 posterity of the woman Eve, and the bruiser of the ser- 
 pent, satan ; the adversary and beguiler of our original 
 parents. Then, in truth, the gospel, or glad tidings of 
 salvation through the Mediator began ; for then he was 
 declared to be the Mediator of* a new covenant between 
 a just God and fallen man. This promise was made to 
 Adam, before he bad any descendants; all his posterity 
 must, therefore, be included in it, and in the atonement 
 which the Mediator, as sponsor or surety for man, under- 
 
 ' * Acts. iv. 12. 
 
121 The Atonemenl of Christ. 
 
 took to make. For this reason, St. John, in his Revela- 
 tion, speaks of him as the " Lamb slain from the founda- 
 tion of the worId."=^ And hence it is, that he is the pro- 
 pitiation not only for our sins, hut for the sins of the whole 
 world. 
 
 We may be unable to discern fully the reasons of God's 
 procedure in many cases. Our capacities are limited, and 
 unequal to the comprehension of his dispensations, who, 
 being infinite in his nature, must " have his ways past find- 
 ing out." For this reason, there must of necessity be 
 some mysteries in divine revelation ; that is, some things 
 -which we cannot comprehend, but which we must receive 
 on divine authority. If this be a fault, it is the fault of 
 our nature ; just such a fault as it is, that we are not an- 
 gels ; but our religion and its Author are clear of all cen- 
 sure. When a parent cautions a child against running in- 
 to the fire, or water, or down a precipice ; the child may 
 he incapable of comprehending the reason of the prohibi- 
 tion ; but if he slight the authority and superior know- 
 ledge of his parent ; he will, on making the trial, surely 
 smart for his presumption. 
 
 Should it be asked, why God did not sooner create this 
 world which we inhabit? every answer we could give 
 Tvould betray our ignorance. We know, indeed, what is 
 intended by the question. Sooner, and later, with re- 
 gard to us, have a precise meaning ; but they are not ap- 
 plicable to God, with whom nothing is past or future, but 
 every thing present. The creation of the world is as much 
 present with God now, as when the world was first made : 
 and the atonement of Christ was as much present with 
 God, when he became our Mediator, as when he suffered 
 at Jerusalem. If, then, they who lived before Christ's 
 personal appearance and suffering in human nature, were 
 as much included in his mediation as they who have lived 
 since, no injustice was done them. Besides, 
 
 It appears from the short history which Moses hath giv- 
 en us, that God did make known to Adam the glad tidings 
 of reconciliation with him through the Mediator, and the 
 
 * Rev. xiii. 8. 
 
The Atonement of Christ, 125 
 
 means by which he was to obtain the benefit of it. We 
 iind that Cain and Abel brouglit o{!erinp;s to God. Abel's 
 oflfering was an animal for sacrifice. But the offerinj^ of 
 animals in sacrifice to God could not have arisen from the 
 sug<^estions of human reason. Modern philosophers toll 
 us the practice is unreasonable and unnatural, and have 
 generally condemned it. It is fruitless to dispute a point 
 with men who arrogate all reason to themselves, and make 
 their own understandings the measure of every thing, not 
 even excepting the operations and institutions of infinite 
 power and wisdom. In this, however, we are agreed ; 
 that animal sacrifices are unnatural, and never could have 
 obtained, on the principles either of natural reason or re- 
 ligion. To what origin^ then, shall we ascribe them? 
 The philosopher will say, to superstition. But when he 
 says so, he forgets that superstition is the child of reason, 
 and consists in setting up the inventions of our own rea- 
 son, and following the dictates of our own hearts in the 
 worship of God, as the means of rendering him propitious 
 tons, instead of abiding by his institutions. Had there 
 been no true religion, there could have been none that is 
 false. Had there been no positive institutions by divine 
 authority in the worship of God, by which to conciliate 
 his lavor ; superstition could have had no ground to stand 
 on. The abuse of sacrifices, the offering of them to the 
 sun and moon, to Jupiter and Juno, and other fictitious 
 deities, and the vain rites with which they were accom- 
 panied, were superstition — the contrivances of human rea- 
 son. But sacrifices themselves must have been the insti- 
 tution of God; and intended, as types and figures, to 
 point out the expiation and atonement of the great Media- 
 tor ; and to direct men, by faith and hope, to look to, 
 and rely upon him for redemption from sin, and the wrath 
 of God, by the propitiation of his bloed, shadowed forth 
 by the blood of the animal slain for sacrifice. 
 
 God, too, had his preachers of righteousness in the first 
 ages of the world, as well as he hath now, to instruct and 
 keep men in the true religion, and in the paths of holiness 
 and virtue : and if men did abuse and debase the sacrifi- 
 
326 The Atonement of ClirisL 
 
 ces and worship of God by their own superstition, paying 
 that adoration to the creatures, which was due only to the 
 blessed Creator, it was because they were philosophers, 
 and preferred the dictates of their own reason, and the 
 suggestions of their own understanding, to the positive 
 commands and institutions of God. If they disregarded 
 the obligations of moral virtue, and indulged themselves 
 in the gratification of the appetites of the body, and of 
 the malignant passions of the mind, it only proves that 
 human nature was then, what it is now — foolish and per- 
 verse : but it is no impeachment of the goodness and provi- 
 dence of God, nor of the reality and efficacy of his reli- 
 gious institutions. In the very worst state of human apos- 
 tacy and licentiousness, God did not leave himself with- 
 out witnesses of " his eternal power and godhead." " The 
 heavens declared the power of God, and the firmament 
 shewed his handy-work." The alternate returns of day 
 and night, summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, rain 
 and sunshine, all proclaimed a superior — an almighty pow- 
 er. They proclaimed, too, that this power was good and 
 gracious, giving them " fruitful seasons," and " filling 
 their hearts with food and gladness."^ 
 
 God hath also informed us, that he will require no more 
 af men than the due improvement of the talents commit- 
 ted to them ; that they who are left to the light of nature 
 and conscience, and to the law of reason, sh^ll be judged 
 by the light of that conscience, and the law of that rea- 
 sonable nature, under which his providence hath placed 
 them. To his mercy we leave them ', knowing that he is 
 not severe to mark what is done amiss. He knoweth their 
 ignorance, and weakness, and prejudices ; and he will deal 
 graciously with them for the sake of the great Intercessor, 
 who is the propitiation for their sins as well as for ours. 
 
 Another question arises on this subject, respecting those 
 who reject the mediation of Christ, when it is made known 
 to them by the Gospel. Men of this class are generally 
 great advocates for natural religion, in opposition to the 
 revelation of the Gospel. They seem to think, they are 
 
 * Acts xiv. 17. 
 
Hie Alonement of ChrisL 127 
 
 left to their own liberty to choose either of them, as they 
 shall think best ; supposing they shall, if judged at all, be 
 judged by that religion which they shall have chosen. But 
 in truth, God hath left no man to this liberty, but requires 
 all men to be of the true religion • that is, of the religion 
 he shall direct, when it is made known to them. Reason 
 and common sense must enable us to jiidge which is the 
 true religion ; but if we judge wrong, we do it at our own 
 peril; for God requires and expects that we judge right. 
 Interest, party, prejudice, passion, appetite, love of the 
 world, carelessness, must all be laid aside when this great 
 business is before us. If they bias our judgment, we shall 
 be in danger of a wrong determination ; and if we deter- 
 mine wrong, we shall fall under the condemnation of God. 
 The glad tidings of his Gospel have reached our ears, pro- 
 claiming atonement, and pardon, and salvation through 
 the Mediator, and calling us loudly to repentance and ho- 
 liness, to faith and obedience. By it a future judgment 
 is made known to us; and the standard by which that 
 judgment is to proceed is declared to be the laws which the 
 Gospel contains, so far as they have been promulgated. 
 This Gospel is the law of our Master, the will of our Cre- 
 ator : If we reject it, we must abide the consequence; and 
 the consequence will be the same punishment with theirs 
 who would not have this man, Jesus Christ, to reign over 
 them.* 
 
 And what mighty advantage shall we gain by rejecting 
 the Gospel which makes known the propitiation of Christ, 
 and retiring to the gloom of natural religion ; an ideal re- 
 ligion, much talked of, but not known ; delineated by 
 some ; but having no original from which to draw, imagin- 
 ation guided tlie pencil, and fancy ornamented the picture 
 with some strokes from divine revelation. 
 
 But suppose natural religion to be, as they who have 
 painted her the fairest, have represented her. She knows 
 of no Mediator, nor Intercessor. She knows of no pro- 
 pitiation for sin. She has no encouragement to repentance, 
 because she has no promise of God on which to build her 
 
 * Luke xix. 14. 
 
128 T^e Atonement of Chris L 
 
 hopes of mercy ; but leaves her votaries exposed, for ev- 
 ery transgression, to his justice, who is " of purer eyes 
 than to behold evil," and who will not let the wicked go 
 unpunished.^ To the mercy of God there can be no ap- 
 peal : for without atonement, the punishment, not the for- 
 giveness of offenders, must support the authority of his 
 government, and give efficacy to his laws. Unsinning 
 obedience is therefore the only condition of the religion 
 of nature. AVhere this condition is fulfilled, there is no 
 need of an atonement. Where it is not fulfilled, an atone- 
 ment must be accepted, or condemnation must ensue. 
 
 But as bad as this pretended religion of nature is, which 
 the advocates for human reason are so anxious to establish 
 as their rule of life, apparently because under it they can 
 live as they please; it is not so ba.d as the having no reli- 
 gion at all. Should there be any such persons, who, " born 
 like the wild asses colt," wish to live like them, and like 
 them to die and be no more ; let them know that for this 
 very thing " God will bring them into judgment." There 
 is one in heaven " higher than they, higher than the high- 
 est, who regardeth" all their actions.f " The Lord hath 
 prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth 
 over all.'t " His eyes are in every place, beholding the 
 evil and the good."^ Neither darkness nor the grave can 
 screen from his power.|| " He hath appointed a day in 
 the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by 
 that man whom he hath ordained,"* and whom " he hath 
 raised from the dead,"1[ who is now the Mediator between 
 God apd man, the propitiation for the sins of the world, 
 and our Advocate in heaven. Then will " he bring to 
 light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the 
 counsels of the hearts" of all men.*^ Therefore he " com- 
 mandeth all men every where to repent." " Consider this, 
 ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there 
 be none to deliver."tt For he will " pour out his wrath 
 upon them that have not known him, nor called upon his 
 name."Jt Repent, therefore, " while il is called To-day, 
 lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin ;" 
 
 * Habb. i. 13. Prov. xl. 21. f Eccl. v. 8. ^ Ps. ciii. 19. § Prov. xv. 3. 
 i! Ps. cxxxix. 7 Acts xvii. 31. ** 1 Cor. iv. 5. ff Ps. 1. 22. n Ps. lx;six. 6. 
 
The Atonement of Christ. 129 
 
 lor " behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is 
 the day of salvation."* When this life is ended the time 
 of retribution will come ; and " it is a fearful thing to fall 
 into the hands of the livinoj God." " Kis? the Son," there- 
 fore — pay your homage and adoration to him who is Mes- 
 siah, Christ, the Son of God, the Mediator, the Redeem- 
 er, the Saviour of men — " lesf lie be angry, and ye perish 
 from the way : when his wrath is kindled but a little ; bles- 
 sed are all they that put tlieir trust in hijii."t 
 
 Dreadlul, also, is their slate, who "hold the truth in 
 unrighteousness ;'* who believe the mediation and atone- 
 ment of Christ, and live wickedly. Heavy will be their 
 condemnation, when God shall judge the world. If he 
 spared not his own Son when he became our Substitkite, 
 but gave him up to the bitterest sufferings; how shall the 
 impenitent sinner escape, who would not be reclaimed by 
 all that Christ hath done for him? To those who believe 
 the gospel, the kingdom of God is come, to deliver them 
 from the kingdom and tyranny of satan. But if entering 
 into this kingdom, they refuse to be governed by its laws, 
 and still keep themselves in bondage to the adversary by 
 doing his work ; the judgment of God will be to them a 
 consuming fire. ^ 
 
 To those who believe the gospel, and rejoice in the glad 
 tidings of salvation through the propitiation of Christ; 
 who strive to adorn the doctrine of their Lord and Sav- 
 iour in all things, living in the constant exercise of peni- 
 tence and faith, and in the observance of all the com- 
 mands and institutions of God, with an upright heart ; I 
 have only to observe, that it is by " patient continuance in 
 well-doing;" by holding " fast their confidence" in their 
 Redeemer, and " their rejoicing in the hope" of the glory 
 of God, that they must enter into the heavenly rest of 
 eternal life. Let them remember, that their High Priest, 
 who is now in heaven making intercession for them, "was," 
 inr this world, " tempted as they are." He knows, there^ 
 fore, how" to pity and succour them in all temptations and 
 
 * Ilcb. iU. 13. 2 Cor. vi. % f ^^ ''''- ^^■ 
 
 VOL, II, R 
 
130 The Atonement of Christ, 
 
 adversities. In all their difficulties, then, '^ let thenn come 
 boldly unto the throne of grace, that they may obtain 
 mercy, and find grace to help in tinie of need." 
 
DISCOURSE IX. 
 
 THE NECESSARY EFFECTS OF Sik AND HOLiNESS, 
 
 Gal. vj. 7, 8. 
 
 Be not deceived ; God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man 
 so7veih, that shall he also reap. For he that sowcth to hi^ 
 Jlesh, shall of the Jiesh reap corruption : but he that sow- 
 eth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HIS chapter begins with some directions from St, 
 Paul to the governors and rulers of the church. From 
 them he turns his attention to the people, and puts them 
 in mind of their obligations to support their Ministers 
 Avith decency, according to their ability ; " Let him that 
 is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teach- 
 eth in all good things;" or, of all his goods. Then fol- 
 lows the text, " Be not deceived," &:c. which may be thus 
 paraphrased : Let not an} man persuade himself that libe- 
 rality to his spiritual teachers is not a mattor of duty, but 
 only of mere generosity; for in this work of pious libe- 
 rality to those whom God employs in his immediate ser- 
 vice, as well as in all ojther works of charity, let every 
 man know, that as he deals with God, so God will deal 
 with him; as his practice is, so shall he speed at God's tri- 
 bunal. He that makes provision only for himself and his 
 family, that he may feed and gratify his own worldly de- 
 sires, shall thereby bring loss and ruin on himself; but he 
 that fulfils the gospel rule of liberality and charity, and 
 according to his ability lays himself out in works of piety 
 and mercy, shall thereby inherit eternal life. 
 
 This was the occasion on which the text was written, 
 and in their primary view this is the purport of the words 
 of it. But it is not my design to confine myself to this 
 meaning of them. In every sense it is true, that a man 
 
132 The necessary Effects of Sin and Holiness. 
 
 must reap what he sows; as hisilife is, m will its conse- 
 quences be. So far as we are capable of observing, this 
 is invariably the case with regard to this life, and that not 
 only in things natural, but in moral ones also. Thus idle- 
 ness produces poverty; debauchery, sickness; pride, con- 
 tempt: And God has told us that tlie same law of nature 
 holds invariably with regard to the next life ; that the fruit 
 of holiness and charity will be eternal life ; of sin, ever- 
 lasting misery : And yet we are apt to consider the happi- 
 ness and misery of a future state, not as the fruit which 
 our ovv n ways produce, but as the arbitrary appointment 
 of Almighty God; and to suppose that if he would, he 
 could not only remit the punishment with which impeni- 
 tent sinners are threatened, but receive them to heavenly 
 happiness just as they are, with all their evil tempers and 
 passions in their full strength : So that the proud oppres- 
 sor, the unjust extortioner, the impure debauchee, the 
 covetous worldling, the malicious murderer, the despiser 
 of God, the hater of goodness, may all, if God please, 
 go as certainly to heaven, and be as happy there, as the 
 humble, penitent, faithful, and holy Christian. 
 
 Instances sometimes happen of people who, having liv- 
 ed in open wickedness and profaneness, at least very loose- 
 ly and^arelessly with regard to God and religion, when 
 sickness brings the apprehension of death home to them, 
 seem to think that the words of a prayer, and professions 
 of general sorrow for their lives past, will sufficiently re- 
 commend them to the mercy of God. Far be it from me 
 to undervalue the slightest appearances of repentance : ev- 
 ery degree of it is from God. Penitence and faith are, on 
 our part, the fulfilling of the Gospel, and make that state 
 in which we ought to live, and in which we must die, if 
 we hope to be happy with God: and though they be late, 
 yet if they be real, they will be accepted by him who 
 sees the heart, and can judge of their sincerity. But may 
 we then live wickedly, and when w^e die, cry. Lord have 
 mercy upon us ! and be happy with God ? The frequent 
 opportunities we have of hearing the strong expressions of 
 repentance which are made by people in sickness, and 
 
The necessary Effects of Sin and Holiness. 133 
 
 Iheir resolutions of livinoj in Christian holiness, should 
 God spare them-; and of observing how soon they are for- 
 Ijolten on the return of health, ought to give us but a low 
 opinion of the sincerity of a death-bed repentance. At- 
 tend rather to the account which divine Revelation hath 
 given of your state in this world, and judge for your- 
 selves: and so far as your own experience can determine, 
 let experience be called in to assist your judgment. 
 
 We are taught that our present state is a state of apos- 
 tacy from God : That our present nature is corrupt and 
 impure, inheriting the evil tempers and wicked disposi- 
 tions of fallen Adam ; which not only render us liable to 
 sin, but actually lead us into it; and being contrary to Ihe 
 nature of God, make us incapable of all happiness with 
 him : That this nature must be purified by penitence, and 
 renewed by faith and holiness : That to this end, our duty 
 requires that we renounce its sinful tem[)ers, mortify its 
 evil lusts, and correct its wicked dispositions : That as it 
 was impossible for human nature to do this for itself, God 
 gave his Son for its redemption, who, by tasting death for 
 every man, made atonement for sin, that upon repentance^ 
 it might be forgiven : That by rising again from the dead, 
 he overcame death, and made it possible for us to rise 
 again from the grave in the power of his resurrection, and 
 to inherit eternal life: And, tliat to make our nature ca- 
 pable' ot receiving the benefit of his death and resurrec- 
 tion, he hath given his Holy Spirit to be in us the princi- 
 ple of a new, holy, and heavenly life ; to do that for usj 
 which nature cannot do for itself; to carry on and com- 
 plete the process of our redemption ; that, being restored 
 to a state of holiness, we may be capable of heavenly hap- 
 piness. 
 
 This fallen nature into which we are born, i& what the 
 Apostle calls the Jlesh ; not only f)ecause we got this mor- 
 tal flesh by the fall, but because the passions and appe- 
 tites of nature all tend to the gratification of the flesh. 
 The complying with this natural propensity, and employ- 
 ing our care, to obtain worldly happiiiess in the enjoy- 
 ment of sen&ual delights, is sowing to thefiesh; or, as it is 
 
134 The necessary Effects of Sin and Holiness. 
 
 in another place expressed, " making provision for tiin 
 iiesb, that we may fulfil its lusts." From this course of 
 life, the Apostle saith, we shall reap only corruption ; vain, 
 short, unsatisfyinej enjoyments in this life, and ruin and 
 misery in the world to come. For our present nature is 
 the state of our apostacy ; and if we live accordin^j to it, 
 we must inherit its evils ; from w' hich nothing can deliver 
 us but the redemption of Christ; and if we expect to re- 
 ceive the benefits of this ryedemption, we must live as his 
 Gospel directs. 
 
 By sowing to the Spirit, is meant complying with the 
 redemption of Clirist, which is the dispensation of the 
 Spirit, because by it we are put under the guidance and 
 conduct of the Spirit of God. That this Spirit is in you, 
 your own experience, if you attend to it, would readily 
 convince you. You all perceive good desires, virtuous 
 purposes, holy wishes stirring and forming themselves in 
 your hearts : When you do well, you have an inward sa- 
 tisfaction, which arises not from any view of profit or ad- 
 vantage ; and when you have done ill, a check and inter- 
 i>al condemnation, even wiien your misdoings are known 
 only to yourselves. INow, all these things prove the Spirit 
 of God to be in you. " There is none good but one, that 
 is God," said our Redeemer. Every thing, therefore, 
 that is good, mnst be from God, or else there is something 
 good besides God. Consequently, every tiling in you that 
 is good, is from the Spirit of God; for by his Spirit, God 
 works in us. This Spirit is the beginner, the supporter, 
 and the finisher of that new life or nature which we re- 
 ceive tiuough Christ; which consists in a love ot all good- 
 ness, and a hatred of every thing that is evil. The very 
 first inclination of the heart towards God; the first « wish 
 for repentance, ii^from him; and to all those who harden 
 not the heart against hilrj, but comply with his holy inspi- 
 ration, he gives strength to fulfil the law of the gospel, by 
 doing those things wlych God hath commanded, and re- 
 straining and keeping under those evil appetites and pas- 
 sions which God hath condemned, and which the Spirit in 
 us bears witness against, by the checks and admonitions of 
 
The necessary Effects of Sin mid Holiness, 135 
 
 conscience. If we live thus under the gjuidance of this 
 Spirit/ in the constant exeicise of penitence and faith, we 
 shall attain in this lite that fr)linpss which God requires ; 
 and in the world to come siiall, Ihroutrh the Spirit, reap 
 that everlasiin^^ life which (\o(\ hath promised. For, 
 
 Repeniance and faith, as I said before, are what the 
 gospel requires of us. Penitence is the turning;' of the 
 heart from, and denial of every thini^ that is evil ; and 
 faith, as a principle of action, is the earnest desire of ev- 
 ery thing that is^ood. When we are sensible of the evil 
 tendency of the lusts and passions of our fallen nature, 
 we shall loath, and detest, and turn from thenn with abhor- 
 rence, and shall beg of God to be delivered from their 
 power : And when we believe with the heart, that nothing 
 can deliver us from them, but the redemption of Christ ; 
 and that nothing can make us capable of heavenly happi- 
 ness, but those heavenly tempers which we can receive 
 only through the operation of the Spirit of God ; our be- 
 lief will become an earnest and longing desire of the per- 
 petual presence of the Holy Spirit with us, and of all 
 those tempers, dispositions, and habits of holiness which 
 his inspirations produce. We shall then see and feel the 
 necessity of denying and resisting the evil propensities of 
 our present nature, and of doing implicitly every thing 
 that God requires; because he requires nothing but what 
 is necessary to restore us to a capacity of enjoying happi- 
 ness with him. 
 
 Attend, therefore, to the caution which the holy apos- 
 tle has given you; Be not deceived : Deceive not your- 
 selves with vain hopes, nor let others deceive you with 
 vain words: God is not, and cannot be mocked. He hath 
 declared it to be a fundamental law of all nature, that a 
 man should reap what he soivs. You will not be so unrea- 
 sonable, as to expect that this law should be altered on 
 your account. You will not flatter yourselves w^ith the 
 hopes of sowing one thing, and reaping aruilher ; of living 
 to the flesh, and inheriting eternal life. If you do, you 
 mock God ; you trifle with his declarations, and make 
 him a liar ; for you deny the truth and reality of those 
 
136 The necessary Effects of Sin and Holiness, 
 
 fundamental laws of nature and moral government, which 
 he affirms he hath fixed and established ; by which, he de- 
 clares, he now governs, and will finally judge the world. 
 
 In the management of your worldly affairs, none of you 
 are so weak and foolish, as to expect to reap a different 
 kind of grain from that which you sow. Grain, trees, 
 herbs, all produce their own fruit, and you look for no 
 other from them. You never seek for grapes on the thorn- 
 bush, nor examine the thistle for figs : And why not ? be- 
 cause there is a fundamental, invariable law of nature, 
 which has confined grapes to the vine, and figs to the fig- 
 tree; and you know it is impossible to find them growing 
 any where else. By the pen of his Apostle, God has told 
 you that the same law operates as strongly and as invari- 
 ably in things moral, as in things natural; and that if you 
 sow to the jftesh — live a wicked, sensual life — you shall 
 reap corruption, which here must mean endless misery, be- 
 cause it is put in opposition io eternal life, which they shall 
 reap who sow to the Spirit. 
 
 Should a man sow lares in his field, and tell you seri- 
 ously that he expected a good crop of wheal from them, 
 because he knew that God was too gracious and merciful 
 to disappoint his hopes, or leave him to the consequences 
 of what possibly was mistake and error in him, a poor, 
 weak, blind creature : if you supposed him in earnest, you 
 could not possibly think him in his right mind. But you 
 would have as much reason to suppose him to be so, as to 
 suppose another judged truly, who should tell you, that 
 at the day of judgmer)t, God would be so gracious and 
 merciful, as to receive him to eternal happiness, notwith- 
 standing he had lived in wickedness, and died without re- 
 pentance. Both these pei^ons act in direct opposition to 
 the invariable laws of nature, which ordain that a man 
 should reap what he sows. He that sows tares, shall reap 
 tares; and he that sows to his flesh, shall reap corruption. 
 
 Of this truth, then, be convinced ; that every temper, 
 every passion, every affection, every wish and desire of 
 the heart which you indulge, works either happiness or 
 misery for you; and will produce its own fruit, and its 
 
The necessary Effects of Sin and Holiness. 137 
 
 o\vn fruit you must reap ; that is, you must live in that 
 state, both in this life and the next, which your own tem- 
 pers, and passions, and affections produce, ff you sow 
 to the flesh ; though you take ever so much pains, and re- 
 fine its lusts, and polish its tempers, and gild over its pas- 
 sions, and give them even the semblance and appearance 
 of virtues ; you can reap from it nothing but corruption. 
 This the Apostle declared, when he said, "Whatsoever 
 a man sowetb, that shall he also reap :" arMi this the Son 
 of God declared; when he said, '* A corrupt tree cannot 
 bring forth good fruit." The corrupt tree of Adam's fal- 
 len nature cannot bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit 
 of God, and consequently cannot inherit the happiness 
 arising from the fruits of the Spirit. Corrupt nature can 
 bring forth only corrupt practices. Cultivate it, improve 
 it, adorn it; till it be changed and renewed by repentance 
 and faith — in the language of scripture, created anew in 
 Christ Jesus ; it can bring forth nothing but evil lusts, and 
 tempers, and passions : these must be its fruits, and the end 
 eternal death. 
 
 That we are born of an evil, and sinful nature, is our 
 great misfortune ; but it is a misfortune which may be l\il- 
 ]y remedied, if it be not our own fault. Through the re- 
 demption of Christ, this world is made a place of trial ; 
 and gives an opportunity, through the operation of the 
 Holy Spirit, of denying, and correcting, and subduing 
 the evil propensities of nature ; and of forming the soul 
 to all the habits and tempers of goodness and holiness 
 which make it capable of happiness with our Creator. 
 This life, then, is properly our se^d-time ; and our har- 
 vest will be in the next : and it is our business, in truth the 
 only business that will justify anxious care, to look for- 
 ward to that period, when we shall reap what we have 
 sown; and so to conduct ourselves in all our affairs, that 
 our eternal welfare may principally engage our attention; 
 that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we may so pass 
 through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things 
 that are eternal, 
 
 VOL. II. S 
 
DISCOURSE X. 
 
 THE CASE OF ESAU. 
 
 Heb. xii. 17. 
 
 For yt kriorv how that afterward, when he would have inheri- 
 ted the blessing, he was rejected ; for he found no place of 
 repentance^ though he sought it carefully with tears. 
 
 HAT the text relates to Esau, the elder son of IsaaCt^ 
 will be readily recolleGted. The case of Esau seems to 
 have been frequently misunderstood; at least, it hath been 
 frequently misapplied. It may, therefore, be of advan- 
 tage to us, to consider the circumstances which attend it* 
 
 In his Epistle to the Romans,* St. Paul quotes the pro- 
 phet Malachi, " Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I ha- 
 ted."t From this passage, in conjunction with the text, 
 it hath been hastily concluded, especially by the followers 
 of the celebrated John Calvin, that from the hatred of 
 God, Esau was reprobated to endless destruction; and 
 from the love of God, Jacob was predestinated to present 
 and future happiness; and that, without any regard to 
 their good or evil qualities. So that when Esau, through 
 sorrow for what he had done, carefully sought, even with 
 tears, to have his repentance accepted, he was rejected 
 hy God. 
 
 A candid attention to the design of the apostle's argu- 
 ment will, I trust, convince us that the future state of Esau 
 and Jacob hath nothing to do in it ; but that it relates en- 
 tirely to the conveyance of the blessing which God promt* 
 sed to Abraham ; namely, that in his seed — in one descen- 
 ded of him — all the nations of the earth should be bles- 
 sed. The wisdom of God saw best to convey this blessing 
 by Jacob the younger, and not by Esau the elder son of 
 
 * Rom. ix. 13. t Malttchi i, 1, 2. 
 
140 The Case of Esau. 
 
 Isaac. Tlie promise to Abraham proceeded from the free 
 grace of God : With him it remained to convey it by ei-. 
 ther of his descendants, as he saw proper. Accordinji; to 
 the good pleasure of God, it descended to Isaac, and not 
 to Ishmael ; to Jacob, and not to Esau ; to Judah, and 
 not to either of the other sons of Jacob ; to David, and 
 not to either of his elder brothers, nor to any other de- 
 scendants of Judah. 
 
 With regard to this blessing it was, that God revealed 
 to Rebecca, that the elder should serve the younger ; that is, 
 that the younger should have the right of primogeniture, 
 the privileges of Uie first-born son.* Upon this declara- 
 tion of God, Kebecca probably acted, when she advised 
 Jacob to endeavour to obtain by fraud, the blessing of the 
 first- born, from Isaac his father. She knew it to be the 
 will of God that Jacob should inherit the blessing : a cir- 
 cumstance to which Isaac had less attended ; or which, 
 through the infirmities of age, he had forgotten. 
 
 Let us come, then, to what St. Paul hath said on the 
 subject; and if we keep in mind, that the blessing con- 
 veyed to Jacob related principally to tlie promise made to 
 Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth 
 be blessed," every difficulty, I trust, which the Predesti- 
 narians have made, will come to nothing. 
 
 St. Paul begins the chapter of the text with exhorting 
 tbe Hebrew Christians to " run with patience the race that 
 was set before them." He calls their attention to that 
 cloud of witnesses whom he had mentioned; who had, 
 through faith, " subdued kingdoms, wrought righteous- 
 ness, obtained proujises," &;c. particularly to the example 
 of the holy " Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith ; 
 who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the 
 cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right 
 band of the throne of God: Lest," saith the apostle, "ye 
 be weary and faint in your minds" — an expression which, 
 I beg, may be kept in remembrance. He continues the 
 subject down to the fourteenth verse, urging them to bear 
 with steadiness, and without weariness and fainting, the 
 
 * Gen. XXV. 23, &c. 
 
The Case of Esau. 141 
 
 troubles and afflictions which God's providence should 
 permit to come on them, however irksome they might be 
 to them. 
 
 In the fourteenth verse, he directs them to "follow 
 peace with all ujen, and holiness, without which no man 
 shall see the Lord.'* A peaceable and quiet conversation 
 being, the most likely to ward off and prevent the troubles 
 and persecutions which the perverse dispositions of men 
 might bring on them : and holiness of life being the sure 
 w ay to recommend themselves to the favour and protection 
 of God in this world, and to the enjoyment of his pre- 
 sence, in the world to come. 
 
 Continuing his exhortation, he next recommends to 
 them diligent care, " lest any man fail of," that is, fall 
 from " the Grace," or Gospel " of God." " Lest any root 
 of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many 
 lie defiled;" that is, lest any false doctrine beguile your 
 judgment; or envy, or malice creep in among you, and 
 turn you away in faith and practice from the truth and 
 simplicity of the gospel ; and others, being corrupted by 
 your evil example, defile their conscience by gin against 
 God. " Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person 
 as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right. 
 For ye know how that," &;c. 
 
 It is plain that the instance of Esau is no further intro- 
 duced here, than the sale of his birth-right. Let us then 
 see in what his birth-right consisted. 
 
 1. It consisted in a right to a double portion of the fa- 
 ther's goods ; at least, this was the practice with the de- 
 scendants of Abraham in after times.^ 
 
 2. The first-born had dominion over the younger chil- 
 dren; because he was the father's successor in the gov- 
 ernment of the family, while the patriarchal government 
 lasted. This blessing Isaac gave expressly to Jacob. " Be 
 thou a master to thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons 
 bow down to thee.** 
 
 3. It consisted in the honour of the priesthood, at least 
 in their own family. The father was the priest wliile he 
 
 ♦ Deutr X3d. 17 
 
142 The Case of Esau. 
 
 lived. Upon his death, the priesthood descended to \m 
 eldest son. Speaking of Cain and Abel, Moses does n»t 
 say they offered, but they brought their offerings unto the 
 Lord ; probably to be offered in sacrifice by their father 
 Adam. After the flood, Noah off'ered sacrifice, and Abra- 
 liam, and Isaac, &,c. but we read not that any of the chil- 
 dren officiated as a priest, while their father lived, and 
 they lived with their father : upon his death, the privilege 
 devolved to the eldest son; 
 
 In consideration of the preservation of the Israelites 
 when the Egyptian first-born w-ere slain, God claimed to 
 himself, as his ewn property, the first-born of the Israel- 
 ites, both of man and of beast.'* After the Exodus, he 
 made a more particular designation of the male first-born ; 
 " The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me."t 
 God had, before, given directions about the altar which 
 they were to build for him.J Here the persons who were 
 to officiate at the altar are pointed out ; even all the first- 
 born sons of Israel. Accordingly, when Moses was or- 
 dered up into the mount, to receive the two tables of 
 stone, and the directions of God concerning the taberna- 
 cle ; and had built an altar to offer sacrifices of purifica- 
 tion for himself and the people ; he " sent young men of 
 the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and 
 sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen to the Lord.'*^ The 
 Jewish commentators, the Chaldee, the Arabic, and Per- 
 sian versions, make these young men the first-born, who 
 had been taken to be the Lord's priests. Thus it seems to 
 have continued, till shortly after God took the whole tribe 
 of Levi to himself, instead of the first-born of Israel ;|] 
 which assumption shows that till then, the first-born had 
 been. his Priests. 
 
 Tliis is the birth-right which Esau sold. In the whole 
 account there is not a word which relates to his state in the 
 world to come, or that lays any bar to his happiness in 
 this world. The blessing his father gave him included in 
 it all worldly prosperity. From having the dominion over 
 his brother; from the priesthood of his God, except for 
 
 * E¥od. xiii, 2. f xxii. 29. t xx. 24. § xxiv. 5. i Numb. iii. 40, &c. 
 
The Case of Esau. 143 
 
 Lis own family ; and from the promise of having^ Messiah 
 spring from him, he was excluded. The two former he 
 had sold with his birth-right, and had sworn to abide by 
 the bargain. The latter was in the hand of God, to be 
 given to whichsoever of the sons of Isaac, he saw proper. 
 It was not the privilege of the first-born, but depended on 
 the free will of God. 
 
 It is also to be observed, that God made of Esau a great 
 and powerful nation, equally so with the children of .la- 
 cob. With regard to their personal prosperity, the life 
 of Jacob was a life of labour and misfortune. Of Esau 
 we have not so particular a history : Yet, when he met 
 Jacob on his return from Padan-aram, he at first declined 
 accepting his brother's present, assigning it as a reason, 
 that he himself had enough.^ And when he removed from 
 Hebron, after the death of his father Isaac, the reason 
 given why he removed from his brother Jacob is, that 
 ''their riches were more than that they might dwell to- 
 gether ; and the land could not bear them, because of their 
 cattle."t 
 
 In a temporal sense, the blessing of Isaac to Jacob, es- 
 pecially that part of it, in which he saith, " Be lord over 
 thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee," 
 does not seem to have been fulfilled in any high degree. 
 Personally Jacob seems • ever to have been the inferior. 
 And the contest for superiority between their descendants, 
 the Edomites and Israelites, was so varied, that it is diffi- 
 cult to determine between them. We must, therefore, 
 look oiit for some other, some spiritual sense, in order to 
 perceive the full completion of this blessing to Jacob ; and 
 this will lead us to that person promised to Abraham, and 
 to Isaac, as the blessing of all nations, even .Tesus Christ. 
 St. Paul hath observed, that " the less is blessed of the 
 better," or greater. It must, therefore, be a justifiable 
 figure of speech, to express the submission which all na- 
 tions were to pay to Messiah, by whom they were to be 
 blessed, by bowing donm to him. The original promise to 
 Abraham implied that all nations of the earth should have 
 
 * G«n. xxxiii. 9. f xxxvi. 7. 
 
Hi The Case of Esau. 
 
 an equal right in the blessing of Messiah. Yet the Church 
 of God, of which Messiah is head and king, was for a 
 time confined to the descendants of Jacob. In this state 
 of the Church, did Esau serve, or was inferior to .facob. 
 At length the distinction was taken away. The Church of 
 God was opened to all nations, and Gentiles as well as 
 Jews became the people of God. Then did Esau break 
 the yoke of Jacob from off his neck, and became his 
 equal. 
 
 The account which hath been given, assiorns a plain rea- 
 son why Esau is, by St. Paul, called profane. Profane- 
 cess consists in treating improperly something which be- 
 longs to God. Nothing of this kind appears, but his de- 
 spising and selling the priesthood which was part of his 
 birth-right. This belonged to God, and was conferred on 
 the first-born, as a privilege and blessing. To put it away 
 from him, as a common thing of which he might make 
 merchandise, was acting profanely. The sale of his right 
 to a double portion of his father's goods, for a meal's vict- 
 uals, might have been a very foolish bargain, but there 
 would have been no profaneness in it. 
 
 It has been generally supposed, that St. Paul stiles Esau 
 a fornicator, as well as a profane pei-son. The Jewish 
 Commentators represent him as an idolater, and addicted 
 io impure lusts. But it does not appear to me that we 
 must necessarily apply that w^ord to him. If it must be 
 so, it is more probable he deserved the appellation on a 
 religious account; by being drawn into the idolatrous wor- 
 ship of the Hittites by the two wives whom he had marri- 
 ed of that nation. This supposition will, at least, give a 
 good reason for the uneasiness of his mother, on account 
 of those marriages. 
 
 The conduct of Esau, if we attend to it, will let us in- 
 to the reason why St. Paul mentions him as an instance of 
 that behaviour, which he wished the Hebrew Christians to 
 avoid. He had come from the field weary and fainting 
 with hunting. In his extremity, .Jacob bargained with him 
 for his birth-right, with a mess of pottage which he had 
 prepared for himself, and which had caught the anxious 
 
The Case of Esau, 145 
 
 eye of Esau. It was, therefore, his impatience under the 
 eense of huncjer which prevailed on him to sell his birth- 
 right for a morsel of food which pleased his appetite. St. 
 Paul introduceth his example as a warnino^ to those Chris- 
 tians to whom he writes, not to be wearied and faint in 
 their minds under the afllictions and persecutions which 
 came upon them. Those things were not marks of God's 
 displeasure, but the corrections of his love, to wean them 
 from their attachment to the world; and to teach them to 
 look to him for their happiness, who alone was able to save 
 them, not only from the short-lived troubles of this world, 
 but from the never-ending anguish of sin and guilt. They 
 must not, therefore, despise the chastening of the Lord, 
 nor faint when they were rebuked of him; nor, through 
 impatience fall from the grace of God, and give up the 
 hope of the Gospel, eternal life with God in heaven : be- 
 cause, for the enjoyment of that hope, these afllictions, if 
 they supported them with patience and resignation to the 
 will of God, would most amply prepare them. 
 
 The lesson, therefore, which the Apostle intended to 
 impress by the instance of Esau was, that if Christians, 
 wearied out with the afflictions of the world, fall from the 
 hope of the Gospel, through impatience of that self-denial, 
 and resignation to the will of God, w hich their religion 
 requires of them, and turn for relief and happiness to the 
 enjoyments of the world ; they act as foolishly, and as 
 profanely as Esau did, when, wearied with hunting and 
 hunger, he sold his birth-right for a morsel of meat. 
 
 I come now to the more immediate consideration of the 
 text, which acquaints us with Esau's regret, and repen- 
 tance or sorrow, when he felt the consequence of what he 
 had done, and perceived the impossibility of recovering 
 the privileges of the birth-right which he had wantonly 
 and profanely thrust from him. 
 
