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SERMONS, 
 
 PRACTICAL, AND DOCTRINAL, 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 WITH 'A 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CROCKER &. BREWSTER 
 No. 50, 
 
 1826. 
 
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to -wit: 
 
 District Clerk's Office. 
 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty-eighth day of April, A. D. 1826, in 
 the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Moses 
 P. Parish^ of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a book, 
 the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to -wit: 
 
 "Sermons, Practical and Doctrinal. By the late Elijah Parish, D. D. With a 
 Biographical Sketch of the Author." 
 
 In Conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, intitled, 'An 
 act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies, of maps, charts and 
 books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein men- 
 tioned;" and also to an act, intitled, "An act supplementary to an act, intitled, An 
 act for the encouragement of learning, by secunng the copies of maps, charts and 
 books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein men- 
 tioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and 
 etching historical, and other prints." 
 
 Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 THE remark, which Addison, in the first number of 
 the Spectator, has so playfully made, that a reader 
 never peruses a book with satisfaction until he knows 
 the personal qualities of the author, seems to be 
 peculiarly true when applied to orations and sermons. 
 In reading a spoken composition, our recollections of 
 fancy naturally recur to the speaker. We either re- 
 member his manner and read every sentence in con- 
 nexion with it, or, if we have had no knowledge of 
 the author, we supply the deficiency by a picture of 
 the imagination. We hear, in the ear of the mind, the 
 fervour and eloquence with which he poured forth his 
 thought. His cadence, his mien, his gestures accom- 
 pany every period, and mingle with every sentiment. 
 In cases, therefore, in which the imagination must be 
 busy, it is important that it should be guided by truth ; 
 and since these Discourses will not suffer from the 
 
IV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 reader's possessing the most vivid conception of the 
 author's utterance and character, we shall prefix to 
 them a short account of his life. We write not a 
 biography, but a sketch. 
 
 ELIJAH PARISH was born in Lebanon, Con. Nov. 
 7, 1762. His parentage was respectable; but like 
 most other scholars in New-England, he was obliged 
 to struggle with difficulties in obtaining a classical 
 education. In political history, it has long been ob- 
 served, that the founder of a dynasty may be distin- 
 guished, by his superiour vigour of mind, from one 
 born in the purple and inheriting a throne. The same 
 is true of two classes of scholars. The superiority is 
 always found among those who have acquired energy, 
 by conquering difficulties. Man must be goaded to 
 exertion by the scourge of necessity. He was grad- 
 uated at Dartmouth College, 1785. He chose the 
 study of divinity for his pursuit. It is probable at 
 this time, that religion had made an impression, salu- 
 tary and lasting, on his mind and heart. On this 
 subject he was remarkably unostentatious. He laid 
 claim to no vivid hopes or powerful excitements. The 
 story therefore of his progress in personal religion is 
 now unknown. But we need not lament the loss. 
 The only piety which he taught, or professed to prize, 
 was such as could be attested by the fruits.* 
 
 In his youth there were no Theological Seminaries 
 in this country. He pursued his studies under the 
 direction of Rev. Ephraim Judson, of Taunton, Mass. 
 
 * Since writing the above, testimonies have been received from Mr. Pemberton, 
 his early instructor, and Rev. Mr. Kellogg, of Portland, to his early piety and 
 scholarship. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. \ 
 
 If Dr. Parish rose to eminence in his profession, 
 his merit can never be appreciated, unless we con- 
 sider the obstacles of the times, in which he came 
 forward. Young theologians can have no conception 
 of those difficulties, as they are now taught in richly 
 endowed seminaries, partaking of the prosperity of 
 the country. In his youth, war, confusion, national 
 distraction and poverty disturbed the seats of science, 
 and opposed the young candidate's progress both in 
 the paths of learning and religion. In the year 1787, 
 Dr. Parish was settled in Byfield, a parish in the 
 town of Newbury, Mass. His early settlement affords 
 probable evidence of his youthful popularity. 
 
 The life of a humble preacher of truth, placed in a 
 peaceful village and engaged in a circle of duties, 
 which, though arduous, are still similar, cannot be 
 supposed to be crowded with events which sparkle in 
 narrative. The calling of Dr. Parish was honourable : 
 he made it laborious ; and he appears to have experi- 
 enced in his ministry that blessing, which is prayed 
 for in the formula of the English church, that God 
 would pour upon his people the continual dew of his 
 blessing. It was not his aim in preaching to make an 
 impression on his people, which should adorn a nar- 
 rative in a newspaper. He was a gradual builder, but 
 his materials were solid stone. The continual deic 
 of a divine blessing is an expression, which best de- 
 scribes the effect of his instruction. Yet twice in his 
 ministry a peculiar solemnity pervaded his parish. In 
 the earlier part of his life, he encountered difficulties 
 among his people, when he died, there was not a 
 more united parish in the stato. Ho was indeed a 
 
VI > BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 man peculiarly fitted to act in those scenes which try 
 men's souls. Decided in his views and firm in his 
 spirit, he walked in the path of danger with an un- 
 daunted heart. It is a rare event in modern times that 
 a clergyman is called to give such specimens of Chris- 
 tian courage. He boldly took his stand on the pedes- 
 tal of duty, nor was it the threats, or sneers of an 
 opposing world, that would induce him to leave it. 
 This was courage of the noblest kind ; it is the very 
 resolution which a minister's profession requires. 
 Thousands, who have faced the dangers of battle, have 
 been timid here. The teachers of religion, if they 
 mean to fill their station, must copy our departed 
 father, and {p a holy heart add an independent 
 mind. 
 
 He was a diligent and successful student. Judging 
 from effects, we should conclude that Dr. Parish was 
 a man that seldom found an idle hour. He had a 
 mind which was uncommonly vigorous, and he was 
 uncommonly diligent to cultivate it. He was not one 
 of those ministers who close their books when they 
 leave the college, and who, if they can satisfy their 
 people, are satisfied themselves. His learning, as was 
 to be expected, was of the last age rather than this ; 
 yet as a student, few were ever more industrious. 
 Many of his works are before the public, and of these 
 it is not necessary to speak. His most striking quality 
 was his eloquence. In his happiest efforts, few 
 equalled, and none could surpass him. Without those 
 thrilling tones, which sometimes make sound supply 
 the deficiencies of thought, and the most flimsy per- 
 formances pass for excellence, he led the intelligent 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL vSKETCH. Vll 
 
 ear from sentence to sentence, in which religion was 
 recommended by beauty, and instruction increased by 
 delight. He riveted attention to his theme ; the friends 
 of truth were confirmed in their views, and those who 
 rejected his arguments, acknowledged his power. His 
 style was vivid ; abounding in expressions which 
 sunk on the memory, and illustrations, which reached 
 the heart. Every object of usefulness, or sublimity, 
 which he presented, was more than recognized, it was 
 seen and felt. Nothing was cold nothing languid. 
 He was an orator in the highest sense of the word. 
 The impression which he made on the hearers in pub- 
 lic, was repeated on the reader in his closet. He 
 came nearer to Massilon than to Whitefield. He 
 could not have melted the colliers of Bristol ; nor 
 arrested the attention of the commonalty of Scotland ; 
 but in a refined auditory, few could speak to more 
 acceptance, or leave a deeper impression on the 
 heart. 
 