 The text recalls to our mind the issue of his application 
 to his father, for the blessing which he supposed belonged 
 of course to him, as his first-born son. Jacob had impo- 
 sed on his father and obtained by subtilty the blessing 
 wliich belonged to the first-born, and which* he had bought 
 
 VOL. II. T 
 
146 Ihe Case of Esau. 
 
 of Esau when be bought his birth-right. God had also re- 
 jected him from inheriting the blessing he had promised to 
 Abraham. So that when Esau applied, no blessing re- 
 mained, but that of worldly prosperity. 
 
 It is not necessary to vindicate the innocency of Jacob, 
 in this transaction. Though his honesty may be impeach- 
 able, the purpose of God might still be accomplished by 
 him. He deceived his father, and obtained, under a feign- 
 ed character, that blessing which would have been denied 
 to him on an open application. He indeed acted under 
 ihe direction of his mother, who, probably through her 
 partiality for him, seems to have been more anxious that 
 he should obtain the blessing, than he himself was. Pro- 
 bably the answer she had received from God, respecting 
 the children before they were born — that two nations 
 should proceed from her, and that the elder should serve 
 the younger— had made so deep an impression qn her mind, 
 that it determined her conduct on this occasion. Perceiv- 
 ing the design of Isaac to give the blessing of primogeni- 
 ture to Esau, and apprehending it to be contrary to the 
 purpose of God ; she persuaded Jacob to personate his 
 brother before his father Isaac. 
 
 That the conduct of Rebecca in this matter is censura- 
 ble, is readily confessed. Her disingenuous deception 
 was unnecessary to accomplish the purposes of God ; and 
 rnore credit would have redounded to her, from patiently 
 "waiting for the divine interposition, than from the full suc- 
 cess of her deceitful plan. If, however, people will offi- 
 ciously obtrude iheir own schemes to help forward the 
 di^signs of infinite wisdom and power, there is no reason 
 why God should not convert them to his own use. He 
 permitted the deceit of Rebecca and Jacob to succeed, 
 and turn aside the blessing from the head of Esau. Not- 
 withstanding the suspicions of Isaac, Jacob by his subtilty 
 obtained the blessing he sought from his father ; not only 
 the good things of this world, but the dominion over his 
 brethren. This blessing, though fraudfully obtained, 
 Isaac confirmed, when, upon the retiring of Jacob, Esau 
 brought him the venison he had prepared: -' Who, where 
 
The Case of Esau. 1 47 
 
 IS he,'* said Isaac trembling, " that hath taken venison, 
 and hath brought it me, and T have eaten of all before 
 thou earnest, and have blessed him? }ea, and Ac shall be 
 blessed,'' 
 
 A tender and affecting scene ensued, in which Esaii, with 
 tears and bitter cries, importuned his father for tlie bles- 
 sing. Isaac, however, either by the inspiration of God, 
 or led by what had happened to a better consideration of 
 what he was doing, lemained inflexible. He blessed 
 Esau indeed with the fatness of the earth, and with the 
 dew of heaven ; but the blessing of the first-born remain- 
 ed with his brother — "By thy sword thou shalt live, and 
 fihalt serve thy brother." 
 
 To this history the text alludes, when it says, that when 
 Esau " would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected." 
 He had sold his birth-right to Jacob, who, by subtilty, 
 had obtained the blessing from their father ; and Esau 
 could not recover it, " for he found no place of repen- 
 tance, though he sought it carefully with tears.'* 
 
 A question will here arise. To whom does the expres- 
 sion, he found no place of repentance, relate ? to Esau, or 
 to Isaac? That Esau did repent is certain. No person 
 cotild give more unequivocal proofs of his hearty sorrow 
 and regret, than he did. With profuse tears, and earnest 
 entreaties, and loud cries, he ardently endeavoured to 
 prevail on his father to over-rule the foolish bargain he 
 had made, and to give him the blessing. It is also certain, 
 that Isaac did not repent of his having given the blessing 
 to Jacob. Even when he knew that he had been imposed 
 on by the art of his younger son, and had unwittingly 
 given the blessing to him which he had intended for Esau, 
 he repented not, but absolutely confirmed it. "Behold,'* 
 said he to Esau, " I have made him thy lord, and all his 
 brethren have I given him for servants." That there was 
 found no place of repentance, when Esau sought it care- 
 fully with tears, relates not to him, but to Isaac; and its 
 meaning is, that Isaac would not repent of what he had 
 done, nor recall the blessing he had given to Jacob, though 
 Esau sought to move him to tlo so, by the most earnest 
 and passionate entreaties. 
 
148 The Case of Esau. 
 
 This, T take it, is a fair account of the transaction to 
 which the text alludes, and a full interpretation of the 
 text itself. The case of Esau was not that his repentance 
 came too late to be accepted of God: Of this nothinoj is 
 said: But that his repentance could not avail to cancel a 
 foolish bargain which he had made. He had sold his birth- 
 right, and all his entreaties could not make void a con- 
 tract which he had confirmed with an oath. 
 
 However justly we may blame Esau, there is not the 
 least intimation that he acted from the control of any de- 
 cree of God, or from any other cause than his own impa- 
 tience. 
 
 As to the other text which relates to the same subject, 
 " Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated," it is intro- 
 duced by St. Paul immediately after having quoted the 
 declaration of God to Rebecca, " The elder shall serve 
 the younger."* The design of St. Paul in that place is to 
 prove that all the descendants of Abraham are not the 
 children of promise: That with regard to his own chil- 
 dren, the promise was confined to Isaac w^hom Sarah bare; 
 Ishmael being excluded from it. So with regard to Re- 
 becca; the promise went to her younger, and not to her 
 elder son. And that this determination, that the elder 
 should serve the younger; that is, that the promise, viz. 
 *' that the seed of Abraham should be the peculiar people 
 of God, and that from them Messiah should spring," was 
 made according to the sovereign will and puipose of him 
 who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy ; that 
 is, will shew favour to whom he pleases. 
 
 Though this determination was made before the chil- 
 dren were born, and therefore, without regard to any good 
 or evil they had done; it will not follow, but that God's 
 purpose was made according to what he saw Esau would 
 do — sell his birth-right, to which the priesthood was an- 
 nexed, and thereby prove himself uuw^orthy of any dis- 
 tinguishing marks of God's favour. 
 
 Let me here remark, what I trust is generally known, 
 that when it is said, " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have 
 
 * Kom, i*. 1%, 12 
 
The Case of Esau. 149 
 
 I iiated/* it only means that God preft rred Jacob to Esau, 
 to inherit and convey the blessing which had been promi- 
 sed to faithful Abraham. The words are to be understood 
 in the same sense with those of our Saviour, "If any man 
 come to me, and hateth not his father, and mother, and 
 wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his 
 own life also, he cannot be my disciple."* The meaning 
 is. He that preferreth father, or mother, &;c. or his own 
 life before me, and is not willing to part with them, and 
 with every thing in this world, rather than renounce me, 
 is not worthy to be my disciple. 
 
 ]No injury was done to Esau by God's preferring Jacob 
 before him. The blessing which he could not obtain was 
 a privilege which God had a right to confer either on him, 
 or on his brother according to his own good pleasure. In 
 giving it to Jacob, he took nothing from Esau : He only 
 left him as he was before. And in no sense can this pre- 
 ference of Jacob to Esau be carried further, than the in- 
 heritance of the blessing which God promised to Abra- 
 ham, respecting the blessing of all nations. Every thing 
 else w^as the consequence of his own folly in selling his 
 birth-right to his brother. And nothing but a vain desire 
 to force texts of scripture into the support of an ill-found- 
 ed scheme of a particular eleclion and reprobation to eter- 
 nal life and eternal misery, could induce any one to press 
 the instance of Esau and Jacob into their service. 
 
 If we wish to appW their case to the state of Christians, 
 we must consider what there is in our state which anwers 
 to Esau's birth- right. Now, that can be only our right 
 and title to future glory through Christ. By the good- 
 ness of God, we are made his sons by the Regeneration 
 of Baptism, and by Faith ; are thereby taken into his 
 Church, and made heirs of immortal life through his be- 
 loved Son. This is the right of our new birth. To sell 
 this birth-right, is to part with our title to immortality witli 
 God, for some consideration which we receive instead of 
 it. If we do so for the pleasures, or riches, or honours 
 of the world; we do what Esau did, when he sold hig« 
 
 ^ Luke xir. 3& 
 
150 The Cast of Esau. 
 
 birth-right for a morsel of meat. We thrust away from 
 us the precious gift of God, and count ourselves unworthy 
 of the blood of the covenant, which sanctifieth those who 
 trust in it, and obey from the heart the Gospel of Christ. 
 They who do so, when the righteous Judge of men shall 
 come, at the last day, to give his blessing, the great mer- 
 cies and rich rewards he hath promised in his Gospel to the 
 heirs of his glory, shall find themselves in Esau's situa- 
 tion : and though they seek carefully and with tears for 
 those blessings then, which they now despise, the issue 
 shall be the same with his ; they shall be rejected. With 
 the importunity of Esau, they may solicit their Judge, 
 and plead their privilege, and the great things they have 
 done ; " Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and 
 in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many 
 wonderous works?" — But the time of mercy is past, when 
 the hour of judgment is come. No place of repentance 
 will then be found in him that judgeth : but, " I never 
 knew you ; depart from me all ye that work iniquity," 
 -will be the awful doom from the offended Majesty of God, 
 to those who have wickedly and profanely bartered away 
 their right to the heavenly inheritance, for the perishing 
 enjoyments of this world. 
 
 1 say profanely, for St. John declares that Christ " hath 
 made us kings and priests unto God."^ St. Peter also saith, 
 that Christians are " an holy priesthood, to offer up spir- 
 itual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."t This 
 privilege, which is an appendage of their new birth, and 
 belongs to them in consequence of their being the sons of 
 God through faith in Christ, is made an argument to en* 
 force on them that holy and devout life which their rela- 
 tion to God requires. To name one instance : St. Peter 
 hath said of them, " Ye are a chosen generation, a royal 
 priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye 
 should show forth the praises of him, who hath called yon 
 out of darkness into his marvellous light : which in time 
 past were not a people, but are now the people of God : 
 which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained 
 
 » Rer. L <5. and y„ 10. f 1 Pet ii, 5, 
 
The Case of Esau. 151 
 
 merer. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strans^ers and 
 pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the 
 soul," &c.^ If, therefore, we sell the right to an heaven- 
 ly inheritance which we obtain by the new birth, for the 
 indulgence of fleshly lusts, the enjoyments of the world; 
 we, at the same time, part with the priesthood annexed to 
 it, the happy privilege of offering spiritual sacrifices, ac- 
 ceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In that case, the 
 charge of profaneness will lie against us, as strongly, at 
 least, as it lay against Esau, for despising and selling that 
 priesthood with which his priority of birth had invested 
 him. 
 
 And let us remember, that the history of his conduct 
 was written for our admonition, that we should not sin af- 
 ter the example of his perverseness ; but highly prize, 
 faithfully retain, and devoutly use all the gracious privi- 
 leges which the mercy of God hath conferred on us. Let, 
 then, every Christian take care, that he despise not the 
 blessings which God hath prepared for them who love and 
 obey him — that he throw not from him the precious gift 
 of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ, and cleave to 
 (he enjoyments of this world ; lest he fare as Esau did. 
 
 * 1 P«t. ij. 9, 10, 11, &c. 
 
DISCOURSE XL 
 
 THE EXULTATION OF ZACHARIAS. 
 A CHRISTMAS SERMOM 
 
 Luke i. 68, 69. 
 
 Blessed he the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and 
 redeemed his people^ and hath raised up an horn of salva- 
 tion for uSy iu the house of his servant David, 
 
 T, 
 
 HESE are the words of Zacharias upon his recover- 
 insj his speech, after the miraculous dumbness which God 
 had inflicted on him, for his backwardness in believing the 
 angel whom he had sent to him with the promise of a son, 
 when he and his wife had lived to a great age without hav- 
 ing had any child. It is to be remarked that they are the 
 first words which he spake ; and that they were spoken by 
 the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, for whose divine influ- 
 ence he had been previously prepared by a holy unblame- 
 able life. St. Luke saith, of both him and Elizabeth, that 
 they were " righteous before God, walking in all the com- 
 mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Pro- 
 bably, too, the long silence imposed on him by the hand 
 of God, had turned his mind more intensely to divine con- 
 templation, and the consideration of spiritual objects. 
 Penitence and prayer had, no doubt, increased his hutnil- 
 ity, and enlivened his faith and confidence in God. Find- 
 ing how speedily the divine threat was inflicted on him, 
 he became fully certain of the truth of God, and boldly 
 assured himself, that all his promises by the mouth of his 
 holy Prophets, of sending salvation to his people, were 
 then on the eve of being fulfilled. Accordingly when the 
 visitation of God on him was ended, he was filled with the 
 Holy Gliost, and prophesied, saying, *' Blessed be the 
 
 YOL, II. IJ 
 
154 The Exultation of Zacharias, 
 
 Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his 
 people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, 
 in the house of his servant David." 
 
 Behold the pious rapture of the holy man, upon seeing, 
 by the spirit of prophecy, the approaching birth of the 
 Saviour Christ 1 His own circumstances are overlooked 
 and disregarded, as being unworthy of his attention when 
 so glorious and majestic a subject was before him. Two 
 grand and miraculous events, in both of which he was 
 deeply interested, had just happened to him — the birth of 
 bis son, and the recovery of his speech. These, it may 
 be supposed, employed his mind, and would call forth his 
 praise and adoration to -God, at this time. But greater 
 things, a more august theme filled his heart. The proph- 
 ecies that had gone before, the promises of God by the 
 mouth of his inspired servants, that he would send a migh- 
 ty Saviour to deliver his people, rushed upon him. He 
 saw the incarnation of this almighty Deliverer begun — by 
 faith he saw it completed in the birth of Christ the Lord : 
 and with prophetic rapture he proclaimed to the world as 
 already past, what did not happen till six months after. 
 " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited 
 and redeemed his people." 
 
 None among the children of men is less interested in 
 this propitious event than Zacharias was. Why then 
 should it not be the rapture of our hearts, as it was of 
 his ? What should hinder us from joining in the triumph- 
 ant song, and repeating with grateful hearts, before men 
 and angels, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he 
 hath visited and redeemed his people.'* We have before 
 us the same prophecies that Zacharias had ; and, by faith 
 in the records of the holy Evangelists, we see ihem won- 
 derfully fulfilled. His need of this Saviour is also ours; 
 and we derive the same blessings from him which he did. 
 Let him, therefore, be our pattern ; and may his divine 
 hymn inflame our hearts with grateful praise and adoration 
 of our gracious God for the astonishing instance of his 
 love, in the happy event which we this day commemorate 
 in his holy Church. All glory be to his holy name, that 
 
The Exultation of Zacharias. 156 
 
 lie liath given his Son to be born of human nature, to take 
 awav the sin of the world, and restore fallen man to his 
 favour : now no longer a God of wrath and vindictive jus- 
 tice; but, through his Beloved, the God of mercy, and 
 goodness, and love, not willing the death of a sinner, but 
 that he should repent and be saved. 
 
 The Jews fondly expected a temporal deliverer in 
 Christ, who should free them from worldly thraldom, as 
 Moses had delivered their fathers from the slavery of Egypt. 
 Under the influence of this vain expectation, they, with 
 scorn, rejected the true Messiah, when he appeared among 
 them. Little sensible must they have been of their sinful 
 state and its consequent miseries, when they were so insen- 
 sible of the love and mercy of God in sending a Saviour 
 to redeem them from it. What was the thraldom of the 
 Romans under which they lived, compared with the thral- 
 dom of satan, who held all mankind in bondage ? or what 
 was the mischief of living under foreign laws, and paying 
 tribute to a foreign power, compared with slavery to the 
 law of sin, to boisterous passions and unruly appetites — 
 all foreign to the original nature of man ; and at last to 
 pay the tribute of eternal torment to a foreign lord, the 
 prince of darkness, who hath usurped dominion over us? 
 
 Some Christians, under the power of a vain philosophy, 
 expect little better from Christ, than did these unhappy 
 Jews. They expect he will save them from the penalty, 
 though not from the power of sin. They say he hath paid 
 the whole penalty of sin ; and, therefore, no further pun- 
 ishment can be justly inflicted on account of it. If so, tho 
 habits of sin may remain ; and should any one live his 
 whole life under their full power, the slave of evil lusts 
 and passions, and die without repentance, Christ will, by 
 the arbitrary imputation of his own righteousness and mer- 
 it, secure him from punishment, and make him happy in 
 heaven, where no evil can enter. 
 
 Be not deceived with vain schemes and fallacious hopes. 
 Magnify this doctrine as much as youvvill, preach it with 
 ever so much confidence, believe it with ever so much 
 earnestness, love it with ever so much ardor; that salva- 
 
1 56 The Exultation of Zacharias, 
 
 tion which does not deliver you from the power and do- 
 minion of sin, never will free you from its penalty. In 
 the same proportion that it leaves you unholy, it will leave 
 you unhappy. " If we say that we have fellowship with" 
 Christ, and that his righteousness is imputed us, *'and walk 
 in darkness ; we lie, and do not the truth."=^ The venom 
 of sin lies in the power and dominion it hath over us. 
 " He that committetb sin," that liveth urjder its power and 
 dominion, " is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the 
 beginning," and still continueth to sin. For *' this pur- 
 pose the Son of God was manifested," by coining into the 
 world, "that he might destroy the works of the devil. "f 
 Unless, therefore, the power of sin in us be broken and 
 destroyed, the works of the devil remain And if we do 
 his works, we are his servants, and must receive his wages. 
 Now, " the wages of sin is death" — What that death is, 
 may you never know ! 
 
 Remember, therefore, that the Son of God became the 
 Mediator between God and man, was born of the holy 
 Virgin, and suffered death on the cross, to make it possi- 
 ble for you to repent and turn to God ; and to make it 
 also possible for God to forgive, or pass over your sins : 
 neither of which could have been possible without his 
 atonement. Look to the song of holy Zacharias, and you 
 will find he had far other notions of Christ's salvation than 
 merely exemption from punishment for sin ; namely, 
 ** That we being delivered out of the hand of our ene- 
 mies" — from the power of sin and satan — ** might serve" 
 God "without fear, in holiness and righteousness before 
 him, all the days of our life." How exemption from pun« 
 ishment, while the habits of sin remain, can be called serv- 
 ing God in holiness and righteousness, is too hard for me 
 to conceive. Or how we can be said to serve God without 
 fear, that is, in peace and quietness from our spiritual en- 
 emies, while we love and delight in the bondage of sinful 
 lusts and affections, is as hard for me to comprehend. It 
 
 * 1 John i. 6. 
 
 t 1 John iii. 8. Awe-j> from At)<v, that he mig-ht break ov tUssoive the works of the 
 d«yil, juid Bet mam fres /r§m thetn. 
 
The Exultation of Zacharias. 157 
 
 is true, all men are sinners; that is, all have sinned. But 
 lliere is a great difference between continuing in the habits 
 of sin, and repenting and forsaking it. Against the for- 
 mer, the wrath of God is denounced in the Bible; to the 
 latter, the merciful forgiveness of God is promised through 
 Jesus Christ. ** If we say that we have no sin, we deceive 
 ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our 
 sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is also true, that 
 there is none who liveth and sinneth not. But there is also 
 a great difference between those miscarriages which spring 
 from weakness of nature, from the surprise of sudden 
 temptation which gives no time for thought, from involun- 
 tary ignorance, or real weakness of understanding; and 
 habitual, wilful, and premeditated sins. By the merciful 
 covenant of the gospel, if we strive against the offences 
 of infirmity, they shall not be imputed to us by our gra- 
 cious God. 
 
 But let us return to the more direct consideration of 
 the text. 
 
 The reason whv Zacharias blessed the Lord God of Is- 
 rael was, that he had " visited and redeemed his people," 
 and had " raised up a horn of salvation" for them, " in 
 the house of his servant David." 
 
 Under the Law, and in the time of the Patriarchs ; be- 
 sides the standing revelation of his will, God communica- 
 ted his pleasure to man by messages ; sending either an- 
 gels or his inspired prophets, to speak to his people in his 
 name. But in the event which we this day celebrate, the 
 *' Lord God visited his people" — came in his own person 
 united to human nature; and was, therefore, Emmanuel, 
 God with us. 
 
 St. John, speaking of the same event, saith, *' The 
 Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ;" literally. 
 He tabernacled, pitched his tent among men. His visit was 
 not intended to be a short one : And from the history of 
 his life we find, that when he assumed our nature, his ta- 
 bernacle of human flesh was not soon removed. Thirty 
 and three years did he continue in this miserable world'; 
 
158 The Exultation of Zacharias. 
 
 going about and doing good both to the souls and bodies 
 of men, by bis instructions and miracles. He came to 
 bear our infirmities, to feel our distresses, to taste our 
 sorrows, to endure our temptations, as well as to make 
 atonement for our sins ; that he might be a merciful, as 
 well as an all-powerful High Priest, who, having felt the 
 force of our temp**ations and sorrows, might be touched 
 with a sense of them, and know how to pity us under 
 them. 
 
 How gracious was this Lord God, thus to condescend 
 to our state — to endure the weaknesses of childhood, the 
 dangers and sorrows of youth and manhood, the whole 
 burden of our infirmities, that he might, from his own ex- 
 perience, know how to pity and succour us under them ! 
 Blessed be his holy name, for such transcendent love and 
 goodness! 
 
 Blessed also be his holy name, that he hath not only 
 Tisited, but redeemed his people. Merely to have visited 
 his people, and borne their sorrows and infirmities through 
 his life, would have done them but little good: His gra- 
 cious views w^ent further : He bore them, that he might 
 deliver us from them, and from sin, which causeth them 
 all. By yielding up his most precious life, in the bitter 
 agonies of crucifixion, he made an expiation and atone- 
 ment for the sins of the world, and paid the ransom of its 
 captivity to satan and to death. 
 
 This it behoved liim to do, according to the prophecies 
 that had gone before concerning him. And this, through 
 the intenseness of his love, he condescended to do, (hat 
 he might fulfil those prophecies, and become an all-pow- 
 erful and perfect Saviour. He saw us miserable and help- 
 less under the dominion of sin; fast bound with the fet- 
 ters of evil passions and impure lusts ; at enmity with 
 God ; and, everj^ moment, exposed to the burden of his 
 wrath. He saw, he pitied, and determined to relieve us. 
 He left the throne of his Father ; he emptied himself of 
 the glories of the Godhead; and, in the womb of the bles- 
 sed Mary, he united human nature to it, making one 
 Christ. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him ; he 
 
The Exultation of Zacharias. 1 59 
 
 anointed him with the Holy Ghost, 1o preach the gospel 
 to Ihe poor in spirit; he sent him to heal the heart which 
 was broken with the sense and weight of sin, to proclaim 
 deliverance to the captives of satan, and recovering of 
 sight to those who are blind with error and vice,-. to set at 
 liberty them that are bruised with guilt and despair, to 
 preach the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of salva- 
 tion. This was, this is the will of God ; and in (he vo- 
 lume of the book it is written of Christ, that he should 
 fulfil the will of the Almighty Father. Perfectly content 
 was he to do so. The language ©f his heart and lips was, 
 " Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God." The will of God, 
 in his life and in his death, he fully accomplished, leaving 
 no part undone. Every thing w^hich divine justice requir- 
 ed to make atonement for sin and reconcile us to God, 
 he freely endured, and thereby " washed us from our sins 
 in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto 
 God his Father."=^ 
 
 But the mercy of God in Christ, celebrated by good 
 Zacharias, stops not here. He not only visited and re- 
 deemed his people from the captivity of satan, but he 
 halh raised up a horn of salvation for them, in the house 
 of his servant David. This is the crown of all the rest. 
 He visited us, that he might redeem us. He redeemed, 
 that he might save us. Only to have visited us, though it 
 might have shown his good will towards us, .would have 
 done us little good. To have redeemed us from the cap- 
 tivity of satan, and have left us to our own strength, would 
 have been to have left us to the certainty of again falling 
 into the same thraldom from which we had been rescued. 
 But, by raising a horn of salvation for us, a power is pro- 
 vided to make his redemption effectual to all those who 
 believe and trust in him. 
 
 The expression signifies power, glory, and royalty. It 
 is a metaphor taken from those beasts whose strength is in 
 their horns. A horn of salvation is, therefore, a strong 
 and mighty salvation, or a glorious and royal salvation ; 
 such as was fit for a king to undertake and accomplish. 
 
 ♦ Rev. i. 5, 6. 
 
160 The Exultation of Zacharias, 
 
 As it is applied to Christ, it includes both these meaninfyg. 
 His salvation consists in our deliverance from the pt)wer 
 of satan, of sin, and of the grave ; and in our restoration 
 to freedom, to holiness, and to life eternal. The difficul- 
 ty of the work proves the strength of the Saviour. Had 
 he not been mighty to save, one whose own arm could 
 bring him salvation, who could enter the house of the 
 strong man and bind him, who could burst tlie bands of 
 death, and open the jaws of the grave — one who can de- 
 fend his redeemed that trust in him, make them superior to 
 all their enemies, support them in holiness and righteous- 
 ness before God to the end of their life, and receive them 
 to glory in his heavenly kingdom ; our salvation had been 
 impossible, and we must forever have continued the cap- 
 tives of satan. But, 
 
 The horn in the holy scripture signifies not only power 
 and strength, but glory and royalty also. In this sense, a 
 horn of salvation means a glorious and royal Saviour. 
 This is implied in another circumstance in the text. God 
 is said to have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the 
 house of his servant David. The glory of David con- 
 sisted in his being an eminent type of Christ ; in the roy- 
 alty of his house, made royal by God himself; and in 
 Christ's coming, according to the flesh, of his family. Roy- 
 alty, therefore, belonged to Ciirist by l.is descent i'rom 
 the family of David, by his being placed by God upon 
 the throne of David, even on the holy hili of Zion, the 
 head of the Church of the living God, to rule and govern 
 it forever. Moreover, as the Son of God most high, 
 Christ, from eternity, had a royalty above all the kings of 
 the earth, above every name that can be named. 
 
 As the difficulty of our salvation argues the power and 
 might of the Saviour ; so the dignity of the Saviour proves 
 the importance and difficulty of the enterprize. Grand 
 designs should not be committed to mean hands, nor should 
 dignified persons be employed on low and trivial affairs. 
 
 View it then in any, in every light, and yi)u will see the 
 majesty of God, as well as his mercy and love, employed 
 in the redemption and salvation of man ; and, with the 
 
The Exultation of Zacharias. 161 
 
 ffly Psalmist, will be ready with astonishment to cry out, 
 *' Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the 
 son of man that thou visitest him ?" And with our won- 
 der and admiration at the love and condescension of our 
 God and Saviour, let us mix our gratitude and praise; and 
 testify the joy of our hearts, that he hath regarded our low 
 estate, and laid help on one who is mighty ; that he hath 
 exalted him to be our Prince and Saviour, who is strong, 
 and able to rescue the prey from the jaws of that destroy- 
 er, who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may 
 devour. " Blessed be the Lord, that he hath. not given us 
 a prey to his teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of 
 the snare of the fowler : the snare is broken, and we are 
 escaped."* *' Blessed, therefore, be the Lord God of Is- 
 rael who hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath 
 raised up a horn of salvation for them, in the house of his 
 servant David." 
 
 Judge now what return you ought to make for the bles- 
 sings of that happy event which the Church of God this 
 day commemorates — the coming of the Lord God, Christ 
 elesus, Jehovah, to visit and redeem his people, and to 
 raise up a horn of salvation for them against the power of 
 all their enemies. Tiie tribute of praise and thanksgiving 
 hath been already mentioned. This tribute hath been, I 
 trust, devoutly paid this day in his Church ; and may we 
 ever continue gratefully to pay it, on every return of this 
 holy Festival. But, from persons so highly obliged as we 
 are, something more than words of praise and thanksgiv- 
 ing are certainly due. We are among those happy people 
 wiiom Christ, when he took our mortal nature upon him, 
 visited and redeemed, and to whom he is now a horn of 
 salvation against their enemies, Through the good provi- 
 dence of God, the knowledge of this salvation, with all 
 its blessings, is come to us. What return does it demand 
 from us ? What effect ought it to have on us ? The Church 
 hath taught us, in the Collect for the day, that Christ was 
 born of the holy Virgin, that we, through him, might be 
 
 * Psal. cxxlv. 6, 7. 
 VOL, II. W 
 
162 The Exulialion of Zacharias, 
 
 born of God, and made his children by adoption and grace. 
 St. John also hath told us, that ** to as many as received'' 
 Christ when he came into the world, " he gave power to 
 become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his 
 name : which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of 
 the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."=* Being, 
 then, through Christ, made the children of God, it is natu- 
 rally to be expected, that we live and behave as such. Re- 
 raember, therefore, the words of St. Paul, who saitb, " The 
 grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all 
 njen ; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly 
 lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in 
 this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the 
 glorious appearing of the great God,*' even *' our Saviour 
 Jesus Christ : who gave himself for us, that he might re- 
 deem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a pecu- 
 liar people, zealous of good works."f 
 
 Behold, in this, account of the holy Apostle, what you 
 ought to be, in consequence of Christ's redemption — pure 
 in heart, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts — holy in 
 life, living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present 
 v/orld^ — zealous of good works, as the peculiar people of 
 God.^ — This conduct alone becomes the children of God. 
 Happy privilege, if you live worthy of the family into 
 which you are adopted : But dreadful will be their con- 
 demnation, if the people of God sell themselves to do the 
 woj k of the devil ! 
 
 Permit me just to observe, that in the language of the 
 &CYip\uies, good rvorkSy are works of mercy and charity 
 which do good to others. W hen these works proceed 
 from a heart warm with the love of God, and of man for 
 God's sake, they are highly acceptable to him as imitations 
 of his goodness : They are also the best expressions of our 
 gratitude for the love he hath shown to us. " If God so 
 loved us/' saiih St. John, that he hath " sent his Son to be 
 the propitiation for our sins; we ought also to love one 
 another."t 
 
 Consider these things — and may God of his mercy in- 
 
 * John i. 12, 13. t Tit. ii. 11—14. i 1 John iv. 10, 11. 
 
The Exifltaiiori of Zacharias. 163 
 
 spiie your hearts with love and |]jratitude for all his good- 
 ness ; particularly for that instance of it which we now 
 commemorate : May he purify your hearts to serve him 
 in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of 
 your life ; make you zealbus in all good works, to do his 
 will in all things, and confirm your faith and hope in that 
 salvation which he hath wrought for you. Then will you 
 devoutly give praise and glory to God, and joyfully join in 
 the song of Zacharias, " Blessed be the Lord God of Is^ 
 rael, for he hath visited and redeemed his people | and 
 hath raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of 
 his servant David," 
 
DISCOURSE XII. 
 
 THE CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD, OR NEW-YEAR's DAY. 
 
 Gal. vi. 15. 
 
 In Christ Jesus neHher circumcision availelk any thingy nor 
 iincircumcision, but a new creature. 
 
 In the beginning of Christianity, an unhappy dispute 
 prevailed belvveen the Jewish and Gentile converts, con- 
 cerning the obligation of the Law of Moses. Though 
 many of the former heartily received the Christian Reve- 
 lation, and believed Jesus to be Messiah whom their Pro- 
 phets had foretold ; they yet retained the peculiarities of 
 their old religion, and strove hard to oblige the Gentile 
 converts to submit also to them, as equally necessary to 
 salvation with Christianity itself. The Gentile Christiang 
 lhoug[:t this an intolerable burden ; and could not see the 
 necessity of their becoming Jews, in order to iheir being 
 Christians. St. Paul became their advocate ; and the dis- 
 pute being referred to the apostles at Jerusalem, was de- 
 termined m their favour. 
 
 This determination encouraged the Gentile converts in 
 their opposition to .Judaism, and confirmed their Christian 
 liberty ; but it did not entirely silence the Jews, nor re- 
 move their prejudices. They had been long in the habit 
 of considering themselves the favourites of heaven, and 
 Lad no notion ot God's shewing mercy to the rest of the 
 world, unless they were by circumcision incorporated into 
 their nation, and <?ubmilted to their Law. The first 
 pi eachers of the gospel were Jews, and were also tainted 
 with the same prejudice. Finding many of their country- 
 mtn settled in the larger cities of the Roman Empire, they 
 first n»ade known to them the glad tidings of salvation 
 through Ctaist; proclaiming him to be Messiah, whom 
 
1 66 The Circumcision of our Lord, 
 
 God had proniised to their fathers. By these means the 
 first converts to Christianity were generally Jews, who, 
 having so fair an opportunity to propagate their own opin- 
 ions and prejudices, made diligent use of it, to the great 
 disturbance of the Church. 
 
 This controversy seems to have been the principal occa- 
 sion of St. Paul's writing his Epistles to the Romans and 
 Galatians, and of many digressions and incidental remarks 
 in his other Epistles. He warmly espoused and pleaded 
 the cause of the Gentiles ; proving by many arguments, 
 that .Judaism was only a temporary institution, intended 
 by God to prepare the Jews, and, by their means, the 
 rest of the world, for the coming of his Son : that all the 
 institutions and ceremonies of that religion were only 
 types and figures of what was to be done by Christ, and 
 in his Church: that these having now been fulfilled, the 
 Law of Moses had answered its purpose, and was at art 
 end ; and that there no longer lay any obligation on Jew 
 or Gentile to observe it. 
 
 In the management of this controversy, St. Paul was 
 led to extol the glory, and celebrate the excellency of 
 the method of Man's redemption by Jesus Christ ; and, 
 in comparison with it, to undervalue the Law of Moses^ 
 Under the word faith^ he declares the Gospel to be suffi- 
 cient, without the Law, for salvation ; and under the 
 style of the LarVy he asserts and proves the inefficacy of 
 the institutions of Moses for that purpose. 
 
 From what he hath said on this subject, in his Epistles 
 in general, and particularly in that to the Galatians, it ap- 
 pears that by the ievm^ circumcision and uncircumcisio% he 
 frequently distinguisheth the Jewish nation or Church froni. 
 the Gentile world. So that the meaning of the text, " In 
 Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor 
 imcircumcision, but a new creature," is this; "with re- 
 spect to a man's becoming a Christian, it is a matter of no 
 importance whether he be a Jew, or a Gentile. When a 
 Jew embraceth Christianity, his circumcision becomes un- 
 circumcision, and he is no longer obliged to continue bis 
 observance of the Law of Moses. And when a Gentile ia 
 
or New Year's Day. 167 
 
 converted to the Gospel, there is no necessity for him to 
 become a Jew, and bind liimself by circumcision to tiie 
 observance of that Law. The wall of partition between 
 Jews and Gentiles is broken down, and the Jewish oecono- 
 my dissolved. All nations, therefore, stand on equal 
 ground before God, in respect of the means of salvation, 
 and are equally entitled to his favour. All tliat he re- 
 quires of men is that new creature, or new creation, which 
 the redemption of Christ is intended to produce, and 
 bring to maturity in them." 
 
 The imputation of vanity will not, I trust, lie against 
 me, if I say, that many writers and preachers have run 
 wild in explaining this phrase, a new creature. Every so- 
 ber-minded Christian, however, must have observed that 
 many of them have lost both themselves and those who 
 attended to them, by endeavouring to hunt out meanings 
 from it, and from similar expressions in Scripture, which 
 they were never intended to convey. It is a misfortune 
 that preachers attached to a particular system, are apt to 
 bend and warp the expressions of the Scripture, to make 
 them comport with their own opinions. Unhappily, too, 
 they are sometimes seized by the lust of popularity ; and 
 then fall into strong temptations to accommodate their 
 discourses to the prevailing popular opinion. Be this 
 opinion true or false, the Scripture is too often interpre- 
 ted agreeably to it. 
 
 That there are some things dark and mysterious in our 
 holy religion, no sensible Christian will deny. When in- 
 finite wisdom speaks to beings of limited capacities, ob- 
 scurity must rest on those parts of divine revelation which 
 they have not abilities to comprehend. In the Christian 
 Revelation, however, all that relates to our duty is so 
 plainly expressed, that it will always be intelligible to 
 common sense, if we carry an honest heart and an atten- 
 tive mind to the study of it. 
 
 If we compare the expression in the text, a new creature, 
 with what St. Paul hath said in other places, there will, I 
 apprehend, be no difficulty in assigning its true meaning, 
 nor in understanding it, when pointed out. In another 
 
168 The Circumcision of our Lord, 
 
 part of his Epistle to the Galatians, he thus expresseth 
 himself: " In Christ Jesus neither circuiiicision availf th 
 any thing, nor uncircumcision, but failh which worketh 
 hy lovcJ"^ Writing to the Corinthians, he saith, " Circum- 
 cision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nott»inii[; but the 
 keeping of the commandments of G^oc?."t Compare these 
 passages with the text, and it will be evident, that the nejv 
 creature, ?Lnd faith which worketh hy love, and the keepins; 
 of the commandments of God, all mean the same thiriii. If, 
 then, w^e can ascertain the meaning of one of those phra- 
 ses, w^e shall understand them all. 
 
 What the commandments of God are, the Bible will 
 inform us; and we all know, that by tepin^ the com- 
 mandments is meant observing and obeying them. Our Sa- 
 Tiour hath taught us, that all the Law and the Propl els 
 do depend on these commandments comprehended in the 
 love of God and man.f This lets us into the meaning of 
 the other expression of the Apostle, faith ivhich worketh 
 hy love. In a Christian sense, faith means the belief of the 
 Gfospel. And if our belief of the Gospel work in us love 
 to God and man; in other words, if it produce in us obe- 
 dience to the commandments of God ; which, our Saviour 
 saith, are fulfilled by loving the Lord our God with all 
 our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind ; and our 
 neighbour as ourselves ; then is accomplished what God 
 ^vould have done: \henew creature is formed ; the new man, 
 which after God is created in righteousness and true holi- 
 ness, is put on.^ Then are we the children, the beloved, 
 the elect of God. And it matters not whether we are, by- 
 birth, Jews or Greeks, Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free. 
 
 Whatever schemes of salvation people may form for 
 themselves or adopt from others, they never will find peace 
 of niind, except in that faith and holiness, which are re- 
 quired by the Gospel. They may be enamoured of this 
 Preacher* and of that Doctrine ; they may attach them- 
 selves to this or that Party, and suppose themselves in un- 
 ion with the People of God; they may recur to the de- 
 crees of God, and bolster themselves up with a fond per- 
 
 * Gal. r.6. f 1 Cor. vii. 19. * Matt. xxii. 40. § Eph. iv. 24 
 
or New Year's Day. 169 
 
 suasion that tl>ey were from eternity elected (o everlastings 
 life; they may look to the imputation of Christ's rif^ht- 
 eousness, and imagine that he hath done all for Ihem, u\ 
 suc'li a manner as to leave nothing for them to do; they 
 may fancy themselves sure of salvation, because they 
 know the time and manner of their conversion, and have 
 had some indescribable feelings, which have brought them 
 into a stale of grace from which they cannot finally fall 
 away : But after all this, they can give no sufficient evi- 
 dence tootfiers; nor, on good grounds, satisfy themselves 
 that they are the children of God, and liave put on the 
 new man, if that faith and holiness be wanting, which show 
 themselves in obedience to the commandments of God. 
 
 Our Saviour makes a distinction between the children 
 of this world, and the children of light. The same dis- 
 tinction is kept constantly in view by his Apostles. The 
 children of this world are remarked for their attention to 
 the things of the world, and for their prudence in the man- 
 agement of them : the children of light, for their attention 
 to the things of eternity. The former live after the flesh ; 
 the latter after the spirit. The former keep on the old 
 man, the latter put on the new man.'^ 
 
 In the language of Scripture, the old man signifies the 
 fallen nature of Adam, with all its evil tempers and pas- 
 sions. These we inherit by our descent from him, and not 
 by any imputation of his sin to us by God. They who 
 live according to the appetites and passions of this nature, 
 keep on the old man, with which our natural birth hath, as 
 it were, clothed us. They mind the things of the flesh, 
 and of the world ; which things are " enmity against God."t 
 They cannot please God ; but live in sin, committing many 
 actual transgressions.J 
 
 By the new man, or new creature, is meant the holy na- 
 ture of Christ, which is love and obedience to God. This 
 nature we obtain, not by the imputation of what Christ 
 hath done for us, but by having iiis spirit, and temper, 
 and disposition actually produced in us by the Holy Spir- 
 
 * Rom. vi. 6. Eph. iv. 22, 24. Col. iii. 9, 10, f Rora. viii. 7. 
 