 But he is gone that eloquent tongue shall speak 
 to us no more or rather he speaks to us in another 
 language. He tells us in the dialect of the dead, that 
 gifts are nothing without graces that in the world, 
 to which he has departed, they ask not what talents a 
 mortal has possessed, but how he has used them. 
 
 This venerable and departed man was a faithful 
 minister the best evidence, in his profession, of his 
 being a true Christian; and let me add, that he 
 formed an extensive conception of what faithful 
 preaching is. He left no part of duty untouched, no 
 sin uncensured. He endeavoured to occupy the whole 
 ground, displayed in the bible ; and to make his in- 
 
Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 structions as extensive as the wants of man. Though 
 belonging in his youth, and perhaps in his age, to a 
 theological school, which has been charged with 
 dwelling too exclusively on a few favourite points, he 
 was not a narrow preacher. He could reason and feel ; 
 comfort the Christian or alarm the sinner ; inculcate 
 faith, or insist on good works. His mind was replen- 
 ished with the fulness of the gospel. In this re- 
 spect I hardly know his equal. If the narrowness of 
 controversial divinity makes this mode of preaching 
 almost an experiment in religion, we may say the 
 experiment was peculiarly happy. Dr. Parish was 
 the instrument of turning many to righteousness. 
 
 In his person, he was below the middle stature. 
 His eye was keen and piercing; and left on the 
 observer, at the first interview, an impression of sar- 
 casm ind severity. It is true, no man could give a 
 quicker reply, or had a repartee more at command, 
 than Dr. Parish. He could be severe, when severity 
 was necessary ; yet in friendly intercourse he always 
 softened into an intelligent and agreeable companion. 
 In his conversation, there was opposition enough to 
 call forth conflicting opinions; and urbanity enough 
 to make the conflict not unpleasant. 
 
 When he mounted the pulpit to speak, he so 
 far resembled Ulysses, as to awaken no high ex- 
 pectation in the mind of the stranger. His com- 
 mencing utterance appeared rather monotonous ; and, 
 in the first verse of the hymn, or the first sentence 
 of the discourse, there was a tone which savoured of 
 senility. But as he proceeded, warmed by his sub- 
 ject, every vestige of this fault vanished he became 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. IX 
 
 animated, emphatic, glowing. He was fired himself, 
 and never failed to fire his audience. Yet there was 
 nothing of that overstepping the modesty of nature by 
 which some popular speakers acquire their eminence. 
 There was nothing disproportionate in his speaking ; 
 of the truth of which, this is a proof; that young 
 preachers, who studied under him, never gave the 
 distorted features of his eloquence in disgusting imi- 
 tation. 
 
 As he was a decided man, he was obliged, like all 
 other decided men, in some parts of his life, to wade 
 through the waters of opposition. His activity in 
 politics acquired for him many enemies. Whether 
 he was right in taking such a prominent stand on a 
 subject not immediately connected with religion, we 
 shall not say. He shewed, at least, his decision. 
 It is proper, however, to reveal the whole truth ; in 
 the latter part of his life, he wholly renounced all 
 concern with political affairs. To a friend, who once 
 spoke to him on the subject, he replied, " Politics is 
 like the variolous contagion, no man catches it a 
 second time." 
 
 With respect to the religious suspicion and obloquy, 
 to which he was, for a time subjected, we may speak 
 with more confidence. It arose from his independ- 
 ence of character ; from his refusing to bow down to 
 the popular idols of the day. He was a friend to 
 religious liberty; he would have the human mind 
 assailed by no arms but those of persuasion and truth. 
 This makes his loss almost inestimable. In this age, 
 when some good men seem to have forgotten the 
 purpose for which our fathers crossed the ocean, and 
 2 
 
X BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 erected, with infinite hazard, these western churches, 
 on principles as free as the spirit of benevolence 
 itself, his influence and example seern peculiarly 
 necessary. He found the happy medium of mixing 
 decision of sentiment, with candour to those who 
 differed from him. In his mind, as in that of the 
 great Watts, orthodoxy and charity were beautifully 
 combined. The truths embraced by our fathers, he 
 believed to be infinitely important to the happiness of 
 man ; yet he was cautious of judging of intentions. 
 In declaring opinions, he spoke with confidence ; but 
 persons he left to the tribunal of God.* 
 
 He considered both the great parties which now 
 divide our country as, in many respects, wrong ; yet 
 he always boldly said that the genius of Christianity- 
 resided with the orthodox. Unitarianism, in his 
 mind, was a system, not without its plausible preten- 
 sions to a speculative mind. If man had no sins, 
 
 * To illustrate our manners, if ever this book should fall into the hands of a 
 foreigner, let me mention in a note, a circumstance which is certainly unworthy 
 of a place in the text. In Massachusetts, for a few years past, all ecclesiastical 
 measures have been prepared in a certain conclave, nobody knows who they are, 
 or where they are, invisible beings, congregational cardinals, to whose decrees 
 every orthodox clergyman and church is expected to pay unlimited deference and 
 submission. But as they are wholly destitute of power, they have found out a 
 singular way of executing their laws. The clergyman, who hesitates, or dares to 
 think, or act for himself, suddenly finds himself surrounded by the whisper, that he 
 is becoming an Unitarian. It is not easy to conceive the horrour and dismay, that 
 this suggestion occasions. ' It is caught from mouth to mouth, and whispered from 
 ear to ear, and every ghastly relater increases the terrours of the tale. The poor, 
 affrighted victiqi. must either return to the bosom of the church, the popular 
 measure of the day, or be denounced a heretic, worthy of all the flames that 
 detraction can kindle : for, in this country, we burn heretics in no other. I will 
 only add, that this state of society is rather amusing; to say nothing of the mag- 
 nanimity of the great men, who condescend to use such weapons, it is singular 
 enough to see to what useful purpose the Unitarians may be put ; they not only 
 serve as whetstones, on which staunch polemics may sharpen their weapons, but 
 they make excellent bugbears to keep naughty boys in order. O the follies of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL -KKTCH. 
 
 no sorrows, neither sickness, nor death, he might sit 
 down and admire the schemes of modern innovators, 
 as the traveller admires the morning rays refracted 
 around the ice and snow of some mountain's top ; 
 but these beams, though bright, awaken no vegeta- 
 tion ; he considered this system as wholly inadequate 
 to the wants and agonies of a mind really awake to 
 eternal things. Faith wishes to repose on something- 
 more substantial. He always said, however, that the 
 mode of opposing this system was not the best. 
 Whilst it is a novelty, and whilst therefore its advo- 
 cates can avail themselves of the ambiguous ground 
 that lies between innovation and improvement, he 
 said it might prevail. But it would soon become the 
 old religion ; and have to drop its accidental preten- 
 sions, and encounter all the obstacles W 7 ith which the 
 old religion has now to contend, without any of its 
 advantages. It could then no longer be said, " See 
 what improvement we are making ; see what old 
 prejudices we are overthrowing." Falsa satiabunt. 
 The cloud is temporary, the sunshine eternal. Refrain 
 from these men, and let them alone. Acts v. 38. 
 
 Dr. Parish was married to Miss Mary Hale, in 
 1796, by whom he has children ; three of whom 
 survive him. In the year 1819, he was called to 
 bury a very amiable daughter, a heavy affliction. 
 This event was never spoken of afterward but with 
 the deepest sympathy. 
 
 He was frequently called to preach on public occa- 
 sions. Before the legislature in 1810, the Election 
 sermon ; before the convention 1821. This last ser- 
 mon will be found in this collection. 
 
Xll BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 In his last sickness, he was seen by the writer of 
 this biographical notice. His intellect was partially 
 clouded, but not entirely lost. He was a sufferer, 
 but patient,* tranquil, serene. He had always, in 
 his healthy days, expressed an opinion that death 
 was an event not to be trifled with ; and he 
 doubted whether the indifference with which some 
 good men professed to regard it, is not the result 
 of ignorance rather than grace. He pronounced 
 himself never to be above fear. Yet when he was 
 asked, on the day before his expiration, what were 
 his views, he replied, " For reasons which appear to 
 me to be just, I rather wish to live ; yet I leave the 
 event witk God. Not my will, but his be done." 
 He died October 15th, 1825; and was followed to 
 the grave by the esteem of his friends, and the tears 
 of his people. 
 
 Besides occasional sermons, the works by which 
 he has already appeared before the public, are : The 
 Gazetteer of the Eastern continent, the History of 
 New England, Modern Geography, and Gazetteer 
 of the Bible. 
 
 These discourses are now presented to the public, 
 to pass that wider test of criticism, which results 
 from a general perusal. In the vicinity of the author's 
 ministrations, they have been heard with great appro- 
 bation and delight. It was always an exhilaration 
 to an audience of taste, to see the author of these 
 discourses enter the pulpit. Expectation was highly 
 raised, and seldom disappointed. It was remarked, 
 in several places, where some of these longest ser- 
 mons were preached, that the hour was almost anni- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Xlll 
 
 hilated^ in the interest it excited. It is true, in 
 different spheres, an author meets with different 
 competitors, and is therefore estimated in a different 
 manner. How this volume will be received by the 
 world, we cannot say ; but we should feel little solic- 
 itude, if its reception should be according to its merits. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 Delivered before the Convention of congregational ministers, in Boston, 1821. 
 
 Page. 
 Luke ii, 14. On earth Peace ; good will among men 1 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Jude 6. Unto the judgment of the great day ; and 2 Peter iii, 7. 
 But the heavens and the earth are kept in store, reserved 
 unto fire, against the day of judgment 25 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Delivered before the Society for propagating the gospel among the Indians and 
 others in North America. 
 
 2 Cor. iv, 4. The glorious gospel of Christ, 51 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Psalm xlv, 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever ; the 
 
 sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre 77 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Isaiah ix, 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. 97 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 Hebrews xi, 33. Who through faith subdued kingdoms. . . Ill 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 Isaiah xlv, 11. Command ye me 129 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Genesis xviii, 19. For I know him, that he will command his 
 
 children, and his household after him 167 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 1 Cor. xiii, 12. Now I know in part 187 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 Jeremiah xvii, 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and 
 
 desperately wicked 207 
 
xvi CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON XL 
 Zechariah iv, 6. Not by might, nor by power, but my Spirit, 
 
 saith the Lord of hosts 223 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 Proverbs xxii, 29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business ? 
 he shall stand before kings ; he shall not stand before nrean 
 men 243 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 John iii, 14, 15. But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wil- 
 derness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever 
 believeth on him may not perish, but have everlasting life. 263 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 1 Cor. i, 24. Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 279 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 Job xviii, 14. And it shall bring him to the king of terrours. 293 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 
 Psalm cxix, 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold 
 
 wondrous things out of thy law 309 
 
 SERMON XVII. 
 
 James v, 17, 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as 
 we are ; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain ; and 
 it rained not on the earth by the space of three years, and 
 six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave 
 rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit 325 
 
 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 Ecclesiastes vi, 12. For who knoweth what is good for man in 
 this life, all the days of this vain life, which he spendeth 
 as a shadow * 345 
 
 SERMON XEX. 
 John xvi, 8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world 
 
 of sin 367 
 
 SERMON XX. 
 
 Psalm xviii, 30. As for God, his WAY is perfect. And 
 
 Psalm xix, 7. The LAW of the Lord is perfect 390 
 
 SERMON XXI. 
 
 Preached before the Merrimack Bible Society in Newburyport, 1824. 
 Psalm cxxxviii, 2. For thou hast magnified thy word above all 
 thy name 403 
 
LUKE ii. 14. 
 On earth, peace ; good will towards men. 
 
 JESUS CHRIST is the Prince of peace, the light of the 
 world, the Saviour of man. Other benefactors have 
 been useful. They have civilized savage tribes ; they 
 have extended science and commerce, and established 
 empires. They have founded churches, banished 
 idols from their temples, and extinguished the fire on 
 the altars of human sacrifice. But these benevolent 
 efforts are limited, partial, and transient in their 
 effects. While one side of the globe enjoys the sun- 
 shine of science and civilization, the other may be 
 wrapped in darkness and barbarism. Where are the 
 empires, which once promised to be as lasting as their 
 mountains ? 
 
 The pacific reign of Jesus Christ will be as exten- 
 sive, as the world, and continue as long, as the sun 
 and moon shall endure. Long ages before the advent 
 of the Messiah, patriarchs rejoiced in his day. Proph- 
 ets and poets foretold, that the iron age of crimes 
 
tears was passing away, that the golden era was ad- 
 vancing, when peace would descend from heaven, the 
 lion sport with the lamb, and the child play with the 
 serpent. 
 