 :t' Office of Adult Baptism. Rom. viii. 8. 
 TOL. IJ. X 
 
170 The Circumcision of otir Lord, 
 
 it of God: Therefore said St. Paul, " If anj' man have 
 not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his :" And also, 
 " As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the 
 sons of God.""^ For this reason, they who believe the Gos- 
 pel, so as to be convinced of the fatal tendency of the 
 natural appetites and passions which lead to sin ajjj.inst 
 God ; and do renounce and deny them, and are no lonji^er 
 governed by them, are said to have p'U off the old man 
 with his corrupt deeds. And they who, beinfij convinced 
 of the blessed effect of obeyinor God in all things, do man- 
 ifest in tiieir lives, the same spirit, and temper, and dispo- 
 sition which appeared in Christ, copying the example of 
 his holy life, are said to have " put on the new man, which 
 after" the image of " God is created in righteousness and 
 true holiness,"t They, in truth, become new creatures; 
 they acquire a new heart, new tempers, new desires, a 
 new nature ; " old things are past away; behold, all things 
 are become new."{ Then are they partakers of Christ's 
 righteousness, not by an arbitrary imputation of it to them, 
 which, was it possible, could do them no good ; but, as I 
 said before, by being born of his nature : that is, by having 
 his spirit and temper produced, and living in them. This 
 nature will grow and increase in them, in the same degree 
 they attend to it, and comply with its holy suggestions, 
 till they come to the stature of perfect men in Ciirist .Ic'- 
 sus, and are " made meet to be partakers of the inheri- 
 tance of the saints in light"— being " delivered from the 
 power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the 
 Son of God's love ; in whom they have redemption thro' 
 his blood, even the forgiveness of sins"J 
 
 This is the end and design of the redemption of Christ, 
 and of that holy religion, to the profession of which we 
 are called by the mercy of God. Christ hath made known 
 to us the way, and furnished the means by which this new- 
 birth is produced, the new creature formed, and kept 
 alive, and increasing in us ; namely, the operation of his 
 own most blessed Spirit, and the practice of all holiness 
 and righteousness of life. To this end, he requires that 
 
 * RojTi. viil 9. t ^^P^- i^'- 24 t 2 Cor. y. 17. § Col. i. 12, 13, 14. 
 
or New Year's Day, 171 
 
 we repent of all past sin, so as no longer to live in it; 
 that we believe his Gospel and rely on his atonement for 
 the forgiveness of our sins ; that we cojne into his Church 
 by Baptism; profess our faith and trust in him; renounce 
 his enemies, the world, the fl< sh, and the devil, and no 
 longer take part witfi them ; but, on the contrary, engage 
 to keep all the commanduients of God, to the end of our 
 lives ; that we actually do, in consequence of tliis our 
 faith and profession, deny and keep under tiie evil appe- 
 tites and passions of the body and mind, withdraw our af- 
 fections from the world, and look to our heavenly coun- 
 try for that happiness which our nature so ardently de- 
 sires ; live in faithful obedience to the will of God, and 
 devoutly comply with all the institutions ordained in his 
 Cfjurch. These institutions are to us means of grace and 
 holy living, intended to strengthen our failh, enliven our 
 hope, support our weakness, and assure us of the mercy 
 of God; to be pledges of his love and goodness to us, of 
 the forgiveness of our sins, of acceptance with him through 
 the Redeemer, and of eternal life in heaven. 
 
 All this was typified by the rites and ceremonies of the 
 Jews' religion. That we, who are descended from the 
 race of the Gentiles, are exempt from the burden of that 
 religion, is a happiness for which we ought ever to bless 
 God. But the spiritual, or moral meaning of their Law, 
 and particularly of Circumcision, the sacrament of initia- 
 tion into the covenant made with Abraham, we are as 
 much obliged to regard as the Jews were. The external 
 circumcision of the flesh gave all those who submitted to 
 it, a right to all the civil and religious privileges of their 
 nation. But it will be evident to a careful reader of the 
 Bible, that something more than a compliance with the 
 external rite was necessary to recommend even the Jews 
 to the favour of God. 
 
 The external circumcision was a sign and evidence of 
 the covenant made with Abraham. But that it had an in- 
 ward and spiritual meaning, which looked beyond the le- 
 gal ordinances of the Jews, even to the eternal and immu- 
 table Law of righteousness, will appear from the three 
 following particulars. 
 
172 The Circumcision of our Lardy 
 
 1. Circumcision implied a ready disposition to learn and 
 obey the will of God. This, indeed, is the sjreat lesson 
 which God hath ever endeavoured to leach mankind. It 
 was what he required of Adam and of the Jews, and what 
 he now requires of Christians. " Circumcise the foreskin 
 of your hearts," said Moses to the Israelites, *' and be no 
 more stiff-necked."^ To be stiff-necked is to be rebellious 
 and disobedient to the will of God. St. Stephen reproach- 
 eth the Jews with being " uncircumcised in heart and ears," 
 because they " always resisted the Holy Ghost;" and had 
 then just given an eminent instance of their perverseness, 
 in their bitter and incurable opposition to the will of God 
 made known by his Son. 
 
 Look now into the Law of the Gospel, and yon will see 
 how strongly this duty is enjoined on Christians by Christ 
 himself: " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, 
 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he thatdoeth 
 the will of my Father which is in heaven." 
 
 2. The spiritual meaning of circumcision required the 
 withdrawing of the aflfections from the world, and placing 
 them on God. This also we learn from Moses, who, to 
 encourage the Israelites to repentance, makes them this 
 promise : " The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, 
 to love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with 
 all thy soul."t 
 
 Look again into the Law of the Gospel, and you will 
 find Christ declaring the first and great commandment to 
 be, *' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
 and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with 
 all thy mind." 
 
 3. The spirit of circumcision implied a strict guard over 
 the sensual appetites. This appears from the prophet Jer- 
 emiah, who exhorting the .Tews to repentance, addressed 
 them in these words : " Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, 
 and take av^y the foreskin of your hearts, ye men of Ju- 
 dah and inhabitants of Jerusalem ; lest my fury come forth 
 like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of 
 the evil of your doings."J Here the foreskin of their 
 
 * Deut X. 16. t XXX. 6, ^ Jerem. iv. 4. 
 
or New Yea fs Bay. 173 
 
 liearls wlilcli Ihey were to take away, is inteipreted to 
 mean the evil of their doint^s ; and the evil of their doings 
 is described in the next chapter ; " They committed adul- 
 tery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's 
 houses. They were as fed horses in the morning- every 
 one neighed af(er his neighbour's wife."^ It is indeed 
 obvious, that the restraining lascivious desires is more than 
 intimated in the rite, and is the first thought that presents 
 itself about it. 
 
 Attend now to the writings of the author of the \e\U 
 and you will find him exhorting Christians in these words: 
 " JNIortify your members which are upon the earth, forni- 
 cation, lincleanness, inordinate afTection, evil concupis- 
 cence, and covetousness, which is idolatry ; for which 
 things sake the wrath of God cometh on .the children of 
 disobedience."t In another place, he gives this caution, 
 *' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : But if ye through 
 the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."J 
 
 If, therefore, the Jew was obliged to love and o bey- 
 God, to be chaste, and pure, and holy, that he might ful- 
 fil the spiritual meaning of the Law ; how strong must be 
 the obligation on Christians, that they may fulfil the Law 
 of the Gospel 1 
 
 The blessed Redeemer, who loved us even to death, 
 hath expressed himself on the duty of self-denial in terms 
 >vhich ought to make the deepest impression on us. Hav- 
 ing sharply rebuked Peter for regarding the things of men ; 
 the honour, power, and happiness of the world, more 
 than the things of God ; he addressed his disciples, and 
 all who were with him, in these memorable words: " If 
 any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and 
 take up his cross and follow me." On another occasion, 
 he said, " He that taketh not his cross, and folio wet h af- 
 ter me, is not worthy of me." The reason with which he 
 supports this observation is drawn from a principle which 
 seldom fails to influence men in the strongest manner — the 
 natural love of life and happiness. " Whosoever will save 
 his life," by renouncing me, and departing from the puri- 
 
 * Jerem. v. f, 8. f Col. iii. 5. 6. * Rom. viii. 13. 
 
1 74 The Circumcision of our Lord, 
 
 iy and holiness of the gospel, that he may consult his own 
 ease and worldly prosperity, will find himself miserably 
 mistaken ; he " shall lose it;'' he shall forfeit that life and 
 happiness which is principally worth reojarding. Bat, 
 " whosoever will lose his life;" is willing to forego the 
 happiness of the world, and even to part with his present 
 life, " for my sake, shall find it ;" shall obtain life and 
 happiness eternal. 
 
 Though, therefore, the mortification of the inordinate 
 passions and appetites, and the renouncing of that happi- 
 ness which arises from sensual indulgence, may be a pain- 
 ful task ; more so than the external circumcision of the 
 flesh ; yet, unless it be done, that soul shall be cut off from 
 the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 The Church supposeth this duty to be absolutely neces- 
 sary to the Christian life ; and, therefore, when we declare 
 our faith in the Holy Trinity at our Baptism, and take on 
 us the profession of Christ's religion ; she obliges us to 
 renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh ; and to pro- 
 mise that we will not follow, nor be led by them. She 
 also directs us to " remember always, that Baptism doth 
 represent unto us our profession, which is to follow the 
 example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto 
 him ; that as he died and rose again for us, so should we 
 who are baptised, die from sin and rise again unto right- 
 eousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt 
 affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness 
 of living." 
 
 If what hath been said serves, in any degree, to imr 
 press on you the necessity of that spiritual circumcision, 
 or change of heart and life which is meant by the new crea- 
 ture; and to enforce the obligations you are under to learn 
 and obey the will of God, to love him with your whole 
 heart, to deny your sensual appetites, by a total abstinence 
 from forbidden pleasures; what more proper time can there 
 be to begin to acquire, or to cherish and perfect those good 
 dispositions, than this Day, when Christ began to fulfil the 
 Law, to bear our sins in his own body, and shed his blood 
 for us ? He was circumcised, and became obedient to the 
 
or New Year's Day. 175 
 
 f Law, not for his own sake, but for ours ; that he mi^ht 
 fulfil all riojhleousness, and by obeying perfectly the law 
 of unpinning obedience, mi^ht abolish and take it away, 
 and place us under the mild law of the Gospel ; by which 
 our penitence, and faithful, though imperfect obedience, 
 is accepted by God through him. 
 
 There is also another reason why we should at this time 
 begin, if we have not already begun (his good work. This 
 Day opens a new scene ; it is to us the beginning of a New- 
 Year ; and I pray God it may be a prosperous and happy 
 one: Most happy indeed vili it be, if it prove to you the 
 occasion of prudent reflection and sincere repentance, the 
 beginning of a new and holy life. 
 
 Let us, then, suspend the joy and mirth of this cheerful 
 season, and turn our thoughts on the past year. The past 
 year! and where is it ? It is gone, irrecoverably gone ; 
 gone to be an evidence in your favour, or a witness against 
 you with God, according as you have employed it in his 
 service, or in the service of the world and its vanities. 
 Let every one ask himself this important question ; How 
 have I employed the past year ? and let conscience an- 
 swer. If that acquit you, and testify for you, " that in 
 simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, 
 but by the grace of God, you have had your conversa- 
 tion in the world ;" then may you have " confidence to- 
 wards God." But, should your conscience condemn you ; 
 remember, "God is greater than your conscience, and 
 knoweth all things," 
 
 Be not deceived ; nor think, because you see the same 
 seasons return, and the sun in the same point of the hea- 
 vens now, that he was in twelve months ago, that you al- 
 so are in the same slate you then were in : very far other- 
 wise. God hath intrusted you with another year ; that 
 year is past and gone. You have, therefore, a year more 
 to account for, than you had a twelvemonth ago ; and you 
 are a year nearer making your account, than you then 
 were. 
 
 Recollect how many within the narrow circle of your 
 acquaintance, who were perhaps as gay, and as vain in 
 
176 The Circumcision of our Lord^ 
 
 the expectation of living many years, as you can be, liave 
 been called out of the world in (he course oft he past year. 
 Some of them were your t^qlials in liealth and slrem^i^th.. 
 They were not ^11 old or sickly. Why tlien were they 
 taken, and you left? Let this reflection in^^truct you in 
 the value of your time, and convince you how lilth^ you 
 ought to depend on finishing the year you have now be- 
 gun. Frail and uncertain is human life. Constantly ex- 
 posed to accidents, and sickness, no one can assure him- 
 self that he shall live to see another New Year's day. 
 Make this, then, a New Year in the Christian sense of that 
 word, by becoming new creatures ; by putting on the new 
 man, which after God, is created in righteousnes and true 
 holiness. 
 
 If you were certain, or was it only very probable, that 
 the year you have now begun, would be your last ; how 
 would you pass it ? Certainly not in the vanities of the 
 world, nor in the lusts of the flesh, nor in the works of 
 darkness ; but in the service of God. You owe this to 
 the mercy of God, wlio hath manifested his patience and 
 long-suffering in yQur preservation ; and who hath, there- 
 fore, a right to the service of your future years. You 
 also owe this to yourselves; because otherwise you will 
 lose your heavenly inheritance, and " treasure up to your- 
 selves w^rath against the day of wrath, and revelation of 
 the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every 
 man according to his deeds." 
 
 Permit me, then, to address you in the words of St. Pe- 
 ter: " Let the time past of your lives suffice you to have 
 wrought the will of the Gentiles; when ye walked in las- 
 civiousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings," 
 and such like. Let the time past suffice you to have lived 
 in worldly vanities and anxious cares, in strife or envy, in 
 pride or vainglory, in deceit or hypocrisy, in profaneness 
 or carelessness of religion and eternity : And, for the 
 time to come, which God grant may be long and happy, 
 let it be so employed, that it may not rise up in judgment 
 against you, but may increase your joy and blessedness 
 in the kingdom of God. 
 
or New Year's Day, 
 
 177 
 
 Mdy God, tliQ Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, so teach 
 us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto 
 wisdom — To that wisdom which is from above, and which 
 seekeih the things which are above; which will make us 
 wise unto salvation ; which will endure, when days, and 
 weeks, and months, and years are gone ; when time itself 
 shall be no more : That wisdom which will dispose us fer- 
 vently to seek, and instruct us effectually to obtain, that 
 eternal, incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven for 
 all the faithful servants of God : To him be glory through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 VOL. II, 
 
DISCOURSE XIIL 
 
 DELIVERANCE FROM SIN THE DESIGN OF CHRIST's 
 
 COMING. 
 
 1 John iii. 8. 
 
 He that committeth sin is of the devil ; Jor the devil sinneth 
 from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God 
 7vas manifestedy that he might destroy the works of the 
 devil. 
 
 T 
 
 O come at the full meaning of the text, it will be ne- 
 cessary to ascertain the sense of the several phrases used 
 in it, viz. 
 
 I. What is meant, in the sense of the apostle, by com- 
 mitting sin, 
 
 XL What he means by such a person's being of the devil, 
 who sinneth from the beginning. 
 
 III. What is intended by the manifestation of the Son of 
 God. And, 
 
 IV. What is meant by destroying the works of the devil. 
 I. What the apostle means by committing sin was the 
 
 first thing proposed for our inquiry. This is the more ne- 
 cessary to be ascertained, because he useth the phrases 
 to sin, and to commit sin, in a peculiar sense — to denote 
 not a single act, but the habit of sin ; and not the habits 
 of what are commonly called sins of infirmity^ arising 
 from the unavoidable weaknesses of nature, but the habits 
 of wilful, deliberate sins. That this is the meaning of the 
 phrase, he that committeth sin, will appear from the sense 
 in which our Saviour useth it: " Whosoever committeth 
 sin is the servant of sin.*'=* Compare this with what St. 
 Paul hath said on the subject; "Let not sin, therefore, 
 t-eign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the 
 
 * John viii. Si. 
 
180 Deliverance fiom Sin 
 
 lusts thereof," — " Sin shall not have dominion over you,*'— 
 " To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his ser- 
 vants ye are to whom ye obey, whether oif sin unto death, 
 or of obedience unto righteousness."* To be the servants 
 of sin, therefore, is to live under its dominion, to have it 
 reign over us, to obey it even in its lust, that is, whenever 
 the temptation to it assaults us. Now, to commit sin, and 
 to be the servant of sin^ are used by Christ as equivalent 
 phrases. 
 
 In the servitude of sin there are evidently two degrees. 
 One, when a man is in such subjection to some particular 
 sin, that he commits it habitually, whenever its lust as- 
 saults him ; even against the sense of his mind and con- 
 science, the light of his reason, and against his better re- 
 solution. But wanting strength to overcome it, he falls 
 into it on every temptation, and is properly its servant. 
 He is overcome and brought in bondage by it. It com- 
 pels him to do the evil which he would not. It has him 
 under its dominion and reigns over him. 
 
 The other degree of servitude to sin arises from the long 
 continued practice of it. If a man habituate himself to 
 act against the dictates of his conscience, the sense of his 
 duty, and his own resolutions to do better; they will all 
 at last cease to check him. He will feel no admonitions 
 of conscience, no reluctance of mind or will : All sense 
 of the shame of men, all regard to the fear of God will 
 be lost. Dreadful is this state ! properly called the repro- 
 bate mind; because, being pekst feeling, such persons give 
 themselves over, to work all iniquity with greediness. 
 
 In one or other of these states, the common drunkard, 
 the profane swearer, the lascivious debauchee, the rapa- 
 cious usurer, the fraudulent dealer, the cruel oppressor, 
 and covetous worldling seem to live. God give them re- 
 pentance and a better mind! 
 
 If we understand the expression, he that commitieth sin, 
 to mean, as hath been explained, not any single act of sin, 
 nor those deviations from duty which happen through 
 weakness of nature ; but a course of sinning, living habit- 
 
 * Bom. vi. 12, 14, 16. 
 
the Design of ChrisVs coming. 181 
 
 iially in a state which God hath forbidden ; it will afford 
 an easy solution of a difficulty in this Epistle, wliich does 
 not seem capable of being solved on any other ground. 
 The Apostle saith, " Whosoever is born of God doth 
 not commit sin ; for his seed reraaineth in him : and he 
 cannot sin, because he is born of God." 
 
 Some idle, and some dangerous interpretations have 
 been given of this text : I shall mention such of thern as 
 occur to me. One interpretation is, that he who is born 
 of God ought not to sin ; it would be very absurd in him 
 to do so. This we know : We know also, that too many 
 who profess Christ's religion live habitually in this absurd 
 and reproachful state. But the Apostle speaketh of what 
 the man who commits sin does do, and not of what he 
 ought not to do. Another interpretation refers freedom 
 from sin to the future life ; assigning it as a reason, that 
 we are not perfectly born of God till the resurrection, 
 which is by Christ called the regeneration.*' But it is evi- 
 dent the Apostle doth not speak of committing sin, or 
 of freedom from sin in the next life, but in the present. 
 A third interpretation is, that he who is born of God sin- 
 neth not while he continueth a child of God ; because if 
 he sin, he ceaseth to be a child of God. If there be any 
 sense in this interpretation, it directly contradicts what 
 the Apostle saith in this very Epistle ; '* My little children 
 these things write I unto you, that ye sin not : And if any 
 man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, .Tesus 
 Christ the righteous,"t plainly admitting that they were 
 liable to sin, and directing them to the atonement and in- 
 tercession of Christ for its remission, when they were so 
 unhappy as to fall into it. The exposition of Tertullian, 
 that a child of God cannot fall into any great and delib- 
 erate crime, is, I suppose, false in fact, as will appear un- 
 der the next inquiry. The exposition of St. Bernard, 
 who is followed by the Calvinists, is, that a child of God 
 sinneth not, because, though he should do what would be 
 sin in others, God, who seeth no sin in his elect for whom 
 Christ died, will not impute it to him. Jf the other inter- 
 
 * Matt. XX. 28. t 1 John li, 1. 
 
1 82 Deliverance from Sin 
 
 pretations were weak, this is wicked. It amounts to a full 
 permission to sin through a man's whole life time, and yet 
 God shall take no notice of it ; whereas the text saithj 
 " He that committeth siq," that is, lives in it, " is of the 
 devil." Far worse is this doctrine than the Pope's indul- 
 gence : That, at the worst, only dispenses with sinning by 
 ihe month or year ; but here is a plenary indulgence from 
 God himself, for a man to sin through his whole life, and 
 yet be God's elect, his dear and beloved child. The last 
 interpretation which I have seen is, that he who is born of 
 God sinneth not willingly, not without great reluctance 
 and striving against it. But this cannot be the meaning of 
 the Apostle, because it ascribes to the child of God, the 
 very character of the servant of sin. There can be no 
 lower degree of slavery than to be obliged to act against 
 our own mind and conscience ; and the greater the reluc- 
 tance is with which w^e do so, the* greater and heavier is 
 our bondage. 
 
 To be born of God, and to be the child of God, are sy- 
 nonymous expressions. The child of God doth not com- 
 mit sin, in this sense — He doth not allow himself in any 
 known sin; conf?equently he cannot live in any habit of . 
 sin. He may fall through human infirmity, through vio-* 
 lent and sudden temptation, which allows no time for re- 
 flection ; but he will not, he cannot continue in it. The 
 fixed purpose of his heart, the habit of his life, is perfect' 
 obedience to God : When, therefore, it is his unhappiriess 
 to offend, he turns from his offence with detestation, and 
 with penitence hastens back to the stated purpose of his 
 heart, obedience to the commandments of God. 
 
 The reason assigned by the Apostle, why he who is born 
 of God cannot sin, that is, cannot continue or live in sin, is, 
 because his seed, the Holy Spirit of God by which he is 
 begotten and born to this holy and Christian life, remaineth 
 in him, influencing his conscience, mind, and will, by his 
 divine energy, to turn from and abhor every thing that is 
 contrary to the will of God, and to do every thing which 
 he requires. 
 
 II. I come now to the second consideration, namely. 
 
the Design of Christ's coming. 1 83 
 
 to inquire what is meant by the Apostle, when he saith, 
 " He that committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sin- 
 neth from the beginning." 
 
 The meaning of the expression, " the devil sinneth 
 from the beginning," is, that he began to sin soon after 
 his creation, and hath continued to sin ever since. They, 
 therefore, who live in a course of sin are of him, because 
 they imitate him ; continuing to sin as he doth ; persist in 
 it in imitation of him; and thereby keep up that rebellion 
 against God which he first began, and still continues; into 
 which he first tempted Adam, and even now tempts his 
 descendants. They, therefore, who live in habits of wil- 
 ful sin, are " of the devil," his children : They manifest 
 the same opposition to God, and are of the same temper 
 and disposition with him. 
 
 They are not, therefore, what are called sins of infinn- 
 ity which make a person a child of the devil ; nor is it any 
 single act of deliberate sin, unless it be that sin against the 
 Holy Ghost, which our Saviour saith shall not be forgiv- 
 en, either in this world or the world to come. Not sins of 
 infirmity ; for into such sins Christ's Apostles fell more 
 than once : Witness their ambitious contention, who should 
 be the greatest in his kingdom : witness also their forsak- 
 ing him in the hour of his distress when he was betrayed 
 into the hands of his enemies ; witness Peter's regarding 
 the things that are of men, more than the things that are 
 of God; and Thomas's doubting of his resurrection after 
 sufficient evidence of the fact had been given him ; wit- 
 ness likewise the angry contention between Paul and Bar- 
 nabas about their companion Mark. These things ought 
 not to have been. They were not only wrong in them- 
 selves and in their consequences, but they proceeded from 
 the evil root which sin hath planted in human nature, and 
 which is the cause of human infirmity. Yet surely the 
 Apostles did not thereby become the children of the dev- 
 il, nor lose the favour of God. 
 
 Nor is it one single act of deliberate sin which will make 
 a person the child of the devil, unless it be followed by 
 impenitency and hardness of heart. Into such sins botli 
 
184 Deliverance from Sin 
 
 David and St. Peter fell ; the former in the matter of Uri- 
 ah ; the latter in the denial of his Lord. In these instan- 
 ces they sinned greatly and deliberately ; but they contin- 
 ued not in their sin ; therefore they were not of the devil, 
 but remained the children, though the undutiful and diso- 
 bedient children of God, till they were restored to the full 
 enjoyment of his favour by their deep and bitter repen- 
 tance. The seed of the Father, the Holy Spirit, the prin- 
 ciple of filial reverence, remained in them so that they 
 could not continue in their sin ; but the message of the 
 Prophet brought the one, and the reproving look of the 
 holy Jesus the other, to a full sense of the great evil they 
 had committed, to true compunction of heart for it, and 
 to greater watchfulness and care in the future conduct of 
 their lives. Had they continued in their sin, and remain- 
 ed impenitent under the admonitions they received, their 
 case would have been very different, and we should have 
 lamented them as reprobates, instead of rejoicing in them 
 as instances of the efficacy of true and unfeigned repen- 
 tance. 
 
 Blessed be the holy name of our God, that, through 
 the Mediator, he hath made it possible for his justice to 
 accept of repentance instead of innocence; to overlook 
 the deviations from strict {\niy which arise from weakness 
 of nature; to pardon the defiects of our best obedience; 
 and to regard the uprightness of our intentions and en- 
 deavours to do his will. Thanksgiving and praise be as- 
 cribed to the holy Jesus, the adorable Son of God, that 
 he hath wrought so great salvation for us : and glory be to 
 the Holy Ghost, the blessed Spirit of God, that he conde- 
 scendeth to regenerate our natures, to dwell in us, to sanc- 
 tify our persons, to preserve us in the way of holiness 
 which leadeth unto life eternal. 
 
 Prudence, as well as Christian duty, will oblige us to 
 beware of presumption in this matter. Deliberately to 
 sin, because God will accept of repentance, is to abuse, 
 not to comply with his mercy. Repentance is bis gift : 
 Are we sure he will bestow it on the presumptuous offen- 
 der ? on him who sins, that grace may abound in the for- 
 
the Design of Christ's Coming. 185 
 
 fijiveness of it ? Rather fear God, because of his mercy ; 
 because there is forgiveness with him ; because he is not 
 extreme to mark what is done amiss.^ Remember, that 
 you cannot repent and forsake sin of your own strength ; 
 nor command your own will to do good. " Work out, 
 therefore, your own salvation with fear and trembling: 
 for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to 
 do, of his own good pleasure."! 
 
 III. Let us now attend to the third thing proposed from 
 the text, namely, to inquire what is meant by the manifes- 
 tation of the Son of God, 
 
 By this phrase, the winters of the New Testament fre- 
 quently express the birth of Christ in human nature. In 
 this sense it is used by St. Paul ; " God was manifest in 
 the flesh ;"J that is, was made man by being born of hu- 
 man nature; thereby uniting humanity to his divinity, ma- 
 king one Clirist. In the same sense is the word used by 
 St. Peter; " Christ was manifest in these last times for 
 you;"J that is, under this last dispensation, Christ, God 
 and Man united, appeared in the world for your redemp- 
 tion. St. John affixeth the same meaning to the expres- 
 sion in the fifth verse of the context; '* He was manifest- 
 ed to take away oui» sins;" that is, Christ came into the 
 world .to make atonement for sin, and reconcile man to 
 God, by being made a sin-offering for him. 
 
 In common language, to be manifest is to appear evi- 
 dently, to be visible. The Son of God, according to his 
 divine nature, is invisible to mortal eyes. But when he 
 united human nature to his own divinity, and became man 
 by being born of the holy Virgin ; he openly and visibly 
 appeared in the world, in the person of Christ; like other 
 men was manifested to the sight, and hearing, and touch. 
 
 lY. The fourth point to be considered, was the mean- 
 ing of the expression, " destroy the works of the devil." 
 
 The Greek word rendered to destroy, signifies to dissolve 
 to loosen, to set at liberty , or to set free from ; and meta- 
 phorically, to pardon. By the works of the devil, is meant 
 
 * Psal. cxxx. 3, 4. t T]\\\\\i, ii. 12, 13. i 1 Tim, iii. 1<5. § 1 Pet. i. 20. 
 VOL. II. Z 
 
186 TJdimrance from Sin 
 
 all sin, wiclvedness of every kind, every thing that is evil, 
 whatever is contrary to the wiii or law of God. By re- 
 belling against his Maker, he first introduced evil into the 
 creation; and, by continuing his rebellion, and tempting 
 others to join in it, he became the patron and proujoter of 
 all sin. Evil tempers, and actions, and habits, are there- 
 fore, in Scripture, ascribed to him, as to their proper 
 source and original, and are called his works : They are 
 also called the works of darkness; not only because they 
 who live in them commonly choose darkness and privacy 
 lo conceal their evil practices from observation; but be- 
 cause those practices proceed originally from him who is 
 called the prince of darkness, and who is said to live in 
 darkness. For as God is light, and in him is no darkness 
 at all ; they w^ho do his will, are the children of light, and 
 walk in the light ; that is, they are the children of God, 
 and live in the light of divine truth : So the devil, having 
 set himself against God, and ever acting in opposition to 
 him, is darkness; his works are the yvorks of darkness; 
 they who do them walk in darkness, live in darkness, and 
 see not the light though it shine unto them ; that is, they 
 perceive not the light of divine truth, and goodness, and 
 mercy, though il surrounds them ; even as the blind see 
 not the light of the sun, though they live in it. 
 
 For the same reason, because the devil is the origin of 
 evil, and the perpetual instigator of others to practise it; 
 they who live in habitual wickedness are said to be led 
 captive by him, to be his children, to do his works, to be 
 under his dominion ; because they are led by his spirit, 
 and live in slavery to those evil tempers and passions which 
 come from him. 
 
 The Scriptures teach us, that all goochiess and holiness 
 are the fruits of the Spirit of God ; and that where the 
 Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. =^ For this reason 
 the Church calls the service of God perfect freedom ; be- 
 cause they who are led by the Spirit of God are delivered 
 from the thraldom of contending passions and ungovern- 
 able appetites, and are at liberty to act and live according 
 
 * 2 Cor. m= 1" 
 
the lyesis^n of ChrisVs coming. 187 
 
 to the dictates of right reason and a pure conscience. It 
 was, therefore, natural to describe those who lived under 
 the influence of passion and appetite, as bein;^ in slavery 
 to them, so that they could notpursue a reasonable course 
 of life, nor do those things which their conscience approv- 
 ed: Especially, to say of those who lived in deceit, and 
 fraud, and malice, and envy, and violence — tempers and 
 practices that are particularly ascribed to the devil — that 
 they were under his dominion and tyranny. 
 
 Having ascertained what is meant by the 7Vorks of the 
 devil, and noted the sense of tlie word which the transla- 
 tors of our Bible have rendered, destroying ; namely, that 
 it signifies to dissolve, set Jrce from, release, and figuratively 
 to forgive; it will not be difficult to fix the meaning of the 
 latter part of the text, " For this purpose the Son of God 
 was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the 
 devil" — For this purpose was the Son of God born of hu- 
 man nature, that he might release, or set men free from all 
 sin and wickedness, the works of the devil who holds them 
 in bondage. 
 
 That this deliverance from sin may be complete, it must 
 consist of two particulars. 1. That wq be released from 
 the penalty of our past sins ; that is, that the works of 
 the devil which we have already done be not placed a- 
 gainst us, but that they be passed over and forgiven* 
 2. That the power of the devil over us be loosened, dis- 
 solved, and we set free from it, so that w^e shall be no lon^ 
 ger under the necessity of doing his w^orks. 
 
 In both these respects, redemption by Christ hath made 
 the most ample provision. Becoming in our nature a sin- 
 ofiering to God, he hath made full and perfect atonement 
 for sin, and thereby rendered it possible for a holy and 
 just God to forgive it, and pass it by ; which, without his 
 atonement, would have been impossible. By giving to ug 
 his Holy Spirit, he hath set all those who obey his holy 
 inspirations free from the vassalage of the devil, and hath 
 brought them " into the glorious liberty of the children of 
 God,"=^ that they might henceforth vvalk in newness of 
 life, and obediently serve their heavenly Father, 
 
 * Rom. vUi. 21. • 
 
188 Deliverance from Sin 
 
 That we may receive the full benefit of what Christ hath 
 in these two respects done for us, two things are required 
 on our part — repentance nndJaUL 
 
 The necessity of repentance appears not only from its 
 nature, being the effect of godly sorrow for sin, and of a 
 firm resolution to forsake it ; but also from the many de- 
 clarations in the Bible respecting it. The Holy Baptist, 
 who, in the spirit and power of Ellas, prepared the way 
 ol the Lord, fulfilled his mission by the preaching and bap- 
 tism of repentance: "Repent ye; for the kingdom of 
 heaven is at hand : Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for 
 repentance/'^^ And, a greater than John, the Lord Christ 
 himself, who certainly knew best the end for which he 
 came into the world, and the fittest means to accomplish 
 it, began his preaching with 1 he same solemn call; "The 
 kingdom of God is at hand ; repent ye, and believe the 
 
 Gospeh'^t 
 
 The necessity of faith appears not only from the last* 
 cited text, and from what St. John hath said, " As many 
 as received liim, to them gave he power," the right or pri- 
 vilege, " to become the Sons of God, even la them that 
 believe on his name ;"J but from the declaration of Christ 
 to the Jews, " This is the work of God,'* that work which 
 he endeavoureth -to accomplish by my coming, " that ye 
 believe on him whom he hath sent." That we might be 
 at no loss to know on whom they were required to believe, 
 he said, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."^ 
 
 If, now, repentance and faith be necessary to our ad- 
 mission into the kingdom of heaven, the Church of Christ 
 in this world, which is the lowest sense of that expression ; 
 and, to give us, through Christ, the privilege of becoming 
 the sons of God, and heirs of everlasting salvation ; for 
 in that sense only have we everlasting life in this world; 
 then repentance and faith must be necessary to our con- 
 tinuance in that state — to preserve our privilege of being 
 the sons of God, and heirs of everlasting glory ; then also 
 must repentance and faith be necessary to our finally ob- 
 taining that heavenly inheritance of which we are now 
 
 • Matt. iii. 9-, 8. f Mark i. 15. :t Jofen i. 12. ■§ John yi. 29j 47. 
 
the Design of Christ's coming. 1 89 
 
 heirs through hope — God's kingdom of glory and happi- 
 ness in the world to come — ^which is the highest sense of 
 the phrase, the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 For let it be remembered, that the end of Christ's me- 
 diation is two-fold. One is to reconcile God to us, by 
 making atonement for our sins ; the other is to reconcile 
 us to God by repentance and faith, " that henceforth we 
 should not serve sin :"'^ One is to give u? power to become 
 the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life with God; the 
 other to excite and enable us to live in that holiness and 
 purity which become those who are endowed with so ex- 
 alted a privilege : One to open to us the kingdom of hea- 
 ven ; the other to make us capable of enjoying it. 
 
 No state can make us happy, unless we have a capacity 
 of enjoying its pleasures. We could not enjoy the happi- 
 ness of this world, did not our bodily senses and appetites 
 give us a relish for the pleasures of the world. Neither 
 can we enjoy the happiness of heaven, unless holy tem- 
 pers and dispositions give us a relish for those pleasures 
 which flow at God's right hand. An ox would find no 
 happiness in a prince's palace. He has no appetite nor 
 relish for its pleasures; but in the midst of gay company, 
 rich furniture, and magnificent entertainments, he would 
 pine for his grass and hay. Before he could there be hap- 
 py his nature must be changed. He must lose his relish 
 for the enjoyments of a brute, and get a taste suitable to 
 the pleasures of a palace. There is the same necessity 
 that the nature of the wicked man be changed, to make 
 him capable of heavenly happiness; or, like the brute in 
 a palace, he will be uneasy and pining for something 
 which cannot there be found. 
 
 It is for this reason that yye are commanded to imitate 
 God, to be followers of him as dear children, to walk in 
 love, to preserve ourselves iu purity, to perfect holiness 
 in the fear of God ; namely, that, obtaining a taste and 
 capacity for heavenly enjoyments through the operation 
 of his Spirit, we may live with him in happiness and glory 
 forever. Therefore, too, are we told that Baptism, by 
 
 * See Rom. vi. 2 Cor. v. 17, ta the end, and vi. 1. 
 
190 DeUveranceJrom Sin, cSV. 
 
 which we are taken into the Church of Christ, is a figure 
 of his death ; and representeth to us, that as he died and 
 rose again for us, so we who are baptised should die from 
 sin, and live unto righteousness, and be made like unto 
 him by continually mortifying our evil and corrupt affec- 
 tions, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of 
 living. 
 
 Then will the end of Christ's manifestation be fully an- 
 swered in us. We shall be no longer of the devil, be- 
 cause we no longer do his works ; but shall be set free 
 from his tyranny, and from the bands of those sins which, 
 through our own frailty or his instigations, we have com- 
 mitted : And, being animated by the Holy Spirit, shall 
 walk in newness of life ; doing all those good works which 
 God hath prepared for us to live in, that we may be con- 
 formed to the image of his Son in this world, and be 
 made partakers of his glory in the world to come. 
 
DISCOURSE XIV. 
 
 NO RESPECT OF PERSONS WITH GOD 
 
 Rom. ii. 28, 29. 
 
 He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that cir- 
 cumcision which is outward in the jiesh : But he is a Jew 
 which is one inwardly ; and circwncision is that of the 
 heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is 
 not of men hut of God, 
 
 T 
 
 O see the force of what the apostle hath remarked in 
 the text, Vie must attend to the design and manner of his 
 reasoning in this and the foreooing chapter. 
 
 His design was to convict the world of sin ; that is, to 
 convince all men that they are sinners, and on that account 
 are under the sentence of condemnation from the justice 
 of God : And that, from this condemnation, nothing can 
 deliver them but the atonement of Christ. 
 
 At the time of his waiting this Epistle, the whole w^orld 
 consisted either of Jews who were the worshippers of the 
 true God, or of Gentiles who w^ere idolaters of various 
 descriptions. He begins with the latter, and proves them 
 to be sinners and under condemnation on account of their 
 idolatry and immorality. They worshipped the creatures 
 instead of the Creator, and gave that glory which was 
 due to the invisible God only, to the works of his hands: 
 Their *' heart was darkened;" they " became vain in their 
 imaginations ;" they were " filled with all unrighteousness, 
 fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, en- 
 vy, murder, deceit, contention,'* &:c. He brings no accu- 
 sation against the Gentiles, on account of their transgres- 
 sing any precepts of divine revelation, for none had been 
 made to them — no express law had been given to them. 
 But they had acted against the light of natural reason and 
 
192 No Respect of Persons with God. 
 
 conscience — the law of God written in their hearts: Thej 
 did not " like to retain God in their knowledge ;" where- 
 fore he gave them up to a reprobate mind — a mind void 
 of judgment — to worship the host of heaven and dead he- 
 roes; and to work all unrighteousness and " uncleanness 
 with greediness." 
 
 This mode of reasoning would not lie against the Jews. 
 They were the worshippers of the true God. He had 
 given them a particular Revelation and Law for the rule 
 of their conduct, and for the celebration of his worship. 
 They were the descendants of Abraham the friend of God. 
 They were the chosen people of God ; who had made 
 many great promises to them. On these privileges they 
 Talued themselves highly ; and of their Law they were 
 zealous to superstition. Whatever became of the Gen- 
 tiles, the Jews thought themselves safe, and so secure of 
 the favour of God, that they could not fall under his conr 
 demnation. 
 