 Sages admonished their disciples, to wait the com- 
 ing of a superiour teacher. Historians announced his 
 expected approach. Angels came down from the 
 throne of God, with the news of his birth. The 
 shepherds heard the music of their song, " Peace on 
 earth, and good will towards men." 
 
 Doctrine ; It is the design of God, by the gospel of 
 Christ, to establish lasting peace through the world. 
 
 I. I presume, that God determines to establish 
 universal peace, because he has promised, that the 
 holiness of the gospel shall be universal. 
 
 "All flesh shall come and worship before me, saith 
 the Lord." " The Lord shall be king over all the 
 earth." " Upon the bells of the horses shall be holi- 
 ness to the Lord." Such extensive piety has not 
 been known. This improvement of mankind will be 
 effected by the gospel. " Grace and truth come by 
 Jesus Christ," and " in him shall all the families be 
 blest." The gospel is a system of morals and relig- 
 ion, designed to render men moral and religious. But 
 war annuls the precepts of religion, repeals the statutes 
 of morality, confounds right and wrong. While war 
 prevails, the gospel cannot have its full effect. 
 
 The gospel requires men to do good. The very 
 business of war is mischief and damage. The gospel 
 requires men to forgive their enemies. Revenge is 
 often the chief design of war. The gospel commands 
 men to feed the poor and comfort the afflicted. The 
 
3 
 
 sword drinks the blood of the afflicted, robs and plun- 
 ders the poor, covers him with wounds, and leaves 
 him half dead. Truth and sincerity are precepts of 
 the gospel, and are reputable in the dwellings of peace ; 
 but the warriour glories in executing the work of de- 
 struction by artifice, by delusion, and stratagem. 
 
 While the devout Christian sits pondering how he 
 may comfort the sorrowful, enlighten the ignorant, 
 and reform the wicked, the man of blood is contriving 
 and plotting, to vanquish yonder army, to ravage the 
 country, covering the fields with the wounded and 
 the dead. 
 
 The gospel forbids murder. Yes, it does. But is 
 not this the grand purpose of war ? Why else all the 
 swords, and balls, and engines of death ? The combi- 
 nation of ten thousand men, to slay ten thousand, is 
 not less murderous, than the resolution of one man to 
 slay one man. Had Cain been a king, and marched 
 an army to destroy his brother, would this have les- 
 sened his guilt ? 
 
 Did God not include kings, when he said, " Thou 
 shalt not kill ?" Did he not include their victorious 
 legions ? If one man may not commit murder, how 
 many must unite to make it innocent and glorious ? 
 May two, two hundred, two million ? Two million 
 have no more right to murder and destroy, than two 
 individuals. 
 
 When pure Christianity shall cover the earth; 
 avarice and revenge will be extinguished ; ambition 
 will be dethroned, and war expire. The acknowledg- 
 ed design of the Christian religion is to induce men to 
 love their enemies, to be like Jesus Christ, who re- 
 
4 
 
 sisted not evil. Is it possible for such a man, to seize 
 his sword, and rush to the hill of battle ? Can he bid 
 the artillery blaze ? Can he become the angel of death, 
 and scatter plague and pestilence round the globe ? 
 When all rulers possess this benevolence, who will 
 proclaim the war ? When commanders have this spirit, 
 who will order the battle ? When the mass of mankind 
 have the spirit of Christ, where will soldiers be found ? 
 Where will you find a man to slay his neighbour? 
 
 The rendezvous is forsaken. The shrill piercing, 
 hoarse rattling instruments, the harsh clattering 
 sounds of martial bands, are silent, as the deserted 
 field of battle, where death riots in dismal solitude. 
 All are gone to the house of worship, to celebrate the 
 jubilee of peace, to join in the song of angels. Will 
 they ever again carry fire, famine, and destruction 
 into peaceful countries, the dwellings of helpless 
 women, the mothers in Israel, the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem ? For such a barbarous invasion, they must tear 
 the last fibre of benevolence from their hearts, quench 
 the last spark of humanity, kindle the flame of malice 
 and revenge. These are the passions, which push 
 men on iti the trade of war ; these are the furies, 
 which rule the man, in the rage of battle. Will not 
 Christianity, when it shall become universal, arrest 
 the ravages of war, and establish lasting peace ? 
 
 II. From the benevolent efforts, now made in the 
 Christian world, I infer the entire suppression of 
 war. 
 
 I do not mean, that any thing absolutely new is 
 taking place. Somewhat of this kind has been done 
 in almost every age of the Christian church. But 
 
present exertions are probably more extensive and 
 better directed, than in any former time. 
 
 The exertions of Christian philanthropy are not 
 confined to a sect, or a country. To the Protestant 
 nations, and to the Greek church, a mighty impulse 
 has been given. Many members of the Latin church, 
 and some of them dignitaries, are coming forward to 
 reform the world. Children and matrons, who re- 
 ceive charity themselves, bring their offerings to the 
 treasury of the Lord. Ministers of religion and offi- 
 cers of government, rich men and nobles, suspend 
 their own pursuits ; princes leave their palaces, and 
 kings come down from their thrones, to assist the 
 corporations of benevolence. These societies, though 
 by different paths, are all marching to the same point, 
 the peace of the world. 
 
 If the Bible Societies obtain their object, peace 
 will follow ; for peace is commanded in their sacred 
 volume. If the Missionary Societies succeed, peace 
 will follow; for the gospel requires peace. If the 
 Education or Literary Societies accomplish their 
 hopes, peace will triumph ; for the great object of ed- 
 ucation is to enlighten the mind and direct the life. 
 If religion or science gain the empire of the human 
 mind, the reign of peace is established ; for all rational 
 religion and useful science breathe the spirit of peace. 
 
 If twelve fishermen changed the moral complexion 
 of the world, in spite of the laws, the religion, and 
 the vices of paganism, what may we not expect from 
 the present movement of the Christian world ! 
 
 Christianity was a helpless babe, slumbering in a 
 manger of Bethlehem; she is now a giant, rejoicing 
 
to run her course. Her friends were a handful of 
 poor, illiterate Nazarenes ; they are now an innumer- 
 able host, possessing a great portion of the power, the 
 science, and the wealth of the world. 
 
 A vast accession of influence is acquired by the 
 union of numbers, by voluntary associations. 
 
 Can all these engines move in vain? Would the 
 God of wisdom produce all these labours to no lasting 
 purpose ? Would he create all these luminaries, to go 
 out in darkness ? Pouring their beams in one direc- 
 tion, must they not scatter the clouds of war, dispel 
 the darkness, and melt the vapours into a day of light, 
 of peace, and glory ? 
 
 III. God has promised his people a period of secu- 
 rity and felicity, not compatible with a state of war- 
 fare ; hence I infer that wars must cease. 
 