 The apostle, therefore, attacks them on different ground; 
 and observes, that as " there is no respect of persons with 
 God," he " will render to every man according to his 
 deeds r' That " as many as have sinned without the law"— 
 without being under any revealed law to direct them, 
 which was the case of the Gentiles—" shall perish without 
 law"— shall be condemned when they are judged; not by 
 the law of revelation, which they had not; but by the law 
 of reason and conscience. And " as many as have sinned 
 under the law" of revelation, " shall be judged by that 
 law;" and, if guilty of transgressing it, shall be condemn- 
 ed; because not the hearers, but the doers oi the law are 
 justified before God. If, therefore, the Jews, under their 
 law of revelation, were guilty of the same, or similar 
 crimes with the Gentiles under the law of reason and con- 
 science — the law written in their hearts — they stood as 
 much exposed to the sentence of God's justice as the Gen- 
 tiles did. 
 
 He then proceeds to prove that the Jews were equally 
 sinners with the Gentiles; and were inexcusable, to con- 
 denm them for their idolatry and immorality, while they 
 
No Respect of Persons rvilh God. 193 
 
 iliemselves commiUed as great crimes as tlie Gentiles did. 
 That they mi^rht feel tiie force and justice of his veason- 
 incj', he enumerates the privileges which the Jews enjoyed, 
 of which they boasted, and on account of which they ex- 
 pected justification with God ; nnd compares their conduct 
 under these privileges, with the conduct of the Gentiles 
 under the direction of reason and conscience. " Behold, 
 thou art called a Jew ;" behold, thou art a Jew ; " and 
 restest in the law," art content with it, and dependestupon 
 it; " and makest thy boast of" the favour of " God; and 
 knovpest his will," by the revelation he hath made to thee ; 
 " and appro vest the things that are more excellent, being 
 instructed out of the law" in what is right and good : 
 "And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the 
 blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor 
 of the ignorant, a teacher of babes, v/hich hast a form of 
 knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou, therefore, 
 which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou 
 that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal ? 
 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost 
 thou commit adultery ? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost 
 thou commit sacrilege ? Thou that makest thy boast of the 
 law, through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God ? 
 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles 
 through you. For circumcision," or the being a Jew, 
 " profiteth, if thou keep the law ;" but if thou be a " break- 
 er of the law," if thou steal, or commit adultery or sacri- 
 lege, or do any thing else which the law forbids; "thy 
 circumcision is made uncircumcision," and thou mayest 
 just as well be a Gentile as a Jew. Shall not then those 
 Gentiles who fulfil the righteousness which the law re- 
 quires, be accounted true Jews ? And shall not their do- 
 ing by nature, through the influence of reason and con- 
 science, the things, the nioral duties which the law re- 
 quires, judge and condemn thee who hast the benefit of 
 God's revealed law, and yet dishonourest him by trans- 
 gressing it ? " For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, 
 neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh : 
 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly ; and circumcision 
 VOL. u. A a 
 
1 94 No liespect of Persons with God. 
 
 is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, 
 whose piaise is not of men but of God" — He is not a Jew 
 such as God will accept, who is so only by his natural de- 
 scent from Abraham, or by bearing the seal of God's cov- 
 enant with Abraham, in his liesh. But he is a real Jew 
 acceptable to God, who is one inwardly as well as out- 
 wardly, Avhose heart is mortified from all carnal and cor- 
 rupt affections ; who obeys God according to the spirit, as 
 well as letter of his law ; and who seeks not for popular 
 applause b}^ the parade of religion, but to approve him- 
 self to God, who alone can see and judge his heart. 
 
 This is the drift of the Apostle's argument, which, I 
 trust, I have fairly represented. Should it be asked in 
 what respect it concerns people who are neither Gentiles 
 nor Jews, but Christians ? I answer, much every way. 
 For if God be no respecter of persons, but will render to 
 every man according to his deeds; Christians stand on the 
 same ground with others ; that is, God will render to them 
 according to their deeds, as well as to Jews and Gentiles. 
 
 According to St. Paul, the Gentiles are condemned as 
 sinners, because they act against their reason and con- 
 science. Now, a Christian hath reason and conscience as 
 well as a Gentile, and is as much obliged to regard them. 
 If, then, he act against his reason and conscience equally 
 with the Gentiles, and God be no respecter of persons, 
 must he not render to the Christian according to his deeds, 
 as well as he doth to the Gentiles ? 
 
 The Jew hath a positive law, by authority of divine re- 
 Telation, superadded to the law of reason and conscience : 
 eo hath the Christian. And if the Jew be condemned as a 
 pinner for breaking and transgressing his law, and, under 
 it, living in immoiality Id^e a wicked Gentile; what rea- 
 son can be given, why a Christian should not be condemn- 
 ed as a sinner, if he break and transgress the law of tlie 
 Gospel, and live immorally under it, like a wicked Geii 
 tile or Jew ? 
 
 If it be said that Christ died for Christians, and that 
 through the imputation of his merits and righteousness t( 
 them, they shaD be saved,, notvviilistanding their tran 
 
No Respect of Persons mth GocL 195 
 
 ^ressions and sins; T reply, that pardoti of sin, even 
 (brough the atonement of Christ, is promised only to the 
 penitent — to him who believes the Gospel and forsakes 
 his sins : that the notion of imputation either of the merit 
 and righteousness, or of the demerit and guilt of one per- 
 son to another, in the sense in which the Antinomians use 
 it, hath no foundation in the Bible fairly interpreted; and 
 that common sense disavows it altogether. Besides, if im- 
 putation be admitted, it will not answer the purpose in the 
 present case. Christ redeemed Gentiles and Jews, as well 
 as Christians; and " God is no respecter of personsi" As 
 far, therefore, as imputation will go, Gentiles and Jews 
 must partake in the merits and righteousness of Christ 
 equally with Christians. On this ground, no room is left 
 for the judgment of God, nor can it ever take place with 
 regard to men ; their final state being already settled by 
 the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them. Yet the 
 Apostle hath said, " God will render to every man accord- 
 ing to his deeds ;" and that " as many as have sinned with- 
 out the law" of divine revelation, " shall perish without 
 law;" shall be judged and condemned by the law of rea- 
 son and conscience. And " as many as have sinned under 
 the law" which God superadded to the law or light of 
 reason and conscience, by the positive authority of divine 
 revelation "shall be judged by that law;" and if they 
 have transgressed it, and lived impenitentiy under it, shall 
 be condemned by it, " in the day when God shall judge 
 the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the Gos- 
 pel,"^ when he " will render to every man according to 
 his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well- 
 doing seek for glory, and honour, and immortality ; eter- 
 nal life : But to 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, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile."t 
 Now, if the Gentiles are to be judged by the law of 
 reason and conscience, under which the providence of 
 God hath placed them; and the Jews, by the law of Mo^ 
 
 * Matt, XX7. 31, Sec. f Kom. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, &c. 
 
196 No Respect of Persons with God. 
 
 ses, which God, by revelation gave them, till Messiah 
 should come; what reason can be given why Christians, 
 Jews, and Gentiles converted to Christ, should not be 
 judojed by the law of his gospel which God hath given for 
 the rule of their conduct, to the end of the world ? and 
 if under it they have lived like unconverted, wicked Hea- 
 thens and Jews, why they should not have their portion 
 with unconverted, wicked Heathens and Jews ? "God is 
 no respecter of persons," but " will render to every man 
 according to his deeds." 
 
 Should it be observed, that on this ground the Christian 
 hath no advantage over the Jew or Gentile; I readily con- 
 fess, that I know of no advantage that a wicked, impeni- 
 tent Christian hath over any other wicked impenitent per- 
 son, whether Jew or Heathen. It will not, however, fol- 
 low that the Christian hath not great advantages, if he will 
 avail himself of them — advantages which he cannot have 
 by the law of reason and conscience, nor by the law of 
 the Jews. And to convince both Gentiles and Jews of the 
 great privileges and blessings to be enjoyed under the gos- 
 pel, eminently superior to all that the law of reason and 
 nature, or of Moses afforded; and thereby to induce them 
 to receive the gospel, is the end St. Paul aims at, in the 
 fore part of his Epistle to the Romans. 
 
 The law of reason and conscience, otherwise called the 
 law of nature, knows of no atonement for sin, and conse- 
 quently of no forgiveness of sin. It cannot, therefore, 
 reform the evil lives of men, because it hath no ground of 
 repentance; unless we should ascribe more to what is cal- 
 led the natural notion of the goodness of God, than it 
 Lath ever yet been able lo produce. And probably this 
 notion, supposed to be natural, that God is kind and good, 
 and will forgive the penitent, came originally from divine 
 revelation, and hath be come general in ttie world by tra- 
 dition from Adam. The law of nature, however, hath 
 more to dread from the justice of God, than to hope from 
 his mercy : Its language is. The soul that smneth'shall bear 
 ike penalty of its sin. 
 
 The law which God gave by Moses is a law of exact 
 
 1 
 
No Respect of Persons with God, 197 
 
 and punctual obedience : Its lan^uagje is, " Cursed is eve- 
 ry one that continuetb not in all thins^s which are written 
 in the book of the law to do them."=^ For though this 
 law directed sacrifices of atonennent, and called those who 
 were under it to repentance; yet there were many trans- 
 gressions for which no atonement or repentance was ad- 
 mitted. It was, therefore, the Jaw of condemnation, by 
 which a more certain knowledge of the heinous nature of 
 sin, and of the justice of God against it, were made 
 known to men. 
 
 But it is the Christian's glory, that Christ hath made a 
 full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satis- 
 faction, not only for his sins, but for the sins of the whole 
 world; and that, through penitence and faith in him, all 
 his past sins are forgiven and passed over, and shall never 
 come into judgment against bim. And it ought to be the 
 joy of the heart of his old people, that God hath, by the 
 most certain revelation, given them absolute certainty, 
 that through faith in his Son Christ Jesus, all of them may 
 be "justified from all things, from*which they could not 
 be justified by the law of Moses."t 
 
 Another advantage which Christianity hath over both 
 the law of Nature and of Moses, is, that Christians are 
 delivered from the obligation of perfect obedience, and 
 are put under the mild law of Grace and Mercy, by which 
 not only penitence is accepted instead of innocence ; but 
 their earnest endeavours after holiness are graciously re- 
 ceived, instead of that holiness which is without fault. 
 
 A third advantage which Christians have over all other 
 people is, the gift and constant presence of the Holy Spi- 
 rit of God with them; not only in those influences which 
 are common to all men, which are the consequences of 
 the word of God to Adam, The seed oj the woman shall 
 bruise the head of the serpent, and which, I suppose, ouglit 
 to be meant by the phrases, common grace and preventing 
 grace: but as the Holy Spirit is the gift of the Almighty 
 Father, through Christ, to the Cliurch ; to be its com- 
 forter, governor, and sanctifier, in the sense in which he 
 
 * Deut, xxv'd. 26. f Acts xili. 29. 
 
198 No Respect of Persons tvith God, 
 
 is said in (he Catechism to be the sanciifier of all the elect 
 people of God; that is, of all the faithful members of 
 Christ's Church. The office of the Holy Spirit is to pre- 
 serve them in faith, to support them in temptations, and 
 to conduct them in holy living, that they may become fit 
 for the heavenly kingdom of God. 
 
 A fourth advantage which Christians enjoy is, the cer- 
 tainty of the revelation which God hath made to them by 
 iiis Son, and the precision v.'ith which the conditions of 
 eternal life with him after the resurrection, are expressed. 
 Thereby all the doubts concerning a future life, and ac- 
 ceptance with God, which perplexed tne Gentile world, 
 are removed : The prospect of eternity, and the means of 
 obtaining happiness in it are fully laid open. 
 
 A fifth advantage which Christians ei:joy is, that as they 
 are freed from the doubts and uncertamties of Gentilism, 
 or the law of Nature ; so they are delivered from the bur- 
 den of the law of the Jews. Its fiumerous and inconven- 
 ient rites, and ceremonies, and purifications, together with 
 its expensive sacrifices, being all fulfilled and taken away 
 by the obedience and death of Christ in our nature. The 
 painful Sacrament of initiation into the covenant made 
 with Abraham having given place to the institution of Bap- 
 tism, the mild Sacrament of initiation into the Church of 
 Christ, which is* his mystical Body. By Baptism, they 
 who come worthily to it, are, through the operation of 
 the Holy Ghost, washed from all past sin, original and 
 actual; and being thereby regenerated and made mem- 
 bers of Christ, are sanctified, body and soul, to be the 
 temples of the Holy Ghost ; who, according to the opin- 
 ion of the primitive Christians, in Confirmation, which 
 they considered as the completion of Baptism, took pos- 
 session of bis temple cleansed from the defilements of sin, 
 to dwell in it, to preserve its purity, to build it up in ho- 
 liness, and fit it to be a vessel of honour in the temple of 
 the great High Priest in heaven forever. 
 
 In the room of the Paschal Lamb, and of the other sa- 
 crifices of the Mosaic law, Christ hath ordained the Holy- 
 Eucharist, the commemorative sacrifice of his own ofTer- 
 
No Respect of Persons with God, J 99 
 
 ing up of himself to God for us, and of his consequent 
 sufferings and death for our redemption. And we believe, 
 that when»\ve make this memorial of his offering and deaths 
 according to his will, before the Almighty Father, plead- 
 ing his merit and intercession, we do obtain all the bene- 
 fits of his passion and death — remission of sins, renewed 
 influences of the Holy Spirit, sanctification of our per- 
 sons, the principle of reviviscence or of a glorious resur- 
 rection from the grave, tl.'e assurance of a happy acquittal 
 in the day of judgment, and of a triumphant entrance with 
 him into his own eternal kingdom. 
 
 These, in few words, are the advantages which Chris- 
 tians enjoy over other people, whether Jews or Gentiles. 
 To the participation of these blessings the holy apostle 
 invited all men of all countries and nations, endeavouring 
 to prevail on them to receive the gospel, and become fel- 
 low-heirs with Christians of all its promises and blessings. 
 But none of these advantages, or privileges, or promises 
 give a Christian any indulgence to live wickedly ; or, if 
 he do, and die without repentance, any hope that he shall 
 escape the sentence of God's condemnation ; who, being 
 " no respecter of persons, will render to every man," whe- 
 ther Gentile, Jew, or Christian, " according to his deeds." 
 
 While it is true, that " without holiness no man shall 
 ^ee the Lord ;" it must also be true, that no wicked per- 
 son can enter into heaven. The reason is, God is holy ; 
 and it will be hard to show, that the impurity of a wicked 
 Christian is not as contrary to the holy nature of God, as 
 ihe impurity of a wicked Gentile or Jew. 
 
 Therefore it is, that Christianity calls all its professors 
 to the mortification of their sensual lusts and unruly pas- 
 sions; to the denial of ungodliness and w^orldly lusts; to 
 the rejection of all injustice, and deceit, and violence, 
 and envy, and malice, and hatred. All this was dictated 
 to the Gentile by his reason and conscience, the law writ- 
 ten in his heart ; and all this was declared to the Jew by 
 the \G\y rite of initiation into the covenant made with 
 Abraham. To this rite Christ submitted, not only that he 
 might be obedient to the law for man ; but also tliat he 
 
200 No Respect of Persons with God. 
 
 might teach us the true circumcision of the heart; that all 
 our members being mortified from all worldly and carnal 
 lusts, we may in all things obey God's blessed will. This 
 is the true Christian sanctification ; and to produce it in us 
 is the office of the Holy Ghost. The great purpose for 
 which he is given to the Church being the sanctification of 
 its members, that under his gracious and holy inspiration, 
 they may truly and acceptably serve God, in holiness and 
 righteousness before him, all the days of their life. 
 
 In this way we become partakers of the righteousness 
 of Christ : Not by an outward imputation of his righteous- 
 ness, but by having the Spiiit of God — the Spirit of Ho- 
 liness — ^the same Spirit which dwelt in Christ without 
 measure, dwelling and operating in us according to the 
 measure of the gift of Christ.'^'' And remember, this same 
 apostle hath said, " If any man have not the Spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his :" And also, "As many as are 
 led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God," 
 
 * Eph. iv. 7. 
 
DISCOURSE XV. 
 
 THE CHILDREN OF WISDOM, 
 
 Matt. xi. 19. 
 JBvi wisdom is justified of her children. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE occasion of the text was our SaTiour's feproving 
 tlie wicked perverseness of his countrymen, in rc^jecting 
 both his ministry and that of his fore-runner the holy Bap- 
 tist: So th;it for the same reason they rejected John, they 
 oufijht to have received him ; or else, on the same orround 
 they rejected him, they ought to have received John. The 
 manner in which he expressed his censure was drawn from 
 the common custom of his country, with which his audi- 
 ence was well acquainted, and which tney could easily 
 apply. 
 
 In the time of our Saviour, it was common for the Jews 
 to heio;hten the festivity of weddings with music, particu- 
 larly with the pipe, to which the company danced in cho-* 
 rus. Music was also introduced at their funerals; and 
 more particularly the mournful modulation of the voices 
 of elderly women hired for the purpose, who began and 
 increased the h mentation hy repeating in melancholy ac- 
 cents, Alas, my brother ! Ah, his glory ! Of this vve have 
 an instance in the house of Jaims, at the death of his 
 daughter. When Jesus came into his house, he found 
 ** the minstrels and the people making a noise"*^-^the mu- 
 sicians and mourners lamenting her death. 
 
 These practices the children imitated in their play in the 
 markets. To them Christ compares the Jews of his time. 
 The complaint of the children was the want of a suitable 
 return frorp their companions. They would neither join 
 
 • Matt. ix. 23. 
 
 roL. 11. B b 
 
202 The Children of Wisdom. 
 
 them in representing the merry festivit}' of a wedding, nor 
 the mournful sadness of a funeral. Un!=;vOcial and morose, 
 they would be pleased with neither: " We have piped to 
 you" according to tlie custom of weddings, " and ye have 
 not danced;" " We have mourned to you,'* as is done at 
 funerals, " and .ye have not lamented." Compare this 
 complaint of the children witii the conduct of the Scribes 
 and Pharisees — the great and the learned among the Jews, 
 and the justness of the representation will readily appear. 
 
 The holy Baptist came, with all the austere and morti- 
 fied appearance of Elias, to proclaim the approach of Mes- 
 siah, and to prepare the way for his appearance. His ed- 
 ucation had been in the desert. His food was locusts and 
 wild honey. His clothing a rough garment of camels hair, 
 tied about him with a girdle of common leather. His 
 preaching was repentance, or conversion to God, and a 
 ready disposition to receive the promised Messiah, the 
 Messenger, or Angel of the new covenant which God 
 would make with his people in the latter day.^ JNotwith- 
 standing the austerity of his life, the gravity of his man- 
 ners, the solemnity of his preaching, the purity of his 
 character ; the Scribes and Pharisees not only rejected him, 
 but reviled him as a demoniac — one possessed by the de- 
 vil, or a melancholy madman. By these slanders they so 
 effectually took off the impression he had made on the 
 common people, that Herod first imprisoned him for re- 
 proving his vicious life ; and then, at the instigation of a 
 wicked woman, cut off his head, without causing even a 
 murmur of disapprobation that we know of. 
 
 Though lie mourned to them on account of their sins 
 and evil deeds, and, hy his life and preaching, called them 
 to repentance and amendment, that they might escape the 
 wrath of God which was to burn as an oven, and to con- 
 sume all the projKl. and all who do wickedly,! tliey la- 
 iwented not ; neither did they repent nor turn from their 
 wickedness, till the vengeance of God like an overflowing 
 flood came upon them, and swept them away from the land 
 which they had defiled with the foulest crimes. 
 
 • MaUchi iii. 1. Jerem. xxxu 31, &c. f Malachi W. 1. 
 
 n 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 203 
 
 The blessed Saviour came not as John had done. No 
 visible marks of mortification noted his appearance. He 
 had been brought up among men, and had been used to 
 converse with them. He ate and drank the common food, 
 and partook of entertainments provided for him, even of 
 those where, according to custom, mirth and festivity 
 were to be expected. He, too, called men to repentance 
 and amendment of life. He, too, proclaimed the quick 
 approach of tiie kingdom of God, and invited men into it. 
 They who had reviled John as a madman, would surely 
 regard the preaching of Jesus, whom no disgustful auster- 
 ities rendered disagreeable to them. But, no : John was 
 a madman, who had lost his senses by melancholy, or by 
 diabolical possession ; and Jesus was a glutton and a drun- 
 kard, the friend and companion of publicans and sinners; 
 and his preaching was to them just what the pipe of the 
 children in the markets, was to their churlish companions. 
 
 Folly, not wisdom gave rise to this conduct. If the re- 
 servedness and mortification of John offended them, why 
 be ofTended also at the more easy conduct and conversa- 
 tion of Jesus ? Or if the free intercourse of the holy Je- 
 sus, and his living, in all appearance as others lived, was 
 thought to partake too much of the world, and approach 
 too near to levity, why censure the more reserved conduct 
 of the pious Baptist ? They both preached the same doc- 
 trine. They both declared the near approach of the king- 
 dom of God, and called men to repentance that they might 
 be worthy members of it, and thereby escape the ven- 
 geance of God, which both declared would overtake and 
 destroy the obstinate and impenitent sinners. The one 
 passed his life in rigid abstinence and mortification. The 
 other lived according to the common mode. The one 
 both fasted himself, and taught ?his disciples to fast also. 
 The other fasted not, so far as we know, except at the 
 season of his temptation ; but declared it improper for his 
 disciples to fast, while he was with them in the world. 
 His devotions also were as private as possible : On these 
 occasions he withdrew himself from all observation, even 
 from the company of his constant attendants. Why now 
 
204 The Children of Wisdom. 
 
 sbould both be censured ? Where is the wisdom or pro- 
 priety of find?no[ fault with one, for not pursuing that con- 
 duct which they condemned in the other? 
 
 Tiiis is the lisjht in which Christ hath set that generation 
 among which he lived. *^John," said he, " came neither 
 f?ating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The 
 Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Be- 
 hold, a man gluttonous and a wine bibber, a friend of 
 publicans and sinners : But wisdom is justified of her 
 children." 
 
 By wisdom, in the Scripture^ is meant that heavenly 
 quality and disposition which the apostle saith is " from 
 above," and is " pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be en- 
 treated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality," 
 or wrangling, " and without hypocrisy;" which David 
 notes as arising from the " fear of the Lord,'* and which 
 Solomon celebrates as being of more excellent value than 
 all the riches, and honours, and pleasures of the world. 
 In most places, it seems to be another name for divine 
 knowledge and religion according to the revelation of 
 God, and of those tempers and dispositions which flow 
 from it. By this revelation we are instructed in the will 
 of God, and in cur duty to him and to one another. So 
 that to believe what God saith, and do what he command- 
 eth in the revelation of his will to us, is our wisdom — the 
 highest wisdom we can possess, seeing it will make us wise 
 unto salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.^ 
 
 Wisdom, then, in the sense of the text, is to believe 
 what God hath revealed, and to do what God hath com- 
 manded. Earnestly to seek this knowledge, and to labour 
 sincerely to do what it directs, is to be the child of wis- 
 dom: And of her children — of those who seek to know 
 the will of God and to do it — wisdom will be justified, 
 that is, approved and vindicated from slander and misre- 
 presentation. 
 
 The meaning of the text is, therefore, this: In condemn- 
 ing both Jesus and John, the latter for his austerity and 
 mortification ; the former for his more free and social life ; 
 
 * 2 Tim. iii. 15. 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 205 
 
 •callinor the one a madman, the other a glutton ; the Scribes 
 and Pharisees showed Iheir folly, not their wisdom. The 
 children of wisdom, who study to live in the knowledge 
 and obedi* nee of God, the only wisdom which is worth 
 seekino, will see, and will justify the propriety of the con- 
 duct of both. They will see that the ^lory of God and 
 the good of men were truly sought and promoted by 
 both : That though the Scribes and Pharisees reviled both 
 for their manner of living, yet they who sought to know 
 and obey the will of God applauded their conduct, know- 
 ing that it proceeded from a hearty desire to promote the 
 glory of God, by promoting the happiness of his crea- 
 tures. 
 
 We see, then, both the ground and the severity of our 
 Saviour's censure, and let us avoid them. Many will rea- 
 dily join in condemning the conduct of the Scribes and 
 Pharisees, and yet will too often imitate them. That we 
 may not tread in their steps, we must avoid their princi- 
 ples. Let us, then, reflect on the subject that is before us, 
 that w'e may guard ourselves against error, and remain the 
 children of that wisdom which has God for its object, and 
 is taught only in his school. 
 
 The great obstructions to receiving religious truth when 
 it is fairly presented to us, are prejudice, party, miscon- 
 struction of Holy Scripture, and wickedness of heart, or 
 the love of sin. 
 
 Prejudice most commonly arises from education and 
 habit. Opinions in which we have grown up, which we 
 have long believed, and on which we have repeatedly act- 
 ed, engage our affections, and hold our judgments in such 
 subjection, that it is with difficulty we free ourselves from 
 it. It is not my business to account for the rise or strength 
 of prejudice ; but only to point out its influence on the 
 Scribes and Pharisees, in the time of our Saviour. 
 
 These people had beerf educated m a strict attention to 
 the law of Moses, and to the traditions of tlieir Elders. 
 They believed both to be of divine authority, and of equal 
 obligation, and w ould not bear to see the least deviation 
 from them ; or, more properly, from their construction of 
 
206 The Children of Wisdom. 
 
 them. Whatever tended to depreciate their character, or* 
 lessen their influence, excited their resentment. Hence 
 proceeded their accusation aii;ainst Christ, as one who dis- 
 regarded the Sabbath, because he hesitated not to heal the 
 sick on that day. Hence their complaint, that he neglect- 
 ed the traditions of the Elders, because he and his disci- 
 ples washed not their hands before they ate, and fasted 
 Dot as the Elders had directed. Hence it came, that the 
 instructions and reproofs of Christ had so little effect on 
 them. Their prejudices had closed their ears and harden- 
 ed their hearts against him, and instigated them to put un- 
 natural and malicious constructions on all he said aiid did. 
 He taught the typical meaning and temporary continuance 
 of their law — that it should all be fulfilled and pass away ; 
 and they thought him a blasphemer. He taught the ne- 
 cessity of purity of heart, and holiness of life, and called 
 them to repentance and amendment: They thought them- 
 selves pure and holy through the external observance of 
 their law and traditions, and looking on him as a depraver 
 of both, they disregarded all his admonitions. 
 
 If we find similar prejudices prevailing in our own time 
 — if we see Christians in bondage to religious errors which 
 education hath begun, and habit confirmed ; let us not be 
 surprised at it. Human nature is the same in all ages and 
 countries: Education and habit make nearly all the differ- 
 ence. Under the same circumstances, it will act in much 
 the same manner. Our duty is with patience and meek- 
 ness to set the truth before them, as clearly as we can, and 
 in a manner the most likely to engage their attention. 
 Their will and affections we cannot command ; but to our 
 efforts we can join our prayers to God for them, that he 
 would pour the light of diVine truth on their minds, and 
 enable them to break the bonds of those prejudices by 
 which they are held in subjection. 
 
 The next cause of error in religion is a party spirit. 
 Whether this be a particular kind of prejudice or not, is 
 not necessary for me to discuss : Its baneful influence on 
 the mind is full as bad, if not worse than that of the pre- 
 judice of education, as it more directly leads to persecu- 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 207 
 
 tion and violence. The sect of the Pharisees, in the time 
 of our Saviour, had become numerous, and formed a 
 strong party. Their great pretensions to holiness, and 
 their exact obedience to the law and to the traditions of 
 the Elders, gave them a high character with the people. 
 Though full of pride, and hypocrisy, and oppression, 
 such was their opinion of their own sanctity that they se- 
 parated themselves from all familiar intercourse with other 
 people, and thought themselves defiled by eating with, or 
 even touching those whom they called sinners. 
 
 Their pride, and hypocrisy, and oppression were expo- 
 sed and severely censured by the Baptist and by Christ. 
 The resentment of the whole party was excited. It be- 
 came necessary to support their character and consequence. 
 This could be done only by lessening the influence which 
 the preaching and conduct of Jesus and of John had on 
 the people. To accomplish this purpose they exerted 
 their utmost efforts. 
 
 John came, as hath been observed, in the spirit and 
 power of Elias, with all the abstinence, self-denial, and 
 mortification which had distinguished the old Prophet. 
 His example was as iUustrious, his preaching as powerful, 
 and as much tending to the reformation of his countrymen, 
 as the ministry of Elias had been. Had they compared 
 him with the character which their Prophets had given of 
 the fore-runner of Messiah, they must have perceived John 
 to be that Elijah whom God had promised to them : '' Be- 
 hold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet, before the com- 
 ing of the great and dreadful day of the Lord : And he 
 stall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the 
 heart of the children to the fathers; lest I come and smite 
 the earth with a curse.''^ But then they must have be- 
 come his disciples; and by establishing his character, have 
 destroyed their own influence with the people. They 
 therefore cut the matter short ; and in the true spirit of 
 party, pronounced John a lunatic, a demoniac, a fanci- 
 ful madman, though he sustained the very character which 
 their old Prophets had given of him. Then all was well 
 
 * MalAchi iv. 5, 6. 
 
208 The Children of Wisdom. 
 
 — their conscience was al ease, Iheir character supporled^ 
 and their importance est:abli3hed : For who is obliged to 
 regard the reveries of a lunatic, or copy the extravagan- 
 cies of a demoniac, or listen to the harangues of a mad-^ 
 man, be his appearance and pretensions whatever they 
 may. 
 
 The free and social converse of the holy Jesus gave 
 them full opportunity to fasten the misrepresentation of 
 malice on him. He mingled in all companies where he 
 could do good, and conversed with all persons who were 
 willing to be instructed by him. His miracles were of the 
 most beneficent kind, and freely wrought on all wlio were 
 disposed to be benefited by them. Instead of comparing 
 his character, and conduct, and miracles with what their 
 law^ prefigured, and their Prophets had foretold concern- 
 ing Messiah ; they did to him what they had done with 
 regard to John, only flying to the other extreme : " Why 
 should we regard this man? or mind what he says ? God 
 cannot be with him. He loves wine, and good eating. 
 He is the friend of sinners; the companion of the vilest 
 and most abandoned people, whom our wise and good 
 men will not touch, much less eat and drink with them. 
 He observes not the traditions of our Elders ; never fasts, 
 nor washes his hands before he eats. ]\aj more ; he re- 
 gards not the Sabbath, but on that solemn day hath pre- 
 sumed to give sight to a man who w^as born blind, by tem- 
 pering clay and spreading it on his eyes." Hereby the 
 same effect was produced which followed the calumnies 
 cast on the holy Baptist. Their conscience remained un- 
 disturbed, and an ostentatious character of goodness and 
 holiness was established : No one can be under obligations 
 to hear the discourses, or believe the tales, or imitate the 
 example of a glutton, a drunkard, and a profaner of the 
 Sabbath. 
 
 It may not be amiss to observe, that at the beginning 
 of the ministry of John, his mortified appearance, and 
 the necessity of repentance which he preached, made a 
 strong impression on the people. They generally repair- 
 ed to him from Jerusalem and Judea, and the region round 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 209 
 
 about Jordan, and were baptised of him in Joidan, con* 
 fessing their sins. " All men mused in their hearts of John, 
 whether he were the Christ, or not." The Jews sent 
 Priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask hi(n, " who art 
 thou ?" Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees presented 
 themselves to his baptism.^ But when they found that he 
 sharply and openly reproved their hypocrisy and wicked- 
 ness, the Pharisees and Rulers of the people set themselves 
 against him, and endeavoured all that was in their power, 
 to draw the attention of the people from him. " The 
 Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against 
 themselves, being not baptised of him :"t That is, by 
 rejecting John, they frustrated the purpose of God, which 
 was, by his ministry, to bring them to repentance. 
 
 Nor did the holy Jesus fare better* His meek and inof- 
 fensive behaviour, his benevolent miracles, aiid the gra- 
 cious words which proceeded out of his mouth, induced 
 great multitudes to follow him, from Galilee, and Deca- 
 polis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond Jordan, 
 Often times did they declare him to be the Christ— that 
 Prophet that should come into the world. So high had his 
 reputation risen at one time, that they intended to come 
 and take him by force and make him a king. No decided 
 opposition against him from the Pharisees and great men 
 appeared, till his reproofs of their wickedness and per- 
 version of God's Law convinced them, they were to ex^ 
 pect no support to their party from him. And probably 
 had Jesus and .Tohn become Pharisees, they would have 
 escaped all the hard names and reproachful treatment they 
 received from them, however well they might have de- 
 served them. 
 
 The next obstruction to the receiving of religious truth 
 "when it is fairly proposed to us, is, the misconstruction of 
 Scripture. Whether this arise from design, from igno- 
 rance, from education, it has nearly the same ill effect* 
 It shuts up all the avenues of instruction, and hardens the 
 heart against it. Neither reason nor argument can hav© 
 
 » Matt. iii. 5, 6, 7, Luke iii. 15. Johu i. 19. t Luke fii. 8^. 
 
 VOL. II. C C 
 
210 The Children of Wisdom. 
 
 any effect; fhe aulhorily of God, or what is pleaded as 
 such, is urj2:ed against them. Had the Pharisees and Jew- 
 ish rulers fairly compared the character? of John and of 
 Jesus with the declarations of their own Scriptures ; they 
 must have perceived that the first was Elijah, who was to 
 come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord — 
 " the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye 
 the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;" and that 
 the latter was Messiah, whom their Prophets had foretold 
 and celebrated ; whom their Law had prefigured and point- 
 ed out; and whom God had promised to send, to be the 
 Deliverer and Saviour of his people. Unhappily, they 
 looked on their law and religious ceconomy as being per- 
 fect and complete, the centre of v.^isdom and truth ; not 
 as bearing relation to, and prefiguring a future dispensa- 
 tion, which was to be really perfect and the truth, and by 
 which their law was to be fulfilled and superseded. 
 
 From Messiah they looked not for this new dispensa- 
 tion which thei'/ Prophets had foretold, which was to be 
 the completion of tlieir law, to deliver them from the guilt 
 and power of sin, through faith in his atonement and in- 
 tercession, and to enable them to serve God in newness of 
 life by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit : But they look- 
 ed for temporal deliverance from the Romans, and from 
 all their enemies, for victory and dominion over them, 
 and probably for the conversion of the whole world to 
 their religion and polity. So powerful was this error ari- 
 sing from the misconstruction of Scripture, that the preach- 
 ing and baptism of John ; the miracles^ parables, and in- 
 structions of Jesus; the examples, admonitions, and 
 threats of both were too little to correct it : Instead of 
 convincing and reclaiming, they served only to irritate and 
 provoke them. 
 
 The last obstacle to the reception of rel^ious truth 
 which I sliall mention, is wickedness of heart, or the love 
 of sin : Severe is the censure of the wicked in the fiftieth 
 Psalm: " Unto the wicked God saitb, what hast thou to 
 do to declare rriy statutes, and that thou shouldest take 
 my coveBaixt in thy mouth ; seeing thou hatest instruction. 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 21 1 
 
 and hast cast my words behind Ihee.'* This could proceed 
 from nolhinof but the vilest hypocrisy — a love of sin, and 
 a desire to support a fair and religious reputation in the 
 practice of it. No character can be more odious. To 
 great. wickedness it adds fi:reat meanness — the practice of 
 vices which it dares not avow, and the abominable suppo- 
 sition that God may be ignorant of the state of the heart 
 and deceived by a fair outside, as well as man. 
 
 Bad as this characier is*, it seems exactly to belong to 
 those revilers of Ctjrist, against whom the sharp reproof 
 of the text is directed ; and jubtifies the opinion of the old 
 Rabbies, that this Psalm is a prophetic declaration of the 
 Judgment which was to be executed in the days of Messiah. 
 Strangely did the Scribes and Pharisees make good the 
 character the Psalmist drew of them : They declared 
 God's statutes, and professed to walk in them : They took 
 his covenant in their mouths, and pretended it governed 
 their hearts : But they hated instruction, and cast all God's 
 calls to repentance and amendment behind them. So te- 
 nacious of the sanctity of the Sabbath, that they could 
 not bear the most beneficent miracles should, on that day, 
 be wrought on the sick ; and yet they neglected judgment, 
 and justice, and mercy. The strictest intercourse with 
 heaven has ever been supposed to be maintained by pray- 
 er: they therefore made long prayers; and that they 
 might be observed, they prayed in the corners and turn- 
 ings of the streets : And yet on every occasion they rapa- 
 ciously seized the substance of the widow. 
 
 Suppose these people had been the children of w isdom, 
 had honestly sought to know the will of God that they 
 might do it, and had fallen into mistakes through igno- 
 rance, and weakness of understanding, without any per- 
 versity of heart : Can we also suppose they would not 
 have perceived that John was Elijah, whom Malachi had 
 foretold? and Jesus, Messiah, whom their Law and Pro- 
 phets had pointed out and promised ? that they would not 
 have seen and adored the wisdom and mercy of his dis- 
 pensations to them, all whose works are wisdom, and mer- 
 cy, and truth to them who devoutly contemplate, and 
 
U12 The Cliildren of Wisdom. 
 
 strive earnestly to live according to them ? Could thej 
 have heard those divine messengers call all men to repen- 
 tance, because the kingdom of heaven was at hand ? be- 
 cause the axe was then to be laid to the trees, and every 
 tree which did not bring forth good fruit was to be hewn 
 down and cast into the fire? because Messiah was come, 
 who, like the fuller's soap, and the refiner's fire, should 
 purify the sons of Levi, and refine the penitent from the 
 defilement of sin ; but should burn the proud and all who 
 do wickedly as stubble in an oven, and tread them down 
 like ashes under his feet ? with the winnowers fan in his 
 hand, to separate the wheat of his floor from the chaff; 
 the former for his granary, the latter for the fire ? But 
 they were not the children of wisdom, therefore they re- 
 garded not. They loved their pride, and covetousness, 
 and oppression, and liypocrisy, and they would not part 
 from them : Therefore they rejected both John and Christ, 
 and the judgments of God came on them to their utter 
 destruction. 
 
 To represent the perverseness and wickedness of the 
 Scribes and Pharisees, unless we make them conducive to 
 our own instruction, can answer no good purpose* To 
 point out a similarity of corrupt principles and evil man- 
 ners in the present age ; to show that the same prejudices, 
 party spirit, misinterpretation or perversion of Scripture, 
 hypocrisy and love of sin which blinded and hardened 
 them, prevail still, act with as much force, and produce 
 equal effects, could afford no advantage, unless it lead us 
 to consider and correct our own errors and vices. To see 
 men blinded by the prejudices of education, bewildered 
 in the misconstruction of Scripture, sunk in hypocrisy 
 and the love of sin, so that they can neither perceive nor 
 follow the truth, must be a subject of grief and mortifica- 
 tion to every well informed and pious Christian, and will 
 call for his earnest prayers to God for his grace and mercy 
 upon them : It will call for more — for his good example, 
 and patient and friendly instruction. It will call for the 
 examination of his own principles and temper, lest these 
 evil qualities lurk at the bottom, taint his principles, or 
 vitiate his practice. 
 
The Children of Wisdom. 213 
 
 Let us, therefore, remember, that " wisdom is justified 
 of her children :" That the knowledge of the will of 
 God and otedience to it, is wisdom : That to study hon- 
 estly the will of God, and to strive faithfully to obey it, is 
 to be the child of wisdom. The will of God, as far as our 
 salvation is concerned, is made known to us in the Scrip- 
 tures. The study of the Scriptures is, therefore, the study 
 of wisdom. To this study we must bring the candid teach- 
 able disposition of children, because we are God's schol- 
 ars, and he our master. His book is to us the fountain of 
 that heavenly wisdom which will make us " wise unto 
 salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Preju- 
 dice, party-spirit, love of our lusts and vices, must, as 
 far as possible, be laid aside. They blind the mind, they 
 warp the understanding, they harden the heart against the 
 convictions of truth. Under their influence, we shall pro- 
 bably fall into such constructions of Scripture as comport 
 with our pre-conceived opinions, or with the peculiar sen- 
 timents of our party, or with the practice of our favour- 
 ite vice. So shall we pick out error even from the words 
 of truth ; and make the revelation of God, which is in- 
 tended for our guide unto life, minister to our greater con- 
 demnation. 
 
 Let, therefore, a sincere desire to know the will of God 
 that you may do it, a candid mind disposed fairly to un- 
 derstand what you read, and a willing disposition to part 
 with every sentiment and practice which you there find 
 condemned, make the temper with which you study the 
 Bible. Add to this your constant and fervent prayers to 
 Almighty God, the author of every good and perfect gift, 
 for the light and grace of his Holy Spirit, that you may 
 perceive and know the things which you ought to believe 
 and do, and may have strength and power faithfully to 
 fulfil the same. Then shall you live free from all dange- 
 rous error in this world, and finally obtain the hope of 
 your calling, eternal life with God in the world to come, 
 through the Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
DISCOURSE XVL 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RA.CE. 
 
 Heb. xii. 1, 2. 
 
 Whereforey seeing we also are compassed about with so great 
 a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weighty and 
 the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with 
 patience the race that is set before us, lookins; unto Jesus 
 the author and finisher of our faith ; who for the joy 
 that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the 
 shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne 
 of God. 
 
 XN the preceding chapter, the apostle had enumerated 
 many instances of the efficacy of divine faith in the Patri- 
 archs and Prophets, both before and after the flood ; and 
 had proved that they overcame all temptations and diffi- 
 culties, supported by that stedfast faith and trust in Al-* 
 mighty God, to which all Christians are called. The text 
 is the inference he hath drawn from his discourse in that 
 chapter-— that since Christians are called to the profession 
 of the same faith which animated those eminent saints of 
 God, and have, in them, so many witnesses attesting its 
 great power and efficacy ; they ought to be discouraged 
 by no obstacles, but with patience and resolution, fulfil 
 the duties of that holy religion to the belief of which 
 God's providence had called them : And that, for support 
 and encouragement in their duty, they ought to look to 
 the example of the holy Jesus, the autiior and finisher of 
 their faith, who, in prospect of the joy that was set be- 
 fore him, endured the pain, and despised the shame of the 
 cross ; and, as a reward of his sufferings, is, in his human 
 nature, exalted to power and glory at the right hand of 
 God ; therefore, in conformity to him, they ought patient- 
 
216 The Christian Raci. 
 
 \y to suffer as he did, that they may be also glorified io 
 get her with him.* 
 
 'fhis is the lesson taught by the apostle in the text. And 
 certainly a more eflfectual method of impressing his doc- 
 trine on the minds of Christian people couid not have 
 been taken, than to show ihem, by instances and facts, 
 what that same principle, under which they profess to act, 
 had already been able to accoinplish. The same princi- 
 ple, under the same circumstances, will produce the same 
 effects. It must, therefore, be the particular fault of par- 
 ticular Christians, if their faith does not adv.mce them to 
 the same height of virtue and holiness which the old Patri- 
 archs and Prophets attained, under its influence. 
 
 Faith is such a belief of the declarations of God, whe- 
 ther they contain inslructions, commands, threats, or pro- 
 mises, as carries the will, and affections, and actions into 
 obedience to what is declared. This faith is called divine, 
 because it proceeds from the operation of the Spirit of 
 God, and because it has God for its object, being founded 
 on his authority. As the object of the Christian's faith 
 cannot change, ils effects will always be in proportion to 
 its strength. In other words, our attainments in holiness, 
 or obedience to God, will always be in proportion to the 
 strength of our faith, or belief of what God hath revealed. 
 
 When, therefore, w^e see the present professors of Chris- 
 tianity generally fall short of that virtue and holiness to 
 which the first Christians attained, we ought not to think 
 that their religion is becon^e, through length of time, that' 
 vain, powerless, ineffectual thing, which the lives of many 
 Christians might tempt us to suppose it. The revelations 
 of God cannot be less true, because they were made ma- 
 ny centuries ago. But the present Christians want that 
 firm faith in the principles of their religion which advan- 
 ced the first Christians to that eminency of virtue, for 
 which they are so justly celebrated. 
 
 They to whom the Apostle wrote, were by him suppo- 
 sed to have been possessed of that faith which the Gospel 
 requires; and he directs them to remove all impediments 
 
 * Rom. Tlii. 17- 
 
The Christian Race. 217 
 
 which might hinder its free and full operation. We, also, 
 by the good providence of God, profess to have that faltU 
 which his Gospel requires. Let us, then, attend to the 
 directions which he gave to the Hebrew Christians; that, 
 all obstructions being taken out of its way, it may, by 
 God's grace, increase in strength, and become perfect in 
 obedience to the will of God. 
 
 I. The first direction in the text is, that we ■ ' lay aside 
 every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." 
 
 The Christian life is frequently represented to us in the 
 Scriptures, by those things whlcli require the greatest ex- 
 ertions of bodily strength, and exactest attention of mind ; 
 by a state of war, by a combat, by wrestling, &;c» and, in 
 the text, by a race. It is common for those who run in a 
 race, to divest themselves of every thing which may add 
 to their weight, or may hinder their speed. This prudent 
 conduct, St. Paul recommends to Christians. The race 
 they are called to run is the Christian life, a life of self- 
 denial and holiness: The prize they hope to obtain, u 
 eternal life with God their Creator. Certainly, to obtain 
 this prize, they must live in that Siate of holy obedience 
 to God, which he hath promised to accept through the 
 mediation of his son. They must repress every temper, 
 and passion, and appetite, and forbear every action which 
 can hinder their progress in this divine life, or be to them, 
 like a weight to him that runneth in a race. 
 
 Christ hath called his disciples to the renunciation of ev- 
 ery worldly advantage, of every temporal consideration, 
 which shall come in competition with their duty, or divert 
 them from that holy life which his Gospel requires : Nor 
 father, nor mother, nor wife, nor children, nor any world- 
 ly possessions are to be preferred before him. He declares 
 it even better to part with a hand, or an eye, or this tem- 
 poral life itself, than by complying with evil lusts and vi- 
 cious pleasures, to render ourselves unworthy of the 
 kingdom of Heaven. 
 
 TThe general rules and cautions of Scripture must, by 
 particular Christians, be accommodated to their own sJate 
 and circumstances. The various occupations of life, dif- 
 
 VOL. II, D d 
 
218 The ChrUian Face. 
 
 ferent tempers and disposillons subject particular people 
 to temptations from which others are in a great measure 
 exempt, and which prove great obstructions to a life of 
 holiness. What in the text is called a weis^hty may, there- 
 fore, be different in different people, and in the different 
 stations and situations of life. It means, in general, what- 
 ever checks in us the increase of holiness, or diverts us 
 from caring for the one thing needful, or weakens our 
 faith and trust in God. 
 
 There is, however, one disposition so generally preva- 
 lent, which so entirely checks all advances in holiness and 
 obedience to God, that it would be too great an omission 
 to pass it over without notice : It is that eager desire of 
 worldly wealth, from which but few appear to be free. 
 No disposition is more severely censured in Scripture, than 
 that of covetousness : It is branded as idolatry : God is 
 said to abhor the covetous man : It is ranked with hea- 
 thenish vices, and the impure lusts of the flesh.* 
 
 We are apt to suppose ourselves free from covetous- 
 ness, if we have a disposition to expend the wealth which 
 we acquire. Attentive observation, however, would soon 
 convince us, that prodigality and covetousness do some- 
 times live and reign very lovingly together. What dif- 
 ference does it make in thp lust of acquiring wealth, whe- 
 ther we consume it in sensual pleasure, in attracting the 
 notice of others by grandeur, luxurious living, delicate 
 dissipation ; or hoard it up in a chest ? In either case, the 
 proper use of wealth is perverted, and more mischief than 
 good is done with it. The spirit and precepts of our holy 
 religion teach us, that beyond providing the necessaries 
 and decencies of life, according to the station in which 
 God's providence hath placed us, our wealth is not pro- 
 perly our own ; but is a treasure which God hath placed 
 in our hands for the relief of the necessitous, and ought 
 to be expended in works of benevolence and mercy. 
 
 Nor will this seem strange, if we consider, that the evil 
 consequences arising from w^ealth are more certain, and 
 probably greater than from any other state of life. Rich- 
 
 •:C©l.»i. 5. Psalm X. 3. Rom. i. 29. 
 
The Christian llact. 2 1 9 
 
 es seldom fail to have the same effect on others, which 
 they had on the man in the gospel ; they tempt the heart 
 to think that it halh " much ^oods laid np for many years," 
 and that the wisest course is to "eat, drink, and be mer- 
 ry;"*' to live at ease, regardless of any world but this. 
 For when the desires are engaged in the pursuit of plea- 
 sure, and in the love of wealth as the means of obtaining 
 pleasure; all endeavours, every wish to obtain heave /'y 
 happiness will be extinct in it. For this reason, St. Paul 
 said of one sex, what is equally true of both, that " 5 he 
 that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth."t Not 
 dead to the sensibility of pleasure; for that she hath a 
 quick and keen relish ; and, by gratifying and indulging 
 it, she hath extinguished the divine life, and is dead to 
 God, and to all holy desires. The love of sensual plea- 
 sure will quench all thirst of heavenly happiness, and the 
 delicate indulgence of the body will nourish and strength- 
 en those appetites which hang as a weight on the soul, 
 when it attempts to rise out of the vanities of time, and 
 aspires after the riches of eternity. 
 
 We are also directed to lay aside " the sin which doth 
 so easily beset us,'* that we may not be impeded in run- 
 ning the race of Christian holiness and obedience to God. 
 
 Whether the apostle here refers to any particular sin, 
 hath been made a matter of considerable inquiry. The 
 more common opinion is, that he intended to excite Chris- 
 tians to guard themselves more especially against those 
 sins which had the greatest power over them. Probably, 
 natural constitution ; certainly habit, and the different 
 situations in life, expose particular men to particular vi- 
 ces. Every considerate person must be sensible, that 
 there is some particular sin, which hath acquired greater 
 power over him than any other. This, then, is the sin 
 which easily htscis him ; and against it he ought earnestly 
 to strive, that he may overcome it, and lay it aside. If, 
 by God's grace, he igubdue this sin, which doth easily be- 
 set him ; other sins which have not so much the mastery 
 over him, will be conquered with' less trouble. 
 
 * lAike xli i 1 Tim. t- <# 
 
220 The Christian Race. 
 
 I have no inclination to find fault with this interpreta- 
 tion : It does not, however, seem to me to come up to 
 the energy of St. PauPs expression. He directs us to lay 
 aside cver^ weight — whatever may encumher us in our 
 Christian race ; and ike sin which easily besets us, intima- 
 ting that there was some particular sin to which we are all 
 more subject, and which has a stronsjer hold of us than 
 any other; and directing us cautiously to guard against 
 that sin, and resolutely to lay it aside. 
 
 Let us, then, attend to the discourseof the apostle, pre- 
 vious to the text, and see whether that will not lead us to 
 some probable solution of this matter. 
 
 In the tenth chapter, the apostle directs the Hebrew 
 converts to " draw near" unto God " with a true heart, in 
 full assurance of faith :" to " hold fast the profession of 
 their faith without wavering,'* because *' he is faithful that 
 promised:" to "consider one another, to provoke unto 
 love, and to good works," the true and proper fruits of 
 faith: To avoid all known and wilful sin since they had 
 *' received the knowledge of the truth," or, had been cal- 
 led to the faith of the gospel : not to " cast away their 
 confidence," their sted fast faith and trust in God, " which 
 hath great recompence of reward ;" for that they had 
 *' need of patience, that after they had done the will of 
 God, they might receive the promise," the crown of eter- 
 nal life in the world to come. He then quotes the pro- 
 phet Habakkuk; " The just shall live by faith, but if any 
 man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him :" 
 and adds, " but we are not of them that draw back unto 
 perdition ;" who renounce their religion, and abandon 
 their faith and confidence in God, " but of them that be- 
 lieve, to the saving of the soul." 
 
 This introduced his discourse concerning faith in the 
 eleventh chapter, in which he tells us what faith is, points 
 out the necessity of it in order to please God, and enu- 
 merates its worthy fruits in the old Patriarchs and Pro- 
 phets. In the fore part of the twelfth chapter, he renews 
 liis exbovtation to' faith, patience, and good works : Of 
 this exhortation the text is part, Asj therefore, by the 
 
The Christian Race, 221 
 
 weight which we are to lay aside, is meant the evil lusts 
 and corrupt tendencies of our nature, particularly the 
 love of the world and attachment to its enjoyments ; so, 
 by the sin which easily besets us, is most probably meant 
 unbelief, or the want of a firm, fixed, undoubting faith in 
 the declarations ot God to us. This, in truth, seems to be 
 the sin of human nature; which easily besets every per- 
 son. Through the want of this faith, Adam fell into re- 
 bellion against God, and the same want hath been the oc- 
 
 A casion of all the sins committed by his posterity. 
 
 There is a strong propenshy in human nature to be the 
 contriver and carver of its ow n happiness. When God 
 assures us, that the indulgence of certain tempers and pas- 
 sions will be followed by pain and sufiering, and that there 
 is no real happiness for us but in obedience to him; we 
 are unaccountably apt to doubt w hether that be truly the 
 case ; we heshate whether we shall believe and depend on 
 
 ^ what he hath declared, or whether w^e shall follow our 
 ow n schemes, and try to make ourselves happy in our 
 own way. The latter path is too commonly pursued. 
 We leave the road marked out for us by him, and trust 
 to ihe dictates of our own passions and appetites, to ob- 
 tain that happiness which our nature desires. This is really 
 to disbelieve God ; and the sin of such unbelief consists 
 
 . in this: It supposeth God to be ignorant of that which 
 will ensure to us the true happiness of our nature, or that 
 he hath represented things to us otherwise than they are, 
 that he may acquire honour to himself from our obedi- 
 ence. If we look at the general conduct of men, it will 
 proclaim this to be the state of their hearts. Did they 
 believe what God hath declared, they w^ould do what he 
 Lath commanded : While, therefore, they continually dis- 
 obey him, the inference is certain, that they do not fully 
 believe him. 
 
 II. The second part of the Apostle's exhortation is, 
 that we " run with patience the race that is set before us.'* 
 Patience sometimes means that temper or habit of mind, 
 which is opposite to peevishness and fretfulness, to mur- 
 muring and repining ; sometimes it means perseverance ; 
 and sometimes the calm expectation of promised blessings. 
 
222 'The Christian Race. 
 
 In whatever sense we understand the word, patience is 
 necessary for us in our Christian race. A peevish, dis- 
 contented temper is not only a disagreeable weakness, but 
 a real fault. It shows tlie heart to be filled with obstinacy 
 and self-will, and tliat it can be pleased with nothing but 
 the indulgence of its own humours. 
 
 The Christian professes to live by faith ; that is, to have 
 all his desires, views, and actions governed by his belief 
 of what God hath declared. All occasion of peevishness, 
 and murmuring, and despondency are cut ofl* from him, 
 hy his trust and confidence in God who rules and governs 
 the world. If cross and vexatious accidents happen, they 
 happen by the permission of God ; and God halh told him 
 to expect them, and to arm himself with patience to bear 
 them, and that then they shall turn to his advantage. Im- 
 patience, therefore, or a peevish discontented temper, is 
 inconsistent with the Christian character, as it springs from 
 a want of faith in the kind Creator and Governor of the 
 world. 
 
 Patience also sometimes means perseverance. In this 
 sense, to run with patience the race that is set before us, 
 will imply, that we persevere in a life of holiness to the 
 end ; that we faint not under the afflictions and persecu- 
 tions that come on us, but endure them with stedfast sub- 
 mission to the will of God ; knowing '* that all things work 
 together for good to them that love him," that we resist 
 faithfully all temptations to sin which assault us, trusting 
 in the gracious promises which are made to those who de- 
 ny ungodliness and worldly lusts, knowing that he is faith- 
 ful who hath assured us that we shall not be tempted above 
 what we are able to bear : and, that we exercise ourselves 
 in works of holiness and righteousness continually through 
 our whole life, walking in all the commandments and or- 
 dinances of God, with an upright heart. 
 
 It was also said, that patience sometimes meant the 
 calm and assured expectation of promised blessings. Un- 
 derstanding patience in this sense, its necessity in the 
 Christian race will appear from this circumstance, that the 
 rewards and blessings which God hath promised to his faith- 
 
The Christian Race. 223 
 
 fill servants, are reserved to the next life. They are now 
 the objects of faith — God, who cannot deceive, hath pro- 
 mised such good things as pass man's understanding ; such 
 as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, in the day when he 
 shall judge the world by Jesus Christ, to all those who 
 shall be approved by him. They must, therefore, strug- 
 gle through the race, and be approved by the Judge, be- 
 fore they receive the " crown of righteousness," now 
 " laid up for them," and " which the Lord the righteous 
 Judge shall give them at that day."* They must " be 
 patient unto the coming of the Lord." Even as *" the 
 husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and 
 hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and 
 latter rain," and the harvest be ripe for the sickle ; so 
 must they also be " patient," and " stablish their hearts 
 in faith," until the " coming of the Lord."t Refreshed 
 and strengthened by the heavenly dew of divine grace, as 
 the fruits of the earth are nourished and made to grow by 
 the early and latter rain which the providence of God 
 sendeth on them, they shall increase in all holy tempers 
 and good w orks, the fruits of faith and patience, till, at 
 the general harvest at the last day, they shall be received 
 like pure wheat into the 8;ranary of God, and be filled 
 with " the fulness of him that filleth all in all."t 
 
 in. As a most powerful motive to engage us to this 
 course of life ; as a perfect rule to direct us how we ought 
 to walk and please God ; as a means of begetting and in- 
 creasing all holy and heavenly tempers in us ; and as the 
 object of our faith and hope, under all the sufferings of 
 life, the Apostle directs us to " look unto .Tesus the au- 
 thor and finisher of our faith, who for the Joy that was 
 set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, 
 and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." 
 
 Great is the encouragement held out to the pious Chris- 
 tian in these words. If he honestly endeavours to divest 
 himself of all incumbrances in the Christian race ; avoid- 
 ing sin of every kind, and, through faith, obeying God in 
 all things ; patiently depending on his grace and holy Spi- 
 
 * 2' Tim. lY. a I James y. 7. % Epli. i. 23. 
 
224 The Christian Race, 
 
 rit (o enable him to do his duty under the infirmities and 
 troubles of this life, and waiting in hope for the heavenly 
 inheritance in the world to come through the mediation of 
 Jesus the Saviour ; looking to his merit and intercession 
 for the forgiveness of liis sins, to his divine power for pro- 
 tection and grace under whatever shall happen to him, to 
 his example for direction in all circumstances ; and, in 
 prospect of the crown of righteousness, which God the 
 righteous Judge shall give him at the last day, bearing 
 with patience the evils and troubles of this miserable 
 world — If he act thus, here is assurance for him, that he 
 shall inherit eternal life, and partake of that glory which 
 now adorns the humanity of Christ at the right hand of 
 God. 
 
 So much is implied in what the Apostle hath said ; and 
 Christ himself hath promised, " where I am, there shall al- 
 so my servant be."^ Particularly with regard to the suf- 
 fering of evil for his sake, was this spoken. And that the 
 text principally relates to the imitation of Christ in his 
 patient endurance of sufferings according to the will of 
 God, there can be no doubt. The same Apostle hath also 
 gaid, "If we sutler, we shall also reign with Christ."t 
 
 Many and great are the troubles and afflictions to which 
 we are in this world liable ; violent and impetuous the temp- 
 tations to which we are daily exposed. Every considera- 
 tion ought to be employed, every help called in, to ena- 
 ble us to bear them with the dignity of reasonable beings, 
 and the humble hope and confidence of Christians. 
 
 God hath taught us to consider him as the kind Father, 
 as the all-powerful, all-bounteous Patron of the whole 
 creation. He declares that he doth not willingly afflict or 
 grieve the children of men ; that it is with a view to their 
 benefit, that he permits trouble or temptation to approach 
 them ; namely, to exercise and strengthen their faith and 
 patience, to turn their thoughts and wean their desires 
 from this world, and fix them on himself ; to weed out 
 every temper, and mortify every affection that is contrary 
 to his will, and destructive of their own true happiness. 
 
 * Johw xii, 2(>. t 2 Tim. ii. 12. 
 
The Chnsiian Ract. '225 
 
 Could we believe this ; could we persuade ourselves of 
 the truth of it, not only in theory, but so as to live and 
 act upon it ; o\ft faith would become healinoj balm to the 
 heart rent with affliction — to the wounding strokes of 
 temptation and adversity. It would pull out the sting of 
 grief: It would assuage the paining troubles of this un- 
 certain life, and sweeten the bitter potion of human mise- 
 ry. O, therefore, have faith in God ! Consider him as be- 
 ing full of an infinite desire to do you good; ever willing, 
 ever ready to embrace you with the arms of his mercy l 
 And let your whole soul rely upon him who alone is able 
 to help you ; who alone is able to save you, not only from 
 the short-lived troubles of this world, but from the end- 
 less anguish of sin and guilt. 
 
 In prosperity we are apt to forget God. When our af- 
 fairs proceed as we wish/ and success crouds in upon us, 
 the world appears all-sufficient for our happiness, health 
 gives a relisti to our enjoyments, and the tide of pleasure 
 carries us gently down its easy current. We are then very 
 apt to say with the disciples on the mount, " it is good for 
 us to be here.*' We wish only for a continuance of the 
 same state, and if w^e ever think of the necessity of leav- 
 ing it, it is with sorrow and regret. All thoughts of God 
 and eternity are shut out or stifled ; the world has our 
 treasure, and the world hath our heart. Serious reflec- 
 tion is banished ; pleasure becomes the object of pursuit ; 
 the passions are inflamed ; the appetites excited ; and the 
 mortification which the gospel requires, the self-denial it 
 enjoins, appear more irksome than to part with a hand or 
 an eye. 
 
 God, infinite in goodness, seeth with pity the thraldom 
 of his poor, deceived, yet beloved creatures. He sends 
 affliction and adversity to their relief. He strikes away 
 the props of their worldly happiness, that in the wreck of 
 all they held dear, they may be constrained to catch at 
 him for support. When worldly hopes are gone, and the 
 prospect of happiness in this life is at an end ; the soul 
 anxiously looks forward to eternity, for something more 
 stable on which to build her dependence. The pride of 
 
 VOL. II. E e 
 
226^ The Christian Race. 
 
 prosperity being taken away by a clue sense of our own 
 weakness and inability to help ourselves; we become bet- 
 ter prepared for faitli in God, the only r(5ot from which all 
 divine and Christian virtues do spring. To this truth the 
 Psalmist bore witness, when he said, " Before I was afflic- 
 ted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." — *' It 
 is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might 
 learn thy statutes.''* 
 
 God called his own Son to endure the bitterest sufferings 
 of human nature ; and as a reward of his perfect obedi- 
 ence, he hath exalted that nature to the right hand of the 
 throne of his glory. In conformity to him, the Captain 
 of our salvatiop, he hath called all his followers to the pa- 
 tient suffering of the evils and troubles of life, and hath 
 assured us by his apostle, that " if we suffer with his Son, 
 we shall also be glorified together."t 
 
 Let us then be persuaded to attend to the exhortation of 
 the text, and " lay aside every weight," all the evil appe- 
 tites, desires, and propensities of our nature ; " and the 
 sin which doth so easily beset us" — particularly that unbe- 
 lief and distrust of God to which human nature is so very 
 prone. Then shall we be prepared to " run with patience 
 the race that is set before us:" Then shall we be disposed 
 to " look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith," 
 with full resolution to follow his example in all things: 
 Then, also, shall we feel and know, "that the sufferings 
 of this present time are not worthy to be compared with 
 the glory" which shall reward the faithful servants of God ; 
 " that all things work together for good, to them that love 
 God ;" and *' that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
 principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things 
 to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, 
 shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is 
 in Christ Jesus our Lord."J 
 
 ^ Psalm cxix. 67, 71. f Rom. viii. ir. I Rom. viii. 28, 38, 39, 
 
DISCOURSI! XVIL 
 
 THE STRAIT GATE. 
 
 Luke xiii. 24. 
 
 %iv€ to enter in at the strait gate : For many, I say unto 
 you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, 
 
 J!5TR0NG is the curiosity of the human heart, and fre- 
 queriliy are its efforts misapplied. Our Saviour had been 
 calling men to repentance and amendment of life, by ar- 
 guments drawn from the most alFectin^ circumstances; the 
 untimely death of those unhappy Galileans, whose blood, 
 the brutality of Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices in 
 the temple ; and the fatal accident which happened to 
 eighteen persons, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell 
 and crushed them to death. Whether these were, or were 
 not particular judgments of God, Christ doth not deter- 
 jnine; but he doth positively say, that they who suffered 
 these calamities were not greater sinners than others who 
 dwelt in Jerusalem. By their disasters he called all the 
 Jews to repentance, pronouncing this hc^avy sentence on 
 their impenitency, ** Except ye repent, ye shall all like- 
 wise perish." Continuing obstinate in sin, and hardened 
 in iniquity, they filled up the measure of their guilt, in 
 crucifying the Lord of Glory, and persecuting his Church ; 
 and the doom which Christ had pronounced was at last 
 fully executed on them, in the ruin of their country, and 
 destruction of their city and temple by the Romans. 
 
 The Galileans, of whose death our Saviour was inform- 
 ed, were probably killed while they were sacrificing in the 
 temple at the Passover, on account of some seditious 
 practices against the Roman government. The tower of 
 Siloam stood in Jerusalem, probably near the pool of the 
 
228 The Strait Gate. 
 
 same name. If so, most exactly was the sentence of Christ 
 fulfilled on the Jews — *' ye shall all likewise perish," or 
 perish in like manner, in your temple, and by the falling 
 of your towers, and walls, and houses. That the siege 
 of Jerusalem by Titus commenced at the time of the Pass- 
 over; that the city was then crowded with people, and 
 none suffered to go out; that great numbers of them were 
 slain in the temple itself, and in its courts, by their differ- 
 ent parties fighting with each other, as well as by the Ro- 
 mans ; we are particularly informed by their own historian 
 Josephus: Nor can we doubt that the ruin of their towers 
 and walls by the Roman engines must have crushed many 
 of them to death. True are thy threats, O God ; just are 
 thy Judgments! 
 
 To these admonitions, Christ added the parable of the 
 barren fig-tree, from which fruit had been in vain expected 
 for three years, and whose sentence of excision was re- 
 spited for one year, that a trial might be made of opening 
 the soil and manuring it. If that failed, it was then to be 
 cut down, that the ground might be no longer encumbered 
 by it. 
 
 In similar discourses, to those who attended on him, 
 particularly in parables explaining the nature of the king- 
 dom of God, and in healing the sick, did the blessed Sa- 
 viour employ himself as he journeyed on to Jerusalem, 
 
 It might reasonably have been expected, that admoni- 
 tions and instructions of so serious and interesting a nature, 
 ^vould have had a more general effect ; and have led all 
 who heard them to the consideration of their state, to the 
 examination of their hearts, and reformation of their lives : 
 This effect, however, did not follow. Curiosity was ra- 
 ther excited ; and one in particular, neglecting to look at 
 home and take care of his own state, wished eagerly to 
 have his curiosity gratified, and demanded, " Lord, are 
 there few that be saved ?" for so our Saviours serious calls 
 to repentance and exact conduct of life seemed to indicate. 
 If deep repentance and exact holiness were necessary to 
 salvation, this man would probably have cried out, as the 
 Apostles did on another occasion, " Who then can be sa- 
 
Tlie Strait Gate. 229 
 
 ved?" But if the number were very large, he might pos- 
 sibly pass in the crowd, without all that mortification, and 
 self-denial which repentance and holiness required. 
 
 To this question of curiosity our Saviour answered not. 
 We may, tlierefore, be assured it is a question not proper 
 to be asked — an inquiry about which we have no right to 
 busy ourselves. It is one of those things which God hath 
 reserved in his own power, and will then only be made 
 known, when men and angels shall witness the issue of 
 the general judgment. Then it will be truly known, who, 
 and how many shall be saved. In the mean time, let us 
 be just to ourselves, and attend seriously to the admoni- 
 lion of Christ, " Strive to enter in at the strait gate" — That 
 is, " Be not anxious to know the state of others, nor 
 whether there be few or many who shall be saved." At- 
 tend to yourself — regard your own condition : And that 
 you may be one of the number who shall be saved, strive 
 earnestly, with all your power and might, to enter in at 
 the strait ^ate which leadeth to life. To this end, you 
 must exercise all that deep repentance, severe contrition, 
 abasing hunnlity, and exact self-denial, to which my 
 preaching calls and directs you. Otherwise you will fail 
 to enter in ; " for many, I say unto you, will seek to en- 
 ter in, and," because they strive not earnestly, they "shall 
 not be able." 
 
 From this reply of Christ we may assuredly conclude, 
 that the number of those who shall be saved is not deter- 
 mined by any decree of God, excluding all who are not 
 contained in that decree from salvation ; for then all ex- 
 hortation and admonition would be utterly vain and use- 
 less ; and all the striving a man could use would be inef- 
 fectual, unless his salvation were particularly decreed: 
 And if it be decreed, it would be entirely superfluous — 
 he would just as surely be saved without any striving at all. 
 
 Let us not charge Christ with folly, nor with directing 
 men to do what he knew would be of no advantage to them. 
 When he said, "strive to enter in at the strait gate," he 
 in truth said, that striving was necessary ; The same ne- 
 cessity for striving is implied when he said, " many will 
 
230 The Slrait Gate. 
 
 seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Not only the 
 mode of speech, but the Greek word Vy<yv<^£<r5-f, which 
 the Evangelist hath used, shows that it requires great con- 
 stancy, diligence^ and courage ; a sharp conflict with the 
 Avorld, the flesh, and the devil, to succeed in entering 
 through the strait gate into life eternal. The word sig- 
 nifies to strive, to agony, with the utmost resolution, and 
 with every faculty of body and mind. There is, tnere- 
 fore, no arbitrary decree of God ascertaining the number, 
 and determining individually the persons who shall be sa- 
 ved. 
 
 I have said the more on this point, because it seems to 
 have been the rock on which the Jc^ws suffered shipwreck. 
 They were the children of Abraham, the chosen, the 
 elect, the peculiar people of God. To them belonged 
 the covenant, and the adoption, and all the promises of 
 God. They, therefore, conceited that they could not 
 i*ail of the favour of God, nor of finally obtaining all the 
 blessings he could bestow, either in this world, or the 
 world to come. For would God disown his people ? re- 
 ject his chosen ? cast oil the children of faiimul Abraham ? 
 disregard his covenant? or break his promises? How oth- 
 erwise could they fail of being saved ? What need had 
 they of the bitter course of repentance and self-denial 
 which Christ prescribed ? No; they were Abraham's seed; 
 the elect of God: The divine decree had passed in their 
 favour, and heaven must be their certain portion. 
 
 Possibly the question, " Lord are there few that be 
 saved?" was put to Christ on this very ground. His doc- 
 trine seemed to restrain salvation to the penitent only. 
 The inquirer mijrht want to know (perhaps insidiously) 
 whether Christ did not suppose the whole posterity of 
 Abraham would be saved. If he aflSrmed it, the necessity 
 of repentance and reformation of life was at an end. If 
 he denied it, or said only a few should be saved; it would 
 raise an odium against him, and they could the more easily 
 and safely persecute and destroy him. His answer avoid- 
 ed both snares, and hath left us a most useful lesson of 
 caution and instruction. 
 
The Strait Gate. 231 
 
 The question, you see, was directly put to Cliiisf, con- 
 cerning the number or proportion of men who should be 
 saved. He did not determine it : He did not say that few, 
 or many, or all should be saved. And who is wiser than 
 he was ? or has a greater right to determine the inquiry ? 
 Let him stand forth, and produce his credentials. Our 
 duty requires that we rest our faith, and build our hopes, 
 on what is clearly revealed to us ; and to be very careful 
 that in avoiding one error, we run not into another, equal- 
 ly wide from the truth, and, in its consequences, equally 
 destructive to our eternal felicity. The text takes away 
 the foundation of the doctrine of particular election and 
 reprobation, and equally yvith it the doctrine of universal 
 election and salvation. Probably the harsh consequences 
 which flow from the former, have given rise to the latter 
 error. Many, said Christ, will seek to enter in at the 
 strait gate, and shall not be able.^ If a divine decree 
 hath shut them out, they assuredly shall not enter in: 
 Why then are they required to strive^ when the decree of 
 God against them, makes all their striving inefiectual? 
 But if a decree of God hath passed, enacting that all men 
 shall be saved, they most assuredly shall ail enter in : Why 
 then should i\\ey strive? Can their striving make the de- 
 cree more effectual than God hath made it ? What Christ 
 said implies a fault in those who were not able to enter in. 
 Their inability did not arise from any decree of God 
 against them ; nor from any want of God's grace, or of 
 Christ's merits. No notice is taken of any impediment or 
 deficiency on those accounts. But they had wickedly re- 
 fused to enter, till the gate was shut; or they sought to 
 
 * It may be necessary to remark, that though in the text it is said. Many toill 
 seek to enter in at t/ie strait g-ate, and shall not be able, yet in St. Matthew vji. 7. and 
 St. Luke xi. 9. where it is said, ^hk, and it shall be girven yon ,- knock, a7ul it shall 
 be opened unto you ; it is s&id also. Seek, and ye shall find. It is our duty so to 
 construe the Holy Scriptures as to make tliem agree in all their parts. The two 
 forms of expressioa were used by Christ on different occasions, and relate to differ- 
 ent subjects. The text, to the obtaining eternal life in heaven : the other, to the, 
 obtaining- the petitions for which we pray. However, to seek earnestly with all our 
 might and power, amounts to the same thing with striying earnestly. The latter 
 passages are thus to be understood : Ask, with faith and resignation, and it shall 
 be given you ; seek, with earnestness and diligence, and you shall find ; knock. 
 with patience and perseverance, and it shall be opened imto you. 
 
232 The Strait Gale. 
 
 enter in, withowt that penitence, and faith, and obedience 
 which God requires, and which, taken toi^ethv?r, make 
 that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. 
 
 Both the errors I have mentioned, that of particular 
 election and reprobation, and that of universal election 
 and salvation, stand on the same ground, the uncondition- 
 al decree or purpose of God, secret to us. Had it been 
 revealed, no dispute could have arisen, whether it meant 
 few or all. While, therefore, the Calvinists and Univer- 
 salists dispute this point, it is a sure sign neither of them 
 can ascertain the decree in which they believe. 
 
 Other objections lie hard against these tenets. They 
 both destroy the nature of map, by taking from him his 
 free and moral agency, and making him a mere machine 
 acting under fatal necessity. They both supersede the use 
 of all ordinances and sacraments in religion, and render 
 useless the means of grace in the Christian Church. And 
 they both destroy God's character as a righteous governor 
 and judge of the world : The one representing him as con- 
 demning (he greater part of mankind; the other, as saving 
 all men, without regard to their good or evil qualities. 
 
 Wisdom will teach us to receive and abide by the de- 
 clarations of God in Holy Scripture. We there find not 
 that God hath made known any decree to exclude men 
 from salvation, but on account of their personal fault : nor 
 any decree to save all men, whatever their personal de- 
 merit may be. W^ith these matters, then, we have noth- 
 ing to do. They belong not to us. They are in the hand 
 of God, and with him we may safely leave them. 
 
 But we do know, for God hath told us, that Christ died 
 for all men : We know, therefore, that all men are put 
 into a capacity of being saved by him. We do know that 
 God hath given us his Holy Spirit, to be in us the princi- 
 ple, the author, the continuer, the finisher of a new, holy, 
 and heavenly life. And that if we strive earnestly, through 
 him, to enter in at the strait gate which leadeth unto life 
 eternal, practising that penitence, faith, love, humility, 
 self-denial, and holy obedience which the gospel requires-^ 
 in other words^ walking in all the commandments and or- 
 
Tlie Strait Gate. 233 
 
 finances of God with a sincere and upright heart ; he 
 will, for Christ's sake, forgive our sins, and make us par- 
 takers of his heavenly kingdom. This is enough for us to 
 know ; for knowing these things, happy shall we be, if we 
 do them. Whereas, to know that few, or many, or all 
 men shall be saved, cannot possibly do us any good. It 
 may drive us into despair : It may make us secure, and 
 careless about our future state. God hath promised eter- 
 nal life to those who believe and obey him.. On this 
 ground salvation is certain ; and no other ground we caa 
 take will make it more so. 
 
 Why, then, weary ourselves in finding out those things 
 which the goodness and wisdom of God have hidden from 
 us? Why destroy the peace of our own minds, of our 
 neighbourhood, of the Church of God, by introducing a 
 wrangling spirit, and disputing about that which cannot 
 possibly do us any good ? Dispute and wrangle as we will ; 
 determine as we please, that few, that many, that all shall 
 be saved ; still it will be true, that " without holiness no 
 man shall see the Lord :" It still will be true, that " he 
 that doeth righteousness," and he only "is righteous, even 
 as" Christ " is righteous." Beware lest these speculations 
 in religion, which can never be proved, lead you into a 
 neglect of that penitence, and faith, and holy obedience 
 which God requires. If they do, be your opinions what- 
 ever they may, ever so right in your own opinions, or in 
 the estimation of others ; you will be found in the number 
 of those v^ho " will seek to enter in at the strait gate, and 
 shall not be able." 
 
 Through a principle of duty 1 have mentioned, and said 
 so much on this subject; and I do earnestly recommend 
 what hath been said to your serious consideration. I am 
 not ignorant of the risk I run in combating prevailing er- 
 rors. If they be old ones, they are riveted by long habit. 
 Possibly they have been the belief of a long succession of 
 ancestors ; and people reluctantly hear a doctrine impeach- 
 ed in which they have grown up, and in which their fore- 
 fathers lived and died. Hence it comes to pass, that ev- 
 
 VOL. II. F f 
 
234 The Strait Gate. 
 
 ror goes unexamined, and is perpetuated merely because 
 it is old. 
 
 On the other hand, when a new error is started, its very 
 novelty recommends it. The vanity of the human heart 
 is flattered by the notion of being wiser than those who 
 have gone before, and of having struck out some discove- 
 ry which escaped their sagacity. If 4t relax the severer 
 precepts of the gospel, and point out an easier way to 
 heaven than repentance and holiness, they who are uneasy 
 in their present state, and not disposed to comply with the 
 terms which the gospel requires, and yet are desirous of 
 supporting a fair appearance, will generally become its 
 partisans. If it set the precepts of the gospel high, and 
 condemn the generality of Christians for falling off from 
 the purity of its manners ; a character of great holiness is 
 acquired, and weak people join the error because it is an 
 easy way of being more holy than their neighbours. In 
 neither case is the tenet fairly examined ; but it gains 
 proselytes because it gives a man an aii; of importance, to 
 think and speak differently from his neighbours. 
 
 One evil arising from error in religion, especially an er- 
 ror which a man hath taken up of himself, or to which he 
 hath been lately brought over, is, that it wholly employs 
 his thoughts. He can talk of no other religious subject 
 but that. You would imagine he thought the whole gos- 
 pel was comprised in it. This is iru)re particularly true 
 of the preachers and propagators of error. Their ser- 
 mons, their conversation, perpetually run on their, favor- 
 ite topic. In the pulpit, in private company, their dis- 
 course is the same. Every thing else is neglected as of 
 no importance. Talk with a Calvinist on religion, and- 
 begin where you will, you soon get into election and re- 
 probation, and irresistible grace, and tiie decrees of God : 
 You would think religion consisted of nothing else. If 
 you are not of his opinion, you are a poor, deluded, na 
 tural man, who expect to be saved by your own works. 
 Nor will you fare better if yo|i discourse with the retainer- 
 to the doctrine of universal salvation. He, too, can talk 
 on no other subject : And though he believes you will h 
 
 i 
 
The Strait Gate. 23j 
 
 ?avcd ; and that nothing he or you can say or do will alter 
 your eternal state, he will dispute with as much eagerness 
 and heat as the Calvinist, who really fears your eternal 
 damnation. 
 