 " They shall build houses, and inhabit them ; they 
 shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 
 They shall not build, and another inhabit ; they shall 
 not plant, and another eat ; mine elect shall long 
 enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour 
 in vain, nor bring forth for trouble. They shall sit 
 every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and 
 none shall make him afraid." 
 
 These and similar passages need no comment. 
 They describe a state of comfort and security, which 
 can never be known, while a banner waves, or a 
 sword glitters in the hands of a warriour. Does any 
 people enjoy such rest and felicity in the atmosphere 
 of armies ? Do those, who are defeated, conquered, 
 vanquished, fleeing, falling, dying ? Do the peaceful 
 inhabitants, alarmed and driven from their homes ? 
 
The field of war is like the fabled sea of Sodom, in 
 whose atmosphere no creature could live ; along whoso 
 dismal coast no fruit nor blossom was seen, no cheer- 
 ful voice was heard. So in the region of war, no 
 sound is heard but the riot of victory, the shout of 
 revenge, the sigh of misery, the shriek of horrour, or 
 the groan of death. The dwellings of war are like 
 those of Egypt, when solid darkness covered the land ; 
 when no man could safely leave his home; when 
 death was in every house ; terrour and dismay in every 
 heart. 
 
 Were these sufferings confined to men, to military 
 men, we might be patient ; but another portion of the 
 human family, whose sex renders them more defence- 
 less ; whose gentle voice cheers the distressed ; whose 
 kindness binds up the wounds of an enemy ; whose 
 piety soothes the anguish of his last moment, woman, 
 is often overwhelmed in the miseries of war. How 
 often may it be said, " From the daughter of Zion, all 
 her beauty is departed. Her tears are on her cheeks. 
 Among all her lovers, she has none to comfort her. 
 She has fallen by the sword." 
 
 History confirms all this. Glance an eye at a sin- 
 gle short series. What was the state of the Canaan- 
 ites, assailed and subdued by Joshua ? What was the 
 state of the Jews, vanquished and led captive by Ves- 
 pasian ? What was the state of the Romans, overrun 
 and conquered by the barbarians of the north ? What 
 has been the condition of these conquerors, during the 
 wars of modern Europe ? 
 
 Read again the history of those revolutions, and 
 say I think, I hear you say, " War is a monster. 
 
8 
 
 more enormous than the fabled giants of old, who 
 piled up the mountains to scale the heavens. While 
 he walks on earth, his head wrapt in clouds, his arms 
 encircle the world. From one hand he hurls all the 
 weapons of destruction ; from the other he scatters the 
 seeds of famine, plague, and pestilence. He beholds 
 a country of prosperous husbandmen and merchants; 
 he robs and plunders, and leaves them wretched. 
 He devours an army, and cries, ' give, give.' The 
 sun shines ; but no harvest rewards the labourer. The 
 rain falls ; but no verdure clothes the ground ; the 
 monster has trodden on the fields ; his breath has 
 blasted the country." 
 
 Yes, my friends, the picture is not so shocking as 
 the hideous original* But, blessed be God, he has 
 promised, that those i who plant, shall eat the fruit' 
 Hence the fury of war is passing away ; a brighter 
 day is dawning. "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my peo- 
 ple, saith your God ; speak ye comfortably to Jeru- 
 salem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accom- 
 plished." 
 
 IV. I infer that wars will cease, when Christian- 
 ity, purified, shall become universal ; because the 
 Christians, in the first ages of the gospel, refused to 
 bear arms. 
 
 They supposed that their religion forbid war. Men, 
 who received their religious opinions from Christ him- 
 self, or from his apostles, or their immediate succes- 
 sors, refused to bear arms, or perform any military 
 duty. For about three hundred years, Christians 
 would suffer martyrdom, rather than be seen in a 
 camp with sword or spear. 
 
9 
 *% 
 
 Justin and Tatian in the second century, both de- 
 clare war unlawful, and Satan its author. In the 
 second and third centuries, Tertullian and Alexander 
 strongly condemn the custom of war. Tertullian 
 inquires, " Can a soldier's life be lawful, when Christ 
 has declared, that he ' who takes the sword shall 
 perish with the sword ?' Shall he, who is not to 
 revenge his own wrongs, bring others into chains and 
 imprisonment, torment and death ?" 
 
 Lactantius, the friend of Constantine, and tutor of 
 his son, says, "It can never be lawful, for a righteous 
 man to go to war, whose warfare is righteousness 
 itself." To these names of renown, in the Christian 
 church, we may add Cyprian, a martyr in A. D. 258, 
 with Ambrose, Archelaus, Chrysostom, Jerome, and 
 Cyril ; all of whom were of opinion, that war was 
 unlawful to Christians. 
 
 The practice of those early Christians agreed with 
 their principles. In the rebellions against Verus and 
 Severus, which extended from A. D. 170 to 195, the 
 Christians were suspected. Tertullian appealed to 
 the pagan world, and repelled the slander. " You 
 defamed us," saith he; "not a Christian could be 
 found in any of the rebel armies." This fact is 
 worthy of all notice. Those armies constituted 
 nearly half the legions of the Roman empire, stationed 
 in Egypt, Palestine, and Britain. Yet, not a Chris- 
 tian soldier could be found in their ranks. 
 
 The writers of those times make a distinction be- 
 tween soldiers and Christians. Clemens calls Chris- 
 tians " the Peaceable," and says, " They never use 
 sword nor bow." 
 2 
 
10 
 
 About A. D. 180, Ireneus says, " The famous pro- 
 phecy, < Their swords shall be turned to ploughshares, 
 and their spears to pruning-hooks,' was then fulfilled." 
 " The Christians have" saith he, " changed their 
 swords and their lances into instruments of peace. 
 They know not how to fight." 
 
 Speaking of the same prophecy, Justin says, " This 
 is fulfilled, for we, who, in time past killed one anoth- 
 er, do not now fight with our enemies." Accordingly, 
 Celsus, an enemy to Christianity, in the third cen- 
 tury, brings this, as a reproach, that Christians would 
 not bear arms for their emperor. He tells them, that 
 if all w T ere of their opinion, the empire would be over- 
 run with barbarians. So do friends and foes unitedly 
 testify that the first Christians would not bear arms. 
 
 When Constantine, a warlike prince, professed 
 Christianity, then probably a military life became rep- 
 utable with Christians. After this w r e find them in 
 his armies. A dreadful change was produced.* From 
 that period war has prevailed among the professed 
 disciples of Christ. But though from every quarter 
 of the globe we now hear of standing armies, they 
 will be disbanded, and return to their peaceful homes. 
 Though the noise of battle is yet heard, and ramparts 
 of destruction rise in every country, those mounds 
 shall fall ; those scenes of death and desolation will 
 be enlivened by the dwellings of domestic felicity, 
 covered with the blossoms of spring, and the harvests 
 of autumn. Though the ocean thunders, her billows 
 rising with blood, those hostile navies shall return to 
 
 '" See an Essay by Thomas Clarkson. 
 