 Novelty truth miist ever want. No doctrine of Chris- 
 tian religion is now true, which was not true seventeen 
 hundred years ago. Truth fears no examination, and 
 dreads no discovery. To the law and to the testimony 
 she is ever ready to appeal, and will never shrink from 
 their decision. The written word of God must, there- 
 fore, be our last resort. Candor and fair construction are 
 due to the Holy Books. The too common practice, how- 
 ever, is, to judge the Bible by our opinions, not our opin- 
 ions by the Bible. When our sentiments and the Bible 
 <lo not accord, instead of correcting our sentiments by it, 
 we are apt to force the construction, vary the connection, 
 put new meanings to old words, charge the holy books 
 with corruptions and interpolations, do any thing rather 
 than give up a favorite sentiment. 
 
 Let every one attend to himself, and guard his conduct 
 in this matter : Remembering always, that Christianity is 
 not merely a science to inform the understanding, but a 
 system to correct the heart and regulate the actions and 
 manners of men, and make them capable of happiness 
 with God. Knowledge alone will never do this : It will 
 require the energy of strong endeavours, and long prac- 
 tice. Attend, therefore, I beseech you, to the text. Dis- 
 miss the unpiofitable inquiries of mere curiosity, and be 
 more anxious to do what God hath commanded, than to 
 know what he hath not revealed. By denying ungodli- 
 ness and worldly lusts; by living godly, righteously, and 
 soberly in this world, strive to enter in at the strait gate; 
 for they who only seek to enter in, be it in whatever way 
 they please, shall not be able. 
 
DISCOURSE XVIII. 
 
 THE PARABLE OF THE VIRGINS. 
 
 Matt. xxv. 13. 
 
 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the hour^ 
 wherein the Son of man comeih, 
 
 \jS tlie preceding Chapter, our Lord hath g;iven us a 
 prophetic description of the destruction of Jerusalem ; 
 which was, within forty years, fulfilled by the Roman ar- 
 my under Titus, the son of the Emperor Vespasian. It 
 is remarkable, that the stile and figures of speech, by 
 which this event is foretold, are not only exceeding lofty, 
 but scarcely applicable to any thing that could happen in 
 this world. That the expressions which the Holy Ghost 
 dictated to the prophets, are always proportioned to the 
 event predicted, will be readily allowed by those who 
 have studied their writings. But when Jesus the Son of 
 God, to whom God gave the Holy Ghost without meas- 
 ure, became a prophet to declare the vengeance of heaven 
 in the destruction of .Terusalem, the once favourite city 
 of God most high ; all the figures and strong expressions 
 of the old prophets, in foretelling the destruction of old 
 Jerusalem, of Tyre, of Babylon, of Nineveh, sink and 
 become as nothing in the comparison. All nature is dis- 
 turbed and trembles, because all nature feels the displeas- 
 ure of God. Wars, and famine, and earthquakes, the 
 darkened sun and moon, the falling stars, the sign of the 
 Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, the rapid ac- 
 tivity of the angels of God, collecting " with a great 
 sound of a trumpet'* his " elect from one end of heaven 
 to the other," all precede the final ruin of that devoted 
 city. Can we suppose the sacking of one city, the deso- 
 lation of one country, could thus aflect the powers of na- 
 
238 The Parable of the Virgins. 
 
 ture ? could extend its influence to the heavenly oibs, and 
 put the whole creation in confusion ? 
 
 When God speaks, who would not wish to learn ? Who 
 would not wish to draw instruction from the fountain of 
 wisdom, and become master of that knowledge which is 
 infallible? Instruction, and wisdom, and knowledge lie 
 before us in this prophecy. Happy is he who hath ears to 
 bear, and a heart to understand it. 
 
 There are two things signified to us by the lofty ex- 
 pressions and strong terms in which the destruction of Je- 
 rusalem is described. 
 
 1. That as the sin and impenitency of that city had been 
 greater and more obdurate than those of any other, so its 
 destruction should be more terrible, its ruin more dread- 
 ful, such as never had happened to any other city ; and 
 such as never should happen to any city again. If credit 
 is to be given to their own historian Josephus, this was 
 literally true. The ruin of no otlier city was preceded by 
 such evident and fearful signs, both in the sky and on the 
 earth, of vengeance impending from heaven. And the 
 miseries suflfered by that people in the siege and sacking of 
 the city, were such as the history of no other city can par- 
 allel. 
 
 2. The second thing signified to us by the highly figura- 
 tive expressions used by Christ in foretelling the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem is, that the judgments and vengeance of 
 God inflicted on that city were figures and emblems of the 
 final judgment and destruction of the world which we in- 
 habit. Take them in this light, and there is nothing hy- 
 perbolical in Ihe expressions used by Christ. As they have 
 been verified in the figure, in the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem ; so they shall be verified in the reality, when " the 
 Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints to execute 
 judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly 
 among" men " of all their ungodly deeds which they have 
 ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches w'hicli 
 ungodly sinners have spoken against him ;" then " the 
 heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the ele- 
 ments shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the 
 \^orks that are therein shall be burnt up." 
 
Tlie Parable of the Virgins. 239 
 
 In the Revelations of God, more especially in the pro- 
 phetic declarations, there is a double lano^uage, a language 
 of things, as well as of words. Of the things of another, 
 a spiritual world, we can have no ideas, but by analogy 
 with the things of this world. Therefore spirit, and spir- 
 itual things are analogically declared to us by the things of 
 this world with which we are acquainted ; that we may 
 Lave some conception of them, however imperfect it may 
 be. By the words of his Revelation, God calls our atten- 
 tion to the things of 'his world ; and by (hem our under- 
 standing is led on to such a knowledge of the things of the 
 invisible w^orld, as is necessary to our oblaitiing the full 
 ^benefit of his Revelations to us, particularly of our re- 
 demption from sin and death by Jesus Christ. 
 
 To pursue this point is foreign from my present subject. 
 I shall, therefore, return to consider the use our Saviour 
 makes of the destruction of Jerusalem, as a figure of the 
 destruction of the world at the last day. 
 
 Having, from several considerations, particularly from 
 the carelessness of the old world in the days of Noah, 
 when " the flood came and took them all away,*' strongly 
 enforced the duty of watchfulness upon his disciples ; that 
 they might be prepared to obey his directions, and quit that 
 devoted city when they saw the signs of its approaching 
 destruction j he introduceth the Parable of the Ten Vir- 
 gins, which served a double purpose ; still more deeply 
 to impress on their minds the great duty of carefhlly ob- 
 serving the tokens preceding the destruction of .Terusalem, 
 and to lead to the Parable of the Talents, and the de- 
 scription of the General Judgment at the last day ; by the 
 first of which the judgment of the Christian Church, and 
 by the latter the judgment of the rest of the world, is re- 
 presented. 
 
 What our Saviour spoke to caution and direct his Apos- 
 tles, the Holy Ghost hath caused to be written for our 
 admonition also. The destruction of Jerusalem could 
 concern only those who lived at the time, and in the neigh- 
 bourhood of that dreadful calamity: That hath now^ been 
 long past, and concerns us no further than as it furnishes 
 
240 The Parable of the Virgins. 
 
 occasion to us to adore the justice of God, and to admire 
 the certainty and severity of his judgments against impen- 
 itent and unreclaimable sinners. But as the destruction of 
 Jerusalem was a figure and emblem of the destruction of 
 the world at the last day, it is a matter in which we are 
 deeply interested. The judgment of God which w^ill ac- 
 company that event we must all undergo, and. ought, 
 therefore, to be " mindful of the words which were spoken 
 before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of 
 the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour" concerning that 
 solemn audit: And to *^ watch," because we " know nei- 
 ther the day, nor the hour when the Son of man cometh" 
 to judgment. 
 
 The reasonableness as well as necessity of this duty will 
 appear if we consider, 
 
 1. The certainty of the judgment which awaits all men 
 at the end of the world, when the things done in the body 
 shall be brought before the tribunal of God, and shall re- 
 ceive the absolution or condemnation of the Judge, ac- 
 cording as they have been good or bad. 
 
 That this judgment shall take place, at the end of the 
 world, is mentioned and alluded to in so many places of 
 the New Testament, that it seems needless to advert par- 
 ticularly to any one of them. St. Paul declared, in his 
 apology before the court of Areopagus at Athens, that 
 God " hath appointed a day in the which he will judge 
 the world in righteousness, by that Man whom he hath or- 
 dained ; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, 
 in thai he hath raised him from the dead." He hath also 
 declared that " we must all appear before the judgment- 
 seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done 
 in his body, according to that he done, whether it be good 
 or bad." 
 
 2. The certainty, and sometimes the suddenness with 
 which men are taken out of this world. We see that all 
 die ; and an Apostle hath told us, " it is appointed unto 
 men once to die," and " after this the judgment." We 
 see also that many die suddenly, w ithout time for thought 
 or reflection; and consequently without time to prepare 
 
 \ 
 
The Parable of the Virgins. 241 
 
 themselves for the judgment which is to follow, should 
 they have been so unhappy as lo neglect it in their health. 
 
 3. Tliat between death and the resurrection, the soul of 
 the deceased must wait in the receptacle appointed for it 
 by God; either in peace and refreshment with the souls of 
 the faithful who have departed this life, in the bosom of 
 Abraham — -the Paradise of God — in the society of holy 
 angels, and in the manifestation of Jesus the Saviour; in 
 certain hope and assurance of a blessed resurrection to 
 eternal life, and acquittal at the tribunal of God, when 
 he shall bring the living and tiiedead to judg.nent ; or, in 
 remorse, and anxious foreboding of the vengeance of God 
 which shall overtake the wicked, when he shall judge the 
 world, and recompense every one according to his deeds. 
 
 That judgment does not immediately follow death, is 
 probable, 1. From the silence of Holy Scripture on the 
 subject: Itgives us no account of any judgment but after 
 the resurrection, which is to be executed by Jesus Christ, 
 God and Man, 2. From its giving us no account of the 
 souls of the faithful going to heaven— understanding hea- 
 ven to mean the place or state of perfect glory and hap- 
 piness- — till they are led thither by Christ their Redeemer, 
 in his triumphant train, after their final acquittal at the 
 general judgment. 3. From the impossibility that the soul 
 of any person should enter heaven, till Christ the fore- 
 runner had entered for us. Accordingly, St, Paul, cele- 
 brating the virtues and faith of the old servants of God, 
 saith, " These all having obtained a good report through 
 faith, received not the promise,^' that heavenly country, that 
 city which God hath prepared for them ;* '* God having 
 provided" or foreseen " some better thing for us, that 
 they, without us, should not be made perfect."t 4. From 
 the improbability that the soul of Christ went to heaven, 
 between his death and resurrection. If it did, he ascend- 
 ed twice, once in his human soul, and once soul and body 
 united. According to an article of one of our Creeds, 
 the human soul of Christ, at his death, went into "Ahh the 
 
 • H?b. xi. 13—16. t ilcb. xi. 39, 40. 
 
 VOL. II. O g 
 
242 'llie Parable of the Virgins. 
 
 receptacle of departed souls — that part of it called Para- 
 dise, where the penitent thief, to whom he had promised, 
 *' This day shalt thou be wuth me in Paradise,'* was with 
 liim ; and there he probably continued till the time of his 
 resurrection. 
 
 4. That in this intermediate state, nothing done by the 
 soul can alter its condition with regard to the future judg- 
 ment. Because that judgment is to be concerning the 
 things done in the body, all the operations of which are 
 ended by death, and must remain in their own stale, till 
 judgment decide upon them. 
 
 Seeing, then, these things are so: That the judgment 
 of God awaits us after the resurrection : That sudden 
 death sometimes takes men out of the world without giv- 
 ing them any time to prepare themselves for that awful 
 period : That between death and the resurrection, nothing 
 can be done towards altering the state of the soul with re- 
 gard to the general judgment ; and since that judgment is 
 to take cognizance of all things done in the body ; great 
 must be the necessity which lies upon us to live so as al- 
 ways to be ready to leave this woild, when it shall please 
 God to call us out of it. When that shall be, we know 
 not, nor with how little warning it shall take place. Our 
 only remedy is to watch constantly, that we may always 
 live as God directs, and be prepared for the coming of our 
 Lord to judge the world ; or, which to us is a matter of 
 the same importance, for the time of our departure out of 
 it. " Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he Com- 
 eth shall find" watching, and diligently employed in doing 
 his will. 
 
 Great must be the importance of that duty, which our 
 Lord took so much pains to impress upon us; and great 
 the necessity of our carefully attending to what he hath 
 said upon it. To this end, as hath been observed, he spake 
 the parable of the " Ten Virgins, who took their lamps 
 and went forth to meet the bridegroom." Let us, then, 
 inquire into the meaning and application of this parable; 
 and God grant that it may have its full eflectupon us. 
 
 These ten virgins represent unto us the state of Christ's 
 
Tfic Farahle of the Virgins. 213 
 
 f:hurch in tliis world, consisting of the whole body of pro- 
 fessors who have been admitted into it, from its beginnUig 
 to the end of the world. They moreover represent to us 
 the conduct of these professors, and what shall be tneir 
 fete at tlie last. The Church of Clirist is, in the gospels, 
 frequently called the kingdom of heaven: Its members pro- 
 fess to live in a constant state of preparation for the coming 
 of their Lord, at whatever time that shall happen. These 
 ten virgins " took their lamps," by which the Christian 
 profession is signified, " and went forth to meet the bride- 
 groom," that they might, in his train, go in to the mar- 
 riage feast. This is the hope of every Christian ; and it 
 ought to be the steady purpose of his life, so to conduct 
 himself, that he may be among those " blessed" ones who 
 shall be " called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb."* 
 The union betwixt Christ and his Church is frequently 
 represented to us by marriage, or the union of husband 
 and wife, by which they twain are made one fleshy H.% 
 is the bridegroom, the Church his bride : and he is the 
 bead of the Church, even as the husband is the head of 
 the wife. While this world shall continue, this union must 
 subsist by covenant or contract : It is the time of the es- 
 pousals : The Church is now betrothed to Christ as a chaste 
 Virgin.f This time of the espousals must continue till 
 the union be perfectly completed ; that is, till Christ shall 
 present or take the Church to himself — after he hath sanc- 
 tified and cleansed it " with the washing of the water" of 
 baptism, the laver of regeneration ;$ and " by the word 
 of his grace, which is able to build us up, and to give us 
 an inheritance among them which are sanctified''^ — '' a 
 glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
 thing, but holy and without blemish." || Till the general 
 judgment shall have separated the tares from the wheat in 
 the field of God's husbandry, the kingdom of heaven in 
 this world, it will not appear " who are his, and who are 
 holy." . Till that period, therefore, the marriage union 
 betwixt Christ and the Church will not be perfected, nor 
 the marriage feast celebrated. But when the judgment 
 
 * llev. xix. 9. t 2 Cor. xi. 2» \ Tit. iu. 5. § Acts xx. 32. H Eph. v- 26, 27. 
 
 i 
 
244 The Parable of the Virgins, 
 
 shall be passed; all her faithful members who have ever 
 lived, shall hear the joyful voice of the Bridegroom, their 
 Saviour, and their Judge, " Well done, good and faith- 
 ful servants, enter >e into the joy of your Lord." Then 
 shall they ascend in his triumphant train, and enter his 
 heavenly kingdom, and partake of the marriage feast of 
 the Lamb, those good things which " eye hath not seen, 
 nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, 
 which God hath prepared for them that love him"^~ — the 
 rich repast of divine goodness and love. 
 
 In the characters of the virgins, in the text, there is a 
 remarkable difference. " Five of them were wise, and 
 five were foolish;*' and the folly of the one, and the wis- 
 don) of the other ^^howed itself in this circumstance — The 
 foolish virgins took their lamps burning, but took no oil 
 to replenish them, when that which was in them should be 
 expended: that is, they called themselves Christians, and 
 were Christians by profession ; but they were not diligent 
 to adorn their holy profession with the proper fruits of 
 Christianity, by walking worthy of the vocation w [here- 
 with they were called. But the wise virgins took oil in 
 their vessels with their lamps, that they might be able to 
 supply them, and keep them always burning. They re- 
 garded the duties and virtues of their holy religion, as 
 well as the profession of it. To work out their salvation 
 with fear and trembling, and to make their callins: and 
 election sure, was the great business of their lives : Know- 
 ing, that as God wrought in them both to will and to do 
 of his good pleasure, it was their duty to work in their 
 heavenly calling while he enabled and gave them oppor- 
 tunity to do so, by doing what he had commanded, and 
 living as he had directed, to the utmost of their power. 
 
 The same difference that there is in the characters of 
 these virgins may be observed in the characters of Chris- 
 tian professors. Some are careful to adorn tlieir profes- 
 sion with all the virtues of a holy life; to watch carefully 
 against all temptations to sin ; and to obey from the heart 
 that form of sound doctrine which was delivered them; 
 
 * 1 Cor. ii. 9. 
 
The Parable of the Virgins. 243 
 
 walking in all the comnnandments of God, and mortifying 
 all the evil propensities of their nature. Others are con- 
 tent w ith their profession, and satisfied with the Christian 
 name : The duties of Christianity are disregarded by 
 them : Professing to be the servants of God, they live in 
 subjection to the inspirations of satan, the lusts of the 
 flesh, the wicked pleasures and covetous tempers of the 
 world. As the conduct of these two kinds of Christians 
 resembles that of the virgins in the parable, so will the 
 issue of their conduct also be like theirs. 
 
 Till the Bridegroom came, all the virgins " slumbered 
 and slept." The scene of the parable is laid in the night, 
 to represent to us the daikness, and perplexity, and mise- 
 ry of this wicked world, in which the Church, till the 
 lime of her espousals be accomplished, is obliged to con- 
 tinue. The proper business of the night is to sleep and 
 rest the body, that it may be fit for the duties of the suc- 
 ceeding day. In their sleeping, therefore, there was no 
 harm ; nature required it, and must be indulged. By 
 their sleeping, is meant the various occupations and em- 
 ployments of life, by which the body is supported and 
 fed. The body is the creature of God, and the heir of 
 immortality : While it pleases God to continue us in the 
 world, it has a right to be fed and nourished ; and our 
 duty requires us to provide for its necessities. The dan- 
 ger is in over-feeding and pampering it, to the increase of 
 its evil propensities and lusts, by which we shall be drawn 
 into sin against God. 
 
 At midnight, a sudden proclamation was made, " Be- 
 hold, tlie Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." 
 At this notice, all the Virgins rising to trim their lamps, 
 the foolish ones perceived that their lamps were going out, 
 for want of oil. Having none to supply them, they re- 
 quested their companions to give them part of their stock. 
 Tliey then found tL»e want of that holy, Christian life 
 which they had neglected, contenting themselves with the 
 profession, without regarding the duties of Christianity ; 
 flaltering themselves, probably, that they should do well 
 enough without them. However great their necessity was. 
 
246 The Parable of ike Virgins. 
 
 their application was rejecled by the wise Virgins, who 
 replied, " Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you : 
 But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselvesv' 
 The expression of buying oil for their lamps, seems to be 
 used merely to keep up the similitude in the Parable, be- 
 cause that is the usual way of su[)plying lamps with oil. 
 If it have any further intention, it is to convince us how 
 fruitless and vain the attempt would be. As oil, in this 
 Parable, signifies that due preparation to meet the Lord 
 when he cometh, either at the day of judgment or at the 
 time of our own death, which arises from watching and 
 ihe uniform practice of all the good works and duties 
 which our holy religion requires, it cannot be transferred 
 from one to another. Was that possible, no one has more 
 than he will want. Should any one be so presumptuous 
 as to imagine he had done more in the service of God than 
 was required, contrary to the direction of Christ to his 
 Apostles, " When ye have done all those things which are 
 commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants ; we 
 have done that which was our duty to do ;"'^' and should 
 pretend to transfer the merit of his works to others ; the 
 negociation would end with as little advantage to the pur- 
 chaser as is represented in the Parable : For, 
 
 While the foolish Yirgins went to buy — in other words, 
 while they endeavoured, in some way or other, to make 
 themselves ready — the Bridegroom came; and the wise' 
 Virgins, having trimmed their lamps, and being ready for 
 his coming, went in with him to the marriage feast, and 
 the doors were shut. When, therefore, the foolish Yir- 
 gins came and requested admission, saying, " Lord, Lord, 
 open'* the door " to us" also ; he answered, " Yerily I 
 say unto you, I know you not" — I own no persons care- 
 less and improvident as you are, as fit guests at my feast. 
 The application of the Parable then follows, " Watcb>-- 
 therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the hour 
 wherein the Son of man cometh." 
 
 So much hath been said upon the duty and necessity of 
 watchfulness or great care to fulfil our duty in this worlds 
 
 * T,\ike xyii. 10. 
 
The Parable of the Virgins. 247 
 
 accf)rdino; to tlie will of God, that I sliall content myself 
 with observing, that the old Commentators, particularly 
 Origen and Cdrysostom, suppose the Parable to have been 
 designed and spoken against a latt, or deathbed repentance ; 
 when the body and mind are so worn down by age and in- 
 firmity, or by sickness, that the pleasures of vice and sin 
 can be no longer enjoyed, and the prospect of eternity 
 opens full on the soul. Repentance under such circum- 
 stances, this Parable, according to their interpretation of 
 ^it, declares to be invalid with God. 
 
 Without presuming to set limits to the mercy of God, it 
 is obvious to observe, that our Saviour concludes the Pa- 
 rable with declaring the necessity of watchfulness, that 
 we may be always ready, because we know not the day 
 nor hour when the Son of man cometh : Whether that 
 day be the day of our death or the day of judgment, it 
 is of equal importance to us. In the foregoing Chapter, 
 lie earnestly presses on us the necessity of doing, with all 
 fidelity and diligence, the work of the Lord; that is, our 
 duty according to God's coinmandments. In another 
 place,* he strictly commands the same duty, " Take heed 
 to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged 
 "with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this 
 Jife, and so that day come upon you unawares: For as a 
 snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of 
 the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, 
 that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things 
 that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of 
 man." It is hard to conceive that the necessity of watch- 
 fulness, and constant prayer, and care to do the will of God, 
 can be so great as Christ hath represented them, if we 
 may neglect them through our whole life, and not suffer 
 at last for our negligence — if we may live in the omission 
 of all God hath commanded, and in the practice of all he 
 hath forbidden; and, in the hour of death, cry, "Lord 
 have mercy upon us;" and thus be happy. Good, there- 
 fore, is the advice of the son of Sirach, Humble thyself, be- 
 fore thou be sick, and in the time of sins show repcntanee — 
 and defer not until death to bejusijfied. 
 
 * Luke xxi. 34, &c. 
 
DISCOURSE XIX. 
 
 CAUTIONS WITH REGARD TO HEARING SERMONS. 
 
 Luke viii. 18. 
 Take heed how ye hear, 
 
 \JUR Saviour, having explained the Parable of the 
 Sower to his disciples, added that of the lighted candle ; 
 that they might understand, his intention in communica- 
 ting that knowledge to them was not that they should keep 
 it to themselves, but that they should proclaim and teach 
 it to others. The caution of the text follows, and is sup- 
 ported by a declaration which several times occurs in his 
 instructions; "Take heed how ye hear: for whosoever 
 hath" (so as to improve it to the purposes for which he hath 
 it) " to him shall" more '' be given ; and whosoever hath 
 not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth 
 to have." 
 
 The \e\U therefore, relates to the temper with which we 
 hear religious instruction, especially from those who are 
 appointed by God to dispense it to us. The admonition 
 of our Saviour ought to convince us that it is a matter of 
 serious importance ; and the observation which every Min- 
 ister of Christ must make, that little apparent benefit arises 
 from hearing sermons, will convince him that his admoni- 
 tion is not regarded as it ought to be. 
 
 Some part of the blame probably belongs to them wbomi 
 God hath called to be public Instructors in his Church. 
 They being men of like passions and infirmities with oth- 
 ers, may not in every respect come up to their duty. 
 They may be negligent in preparing themselves for the dis- 
 charge of their office of preaching God's word to advan- 
 tage. They may be careless and languid in the delivery 
 
 VOL. II. H h 
 
250 Cautions with regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 of their discourses. Though no crime may stain their 
 characters:, their conduct may defeat the benefit of their 
 public instruction. May God give them all grace to at- 
 tend duly to their own conduct in these respects ; for heavy 
 will be their doom, if the preaching of the Gospel of 
 God fail ot its full effect through their fault. 
 
 But whatever may be the deficiencies of those who 
 preach the Gospel; we have a right to expect more fruit 
 from their labours, such as they are, than we see produced. 
 This must be the fault of the Hearers ; and it. requires the 
 consideration of their serious hours, and their earnest 
 prayers to Almighty God, the giver of all grace, that they 
 may correct it. The subject is important, and weighty 
 consequences are dependent on it — the glory of God, the 
 honor of our Redeemer, the prosperity of religion, their 
 own future welfare, and the future welfare of others. 
 
 Such excuses as satisfy themselves are easily made by 
 most people, when religion is concerned ; for when the 
 accused is his own Judge, his acquittal too generally fol- 
 lows of course. But whether those excuses, with which 
 men satisfy themselves, will satisfy their final Judge, de- 
 serves their consideration. An Apostle hath told us, '' If 
 we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.'* 
 But righteous judgment will certainly be expected of us. 
 If we might be allowed to change one word in the above 
 cited text, and read, " If we would condemn ourselves, 
 we should not be condemned," I conceive neither the pro- 
 priety of the translation, nor the truth of Scripture would 
 suffer by it. 
 
 Be, therefore, your own judges, while I endeavour, in 
 plainness and sincerity, to lead you to the true apprehen- 
 sion of what is contained in this important text, " Take 
 heed how ye hear.'* 
 
 1. It iinplies a disposition to attend to what is said, and 
 to be instructed by it. 
 
 To sit within the sound of the Preacher's voice, and 
 hear his words without attending to them, can answer no 
 good purpose. Thus hearing, you hear not, because you 
 understand not, One design of preaching, is to instruct ; 
 
Cauiiom with regard to hearing Sermons. 251 
 
 bill if you understand not, tliis end of preacliin^, with re- 
 fijaid to you, is defeated. Or, should the Preacher's view 
 be to correct something amiss, to enliven your devotion, 
 lo refresh your memory, to call off your affections from 
 the things of the world, and direct them to things above ; 
 as to any advantage you will get, you might as v^ell be in 
 any other place, or employed in any other matter. 
 
 But possibly the Preacher does not please you. His 
 voice is coarse, or his manner uncouth, or his language 
 inelegant, and you cannot command your attention. But, 
 remember, the Preacher is God's Minister to you, for your 
 good. It is, therefoi-e, your duty to hear him with atten- 
 tion and patience. To have the ears charmed, and the 
 imagination delighted, may be very pleasing sensations: 
 But, unless the understanding be informed, and the heart 
 mended, these sensations might have as well been produ- 
 ced by a song, as a sermon ; and, in a general way, the 
 impression would last as long in one case, as in the other. 
 
 I mean not to excuse any Clergyman who indulges him- 
 self in an indolent, careless, or awkward manner in the 
 pulpit. It is his duty to correct any habits of this kind, 
 and to qualify himself to discharge the solemn office of 
 preaching, with propriety. But suppose, with his utmost 
 endeavour, he should, as a Preacher, fail to please you ; 
 still it is your duty, while you live under bis ministry, to 
 attend to his discourses, and get as much instruction from 
 them as you can. Possibly some part of the fault may be 
 in you : A careless habit may be more to blame, than any 
 defects in the Preacher. At least, it would be worth the 
 trial, whether continued exertion, on your part, to cona- 
 mand your attention, w^ould not wear off* or lessen what 
 appeared disgusting in the Preacher's manner. 
 
 Another excuse for inattention is, that the Preacher tells 
 you nothing that is new — nothing but what you knew 
 before : And why should you be obliged to attend for half 
 an I'our, to bear only what you had often heard, and with 
 which you was as well acquainted as your Minister? 
 
 How, then, did you get your knowledge ? If by preach- 
 ing, why not continue that attention to a method of in- 
 
252 Cautions wilh regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 struclion, from which you liave received so much benefit ? 
 If in any other way; is it no satisfaction to have your 
 knowledge confirmed by discourses from the pulpit ? Pos- 
 sibly, too, while you are inattentive, and your thoughts 
 wandering, some sentiment may be delivered which would 
 have pleased you ; some duty, in which you are deficient, 
 enforced with motives you never thought of; some sin, in 
 which you lived, reproved in a manner which would have 
 affected you ; some point of doctrine, in which you want- 
 ed instruction, explained; some text of Scripture, which 
 you did not understand, set in a clear light : But through 
 inattention you have lost the opportunity, and it may nev- 
 er again return to you. 
 
 Besides; though you maybe so well informed as to 
 need no instruction; is that the case with the whole con- 
 gregation ? Others may be ignorant ; and you surely would 
 not prevent their improvement. Set, then, a good exam- 
 ple; and by your own attention, encourage attention in 
 them. Some advantage may thereby accrue even to you. 
 You may find your love to God enlivened, your faith 
 quickened, your devotion warmed, your piety promoted, 
 your benevolence heightened, and every good disposition 
 animated, by the repetition of what you before knew full 
 well. Why then will you, by inattention, preclude your- 
 self from all chance of so great blessings ? 
 
 Another cause- of inattention is levity. Some persons? 
 have so much vivacity in their composition, and require 
 such a perpetual change of objects to entertain them, that 
 they cannot stay in any place, or converse on any topic, 
 or engage in any matter long enough to receive instruc- 
 tion. All must be mirth, or they are unhappy. Brilliant 
 sallies of imagination, lively repartees, puns, jests, laugh- 
 able merriment of any kind, constitute their whole enjoy- 
 ment. There may be advantages in such a disposition 
 with regard to this v^^orld. The little rubs of life aflect 
 not; and the heavy strokes of adversity are soon forgot- 
 ten. But, to indulge such a disposition in Church, is both 
 ridiculous and wicked. Levity is no friend to considera- 
 tion; no qualification for attending to the interests of 
 
CaiUions with regard to hearing Sermons, 253 
 
 eternity. It kills devotion; it hinders divine contempla- 
 tion, and closes the mind against instruction. Let the 
 Preacher have prepared ever so good a sermon; let him 
 deliver it with ever so much propriety ; in the midst of a 
 serious argument, or of a pathetic exhortation, some whim 
 strikes the fancy and must be communicated. A whisper 
 ensues ; laughter follows ; the whole pew is disturbed ; 
 and the Minister hath composed, and preached in vain. 
 If nothing worse, yet the occasional adjustment of the 
 little ornaments of dress, observations on the appearance 
 and behaviour of others, and the treasuring up of remarks 
 fer future nierriment, too probably are the employment 
 of such persons through the whole sermon. 
 
 Another cause of inattention is the intrusion of worldly 
 objects into the pfiind. While at church, the miser may 
 be contemplating his wealth, or calculating his interest ; 
 the worldling laying plans for the prosecution of his busi- 
 ness; the man of ambition contriving the exaltation of his 
 dignity ; the debauchee, the certain enjoyment of his plea- 
 sures. God grant there be no occasion for these remarks. 
 Yet goliciiude that you may reap the full benefit of that 
 religious instruction which God hath provided for you, 
 hath drawn them from me. 
 
 Let me now observe, that in order to make sermons 
 profitable to you, it is not only necessary that you attend 
 to them, but that you attend with a firm and honest reso- 
 lution to believe and practise whatever you shall be con- 
 vinced is your duty ; and that the seriousness with which 
 you attend be not dropped as soon as you leave the church. 
 It ought to be continued, at least, long enough to give 
 you lime for reflection. This reflection ought to be re- 
 called at proper intervals, that you may add to your stock 
 of knowledge what \ou gained from the last sermon, and 
 make it subservient to your growth in grace and in Chris- 
 tian virtues. 
 
 For this reason you ought not to return suddenly to the 
 consideration of worldly business. What necessity re- 
 quires must be regarded: But unnecessary attention to 
 worldly objects, as soon as we leave the church, will dis- 
 
254 Cautions with regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 tract the mind, and lessen the benefit you would other- 
 wise receive from the instructions of the pulpit. Six days 
 in the week our Creator hath given us, to provide for this 
 life ; the seventh he hath appropriated to the interests of 
 eternity. We. shall show our wisdom by regarding the 
 institution of our Maker, and not by encroaching on a 
 day which he hath blessed and sanctified to so important 
 a purpose. 
 
 Far be it from me to recommend a sullen, gloomy be* 
 haviour to religious people. It is generally the child of 
 pride and ignorance ; the nurse of peevishness and bigo- 
 try. I know no person who has a better right to be cheer- 
 ful than the pious Christian. Only let him take care that 
 his cheerfulness be innocent, and do not degenerate into 
 levity; especially not into such levity as shall lead him 
 into improper behaviour at church, or efface the good im- 
 pressions he hath there received. 
 
 2. The text implies in it the duty of hearing sermons 
 with an open and candid heart; neither warped by preju- 
 dice against the Preacher, nor by unreasonable partiality 
 in his favour. 
 
 If tiie mind be barred by prejudice, or warped by par- 
 tiality, the chance of obtaining instruction, or of having 
 oiu' good dispositions confirmed, will be much lessened. 
 Prejudice will shut the ears and harden the heart against 
 conviction. Partiality will incline us to receive doctrines 
 which have no foundation in truth. The one will prevent 
 our receiving instruction when offered to us ; the other 
 may make us a prey to delusion and error. Duty requires 
 that we exercise candor, not that we resign ourselves to 
 implicit belief. Judgment must be used, and discretion 
 must guide it. 
 
 Fundamental principles of religion drawn from Holy 
 Scripture, and from the Catholic Creeds and Doctrines of 
 the Church, together with approved maxims of holiness, 
 will enable us to judge, if not with scholastic precision, 
 yet with propriety, and with security to our faith and 
 practice, both as reasonable men, and as Christians. It 
 is not to be expected, nor is it required, that every Chris- 
 
Cautions with regard to hearing Sermons, 2/35 
 
 tian sbould be a casuist, or deeply skilled in controversial 
 divinity : But it is expected that every Christian be an 
 honest man, and receive truth and reject error, as far as 
 his best judgment shall enable him to distinguish them. 
 
 A plain sermon in familiar language, seldom acquires 
 the Preacher any credit ; never but with good judges. 
 Every man is apt to think he could have composed as good 
 a sermon himself. But if a Preacher busy himself in en- 
 deavouring to explain the mysteries of religion,'^ or to 
 confute old heresies, or reconcile modern systems of di- 
 vinity, or to distinguish between sin and duty, virtue and 
 vice, and show how near they can come together without 
 the one running into the other, there is a propensity in 
 common hearers to applaud him. The vaslness of his 
 abilities, and the immensity of his learning are admired, 
 merely because he was not understood. If such Preach- 
 ers gain applause; or if light, frothy discourses, hit off in 
 soft words and flowing periods— smooth and cold as po- 
 lished marble — be preferred to plain, solid, Christian doc- 
 trine ; some Preachers, it is to be feared, will be found, 
 who will sacrifice their duty to their fame, their conscience 
 to their profit, and will tickle your ears and please your 
 imaginations, without much regard to your growth in 
 grace or Christian knowledge. 
 
 Another ground of both prejudice and partiality with 
 regard to Preachers is this: Some religious people form 
 to themselves a particular scheme of Christianity : They 
 understand its principle in a sense of their own : They 
 lay a great stress on some particular doctrine : They use 
 a peculiar set of phrases, and quote certain texts of Scrip- 
 ture, to both which they have affixed their own peculiar 
 meaning. Should a clergyman neglect their mode of ex- 
 pression; or give a different interpretation of their texts; 
 or not lay weight enough upon ttieir favorite doctrine; 
 
 * There are, and there must be mysteries, that is, some doctrines in our reli- 
 gion which we cannot comprehend. Tlie infinite nature of God is beyond the reach 
 of our understanding-. We have, from nature, no conception of spirit, or of spirit- 
 ual objects, but by analogy with our own nature and the things of this v/orld. Di- 
 vine revelation, then, which concerns itself only with spirit and spiritual things, 
 and is obliged to represent tliem to us by analogy, must ha^-e some things in it 
 V hich to us are incomprehensible. 
 
256 Cautions with regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 they first suspect him, and then accuse him of teaching 
 false doctrine. On the other hand, should the preacher 
 use their style of expression, quote their texts, and apply 
 Ihcm in their way; support their sentiments, and build 
 up their system; they extol him to the skies ; the Spirit 
 of God rests upon him ; the words of salvation flow from 
 liis lips. But by what criterion do these people judge? 
 Evidently by the criterion of their own preconceived sys- 
 tem. Appeals, I know, are always made to Scripture : 
 But when a man puts his own construction on particular 
 texts; should that construction be false, the texts become 
 his texts, and speak his sense, not the sense of Scripture. 
 
 The Scripture is the revelation of God to man, making 
 known invisible and spiritual things by analogy drawn 
 from things visible and corporeal. Its language must of 
 necessity be figurative ; and, from its figures, as well as 
 from the idiom of the language in which it was written, 
 and the customs of the country where it was written, a 
 degree of obscurity rests on it, which requires greater 
 learning and abilities to clear up, than may oe commonly 
 apprehended.* 
 
 Considered as a system of morality, the Bible is suflS- 
 ciently plain to regulate the conduct of human life in all 
 situations: Asa divine revelation, making known and of- 
 fering immortality and happiness to man in a future world, 
 it is sufficiently plain to secure all the benefits of Christ's 
 redemption to the faithful Christian. To this end, the 
 study of the sublime points of theology, the knowledge 
 of dark prophecies, of the mysteries of God's providence, 
 and of the dispensations of his grace, are not necessary. 
 It would be better if people would confine their attention 
 more to matters of duty, what their station in life requires 
 of them ; and to take their faith from the Catholic Creeds 
 of the Church, in which the essential Christian doctrines 
 of Scripture are comprised. It would, also, be well, if 
 people of greater abilities and knowledge would be sure 
 they themselves are right, before they form a decided 
 
 * The Rev. William ^ones, M. A. md. F. R. S. in 1787, published a Course ot 
 Lectures on the figurative Languag-e of the Holy Scriptures, highly worth the at 
 tantion of all Christians. 
 
CaiUions. with regard to hearing Sermons* 257 
 
 jud<jment of tbe doctrines of their Minister; and that 
 neither vanity, nor prejudice, nor pride have any influ- 
 ence to bias their determination. Some regard is due to 
 the station of their lyiinister in the Clmrch, and to the re- 
 lation he stands in to them; and great regard is due to the 
 peace, and order, ^nd authority of the Church. Should 
 their opinion of their Minister be just, a private explana- 
 tion may satisfy all their scruples: But it.ou^ht to be the 
 explanation of a friend, not the attacji of a disputant. 
 Let then),, also," be careful that no petulance, nor obstina- 
 cy, nor censoriousness stain their conduct. If they be 
 wrono^, their case is dreadful. Prejudice, if their Minis- 
 ter differs from them, precludes all opportunity of belter 
 information. If he coincides with IheiTi, prepossession 
 hath laid a foundation on which he will build a superstruc- 
 ture of error and delusion. 
 
 Some people complain that their Minister confines him- 
 self to discourses on dry morality, and never touches on 
 any point of Christian doctrine. Others complain that 
 their Minister preaches constantly on intricate doctrinal 
 points, and never says a word of moral obligation. When 
 either of these charges is just, it ought to be corrected. 
 When a Minister confines himself to moral subjects, he 
 gives occasion to suspicions that he does not believe, or 
 does not understand, or lightly regards the pecu'mr doc- 
 trines, of Christianity. * If lie never (reatson Christiaa 
 virtues, he furnishes, occasion to censure, to say, that he 
 is more solicitous to amuse his people with theoretic know- 
 ledge, than to form' their manners. 
 
 The Public Service of the Church calls the Minister to 
 the consideration of particular Christian doctrines on par- 
 iticuiar days: At. other times, she leaves, or rather in^ 
 [vites him, not only to inculcate Christian principles, but 
 to enforce the practice of Christian duty. Prudence will 
 direct a Clergyman to conform to this regulalion, being 
 careful to draw his morality from Christian sources, to es- 
 tablish it by Christian principles, and enforce it by Chtis- 
 tian motives : And when Christian doctrines are under 
 consideration, to point out their moral tendency, and show 
 
 VOL. II. I i 
 
208 Caul ions with regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 liow well they are calculated to mend the hearts, and in- 
 fluence the conduct of men. 
 
 In some congregations there are people who are dissat- 
 isfied with their Minister, and wish to be rid of him. 
 While he is their Minister, duty to God as well as to them- 
 selves,, the order and peace of the Church require that 
 they submit to his ministry, that they duly attend the pub- 
 lic service of the Church, and patiently listen to. his dis- 
 courses. If they should be such as do not entirely please 
 them, tliey must be bad indeed if they receive no benefit 
 from theni. 
 
 Humility, without which the Christian character is not 
 complete, by inspiring us with lowly sentiments of our 
 own abilities, will dispose us to peace and quietness, which 
 in the estimation of God are of more worth than all the 
 subtilties of human learning. I know not a worse char- 
 acter (among the religious ones I mean) than a sour, cap- 
 tious, sermon-critic. No sermon pleases him, but in pro- 
 portion as he can find fault with it. Too often, by mere 
 dint of fault-finding, he collects a party who look up to 
 him as to an oracle, and disperse abroad all his observa- 
 tions : Feeling his power to disturb the serious and unset- 
 tle the weak, he becoines intoxicated with his own im- 
 portance -and spiritual attainments, till being lifted up 
 with pride, he falls — but God give him repentance, and a 
 better mind, that he may not fall into the condemnation of 
 the devil. '* Take heed," therefore, " how ye hear," and 
 let your care be, at least, as much employed on your own 
 temper and conduct, as on the conduct and preaching of 
 your minister. 
 
 3. The iext implies that we hear with faith in the good- 
 ness of God, and in the truth of his promises and threats. 
 
 One great end of preaching is to display tiie goodness 
 of God to man, manifested in his creation, and more es- 
 pecially in his redemption from sin and death by Jesus 
 Christ ; in the hope of glory which he hath set before us, 
 and the means of grace by which he enables us to obtain 
 that hope. ' Unless you have this faith in the goodness of 
 C:«od, ail these delightful* topics will be urged on you in 
 
Cautions with regard to hearing Sermons. 259 
 
 vain. You cannot love that ooodness in which you do 
 not believe ; nor imitate that goodness which you do not 
 love; nor be transformed into the likeness of that good- 
 ness which you do not imitate. And yet, our resemblance 
 of God in goodness is made the foundation of happiness 
 with him. 
 
 Equally necessary is it that vve have firm faith in the 
 truth of God; that we believe he will assuredly make 
 good all his promises, and will execute his threats, unless 
 by repentance, and faith in his mercy, we avail ourselves 
 of the atonement of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. 
 On no other ground but that of your faith in the truth of 
 God, can his promises be made the foundation of your 
 hope, or his threats a motive to your repentance. 
 
 If, therefore, the goodness an-cl truth of God are to be 
 of any advantage to you in your Christian course, that 
 advantage must come to you through your faith in them. 
 Your duty, then, requires that, by frequent meditation, 
 you strengthen your faith in the goodness of God expres- 
 sed to you and to all men ; in the truth of his promises to 
 all faithful Christians; and in the certainty of his threats 
 against the impenitent and disobedient. Thereby you will 
 prepare yourselves to receive the full benefit of your Min- 
 ister's discourses on those important subjects. Beyond 
 every thing else, such meditations warm the heart with de- 
 votion to God, and witli charity to man; they prepare it 
 for the reception of divine grace ; they arm it with holy 
 resolution, arid they strengtjien it against all temptations 
 to sin. 
 
 4. To your faith in the goodness and truth of God, add 
 constant prayer and resignation of the heart to him; that 
 is, a ready desire, in all things to be conformed to his holy 
 
 The belief that God is our Creator and Redeemer; that 
 lie is good and hath provided all things necessary for our 
 present and future happiness ; that he is true and will ful- 
 fil every word that hath gone out of his mouth, is the foun- 
 dation of ^he duty of prayer to him. If he is our Creator, 
 he can help us in all difficulties: If he is good, he will do 
 
260 Cavtions with regard to hearing Sermons. 
 
 what is best for us: If bis word is true, be will fulfil the 
 gracious promises which he hath made. My subject obli- 
 ges me to take notice of^ only one of these promises — 
 " Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; 
 knock, and it shall be opened unto you." For, "if ye be- 
 ing evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, 
 how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy 
 Spirit to them that ask him?"^ 
 
 This Holy Spirit, Clyist promised to his Church, and. 
 as members of his Cliurch, all Christians receive his hea- 
 venly influence. He is the principle of holiness; we are 
 polluted and unholy through sin. He is the principle of 
 strength ; we are weak and unable to help oursel ves* Most 
 necessary, then, for us is the presence and operation of this 
 Divine Being, without whom we can do nothing that is 
 good and acceptable to God. To our prayers and earnest 
 entreaties God hath promised the precious gift of his pre- 
 sence — most necessary, therefore, it is, that we pray fer- 
 vently and constantly for it. From this Spirit all good de- 
 sires, ajid holy purposes, and just works proceed ; from 
 him cometh every good and perfect gift. He disposeth 
 the heart to the ffsar and service of God : He endueth it 
 "with attention, and a disposition to be instructed in the will 
 of God, with candor to receive, and seriousness to consi 
 der, and resolution to believe and practise whatever God 
 shall declare to be our duty. Faith, arid hope, and depen- 
 dence on God proceed from him; prayer and resignation 
 are the fruits of his work. He strengtheneth the heart a- 
 gainst temptation ; he supporteth it in affliction ; he guid- 
 eth it in prosperity. Pray earnestly, therefore, and con- 
 stanily, for the presencS and inspirations of tins blessed 
 Spirit. He is the author of all goodness in you : He is 
 your whole security against evil. , 
 
 And as you pray for his presence >and holy gifts, 'be 
 careful to obey his inspirations. They show tliemselves 
 in the sensibility and love. of goodness, in hatred and de- 
 testation of all that is evil. When you comply with 'the 
 motions to goodness in your own heart, and tqrn from 
 
 * lAike xi. 9. 13 
 
Cautions with regard io hearing Sermons, 261 
 
 tjvery tbino^ which you know to be contrary to the will of 
 God, you follow the motions of God's Spirit in you ; and 
 he will bless you, and will fulfil his gracious promise, 
 " To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abun- 
 dance." 
 
 The business, therefore, of hearing sermons is not of 
 that trivial nature, which many- people supposiB it to be. 
 If we wish to make it conducive to our growth in grace, 
 it must be accompanied with serious and patient attention, 
 with a disposition to receive instruction in religious know^- 
 ledge, with faith in the goodness and truth of God, and a 
 determination to obey his will to our utmost ability. 
 
 I have gone upon the presumption, that the Preacher 
 faithfully does his duty, and proposes and explains the 
 whole gospel to yon in the course of his sermons — that 
 his manner be affectionate, and his language plain — that 
 he neither carelessly nor wilfully perverts or neglects any 
 doctrine necessary for you — that he confines not himself 
 to some favourite system or doctrine, but opens to you 
 the whole will of God concerning you, and leads you in 
 it by a Christian and exemplary life. If he do not, he 
 offends against the strongest obligations that can be laid 
 on man, and heavy will be his condemnation from God. 
 
 Before I conclude, let me caution you against the fash- 
 ionable prejudice in favour of preaching, which prevails 
 with most people who are not well instructed in the na- 
 ture and design of the Church of Christ. I havenio way 
 to judge of the sentiments of people, but from their con- 
 duct and discourse. To judge by these, the whole duty 
 of the minister lies in preaching ; of the people in hear- 
 ing. Accordingly, on Prayer-days the congregations are 
 very thin : But if a rambler through the country notifies 
 that he is to preach, though too ignorant to speak sense, 
 and one who can only bawl loudly ; he shall have his au- 
 dience fully crowded. No inquiry is made into the quali- 
 lications of the preacher ; Whether he has been set apart 
 to the work of the ministry according to the institution of 
 Christ? or, whether helms taken up the business by his 
 own authority'^ or, whether he has been ordained by 
 
262 Cautious with regard to hearing Sermons, 
 
 Ihosewho had no more authority than himself? This 
 shows that a great many people hear sermons with the 
 same idle curiosity, with which they would hear a play. 
 Remember, therefore, that Christians are united to God 
 by being taken into covenant with him, and are united to 
 one another by being members of his Church ; that this 
 union can only be supported by the ordinances of his 
 Church, all which are instituted by him for this very end. 
 Joint pray ei's or social worship, and the participation of 
 the sacraments, are, therefore, as necessary to eternal life, 
 as hearing the word of God preached ; and I will add, 
 much more so ihm hearing the word of God preached, 
 without them. 
 
DISCOURSE XX. 
 
 THE DOOM OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 Luke xix. 41, 42. 
 
 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept 
 * over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least 
 in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy .peace! 
 but now they are hid from thine eyes. 
 
 w 
 
 E bate considered the history of Pharaoh, particu- 
 larly what is meant by God's hardening his heart. We 
 have adverted to the fate of the Israelites who were de- 
 livered from Egypt, and afterward perished in the wilder- 
 ness. We have attended to the conduct and punishment 
 of the latter Jews in the time of Christ ; and have explain- 
 ed the meaning of that text which saith, " Therefore hath 
 he mercy on whom be will have mercy, and whom he will 
 he hardeneth.*' 
 
 It may be worth our while to consider whether these 
 things concern Christians. If God dealt with Pharaoh 
 and the Jews in such a manner as he never did, and never 
 will deal with others, we have little or nothing to do with 
 them, further than curiosity and amusement are concern- 
 ed. But, if he intended them as warnings and admonitions 
 to us, as examples of the fatal issue of their conduct, and 
 an exemplification of a fixed rule of his dealing with them 
 and with all mankind, we shall find ourselves mc^st deeply 
 interested in whatever related to them. Under the full 
 persuasion that we are so, I take the liberty to brir\g be- 
 fore you the particular case of the Jews, and the final 
 sentence which Christ passed upon their capital city, Jeru- 
 salem, in the words of the text; hoping that your candor 
 will excuse the repetition of sentiments and circumstances 
 that liave been before mentioned, or briefly considered. 
 
264 The Doom of Jerusatem, 
 
 It is apparent that God dealt with his old people, the 
 church of the Jews, by the saaie rule by which he dealt 
 with Pharaoh. And, as he is no respecter of persons, but 
 " will have mercy on v\ horn he will have nnercy, and har- 
 deneth whom he will;" that is, dispenseth the blessings of 
 his grace and mercy, or executeth his judgments, accord- 
 ing to his own good pleasure ; rendering to every man ac- 
 cording to his deeds, and agreeably to the state he hath 
 formed for himself : What good reason can be given, why 
 he should not deal with Christians as he dealt with Pharaoh 
 and the Jews, if, as Pharaoh and the Jews did, they har- 
 den the heart against him, and pass their day of grace in 
 obstinate and final impenitency ? 
 
 Christians profess to believe, that the Bible contains the 
 history of God's revelation to the World; making known 
 his will, and directing the conduct of men: that it sets 
 forth the history of many things he hath done in the world 
 to particular nations of men, relative to their conduct 
 compared with his will made known to them; so that, 
 seeing the blessings and judgments his hand hath dispen- 
 sed to others, they may be induced to live in obedience 
 to him who is the author of life, and the giver of every 
 good thing to his creatures: this is their profession ; but, 
 imhappily, their practice corresponds but ill with it. 
 
 In respect of holy scripture. Christians seem to have 
 fallen into a state very similar to that of the Jews in the 
 time of Christ. The Jews believed that the books of the 
 Old Testament contained the revelation of God's will, 
 and were r^ady, at all times, to dispute about them and 
 for them ; to settle, philosophic and speculative opinions 
 by them ; to interpret the dark prophecies, and explain 
 the deep^ mysteries contained in them : and so high did 
 they carry their veneration ot them,* that, lest they should 
 be co^Tupted, they numbered and carefully noted the sum 
 of the words and letters in which they were written. But 
 to make them the rule of their life, and regulate their con- 
 duct by that will of God which they declared, was a mat- 
 ter with which, a few instances excepted, they had little 
 to do. . - 
 
The Doom of Jerusalem, 26fi 
 
 The example of Pharaoh, exhibited to us by God's har- 
 dening his heart, by the miracles he wrought for his con- 
 viction, and by withdrawino from h'im his lioly spirit, be- 
 cause lie would not suffer his divine motions and ins[)ira- 
 lions to take any lasting hold of him ; by his pronotincino; 
 against liim the sentence of reprobation, and giving hint 
 up to destruction, the Jews perverted, so as to make it of 
 no efficacy to bring, them to repentance, but rather to in- 
 crease their own pride, and harden tlieir hearts in iniquV- 
 \y. For, 
 
 Who was Pharaoh? whowere the Egyptians that per- 
 ished with him? Vile heathen, and tlie objects of God's 
 hatred and \yrath. But themselves tliey believed to be the 
 peculiar people of God — the cliildren of Abraham by Sa- 
 rah,' and the sole heirs of all the blessings of the covenant, 
 made with him. If God corrected them fo.r their trans- 
 gressions, his corrections were but the chastisements of a 
 father. He never woukr punish them as he did wicked 
 heathen, with blindness of mind and iiardness of heart; 
 nor issue the sentence of reprobation and destruction a- 
 gainst them. 
 
 Nor had the judgments of God upon the Israelites v.^hom 
 he brought througli the Red Sea, when Pharaoh and hi& 
 army were drowned, any greater effect on them. They 
 considered not that those Israelites were the covenanted 
 people of God equally with themselves, being the chil- 
 dren of Abrahafu, and Isaac, and Jacob, and heirs of all 
 the promises made to them, particularly of the inheritance 
 of Canaan, whither God was then cptiducting them: that 
 they had, moreover, personally entered into covejiant 
 with God at Horeb, and had been eye-witnesses of all the 
 great things he liad done for them, in Egypt, at the Ked 
 Sea, and in the wilderness: that, on account of their dis- 
 belief and distrust of the power of God to put them in 
 possession of Canaan, occasioned by the report which the 
 spies, -whom Moses had sent to view the country, made of 
 the size and strength of the inhabitants, " God sware in his 
 wrath," that not one of those who were numbered when 
 they came out of Egypt, Caleb and Joshua excepted, 
 VOL. II. K k 
 
268 The Doom of Jerusalem, 
 
 should obtain that promise, but should all die in the wil- 
 derness; condemning theai to forty years wandering in it, 
 till that curse of reprobation should be fulfilled on them. 
 Nor had the goodness of God any effect on them, so as to 
 correct the perversity of their heart. Like Pharaoh', they 
 closed their eyes against his miracles, and regarded not 
 the interpositions of his providence in their favour, till 
 neither miracles nor providential interpositions could do 
 fiiem any good. At Marah they complained of the bitter- 
 ness of the water, and were relieved from their distress by 
 the 2;oodness of God, who directed Moses to cast the 
 bough of a certain tree into it, and the water became sweet. 
 Shortly after they murmured in the wilderness of Sin, and 
 demanded bread and flesh for their hunger. Again the 
 power of God relieved them by a miraculous supply of 
 quails and manna. It was not long before they repeated 
 their murmurings for water atRephidim; and so violent 
 were their clamours, that Moses thought himself in dan- 
 ger of being stoned by thnm. The rock in Horeb, smitten 
 by the rod of Moses, in obedience to the direction of God, 
 supolled them with water to satiety. 
 
 Thus they went on during their abode in the wilderness, 
 ever complaming, never satisfied: and though always re- 
 lieved from distress by the power of God, yet still doubl- 
 ing that power: siill doubting whether God was with them, 
 though they saw daily manifestations of his presence, and 
 had beheld his glory visibly displayed on mount Sinai — 
 "wishing they had died by the hand of God, with full sto- 
 inarlis, in Egypt, rather than to be left to famish in the 
 wilderness. 
 
 God saw the irreclaimable hardness and baseness of their 
 tempers, and he sware in his wrath that they should not 
 enter into Canaan. Their professions of penitence and 
 submission were ineffectual. Their doom was past, and 
 it was literally fulfiiied : they all died wandering m ihQ 
 wilderness. 
 
 Surprising as if may appear, these instances of the' un- 
 belief and rebellion of the Israelites, and of the judgments 
 of God on them, in consequence thereof, never seem to 
 
Tlie Doom of Jerusalem, 267 
 
 have ceased while they continued a nation ; nor in their 
 present dispersed state through the world do they appear 
 to be cured of them. In the time of Christ, they went 
 on in the same way witli their forefathers, acting from the 
 same temper and disposition of heart, till the wrath of God 
 broke on them, in the final destruction of their civil and 
 religious polity, by the power of the Romans. 
 
 Of that terrible and fatal disaster, the goodness of God 
 had given them long and repeated notice. The old pro- 
 phets had foretold the event, and called them to repent- 
 ance, as Ihe only method to escape the vengeance of God : 
 but their predictions they regarded not. The holy Bap- 
 tist, who, in the power, and spirit, and with the mortifi- 
 cation of Elias, came to prepare the way of the Lord, by- 
 turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the 
 just, preached to them the doctrine and baptism of re- 
 pentance. He declared that the axe was about to be laid 
 to the root of the trees, and that every tree growing in the 
 garden of God, the church of the Jews, which brought 
 not forth good fruit, should be hewn down, and cast into 
 the fire : that God, the great husbandman of the earth, the 
 especial owner and proprietor of that people, had taken 
 his winnowing fan in his hand, and would effectually clear 
 and cleanse his threshing-floor, by separating the chaff 
 from the wheat ; the latter he would gather into his grana- 
 ry, but would burn up the former with fire which none 
 could quench. " Repent," therefore, said he, that ye 
 may escape the judgment of God impending over the 
 wicked; "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" the 
 promised reign of Messiah is now commencing. — They 
 believed not John, but reviled him as a madman possessed 
 of the devil. 
 
 The last proffer of mercy was the preaching of Messiah. 
 All meek and lowly, " he came unto his own"' people, 
 these hard-hearted and impenitent Jews: they " received 
 him not." He called the»n to repentance : they would not 
 repent. He proclaimed the kingdom of God : they re-- 
 fused to enter into it. He declared himself to he sent of 
 God, to open the eye^ of the blind, to heal the broken 
 
2i>i> The Doom of Jerusalem, 
 
 and contrite spirit, to release the captives of satan, to 
 preach good news of salvation to the meek and humble, 
 to make known the acceptable year of the Lord : they at- 
 tempted to throw him down a precipice for his presump- 
 tion. He wrought miracles to prove his divine mission : 
 they ascribed his {niracles to the power of the devil. He 
 Jived not on particular food, like John the Baptist, but ate 
 and drank the food of other people : they blasphemed him 
 as a i^lutton and a drunkard. In strong allusions and apt 
 parables, he warned them of the impending rejection of 
 God: they contrived his death. 
 
 In this state of obdurate impenitency were the inhabi- 
 tants of .ferusalem, when Jesu^, for the last time, ap- 
 proached it. The prospect of the city, the knowledge of 
 what it was to endure, filled his ey^s with tears, his heart 
 with sorrow, his mouth with the most plaintive words of 
 commiseration : " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kil- 
 lest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto 
 thee, how often would I gave gathered thy children to- 
 gether, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her 
 wings," and thou wouldst not! " If thou,'* Jerusalem, 
 " hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the 
 things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are 
 hid from thine eyes." And '' behold your house is left 
 imto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall not see 
 me henceforth." 
 
 But no warnino; had any effect. The declaration of .Te- 
 sus excited their malice; the acclamations and hosannas 
 of the multitude inflamed their passions. They seized 
 him as a malefactor, and crucified him by the hand of the 
 Romans. The litlle flock of chosen disciples and follow- 
 ers whom he left in the world, they persecuted and mur- 
 dered, or scattered abroad among the nations, because 
 they declared his resurrection, and preached repentance, 
 remission of sins, and eternal life in his name. 
 
 Thus they continued provoking God, and increasing 
 the heavy load of their guilt, till the Roman army, the 
 terrible scourge of God, cast a trench about Jerusalem. 
 aad compassed her round, and kept her m on every side 
 
The Doom of Jerusalem, 269 
 
 and laid her even with the ground, and her children within 
 her, not leaving one stone upon another; because she 
 knew not the time of her visitation. For had she known, 
 even at the last, in the days of Christ, the things that be- 
 longed to her peace; had she then repented of her wick- 
 edness, and reformed lier manners; had she been convin- 
 ced by the miracles of Christ, that he was Messiah, tiie 
 glory of Israel, the liglit of the Gentiles, the Son of God, 
 the things of peace had still been hers. But, 
 
 Against all the admonitions of God she hardened her 
 heart; against the miracles of Christ she shut her eyes; 
 against his preaching she closed her ears. Perfectly simi- 
 lar to the temper and conduct of Pharaoh, and the Israel- 
 ites in the wilderness, was the temper and conduct of the 
 Jews when Jesus preached among them ; and by the same 
 rule did God deal with them, which had directed his treat- 
 ment of Pharaoh and those Israelites. When neither his 
 providence, Yior his miraculous works, nor the motions of 
 his spirit, could do tiieui good, the things which made for 
 their happiness were hidden from them. God gave them 
 up, and their own vain imaginations and reprobate minds 
 took full possession of them. Forsaken of God, and un- 
 der the direction of so bad guides, they grew more har- 
 dened in iniquity, and acted as foolishly, as rashly, as 
 madly, as ever did Pharaoh or the old Israelites. Their 
 end, too, was the same — total destruction from the power 
 of God, executed by his ministers, the Roman array. 
 
 It is worth our consideration, whethei* such a state can 
 ]X)ssibly be ours, or wliether VvC have some certain secu- 
 rity against it. If we advert to the nature of God, it is 
 always the same. He changeth not. He neither is now, 
 nor ever was, any respecter of persons. Human nature, 
 too, is the same it ever was; as weak, and perverse, and 
 obstinate; as liable to error, and wickedness, and hard- 
 ness of heart, as it was in the days of Pharaoh, or of the 
 Jews. Against the weakness and wickedness of nature 
 we have no security from ourselves : it can only come 
 from God — from the inspirations and strength of his »pirif. 
 This spirit is not at our command; it h his gift. To our 
 
270 The Doom of Jerusalem, 
 
 prayers for it, and compliance witli Us holy motions, God 
 hath promised to gwe and continue.it tons. It, there- 
 fore, becomes our duty humbly to ask it of God, and ol^e- 
 diently to follow its holy inspirations. All desires and 
 tendencies to that which is gjood are from this spirit. If 
 ^ve turn from them, and resist them, disreg;ard the com- 
 mands and prohibitions of God, and follow the dictates of 
 our own will, we tread in the steps of reprobate Pharaoh, 
 of the Israelites and Jews. In that road we may arrive at 
 a state of wickedness and hardness of heart equal with 
 theirs. If we should, what shall hinder the sentence of 
 reprobation from passing against us, as it did against them, 
 and leaving us to fill up the measure of our iniquity, and 
 perish miserably, as they did ? 
 
 Writing to tiie Hebrew Christians, St. Paul brings the 
 example of their fathers in the wilderness to their recol- 
 lection. They tempted and provoked God, and he swore 
 in his wrath, " they shall not enter into my re^t." " Take 
 heed, brethren," saith he, *' lest there be in any of you 
 an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living 
 God."' 
 
 There is, then, in the estimation of the apostle, both 
 possibility and danger of Christians falling, through un- 
 belief, under the same sentence of reprobation with the 
 unbelieving and hardened Israelites, whom God disinheri- 
 ted of ihe land of Canaan, and sentenced their carcases 
 to fall in the wilderness. (Num. xiv. 12, 29.) And the 
 Avay which the apostle points out to avoid so miserable a 
 state is, "To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not 
 your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they 
 had heard, did provoke." (Heb. iii. 11, 12; 15, 16.) 
 
 The voice of God now speaks to us by his providence, 
 by his word, by his ministers, by his church, by the in- 
 spirations of his holy spirit, who putteth into our hearts 
 good desires, and excites and strengthens us to bring them 
 to good effect. If we stifle the voice of God speaking to 
 us and in us, we do just what the Israelites did — we har- 
 den the heart against bim» 
 
 From comparing together the conduct and declaration 
 
The Doom of Jerusalem, 27 1 
 
 of Christ, it will appear, that . he most earnestly desired 
 the conversion of the Jews, even when.he pronounced the 
 doom of Jerusalem. The similitude he useth, drawn from 
 the aflfection of the hen to tier chickens, and the tears 
 which he shed, are proofs too strong to be doubted. And 
 that Jerusalem might savingly have known and done the 
 things which belonged to her peace, in the days of the 
 visitation of Messiah, is most certain. It is also clear, 
 that she could thereby have escaped the judgments that 
 were hanging over her, on account of her infidelity and 
 wickedness. Otherwise the tears of the blessed Jesus 
 could not have been the tears of commiseration and love. 
 
 No eternal decree of reprobation had, therefore, been 
 passed against her. If there had, Christ's wishing that 
 she had know^n the things of her peace, would have been 
 contrary to the will and decree of the Father, which is 
 impossible : the will of the Father and of Christ being al- 
 w^ays one and the same, ^od the Father had, therefore, 
 the 'same affection for Jerusalem — the same earnest desire 
 of the conversion and return of the Jews to him, which 
 Christ had. He had laid no bar in the way of their hap- 
 piness. Nor is there any intimation that either their wick- 
 edness or their destruction was in consequence of any 
 eternal decree of God : and w^hat does not appear can be 
 no rule for our judgment or practice. 
 
 They might have been sheltered under the olivine pro- 
 tection, as the lien shelters her brood under her wings, but 
 they would not. They might have seen the things which 
 belonged to their peace, but they would not. They might 
 have repented at the admonitions and calls of God : they 
 might have regarded the providence, and grace, and mi- 
 racles of God ; but their obdurate hearts were made in- 
 sensible by long-continued habits of sin, and they would 
 not. The sentence/of reprobation then passed on .them, 
 and they were given up to vanity and destruction. 
 
 Whether Christians who suppose an eternal decree of 
 reprobation from God against Pharaoh, the old Israelites, 
 and the Jews in the time of Christ's ministry ; by which 
 they were predisposed to wickedness, and their hearts har- 
 
272 The Doom of Jcrmaktu. 
 
 d-ened in iniquity, that they might bcnome tit objects of 
 punishment to digpJay the justice of God to the world; 
 do not run into an error which will preclude these exam- 
 ples from being of any use, may be left to the deteniiina- 
 tion of every reasonable man. For if a person is repro- 
 bated from eternity, neither these examples, nor any tbifior 
 else, can do him good against the decree of Godf and if 
 he be not so reprobated, the examples of Pharaoh, the Is- 
 raelites, and Jews, if we suppose them to havq acted un- 
 der such a decree of eternal reprobation, are utterly in- 
 applicable to him. 
 
 " Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were writ- 
 ten for our learning; that we, through patience and com- 
 fort of the Scriptures, might have hope." The instances 
 of God's goodness, and mercy, and long-suffering, which 
 he hath caused to be recorded, are intended to teach us 
 repentance and faith, and reliance upon him. The in- 
 stances of his justice and judj^jiiients against wicked per- 
 sons and nations, are designed to shew us the danger of 
 sin, and impenitency, and unbelief; that, encouraged by 
 his promises^ and the great things he hath done for his ser- 
 vants, and deterred by his threats, and the severe punish- 
 ments he hath inflicted on impenitent sinners, we mio-ht be 
 kept in faithful obedience to his will, and in humble pen- 
 itence for all our sins and errors ; and, finally, by his mer- 
 cy, be received, through. Jesus Christ, to eternal felicity 
 in the future world. ' 
 
DISCOURSE XXI. 
 
 PART I 
 HEAVEN THE CITY OF CHRISTIANS. 
 
 Philipp. iii. 20, 21. 
 
 For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look 
 for ihe^ Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; rvho shall change 
 our vile body, that it may he fashioned like unto his glori- 
 ous body, according to iht working whereby he is able even 
 to subdue all things unto himself, 
 
 XN some of the verses wliich precede the text, (he Apos- 
 tJe had directed the Philippians to be followers of him as 
 their pattern in Christian conversation, and to mark them 
 as examples of holy living, who copied after him in the 
 conduct of their lives. He hath thereby not only intima- 
 ted, but established it to be the duty of all Christian mi- 
 nisters, to adorn their station in Christ's Church with a ho- 
 ly and unblamable life ; exhibiting all the graces and vir- 
 tues of that heavenly conversation which their religi^ re- 
 quires. Hence the duty of those who live uncpr their 
 ministry, to follow and imitate their example, w>n be evi- 
 dent. ' / . * 
 ' The propriety of this conduct, both in (^istian minis- 
 ters and people, appears from what the A/^stle hath said 
 in the two verses immediately before^rfe text— -" Many 
 walk, of whom I have told you oftep^^and now again tell 
 you even weeping, that they are tN enemies of the cross 
 of Christ : whose end is destruo^on, whose God is their 
 belly ; and whose glory is in tMr shame, who mind earth- 
 ly things." 
 
 This declaration of the ApOstle ought to convince us, 
 
 yoL. H. Ti 1 
 
274 Heaven the City of Christians. 
 
 that those professors of Christjanty who, instead of ex- 
 hibiting the open practice of the graces and virtues of 
 their holy religion in their lives, indulge themselves in vice 
 and immorality, are enemies to the religion they profess. 
 As much as in them lieth they destroy the efficacy of the 
 redemption of Christ : With re^jard to themselvt^s, they 
 .entirely defeat it. The design of Christ's redemption is 
 eternaf salvation ; but their end will be destruction. 
 
 That we might he at no loss with respect to that conduct 
 which makes a man the enemy of the cross of Christ, and 
 endeth in destruction, the Apostle hath told us, it is the 
 conduct of those " whose God is their belly"— of those, 
 namely, who indulge themselves in the excesses of sensual 
 living ;. whoexert themselves to enjoy the pleasures of the 
 palate; who place their happiness in eating and dnnking, 
 not to satisfy their natural hmiger, but to gratify the cra- 
 vings of appetite, made capricious and humorsome by in- 
 dulgence. 
 
 If we reflect that our religion requires abstinence from 
 sensual pleasure, the denial and mortification of the appe- 
 tites of the* body to that degree, that the flesh being sub- 
 dued to the Spirit, we may obey all godly motions " in 
 righteousness and true holiness ;'* we shall not be surpri- 
 zed at the heavy censure the Apost*le hath cast on those who 
 make the indulgence of the stomach the principal end of 
 their living. " His servants ^ are to whom ye obey." 
 He Vfho obeys the cravings of his stomach, and is perpetu- 
 ally ct.ntriving ways and means to gratify its desires, is. 
 propcj^iy Us servant — all his care is, how to serve it ; and 
 his great es* happiness arises from its gratification. Ip 
 truth, it is hih God, for it has his affections and services, and 
 is the soui^ce ot his highest enjoym.ent. 
 
 Another reasoi. which shows the baneful effects of habit- 
 ually gratifying the -ravings of the stomach is, tliat over- 
 feeding, especially wii'a rich and delicate food, increases 
 and inflames all the other appetites of the body, and, in 
 proportion, the passions of Uie mind. They become more 
 unruly, more diflficult to be controlled, and lead directly 
 to the perpetration of those crimes which the Apostle cen- 
 
Heaven lite Cili/ of Christians^ 21 u 
 
 suies, when he says of those who live in them, " whose 
 i(lGi y is in their shame**— -Shame, indeed, to follow the 
 bent of inordinate affections into the practice of wanton- 
 ness and lewdness : Still <ijreater shame, to boast and ^lory 
 in them, as if they were the hisjhest honour and perfection 
 of human nature. 
 
 No better conduct, however, is to be expected of those 
 enemies of the cross of Christ, whose evil character the 
 apostU^ hath summed up, when he said that they " mind 
 earthly tilings'' — mind 'hem so as to mind little else. I'he 
 enjoyments and delights of the present scene of their be- 
 ing, engage entirely their attention ; in them they place 
 their happiness ; on them they employ their pains ; regard- 
 less of all the hopes and promises of another life; as if, 
 like the brute animals, their nature were capable of no 
 enjoyment but what springs from this world, and is to be 
 obtained in this life. 
 
 With far diflfe rent sentiments does our holy religion in- 
 spire all its true votaries. View the patterrf which the ho- 
 ly apostle set to the Philippians and to all Christians ; to 
 the imitation of which he ardently pressed them, when he 
 said, '" Brethren, be followers together of me; arid mark 
 themVhich walk so, as ye have us for an en.sarnple.". The 
 example he set in this matter is described in his Epistle to 
 the -Corinthians. (1 Cor. ix. 27.) Instead of feeding his 
 body beyond wh-at the necessity of nature required, he 
 kepi it under, and brought it into subjection, h^st if he neg- 
 lected to practi?5e that abstinence and mortiiication which 
 he preached to others, he should become a castaivay — a 
 reprol>ate rejected of God. 
 
 In the text he also proposeth his own example as a. pat- 
 tern to others, and describeth it as springing from very 
 different principles, when compared to those which govern 
 the conduct of men of the world. " Our conversation," 
 saith he, " is in heaven." We pamper not the body, that 
 we may enjoy its lusts : we make not our belly our God ; 
 nor glory in our shame ; nor mind earthly things. So far 
 from it, we are scarcely men of this world, and live not 
 according to the fashion of worldly maxims. 
 
276 Heaven the City of Christians, 
 
 The Greek word v6Xir$vfA.<t, translated conversation, sig- 
 riifieg tlie government of a city or country, the adminis- 
 tration of that government, a number of people living un^ 
 der the same laws, the rights and privileges of a citizen. 
 
 The meaning of the expression, " Our conversation is 
 in heaven," is, therefore, that the government of "the com- 
 munity to which Christians belong, and the administration 
 of that government, are in heaven, not on earth — rthat 
 they are members of a society which, though part of it 
 be in the world, is not of the world, but is taken out of it, 
 and, by adoption, made free of the New Jerusalem, the 
 city of the great King, Jesus the Saviour, the head of 
 the Church which is his kingdom. 
 
 Of this kingdoni Jesus spake when, before " Pontius 
 Pilate, he witnessed a good profession," and said, ** My 
 kingdom is not of this world." Its polity, therefore, and 
 the administration of it, are from heaven, the residence 
 of its King. For when he had finished his ministry here 
 on earth, having* made expiation for the sin of the world 
 by his death ; having laid the foundation of his Church in 
 this world, and committed the administration of it to his 
 apostles, under the direction of the Holy Ghost ; iiaving, 
 triumphed over the devil, sin, and death, by his resurrec- 
 tion from the grave; he ascended up on high to take pos- 
 session of his kingdom which he had purchased, or earned 
 by his humiliation and sufferings, and is now " seated at 
 the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. xii. 2. 
 
 From this state of exaltation he gave gifts unto men, 
 (Ps. Ixviii. 18. Eph. iv. 8.) particularly the gift of the Ho- 
 ly Ghost, the blessed Spirit of God, whom, according to* 
 his own most true promise, he sent from the Father upom 
 his Apostles and Church, to be with them to the end oi 
 the world, " that tlje Lord God might dwell among them." 
 Under the direction of this Spirit is the government, the 
 ministry, the faith, doctrines, discipline, and whatever re- 
 lates to the Church, placed. All the offices in the Church 
 are his various ministrations for the edification, the build- 
 ing up, the improvement, the perfecting of •the Church in 
 faith and holiness. And through the ChuAh, every mem- 
 
Heaven the CUy of Chrislians» 27'? 
 
 ber of it receives the heafenly influences, and lioly inspi- 
 rations of this divine and life-giving Spirit. 
 
 Men, therefore, are not born members of this Church 
 by their naturaJ birth; but according to the appointment 
 of him who is its King and Goveriibr, its Redeemer and 
 Saviour, they who by faith embrace his mediation, are ta- 
 ken out of this world,- because of its enmity against God, 
 transh^ted into his Church, and made denizens of it by the 
 regeneration of baptism and the renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
 All our sentiments and expressfons of spiritual and eter- 
 nal things, being taken froiTj things natural and temporal, 
 it is highly prob'^ble that SL Paul was led into this manner 
 of representing rhe condition of Christians, by the prac- 
 tice of the Roaian government under which he lived. 
 With ihem it was common, in reward of services perform- 
 ed, or as an encouragement to the performance of them, 
 or from mere good-will, to admit, not only particular per- 
 sons to the freedom and franchises of Rome, but whole 
 cities in many parts of their empire. All who were after- 
 ward born free of such cities^ were born free also of the 
 city of Rome. 
 
 This was the case of St. Paul. He was born at Tarsus, 
 a city of Cilicia, a free colony; that is, its inhabitants 
 enjoyed the immunities and rights of citizens at Rome; 
 and this freedom he pleaded on more than one occasion, to 
 screen himself from such punishment as could not be in- 
 flicted legally on Roman freemen. 
 
 Philippi;, to the Christian inhabitants of which St. Paul 
 wrote this Epistle, had been admitted to the same privile- 
 ges. They would readily understand the meaning of his 
 expression, *' Our citizenship is in heaven," to be, that as 
 they were citizens of heaven, they ought to attend to the 
 inteVest, and honour, and manners of that city to which 
 they belonged; not to mind earthly things, because they 
 related merely to this world, out of which they had be«n 
 takeo by the mercy of God, and translated into the king- 
 dom of his dear Son ; made frt*femen of Jerusalem, which 
 is above, the city of the living God. And that as they 
 
 i 
 
278 Heaven the City of Christians. 
 
 had been endowed with this exalfed privilsge, they, at the 
 same time, became subjert'to the government, obli<>ed to 
 obey the laws, fulfil the duties, comply with the manners 
 and customs of that society, and in this world have their 
 conversation in heaven.. For this was the case with all 
 those foreiojners who were admitted to the freedom of 
 Rome. They became possessed of* advantages very. con- 
 siderable, and of 'high estimation in the world. But they 
 became subject to the laws of Roiue, and it was expected 
 Ihey wovdd fulfil all the duties those laws required. 
 
 The application of this case to Clirislians in genoral is 
 T'-^ry obvious. By the goodness of God they are taken 
 out of this wicked world, and made free citizens of the 
 iNew Jerusalem, the city of the living God, which hath 
 foundations stable and eternal, and subject tonone of the 
 vicissitudes of mortal things. In virtue of their adoption 
 into this city, they claim many rights and privileges of 
 high value, but which they could .claim on no other ac- 
 count : Such are the forgiveness of sins and a blessed im- 
 mortality after the resunection. 
 
 \Yhen they became freemen of this city, and entitled 
 to its, privileges and blessings, they became also subject to 
 its laws and government, and obliged to live according to. 
 its customs and manners. They must renounce its ene- 
 mies; they must maintain its honour; they must consult 
 its peace ; they must seek its prosperity. At present they 
 live in a foreign country, remote from their city, and from 
 the full enjoyment of the great blessings which they hope 
 assuredly they shall one day receive in it. Their, eyes 
 and heart, and every fVicqlty of their soul ought to be fix- 
 ed where their complete happiness is expected. The 
 friendship of the w^orld, they know, is enmity with God, 
 the Sovereign of that holy city of which they are mem- 
 bers. They must not, therefore, hold alliance with it; 
 nor live by its maxims; nor adopt its principles; nor co- 
 vet its riches ; nor seek its pleasures ; but renouncinoj its 
 pomps and. vanities, its delusive hopes and vain enjoy- 
 ments, and keeping stedfast to the laws and manners of 
 that city whose builder and maker is God, wait, in faith 
 and patience, for the completion of all their hopes. 
 
Heaven the Oily of Christians, 279 
 
 '.riie laws of tliat city are in full force upon lli^m in 
 their pil<^rimage in this world, and by them they are re- 
 quired to regulate their conduct. It is their misfortune 
 that, iiKu^nbered as they are in this mortal life, with the 
 body o( sin and dt ath, and exposed to the assaults of the 
 prince of darkness, they cannot always live free from sin, 
 and in the same purity with the souls of their fellow-citi- 
 zens, >vho have been called already by their King and God, 
 to the participation of peace and refresiunent in J he hea- 
 venly paradise. To aspire after as great a degree of their 
 puriiy as human frailly will permit, is however their duty. 
 By this resemblance they will become companions meet 
 for them, when it shall please God to call them also out of 
 the miseries of this .sinful world, to join their heavenly 
 society. 
 