11 
 
 their ports, to waft^the heralds of peace to their 
 appointed stations. " The Lord will bless his people 
 with peace. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends 
 of the earth." " Nation shall not lift up sword against 
 nation; neither shall they learn war any more." 
 
 IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 I. Hence we learn the importance of publishing 
 this final result of Christian influence. 
 
 This may kindle hope and zeal, to hasten the event. 
 If the gospel be destined to produce universal peace, 
 it ought to be known, that suitable measures may be 
 adopted, to accomplish the object. The interesting 
 fact ought to be proclaimed from the pulpit, from the 
 press, from the senate, and from the throne. 
 
 The mighty theme of universal peace may well 
 awaken the most powerful strains of human eloquence, 
 the tongue of the learned, the pen of the ready writer, 
 the songs of angels. When they were permitted to 
 announce the reign of peace, they seized the moment 
 with raptures of bliss. Shall not the angels of 
 the churches, in the same spirit, proclaim peace on 
 earth ? Is not this the Gospel ? Did not the angels 
 understand the gospel ? 
 
 II. Does not the subject afford encouragement to 
 multiply Peace Societies. 
 
 Peace, and all its blissful effects, must be produced 
 by human exertions. No irresistible charm, no secret 
 incantation, no miraculous voice, will silence the furv 
 of war. No. The blessings of peace must be ob- 
 
12 
 
 rained as other blessings are. As science, wealth, ov 
 piety are, by persevering effort and self-denial. The 
 day of enthusiasm has gone by. We do not slumber 
 on the couch of the sluggard to procure the favours of 
 heaven ; but we go forth to seek them. Vigorous and 
 extensive means will introduce universal peace. 
 These societies are powerful means. They embody 
 a mass of sound principles, facts, and arguments. 
 They may influence public opinion, and break the 
 sword of the conqueror. 
 
 III. We learn the importance of electing rulers, 
 who are men of peace. 
 
 Rulers are the makers of war and peace. They 
 carry the olive branch to every door ; or cover the fields 
 with swords and spears. If the people elect men of 
 peace for rulers, wars must stop. The people do not 
 declare war ; it is never their interest. They do not 
 consent, till they are deluded and infatuated by de- 
 signing men. 
 
 Were all rulers such men as the first Christians, no 
 more blood nor treasure would be wasted ; the banner 
 of blood would no more wave over the land; our 
 brethren would no more march to the field of battle. 
 
 Warlike rulers are the Achans of their country, the 
 Pandora's box, which fills the world with misery. 
 To revenge some imaginary wrong, to maintain some 
 childish point of honour, to enlarge their territory, to 
 advance their glory, they associate their names with 
 scenes of havoc and carnage. They blow the trum- 
 pet ; they rouse the passions ; they inflame their people 
 with the lust of plunder and revenge, and send them 
 to the field of slaughter and death, to feast the 
 
liawks and vultures of heaven. Will not your regard 
 to jour own interest, and your concern for your chil- 
 dren and posterity, persuade you to elect rulers, who 
 are lovers of peace ? You are the real sovereigns of 
 the country. Unless you require peace from your 
 rulers, you will be accountable to God, for every drop 
 of blood, which may be shed. Every man, who is 
 slain in war, will be an accusing spirit before the 
 tribunal of divine justice. 
 
 IV. Is it fancy, or do you all seem to suggest 
 the wisdom and necessity of discouraging and sup- 
 pressing all excitements to war. These prolong the 
 mischief; these prevent the advance of peace. 
 
 Yes, my friends, I agree with you, that if any ex- 
 citements do exist, they ought to be suppressed, as war 
 itself in disguise. Destroy the means of mischief, 
 and you destroy the mischief itself. 
 
 It may, perhaps, be reasonably inquired, whether 
 all military honours, and titles, and rewards, have not 
 the baleful effect of promoting war. What could 
 more violently tempt men to the field of destruction, 
 than splendid rewards ? Governments well understand 
 this art of making dupes and victims of their subjects. 
 Does not all martial music have the same effect, by 
 producing delightful associations with the trade of 
 war? 
 
 The war song of the poet, the harmony of his num- 
 bers, the sublimity of his style, the splrndour of his 
 descriptions, inflame the passions with the fury of 
 battle. 
 
 Might not some historians be more useful, if they 
 distinctlv related the wickedness and miseries of war? 
 
14 
 
 May I not inquire whether some of them do not, 
 though perhaps unintentionally, sin against benevo- 
 lence and humanity ? With alluring eloquence, with 
 all the magic charms of style, they describe the march 
 of armies, the splendour of their arms, the valour of 
 their commanders. In all the pomp of gay descrip- 
 tion, the field of action rises in distant view. The 
 columns move ; the plumes and banners wave. You 
 hear the thunder of the battle, and the shout of vic- 
 tory. The grandeur of the exploits, the sublimity of 
 the varied scenes, delight the imagination, and you 
 applaud the murderers of your brethren. But the 
 historian does not carry you to the spot. You do not 
 hear the cries and shrieks of the wounded. You do 
 not see the shattered limbs, the mangled bodies, the 
 convulsive agonies of the dying; the blood stream- 
 ing, the field red, no physician, no friend to give 
 relief or consolation. You see not the ground covered 
 with limbs, and bodies, and heads, their ghastly vis- 
 ages, still marked with rage and despair. 
 
 I ask, are not all military establishments, particu- 
 larly, military academies, excitements to war? Must 
 they yet exist ? Where then shall they be established ? 
 In our cities, where better principles of peace and 
 commerce prevail ? Or near our colleges, to pervert 
 the study of the liberal sciences, and poison the waters 
 of the sanctuary ? No. Do not I hear you all say, 
 " Rather let these seminaries of blood, these colleges 
 of misery and murder, be erected far from the region 
 of domestic felicity, and the pleasant walks of social 
 life, on some mountain's lofty top, in the region of 
 eternal winter, where the blossoms of spring were 
 
15 
 
 never seen, where the tiger's yell was never heard, 
 amid the brew of storms, and the bowlings of tem- 
 pests ; or on the side of a smoking volcano, in the 
 suburbs of death and destruction, where lightnings 
 flash, and thunders burst ; there let the gloomy walls 
 of the military academy rise. 
 
 Let tombs, and graves, and bones, mark the path to 
 this dismal spot. Let the standing army of the coun- 
 try, from a thousand fields of battle, transport the 
 skulls and shattered bones of the slain, to build the 
 fortress of their defence, to raise their own fabric. 
 The region of Smolensk and Moscow, of Leipsic and 
 Waterloo, present their mournful offerings. The 
 banks of the Beresina and Rhine, of the Danube and 
 Nile, raise their voice to be relieved from the relics of 
 recent battles. 
 
 As these men of war proceed in their labours, in- 
 stead of supplication and praise, let the war whoop 
 and the song of death, the clang of arms and the roar 
 of artillery announce their morning toils, their even- 
 ing rest. 
 
 On their banqueting room, some artist, who delights 
 himself with human misery, may paint the carnage of 
 war, Nimrod, and Caesar, arid Tamerlane, with their 
 veteran bands, covering the field with death. The 
 blood flows ; the piles of the dead rise, and shrieks of 
 anguish torment the air. 
 
 In their apartments of rest, if such spirits ever rest, 
 the surgeons may be drawn, with their knives and 
 saws of amputation. The victims of battle ; stream- 
 ing wounds, shattered limbs, pale visages, ghastly 
 bodies, surround the slumbers of the young warriours. 
 
16 
 
 Their passions, their thoughts, their studies, and their 
 dreams, are stained with blood. Instead of reading 
 the word of life, they are studying the volumes of 
 death, the arts, the deceptions, and stratagems of 
 murder and destruction. Instead of making men 
 happy, by cultivating the arts, and extending the news 
 of salvation, they are ripening their plots, sharpening 
 their swords, and hardening their hearts, to make 
 themselves adepts in the trade of blood and misery. 
 
 While the hosannas of the Sabbath ascend from 
 the temples of peace, there the day is marked by no 
 morning prayer, no evening sacrifice, no memorials of 
 a Saviour's dying love. No pious traveller bids them 
 God speed. No minister of divine mercy preaches to 
 them peace and good will. The sacred oracles, the 
 whispers of the Holy Spirit, the songs of Zion, the 
 sighs of devotion, the melting strains of redeeming 
 love, never echo from these walls, surrounded with 
 the images of revenge and murder, of pestilence and 
 death. 
 
 Most devoutly do we all pray, that the time may be 
 hastened, when these mansions, like Babylon, may be 
 left desolate, and without inhabitant ; when thorns 
 shall come up in these palaces, nettles and brambles 
 in these fortresses, the habitation of dragons, and a 
 court for owls, where the vulture shall seek her mate, 
 and the satyrs dance ; where no rain nor dew shall 
 fall, the streams be pitch, and the dust brimstone ; 
 where the thistle shall shake his lonely head, the 
 moss whistle in the wind, the fox look out at the win- 
 dows, the grass of the wall waving round his head. 
 
17 
 
 Why dost thou build these towers, tliou man of 
 blood ? Thou lookest from thy halls to-day ; yet a 
 short time, and silence shall be in the house of war ; 
 the blast of the desert comes, and howls in thy empty 
 courts. 
 
 Once, I saw a military parade, with a rapture of 
 delight. Now, wiser and better men approve them, 
 as useful and necessary. I venerate their virtues, and 
 am persuaded they will permit me to inquire, and 
 anxiously inquire, whether they are indispensable, 
 and whether they are not powerful excitements to 
 war ? Do not the regular march, the waving standard, 
 the sparkling armour, the animating music, array the 
 hydra of war in the robes of pleasure ? Alas ! my 
 friends, your fathers have found a field of battle, very 
 different from a military review. Is not a review a 
 pleasant summer sea, just ready to be roused to a 
 furious storm, to shipwreck the mariner, to deluge the 
 country ? Is not a review a slumbering volcano, cover- 
 ed with blossoms, ready to burst with rivers of fire ? 
 Where, where, is the ruler, who will stop this moral 
 pestilence. His name shall be enrolled in the annals 
 of glory, his reign shall commence a new era of virtue 
 and felicity. 
 
 "Swift fly the years, and rise the expected morn, 
 Oh spring to light, auspicious Babe, be born." 
 
 I say nothing of the vice and crimes of military 
 days ; I say nothing of their expense, which, with the 
 peace establishment, would furnish instructors for 
 more than two million children. 
 
 Who would mourn the loss of these days ? A few 
 
 warriours, wading to glory, through the blood of their 
 3 
 
18 
 
 neighbours. " The grave would mourn, comparatively 
 vacant and solitary. Death would lament the loss of 
 the war song and brigade review. His arm is weak, 
 his arrow is broken ; he waits the slow operations of 
 disease and age; the monster seems expiring himself. 
 "Where," he cries, "where is the spirit of War? 
 Where is the noise and charm of military days ? 
 Where is the parade of music and battles ? Oh, that 
 it were with me, as in other times, when whole na- 
 tions made arms their sport and pleasure ; then I de- 
 stroyed thousands and myriads in a day, as at Arbela 
 and Pharsalia, at Jerusalem and Ashkelon, at Pavia 
 and Warsaw." 
 
 When will men be wise ; when will they suppress 
 these occasions of war ? 
 
 V. May I not say the subject calls on us to unite 
 in procuring permanent peace. 
 
 Reasons for hope and confidence may well inspire 
 the heart with zeal and energy. The gospel will 
 become universal, and peace will finally prevail. But 
 means must be used. Lazarus will rise ; but the great 
 stone must be rolled from the tomb. God will have 
 us use means, even when he intends to perform a 
 miracle. 
 
 Kings and conquerors love fame and power too 
 well, to rest in peace, while their subjects are foolish 
 enough to be butchered for their pleasure. Who then 
 is willing to march and perish for the gratification of 
 his rulers ? Him, alas, have I offended. Who is will- 
 ing to endure pain, and sickness, and death, that a 
 few generals may be heroes ; that a few commissaries 
 
19 
 
 may drive their chariots, the wheels red with their 
 blood ? 
 
 Yes; that day when subjects resolve no longer to 
 be sacrificed, peace will gladden the world. When 
 will this day arrive ? May I not call on all the disci- 
 ples of Jesus, to raise their voice, to enlist under no 
 captain ; but the Captain of your salvation? I know 
 you cherish his spirit. Mild and gentle, holy and 
 harmless, his every act was benevolent. He came, 
 not to destroy, but to save life. He healed the sick ; 
 he fed the poor, and relieved the widow and the fath- 
 erless. So, like him, to-day, have you come up to 
 his house, to comfort the widow and the fatherless, a 
 delightful service, for a divine Master. You hear his 
 voice ; " Ye have done it unto me." I know your 
 benevolent wishes, and I know the limited means of 
 many. The country is burdened ; your people are 
 burdened, with the enormous expenses of past wars, 
 of a standing army, and preparations for wars to 
 come. The merchant and the farmer are rifled of 
 their best profits, to gorge the dragon of war. When 
 this monster expires, our country will be rich ; they 
 will feed the poor, and make the widow's heart sing 
 for joy ; her barrel of meal, and her cruise of oil will 
 never fail. Then the treasuries of our hospitals, our 
 missionary and charitable societies, will overflow with 
 the contributions of peace. Silver and gold will 
 abound, as in the days of Solomon. Say then, to the 
 weary sword, " It is enough." 
 