 This happiness we,. as Christians, hope to enjoy. We 
 should, therefore, endeavour to fit ouiselves. for it by do- 
 ing faithfully ail those things wliich God requires of us. 
 The' prospect of the bliss we hope to enjoy in the kingdom 
 of Gad, ought to fill our hearts with love and gratitude to 
 him, and raise them above all anxious desires, after .the 
 fleeting happiness of this vain world. 
 
 This conduct, on our part, would ward off, or greatly 
 lighten the troubles of life. It would moderate the vio- 
 lence of passion and appetite, which, through their impetu- 
 osity, give us so much uneasines, and involve us in so ma- 
 ny sins. It would reconcile us to the thoughts of our own 
 dissolution, which must ere long take place ; but whether 
 it will open to us scenes of happiness or misery, depends 
 on our present conduct. If we preserve our right to our 
 heavenly inheritance, by preserving that holy conversa- 
 tion which God requires, happy shall we be in death. It 
 will open to us the gate of paradise, and lead us to a bles- 
 sed immortality, when the morning of the resurrection 
 shall wake us from the sleep of the grave. 
 
 But if.we forget or neglect the holy city of our God, 
 and, turning from the glories it holds out to us, become like 
 those of whom the Apostle speaks, when be says, " AVhose 
 God is their belly, whose glory is in iheir shame, who mind 
 
280 Heaven the City of Christians. 
 
 earthly things ;" we shall forfeit our inheritance, and, like 
 them, " shall be punished with everlastinor destruction from 
 the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ; 
 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be 
 admired in all them that believe, in that day." (2 Thes. i. 
 9, 10.) For, from heaven " we look for the Saviour, the 
 Lord Jesus Ciirist." 
 
 In great humility he once came into the world to redeem 
 us from^ttie deadly curse of sin, to open to us the gate of 
 everiasii/ig life, and make us citizens of Jerusalem which is 
 above, which is free, and the mother of us all. At the end 
 of the world, we believe he will come again in his glorious 
 majesty to judge the quick and the dead, and to recom- 
 pense every one with happiness or misery eternal, accord- 
 ing as his life hath been. 
 
 At that time, may we be found of him in peace, without 
 spot and blameless, and received to the full enjoyment of 
 the happiness of that city, whose builder and maker is God. 
 So be it, blessed God, for Jesus' sake, our only Lord and 
 Saviour. Amen. : 
 
DISCOURSE XXL 
 
 PART 11. 
 JESUS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. 
 
 XN the former part of this Discourse, I have explained 
 the first part of the text, in which St. Paul recoriimendeth 
 Ins own example to the Phillippians, for their imitation in 
 ijae Christian life. My present business is with the second 
 part of it, which hath been just introduced to your notice 
 by observing, that the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, once 
 came in great humility to redeem us from the curse of sin, 
 and to open to us the gate of eveiiasting life, by making 
 us free citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. 
 
 The proper inference to be drawn from this observation 
 is, that our conversation ought to correspond with these 
 exalted privileges : because we believe this same Lord Je- 
 sus Christ will come again at the end of the world ; not in 
 humility as a Redeemer, but in glory and majesty, as the 
 Judge of the living and dead ; and that he will then re- 
 compense every man according to his deeds. 
 
 This is the Christian's faith. Into it he was baptized, 
 when he was admitted as a citizen of heaven. Judge for 
 yourselves, what his life and conversation ought to be: 
 whether he ought not to remember his heavenly inheri- 
 tance, and live as the laws of that holy place require ; or 
 whether it would be decent for him to neglect it, and be- 
 come the enemy of the cross of Christ, by which he is re- 
 deemed from death, and hath those rich blessings made 
 over to him. 
 
 Judge also what the magnificent scene of that tremen- 
 dous majesty must be, when the Son of God shall descend 
 in tlie glory of the Father, with all his holy Angels, to 
 reckon with the inhabitants of the eartli : with you, and 
 
 VOL. IT, Mm 
 
282 Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. 
 
 me, and will) every one who hath ever lived. Are you pre- 
 pared to enter the trial ? If not, bej^of God the grace of 
 repentance, that, through the blood of Jesus, your sins may 
 be passed over, by the mercy of Godi 
 
 To the good and to the evil the issue of this judgment 
 will be very different. " The wicked shall be turned into 
 hell, and all the people who forget God :" while the right- 
 eous shall shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father 
 for ever. 
 
 "From heaven," saith the Apostle, "we," Christians, 
 " look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall 
 change ou I' vile body that it may be fashioned like unto 
 his glorious body." 
 
 Behold the high reward proposed to the faithful Chris- 
 tian ; and let it excite his wishes, and stimulate his endea- 
 Tours to obtain it. Vile and worthless is the human body, 
 since throudi the defilement of sin it was loaded with in- 
 firmity : through its own frailness it drops into the grave 
 and dissolves in corruption. 
 
 However vile and worthless by nature the body of (he 
 good Christian may be, it is coheir with the soul of all the 
 privileges of that heavenly city, whose builder and maker 
 is God. It is part of that humanity which the Son of God 
 took on himself, when he came to bear the sin of the world ; 
 and, through faith in his blood, it is an heir of all the bles- 
 sings he*purchased by his death — a coheir with him of the 
 kingdom of heaven. Hear what he himself hath said * 
 " Tiie hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves 
 •shall hear his voice" — the voice of the Son of God— " and 
 shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resur- 
 rection of life ; and ihey that have done evil, unto the re- 
 surrection of damnation." John v. 28, 29. 
 
 . " They that have done good" shall come forth " unto the 
 resurrection of life." In conformity to this declaration of 
 his divine master, St. Paul, speaking of those who shall be 
 found alive at the coming of Christ to judgment, hath said, 
 ** We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a 
 moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump ; for 
 the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incor- 
 ruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. xv. 51 y 52. 
 
Jcsu^ the Resurrection and the Life. 283 
 
 There shall, therefore, be a resurrection of the dead, 
 ibothof the good and of the evil.' And when this event 
 shall take place, they who shall be alive shall be changed 
 iioni corruption to incdrruption,* from mortality to an end- 
 less existence. After this scene,* the general judgment 
 shall follow. The good shall be separated from the evil. 
 They who thro' faith, and penitence, and good works, have 
 preserved their right to the heavenly inheritance—rhave or- 
 dered their conversation according to the lavvs'and man- 
 ners of that city which is above, of which they were ad- 
 mitted to be free members by. holy baptism, shall be ac- 
 cepted by their Judge, and advanced to the full enjoyment 
 of those rights and blessings which they can now embrace 
 only by faith and hope. Through tiie merit of their Re- 
 deemer, they shall triumphantly enter in his train into the 
 fioly city, the Church of the first-born in heaven, and live 
 with'him in glory and happiness for ever. 
 
 They, on the contrary, who have done evil — ^have re- 
 nounced their faith, have lost their patience, have lived im- 
 penitently, have neglected the good works of their holy 
 religion, and have thereby forfeited their right to the hea- 
 venly inhf^ritance, have taken part with the enemies of the 
 cross of Christ, have lived in the. lust and evil affections of 
 their present nature, have minded only earthly things, and 
 have thereby forfeited their right to the heavenly inheri- 
 tance, shall then find their end to be destruction : they shall 
 be driven from the presence of the Lord, to live with a- 
 postate spirits, whose part they have chosen, and whom 
 they have served. 
 
 What change will be made in the bodies of the wicked 
 after the resurrection, further than that they will be ren- 
 dered immortal, doth not appear. But the bodies of those 
 Christians who have walked worthy of their vocation, 
 shall be changed, and fashioned like unto the glorious 
 body of Christ ; because they are members of his body, 
 and animated by his Spirit ; fellow-heirs with him of the 
 heavenly inheritance, and partakers of the glory which 
 shall be revealed in that day. '' 
 
 " Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God : 
 
284 Jesm the .Resurrection and the Life, 
 
 neither dolb corrnpiion inherit incorruption." In its pre- 
 sent state of humiliation and dishonour, of fraill'y and ne- 
 cessity, of sin and impurity, of affliction and sorrow, of 
 pain and sickness, of decay arid death, the human body 
 is incapable of celestial happiness. The Spirit of God, 
 with which the Christian isendued, can animate it by faith, 
 and purify it by holiness. Then, in the day of the resur- 
 rection, vvheji the almighty power of the Son of God shall 
 bring the dead from their graves, its vileness shall give 
 place to immortality and glory, in all those " who love his 
 appearing." Though born into this world " in corrup- 
 tion, it shall be raised in incorruption :'* though born "in 
 dishonour, it shall be raised in glory:" though born "in 
 weakness, it shall be raised in power:" though born "an 
 animal body, it shallbe raised a spiritual body," and be 
 exactly fitted to enjoy the full happiness prepared for it h 
 the city of God. 
 
 The greatness of this change will not exceed the belief 
 of the pious Christian. He knows the power of* the per- 
 son who is lo effect it. " From heaven he looks for the 
 Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile 
 body — according to the working whereby he is able even 
 to subdue all things to himself." " As the Father raiseth 
 up the dead, and quickeneth them ; even so the Son quick- 
 eneth whom he will. For as the Father hath life in him- 
 self; so hath be given lo the Son to have life in himself." 
 (John v. 21, 26.) And " the hour is coming, in the which 
 all .that are* in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall 
 come forth." Yerse 28, 29. 
 
 He who hath life in himself, and power to give life to 
 the dead, must be the author and fountain of life — God 
 himself. He, tlierefore, cannot want power to chans^e 
 our body from its present vile state, and make it what hiS 
 wisdom sees best — " like unto his own most glorious body." 
 Through the energy of his power " he is able even to sub- 
 due all things to himself." 
 
 The hope of the Christian,^ierefore, cannot fail him. 
 It rests on the power of the oon of God. We know he 
 hath power to raise the dead ; to change the vile and cor- 
 
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life, 285 
 
 ruplifele bodies of bis faithful servants,. and fashion them 
 like unto hi§ own most glorious body, making them there- 
 by capable of living with him in that glory to which his 
 human nature is exalted in the holy city of God most high. 
 He hath promised .that he will do so. His woixl is. truth, 
 and shall assuredly be accomplished. 
 
 Sevtralinferences, which will be of service to u§ in the 
 Christian life, may .be drawn from what hath been said 
 on this subject. 
 
 1. It shows, in a strong light, the necessity of that holy 
 conversation which the gospel requires. It is the body 
 which, by its lusts and appetites, excites men to mind 
 earthly tljings, and gives them all the excuse they have for 
 making provision for the flesh. But this body, vile in its 
 .present state, the slave of appetite and passion, is, with 
 the soul, the adopted citizen of heaven: It shall be raised 
 from death : It shall be changed from vileness to glory : 
 It shall be made capable of happiness eternal. We ought, 
 therefore, to turn ourselves from, earthly to heavenly 
 things; and live in this woYld according- to the manners of 
 that city where glory and happiness are provided for us. 
 
 2. The view of the subject that hath been before us, 
 show.s the folly and absurdity of gratifying the appetites 
 of the body, beyond what nature and necessity require. 
 They are not to be with us forever; nor are they to make 
 any part of our future happiness. Immoderately pursued, 
 they destroy our capacity of enjoyment evien in this life; 
 and, at last, they destroy life itself. Besides, the indul- 
 gence of them increases the corruption of our nature, and 
 adds to the dregs and dross of our vile body, all which 
 must be refined and purified, or taken away, before it can 
 be capable of eternal happiness. 
 
 He, on the contrary, who considers the lusts and gross 
 appetites of the body as marks of its present vileness ; who 
 knows that they must be totally abolished before he can 
 be happy with God ; and, under that impression, does his 
 utmost to resist and suppress them ; will thereby take oif 
 a great part of his present humiliation and vileness. 
 
 3. The due consideration of this subject will, by God's 
 
286 Jesus the Besurrection and the Life, 
 
 grace, help us to bear, with .patience and resignation to 
 his will; the wants and distresses of life which arise from 
 the body. Sickness, and decay, and accidents, are the 
 unavoidable attendants of our mortal state. The higiiest 
 virtue^ the most heavenly disposiiion,. secures us. not a- 
 gainst them. But the faithful Christian knows, and it is 
 his joy to know, Ihat'they can endure but for a' short time. 
 When God shall call him to rest in the grave, he shall be 
 freejd from all the miseries of this world— he shall rest in 
 Jesus till the voice of the Archangel shall summon his body 
 from death, to take possession of the kingdom prepared 
 for him from the foundation of the world. 
 
 He will, therefore, bear with patience all the evils of 
 life which God sees best for him to endure. A stranger 
 and pilgrim on earth, he will look to heaven as his home, 
 and be content that every thing in this world should be 
 to him as God pleases. 
 
 He, on the contrary, who looks to the world for happi- 
 ness, and expects his highest enjoyments from the gratifi- 
 cation of his animal nature, arms all the accidents, sicknes- 
 ses, and pains of life, with double force against himself. If 
 he succeed in his views, he hath only the happiness of a 
 ferule animal to compensate his pains. If any. thing pre- 
 vent the pleasures he seeks, he must be wretched, for he 
 hath no other expectation left. So foolish is the man who 
 depends on bodily pleasures, and neglects the happiness of 
 the kingdom of God. 
 
 . 4. The change of his mortal body- to immortality, for 
 which the pious Christian hopes, and which he knows as- 
 suredly he shall attain at the resurrection of the just, by 
 the energy of the power of Christ, will effectually arm him 
 against the terror of death, and comfort him under the loss 
 of his pious friends and connections. To these afflictions 
 we are ever exposed, and often feel their full bitterness^ 
 Be it our consolation, that they who die in the Lord are 
 blessed, because they rest from their labours; because, be- 
 ing delivered from the burden of the flesh, and all the mi- 
 series of this sinful world, they are in joy and felicity in 
 paradise, wailing for their perfect consummation and bliss. 
 
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life, 287 
 
 both in body and soul, in the everhisfing i^lory of the hea- 
 venly kingdom of God. 
 
 5. The piety of treating the dead bodies of Christians, 
 and even the ground in which they are laid, with reve- 
 rence and respect, appears evident from this view of the 
 subject. Remarkably did this piety appear in tlie first- 
 Christians. Devout men carried holy Stephen to his bu- 
 rial, ancl made great lamentation for him. Strong was the 
 faith, lively the iiope of the first disciples of Jesus. They 
 laid their dead in the earth, and as much as possible guard- 
 ed them from. violence: Knowing that the grave swallow- 
 ed them not up forever, but received theiti as a trust whicli 
 it would be obliged punctually to restore, when God should 
 demand it. • 
 
 In this respect the Church hath happily imitated the ex- 
 ample of the' first Christians. The dead bodies of her 
 members are committed to the ground with decent and af- 
 fecting solemnity. She professeth her faith in the Sa- 
 viour, the *' Lord .Fesus Christ ; who is the resurrection and 
 the life ; who shall change our vile body of earth, ashes, 
 and dust, that it may be like unto his glorious body, ac- 
 cording to the mighty working whereby he is able to sub- 
 due all things to himself." In the fulness. of her faith, she 
 givea thanks to God that he hath been pleased to deliver 
 tlie faithful departed "out of the miseries of this sinful, 
 world/' and prays for the full accomplisiiment of the king- 
 dom of glory in the world to come — that we who yet sur- 
 vive may, with all those who are departed in the " true faith 
 of God's holy name, have our perfect consummation and 
 bliss, both in body and soul, in his eternal glory, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 
 As a mean to accomplish this end, she further prays our 
 merciful God, the " Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to 
 raise us from*the death of sin unto the life of righteous- 
 ness, that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in 
 Christ ; and at the general resurrection in the last day, be 
 found acceptable in the siglit of God, and recejve that bles- 
 sing which his well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to 
 all who love and fear him;, Come, ve blessed childi;en of 
 
288 Jesus the Hesurrectivn and the Life* 
 
 xt\y Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the 
 bepnmng of the world." 
 
 Be it, then, our steadfast care to live as we pray ; to re- 
 strain all sinful desires and actions; to set our affections 
 on things above ; to have regard to the manners of that ho- 
 ly society to which we belong—the city of the New Jeru- 
 salem — the Church of the living God enrolled in heaven. 
 By God's goodness we are now members of his militant, 
 suffering Church here on earth. Our faith and hope is, 
 that if we live as that Church directs, and pass the time of 
 our sojourning here in the fear of God, we shall, when the 
 resurrection is past, be made partakers of the glory and 
 blessedness of his Church triumphant in heaven, through 
 the power and.merit of him who is the resurrection and the 
 life, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. 
 
DISCOURSE XXII 
 
 MERCY AND JUDGMENT, 
 
 Rom. ix, 18. 
 
 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy y and 
 whom he will he hardenelL 
 
 Ti 
 
 HIS text being often misunderstood, at least misin- 
 terpreted, I have ttiought it best to endeavour to point out 
 its sense and meaning, according to the-2fJ)oslle's discourse 
 in which it occurs. 
 
 Tlie instance of Pharaoh, in this chapter, is introduced 
 by St. Paul, to illustrate the justice of God in rejecting 
 the Jews from being his covenanted people, and consign- 
 ing them over to punishment, on account of their impeni-* 
 tency and hardness of heart, and calling in the Gentiles 
 to be heirs of the promises made to Abraham. 
 
 The Jewish converts to Christianity strongly insisted 
 that the Gentiles who embraced the faith of Christ, should 
 submit also to circumcision and the observance of the law 
 of Moses. This they did from the opinion of its necessity, 
 in order to obtain righleousnesSy that is, justification^ or the 
 remission of sins from God, wliich they supposed was con- 
 fined to the Mosaic law. This, indeed, seems to have 
 been the chief stumbling-block of the Jews, and the prin- 
 cipal reason of their generally rejecting the gospel. How- 
 ever willing they may have been that the Gentile converts 
 should, as Christians, be admitted to equal privileges with 
 themselves, they could not bear that they should be ex- 
 empt from the ceremonial law which they supposed wa« 
 
 VOL. li. N n 
 
290 Mercy and Judgment, ' ■ 
 
 necessary for them to observe, because God had made it 
 necessary to salvation. 
 
 ' Not only to ward off the ill effects of this opinion, but 
 entirely to root it out, seems to have beeft the design of 
 St. Paul, in Writing his epistle to the Jewish Christians at 
 Rome. In it he goes to the bottom of the matter, and 
 endeavours to convince both Jews and Gentiles, ih^iirigkt- 
 eousness, justificcition, remission 0/ 5^W5, that is, freedom, 
 or exemption from punishment on account of sin, could 
 not be obtained by the Jews through the law of Moses, 
 because that law denounced a curse against every one who 
 continued not in all things written in it, to do them; and 
 because they had all been sinners against it, doing those 
 things which it prohibited, and so were liable to the curse 
 denounced by it : nor could the Gentiles be free from pu- 
 nishment by the law, or light of nature, under which they 
 lived ; because they had broken it by their idolatry, and 
 other grievous crimes and immoralities, and were, on that 
 account, condemned of their own consciences. 
 
 They must, therefore, both Jews and Gentiles, embrace 
 the gospel, become Christians, and rely on the atonement 
 and satisfaction of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. 
 And, having received the gospel which promised forgive- 
 • ness of sins and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, 
 the Gentile must not despise the Jew^ on account of his at- 
 tachment to the law; nor ought the Jew to require obe- 
 dience from the Gentile, nor consider himself as obliged 
 to obey it. 
 
 To this account of the method of obtaining remission 
 of sins, the Jews would object, that they were Abraham's 
 seed, to whom the promises of God were made ; and that 
 it was absurd to suppose that God would exclude them 
 from the. blessings promised— implying forgiveness of sins, 
 and acceptance with God, because they were sinners ; and, 
 accept the converted Gentiles, who were not included in 
 the promises, to all the blessings of them, though they 
 were also sinners against God, 
 
 To pursue his argument, it became necessary for the 
 apostle to assert that God had rejected the nation of the 
 
Mercy and JudgmtnL 291 
 
 Jews from being any longer his covenanted people, on ac- 
 count of the hardness of their hearts, and untractable dis- 
 position. In a/iswering the objection, he assigns the rea- 
 son of ti>is dispensation of God. 
 
 The objection consists of two parts, which he answers 
 distinctly. He first distinguisheth between the seed, chil- 
 dren, posterity of Abraham according to'lhe promise, and 
 according to -the flesh. Ishmael was Abraham's first-born 
 son ; born after the promise of Canaan was made to him, 
 and entered iqto the covenant of circumcision at its first 
 institution : yet Isaac, at that time not born, inherited the 
 promise; for God said, " My covenant will I establish 
 with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee-." And that 
 the Jews might not object to this instance, as thougli Ish- 
 mael had oli'ended God, and was excluded for his wicked- 
 ness, St. Paul adds the further instance of J apob and Esau, 
 twin children of Isaac, and, consequently, children of the 
 same mother ; neither of whom could be suspected of hav- 
 ing offended God, for they were not yet born into the 
 world, and could have done neither good nor evil : yet 
 God preferred Jacob to be heir of the promise before 
 Esau. All the natural children of Abraham were not, 
 therefore, the children to whom the promise belonged, for 
 they inherited it not. 
 
 As to the children of Jacob, to whom the other part of 
 the objection relates: To reject them, and call in the con* 
 Terted Gentiles to inherit the blessings which had belonged 
 to them, was, according to the judgment of God, a punish- 
 ment for their infidelity and opposition to the strong and 
 clear evidence which had been before them, both from 
 scripture and miracles — that .Jesus was Messiah, theSon'of 
 God. By resisting this evidence, and refusing to be con- 
 vinced* by it, they had rendered themselves like Pharaoh, 
 hard in heart, and obstinate against the truth, deservedly 
 obnoxious to puiaishment, and incapable of being benefit- 
 ed by the blessings promised to Abraham. For, 
 
 By the children of Abraham cannot be meant his natu- 
 ral descendants ; for then Ishmael, and Esau, and the chil- 
 dren of Ketura, would not have been excluded, but the 
 
.292 Mercy Qnd JudgmenL 
 
 children of his faith — ihey who believed and obeyed God 
 as he did. And if the Gentiles deserved this character, 
 through their faith in Christ, "who is over all, God blessed 
 for ever/' they in truth, are Abraham's seed, and the heirs 
 of the promises made to him, which the unbelieving Jews 
 now unjustly claimed, and from which they are justly re- 
 jected by the righteous judgment of God. . 
 
 With God there can be no unrighteousness; and this 
 procedure with the Jews, rejecting them for their unbelief 
 and impenitency, was perfectly agreeable to the declara- 
 tion he had formerly made to Moses ; I " will be gracious 
 to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom 
 I will shew mercy." (Exod.xxxiii. 19.) 
 
 Let it be remembered, that this declaration of God 
 was made to Moses concerning the Israelites, who had 
 fallen into idolatry in the matter of the goldea calf, and 
 had made themselves naked by their sin ; that is, had de- 
 prived themselves of the divine presence and protection — 
 had broken and cancelled the covenant of their God, inso- 
 much th?vt he threatened to consume them in a moment. 
 But, on the intercession of Moses, he again took them so 
 far into favour as t,o promise to go with them, and conduct 
 them to the land he had given them. On this occasion he 
 
 E reclaimed it to be a principal part of his glory to distri- 
 ute mercy and judgment to offenders, according to his 
 own good pleasure. No more, therefore, was done by 
 God for the idolatrous Gentiles, in receiving them into his 
 Church, that is, making them his covenanted people, upon 
 their conversion to Christianity, than had been formerly 
 done for the idolatrous Jews, in taking them again to be 
 Lis^eople, after the sin of the golden calf. 
 
 The principle on which this reasoning is founded could 
 jiot be controverted by the Jews. It was drawn ffom a 
 text of their own Scripture ; from the solemn declaration 
 of the Lord God of the Hebrews himself^ and made on a 
 Tery solemn occasion. The application, too, was fair and 
 pertinent, and fully justifies the Apostle in the inference he 
 draws from it : " So, then, it is not of him that willeth, nor 
 of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy;" 
 
Mercy and JudgnienL 293 
 
 ihal is, God preferred Isaac to Tsliraael, and Jacob to Esau, 
 uninfluenced by the earnest desire of Abraham, who, in 
 requesting of God, " O that Ishmael might live before 
 thee," willed {hat Ishmael might be the favoured seed : and 
 equally uninfluenced by the runningy the hasty endeavours 
 of Esau to procure the venison which his father longed to 
 eat, that he might, in. blessing, transmit to him the promise 
 of God. But the mercy of God showed to Isaac and to 
 Jacob, in making them heirs of the blessing promised to 
 Abraham, was of his own free grace, and mere good will 
 towards them, just as it pleased him who knoweth best on 
 whom to bestow his favours. * ^ 
 
 The Apostle further illustrateih this matter by the in- 
 stance of Pharaoh, to whom God tlius spoke by Moses; 
 •" Even for this same purpose have I* raised thee up, thai I 
 might show^ my power in thee, and that my name might be 
 declared throughout all the earth." 
 
 In the observations on the history of Pharaoh it was 
 shown, that the meaning of the expression, '* I have raised 
 thee up," is, I have preserved thee under my judgments — 
 have kept thee alive and not suffered thee to fall by them, 
 as thou hast deserved; that thy punishment might be the 
 more remarkable, and my name and power might be made 
 known to the world. The Apostle then applieth the rule 
 which God had declared to Mgses, as being exemplified in 
 the case of Pharaoh ; " therefore," for this reason, in this 
 manner, *' hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and 
 whom he will he hardeneth.'* 
 
 • The Apostle, it is hue, varies the expression of the lat- 
 ter part of the text ; probably to make it comport better 
 with what is said of God's hardening Pharaoh's heart. But 
 it hath been shown, that the expression cannot be interpre- 
 ted to mean that God infused hardness or obstinacy into 
 his heart, or in any way prevented his obeying him in let- 
 ting Israel go from his service, without contradicting the 
 whole tenor of the history. Besides, God repeatedly de- 
 clared to Moses, that Pharaoh would, at last, let them go ; 
 though not till a mighty band and a stretehed-out -arm 
 obliged him to comply. 
 
294 3Iercy and JudgfnenL 
 
 That, on several occasion?, Pharaoh hardened his own 
 iieart, is parlicularly asserted. 80 that the most that can 
 be made of God's hardenino^ his heart amounts to this : 
 
 1. That God permitted the magicians to work some mi- 
 racles of the same kind with those of Moses, and that, by 
 those miracles, Pharaoh's heart was hardened. 
 
 2. 'J'hat, in mercy, God removed his judgments wlien 
 Pharaoh requested it ; and, by his lenity, Pharaoh's heart 
 was hardened- in obstinacy : " When Pharaoh saw there 
 \vas respite, he hardened his heart." Finding that Moses 
 would intercede for him, when any judgment pressed too 
 hard upon him to he longer endured ; and that God re- 
 garded the intercession of Moses, he seems to have les^ re- 
 garded the threat of the next calamity ; presuming, per- 
 haps, that should it be inflicted on him, he could prevail' 
 with Moses to intercede for its removal. 
 
 Under the operation of either of the plagues, had it con- 
 tinued, Pharaoh must have consented to the departure of 
 the Israelites, or sunk under it : or, while the Egyptians 
 v.ere all sore with' hiles and inflammations ; or fixed in their 
 places by thick darkness, the Israelites might have gone 
 unmolested from Egypt; none could have followed them. 
 But then it would not so manifestly have*^appeared, that 
 the God of the Hebrews was superior to all nature ; that 
 he commanded all its powers, and all the elements of the 
 world; that the issues of sickness and health, of life and 
 death, were in his hand: in short, that he was God Almigh- 
 ty, the only object of the faith and worship of reasonable 
 beings. 
 
 3. That when Pharaoh had hardened his own heart so 
 repeatedly and desperately that he became insensible, or 
 incapable of the motions and inspirations of the spirit of 
 God, God gave bim up to his own devices; that is, left him 
 to himself; but preserved him from immediate death, to 
 make him a conspicuous example of his justice — a monu- 
 ment to the world of his majesty and power. 
 
 What, then, we are to understand by God's hardening 
 Pharaoh's heart, is, that when, by abusing the goodness and 
 lenity of God, Pharaoh had hardened himself beyond the 
 
Mercy ami Judgment, 295 
 
 influence of God's gi*ace,'and mercy, and miracles, God de- 
 termined to punish him, and destroy him from the earth^, 
 but yet, in a way, the most conducive to hk own glory and 
 the t^ood of mankind. . . 
 
 In this matter God acted neither capriciously nor unjust- 
 ly, but on an established and fixed principle — that " he will 
 have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he 
 will he hardeneth ;" that is, tliat he will extend mercy to 
 sinners, or inflict punishment on them, as it pleaseth him, 
 accoi^ing to his own goodness, and knowledge, and wis- 
 dom, and not according to the passions and partialitieg of 
 human nature. 
 
 On this principle no injustice can be charged to God. If 
 he forgive one sinner and punish another, it is not from ca- 
 price or mere arbilrary will, but, becausie he sees that truth 
 and Justice demand it — his glory and the good of the. crea- 
 tion require it. But, to make this discrimination, he hath 
 reserved to himself, and will suSer no being to interfere in 
 it ; nothing being adequate to it but infinite goodness, and 
 mercy, and knowledge, and wisdom. 
 
 Nor" could the Jews justly object to their being cast oti' 
 from being God's covenanted people, on this principle. 
 The lenity of God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Hear what 
 God saith to the Jews, by the mouth of his Apostle, in this 
 epistle: " Despisestthou the riches of his goodnes>s, and 
 forbearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing tliat the 
 goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But after thy • 
 hardness and impenitent heart, trea?urest up unto thyself 
 wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the right- 
 eous judgment of God, who will render to every man ac- 
 cording to his deeds." Both Pharaoh and the Jews abu- 
 sed and despised the goodness of God, and both s.uffered 
 unexampled, though merited destruction. 
 
 When, indeed, the apostle wrote, the judgments of God 
 had not been fully inflicted on the nation of tiie Jews : 
 They had not completed the measure of ti»eir iniquity. 
 The long-suffering of God yet bore witli them : but the 
 sentence of destruction had passed against them. From 
 Ihe mount of Olives, the meek and holy Jesus, to whom 
 
296 Mercij and Judgment. 
 
 all juc]o;meiit is committed, had beheld their city; and, 
 while the tears of affection flowed down his cheeks, pro- 
 nounced their doom : " If thou," Jerusalem, " hadst known, 
 even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belono' 
 unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes." 
 (Luke xix. 42.) But Jerusalem knew not, she considered 
 not, nor regarded the mercifgl visitation of God by Jesus, 
 Messiah ; therefore was she given up to destruction by 
 cruel enemies. And not many years after the date of 
 this epistle, was the sentence executed by the vindictive 
 Romans. 
 
 Nor could the Jews justly complain that God had so 
 long spared them when they deserved punishment — re- 
 ceived them often to mercy when they merited to be cut 
 off for their idolatries and wickedness — -and, at the last, 
 that he should visit their iniquities, and the iniquities of 
 their forefathers, so severely upon them, rejecting them 
 from the promises made to Abraham, and calling in the 
 Gentiles to supply their place in his covenant, and giving 
 their city and nation up to utter ruin and excision. 
 
 If God spared them when they deserved punishment ; if 
 he received them' to mercy when they merited excision; it 
 only proves that God is gracious, and merciful, long-suf- 
 fering, and slow ib anger. If he visited the iniquities of 
 their fathers uppn them, it was because they continued in, 
 and repeated, and would not repent of those iniquities. 
 As God preserved Pharaoh, so he preserved them, till 
 their punisliment would most conduce to his glory, and 
 the benefit of the rational world, by making them aii il- 
 lustrious example of his justice and power, who would 
 not be reclaimed by his mercy and goodness. 
 
 To this principle the conduct of God is referred in the 
 twenty-second verse of this chapter: " What if God, wil- 
 ling to show his wrath, and to make his power known, en- 
 dured, with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath fit- 
 ted to destruction ?" 
 
 The only objection that could be made to what the apos- 
 tle had said, that God ** will have mercy on whom he will, 
 and whom he will he hardeneth," must be drawn from the 
 
Mercy and JudgmcnL 297 
 
 absolute power and arbitrary will of God. IS God har- 
 dened Pharaoh and the impenitent Jews, and reserved 
 them for punishment, why doth- he yet find fault with 
 them for their disobedience? They could not resist his 
 will, nor prevent their being hardened if he would harden 
 them; nor, when they were hardened by )iim, could they 
 repent, and become obedient to him. 
 
 The objection is founded on false ground^ — on a suppo- 
 sition that God hardeheth m,en, and maketh them sinners, 
 and* then'ftonsigneth them to punishment from mere will 
 and caprice. But who ever entertained this opinion of 
 God ? Mercy and justice, goodness and truth, mark all 
 his dealings with men. " Is there unrighteousness with 
 God?" Who can charge him with injustice, or dispute the 
 equity of his ways ? Not his arbitrary will, but the ini- 
 quity of sinners, occasions the hardness of their hearts» 
 Not his good pleasure, but their impenitency, consigns 
 them to punishment. God made all for some use, to an- 
 swer good purposes in the creation — some for purposes 
 moae^honourable than others, yet all for purposes neces- 
 sary and useful. A potter hath power over his clay, to 
 make of the same parcel, one vessel to an honourable;, 
 and another to a dishonourable use; yet both for uses 
 ecpially necessary. Or, if the clay prove not good e- 
 nough to make a vessel unto honour,, he can make a se- 
 cond attempt, and form another vessel for which the irra- 
 terials are more paoper. 
 
 So Pharaoh and the obdurate Jews, no longer answering 
 the purpose of God in their creation, by showing his mer- 
 cy and goodness by their faith ancToBedience, became har- 
 dened against all the motions of his spirit, not by the ar- 
 bitrary will of God, but by their own wicked perverse- 
 ness : they were, therefore, like clay marred in the hand 
 of the potter, (Jer. xviii. 4.) converted to another use — - 
 to display to the world the power, and justice, and majes- 
 ty of God Most High, in the tremendous judj^ments which 
 he inflicted on them. 
 
 To make known the wrath and power of God against 
 impeiiitent sinners — the vessels of wrath — who, under the 
 
 vor. n. O o 
 
298 Mercy and Judgment 
 
 goodness and long-suffering of God, have, by tbeir own 
 perverseness, been fitted or made ready for punishment, 
 may be a less honourable purpose, than to *^ mak^ known 
 the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he 
 had afore," by his holy spirit, " prepared unto glory :" 
 but, considering; God, as he is represented to us in the ho- 
 ly scriptures, not only as the Creator, but as the moral 
 Governor of the world, it becomes not only useful, but 
 necessary, that his justice, as well 'as mercy, should be 
 known unto men : otherwise his character as moi^al Gover- 
 nor must cease ; for a Governor who is all mercy, and 
 cannot or will not punish a delinquent who continues ob- 
 stinate in bis disobedience, ought to be called by some 
 other name. 
 
 The great difficulty in this matter seems to arise from 
 prejudice and prepossession in favour of Calvin's scheme 
 of predestination ; by which he means a decree of elec- 
 tion and reprobation, passed by God from eternity, re- 
 specting the present conduct and future state of every 
 person born into the world. Calvin was undoubtedly a 
 man of abilities, and his whole conduct shows that he was 
 a man of an assuming, intrepid, and vindictive temper. 
 He busied himself in every thing which concerned the 
 reformation, and with every body who had any influence 
 in it. At last he fixed himself at the head of the Protes- 
 tants, and became their Pope. Little was. done; little 
 tVas taught but as Calvin liked- and advised. 
 
 Predestination had been fixed in the church- of Rome 
 by St. Austin. Calvin made him his master in divinity, 
 and carried his schetfielto its utmost extent. Unhappily, 
 there are fashions in divinity as well as in philosophy ; and, 
 on the authority of Calvin, the corruption of the Chris- 
 tian doctrine which the church of Rouie had made in the 
 matter of predestination, l)ecame fashionable among the 
 reformers. All minds were tinctured with it; nor did the 
 translators of the Bible into English escape the infection ; 
 but, under its influence, gave a Calvinistic turn to very 
 many expressions in it. These expressions are, indeed, 
 oftentimes softened or 'corrected by the margin, which is 
 
Mercy and Judgment 299 
 
 geneially the better translation. But all our Bibles have 
 nol .the niarginal readiijg; nor will all readers' attend to 
 the maigin when they have it. By this mean, predestina- 
 rianism, haviniij taken deep root, is not likely to be soon, 
 or entirely rooted out. 
 
 All objects are said to appear yellow to the jaundiced 
 eye. Pred< slination is to the mind what the jaundice is to 
 the body. The whole Bible appears tinctured vviih a sick- 
 ly, yellow hue, when the predeslinarian looks into it, espe- 
 cially if he be of a morose and vindictive temper, as most 
 commonly is th^case. To see God consigning; the greater 
 part of mankind to etemal miseiy, in consequence of his 
 own arbitrary decree, just' to -show that he can do it, and 
 will do it — for the glory of his justice, as they call it — seems 
 to be congenial and grateful to his heart : and, in truth, the 
 consequences of this doctrine, carried to its full extent, 
 however the abettors of it may not own or see them, re- 
 present Alinighty God, the God of goodness and love, to 
 whom be glory for ever, in a more unamiable light than it 
 is possible for human wit to represent the devil. 
 
 It will, I trust, appear to every reasonable mind, that 
 nothing said of JPharaoh, or of the impenitent Jews, hath 
 relation to predestination ; but, that every thing which 
 happened ta them \^as the consequence of their own wick- 
 ed and obstinate disposition. God indeed saw this dispo- 
 sition, and spoke of it, and declared what its consequen- 
 ces would be. But no inference can be drawn from thence 
 in favour of predestination : nor to justify those people 
 who, when they live wickedly, or fall into particular sins, 
 pretend that they were predestinated, or fore- ordained to 
 do so — that they are poor weak creatures, and that God 
 left ihei to themselves, and they could not help it. 
 
 Such pleas are directly against established and undoubt- 
 ed truths; establisli^d both by the nature of God and the 
 plain declarations of his word. God delighteth not in the 
 destruction of a sinner, but rather that he should be convert- 
 ed and live. He will not, therefore, predestinate any per- 
 sons to the commission of sin, nor pre-ordain^any sins to 
 be committed by them : that would be to predestinate 
 
300 Mercy and Judgment 
 
 them to destruction, contrary to his own good pleasure. 
 Again ;^ 
 
 God is not only described as abounding in love and good- 
 ness to us, but also as being our only support and strength ; 
 the author and giver of all the abilities of body and mind 
 which we possess; the fountain of grace and goodness in 
 us, without whom we can do nothing that is pleasing to 
 him. He will not, therefore, withdraw from us that grace 
 and strength, without which we can do nothing that is 
 good ; that holy spirit, without whose inspiration we can- 
 not have a good thought, working any goed design to ef- 
 fect. To leave us to ourselves, would counteract the good- 
 ness of his intentions, the designs of his love towards us ; 
 and would make us as sure a prey to the strength of temp- 
 tations, as if an eternal decree of reprobation had passed 
 against us. 
 
 That God leaves no man to himself, by withdrawing his 
 holy spirit from him, uiiless the man first leave God, by 
 sinning wilfully and impenitently against him, till the im- 
 pressions of goodness are destroyed, and his grace hath no 
 further effect on him, is a maxim, I suppose, acknowledged 
 by all sober divines, and ought to be adopted by all Chris- 
 tian people. ' • 
 
 Did men look more to the corruption of their hearts ; to 
 the strength of the passions and lusts which they inherit 
 from their fallen nature; to the force of temptations which 
 daily assault them ; to the little care ihey take to obey 
 God by doing his will ; to their neglect of prayer for the 
 gift of the holy spirit ; to their disregard of the public 
 worship and sacraments of the church, the means and in- 
 struments of God's grace and blessing; to their utter con- 
 tempt of Christian self-denial, mortification, and^fasting ; 
 to the full scope they give to all WOrldly, selfish, and plea- 
 surable desires; they would find a mcffet sure source of alt 
 their wickedness and impenitency : They need not charge 
 them to the all-gracious, all-righteous God of heaven and 
 earth. 
 
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