 But here I must not forget to urge the instructors 
 of our schools, to impress their children with the 
 odious nature of revenge, of ambition, and war. Im- 
 
20 
 
 bue their hearts with the temper of the lamb. Whole 
 countries may be saved by your mild lessons. Your 
 children will soon be men, and form the mass of 
 society. What they are, the nation will soon be. 
 Immensely important is your responsibility. 
 
 I need not call on mothers or daughters, to join the 
 celestial throng, to proclaim peace on earth. You 
 can never patiently see your brothers, your husbands, 
 your sons, torn away, to perish on the frozen moun- 
 tains of the north, nor the burning plains of the south. 
 In history women are renowned, as the friends of 
 peace. In the civil wars of England, two or three 
 thousand repaired to the House of Commons, to im- 
 plore the blessings of peace. In this glorious cause 
 will you not exert your influence in society, which is 
 greater than senates or armed legions possess. I be- 
 seech you, with the eloquence of truth, pronounce 
 your abhorrence of hands, which are red with the 
 blood of the slain. 
 
 Do we not all unite in petitions of peace to our 
 own legislators ? No man can estimate the effects of 
 their influence in private, of their votes and eloquence 
 in public. To them we look as our guardian angels ; 
 to them we fly, for permanent peace. As men, as 
 our representatives, as Christians, do they not give us 
 a pledge, that we shall not be disappointed ? 
 
 The Presidents, and Professors, and Preceptors in 
 our colleges and seminaries, I congratulate, on the 
 distinguished eminence, which they enjoy. You are 
 forming those minds, which soon may control the 
 public affairs. of the country. The science, the wis- 
 dom, the eloquence, which you teach, may carry 
 
21 
 
 peace and safety from the palace to the cottage, and 
 delight the world with the song of angels. We will 
 not believe it possible for you to neglect one lesson, 
 which may animate your pupils with the love of 
 peace. If they make the attempt, is not their victory 
 certain ; will they not be the saviours of their country ; 
 must not their power of persuasion, in the court and 
 senate, deliver the world from the havoc and carnage 
 of war ? 
 
 My brethren in the ministry have prevented my 
 urging, or recommending the work of peace to them. 
 Your repeated votes, your unanimous votes have pro- 
 claimed the benevolent sentiments of your hearts, and 
 given a solemn pledge of your attachment to your 
 Saviour, as the Prince of peace. Still may I not ask 
 myself and you, whether we have done all in our 
 power, to promote this precious cause ? Have we 
 thoroughly instructed and convinced our own people ? 
 Our nobles are from ourselves, and our governour pro- 
 ceeds from the midst of us. Our people direct the 
 affairs of the Commonwealth. This Commonwealth 
 has a powerful influence in the councils of the nation. 
 If our general government were to say to the troubled 
 sea of war, " Peace ; be still," might not the effect 
 surpass all calculation ? 
 
 Let us not rest, till our people have adopted the 
 heavenly doctrine of peace on earth. Let us not im- 
 agine our duty done, while any thing remains, which 
 can possibly be done. Though the fires of war be 
 again lighted up in Christendom, your faith is un- 
 shaken. The Prince of peace will not forget his own 
 
22 
 
 name, nor blast the hopes, which rest on the promises 
 of his word. 
 
 Had I any mode of access to the kings of the earth, 
 forgetting my humble capacity, I would beseech them 
 to have mercy on the family of man, and stop the 
 effusion of human blood. I would say, Sires, though 
 you are as gods, you must die like men. The wanton 
 destruction of life is murder ; the blood of armies may 
 be required at your hands ; grasping at more, you 
 may lose what you have. Remember Bajazet, a cap- 
 tive, exhibited as a show, in an iron cage. Remember 
 Charles, a prisoner, and executed before his own 
 palace. Behold Napoleon, chained to a rock in the 
 ocean. These were the warriours, who made the 
 world tremble. 
 
 Yes, my beloved hearers, the work is begun ; the 
 work is advancing. Peace Societies are established 
 in Europe and America. Mankind are opening their 
 eyes. The sun of righteousness and peace is rising. 
 The black night of war is passing away. The foun- 
 tain of peace is breaking forth to refresh the world. 
 Does not the sublime subject command all the affec- 
 tions of your hearts ; all the efforts of your power ? If 
 ye hold your peace, will not the stones cry out ? Will 
 not the temples, profaned ; the fields, red with blood ; 
 the beasts and cattle, destroyed ; the lost spirits of a 
 thousand battles, carry in their charge, before the 
 throne of the great Eternal. 
 
 Does ONE man of the human family resist the doc- 
 trine of peace ? Is ONE man grieved, hurt, or displeas- 
 ed ? I only ask, and I do affectionately ask such a man, 
 
, 23 
 
 are not the unavoidable sufferings of mankind, 
 numerous and terrible enough ? Can you wish the life 
 of mortals, to be shorter, or death more certain, or 
 more dreadful ? 
 
 Do not consumption, and poverty, and pestilence, 
 and fevers, render the days of man sufficiently uncer- 
 tain and miserable ? Why, then, will you wantonly 
 add all the undescribable horrours of war, to the long 
 catalogue of human woes ? 
 
 At home, on a bed of down, surrounded by dearest 
 friends, do you wish the agonies of death more ter- 
 rible ? 
 
 Go near the bed of a dying parent, or a dying 
 child ; behold the agonies of their last hours. Are not 
 their anguish and misery enough for them to endure, 
 or for you to witness ? 
 
 Would you wish they were far off on the ocean, to 
 meet a violent death, without a friend to soothe the 
 last moment ; without the consoling offices of religion ? 
 Would you tear them from their pillows, and send 
 them to expire on the field of battle ? 
 
 Do you, indeed, wish to multiply the sufferings 
 of life, and aggravate the horrours of dissolution ? 
 Do you wish the tears of the widow to flow with 
 keener anguish ? Do you wish the shriek of the 
 orphan more dismal ? Do you wish the king of 
 terrours, a wider range, a more rapid march, a more 
 frightful appearance ? Do you wish more domestic 
 sorrows, more public calamities, more sighs and 
 groans to load the air, more tears to water the 
 
 world ? 
 
 ' 
 
.24 
 
 If not ; then implore and beseech the God of peace, 
 to stop the fury of war ; enrol your name among the 
 friends of peace, and join in the song of angels ; 
 " Glory to God in the highest ; on earth, peace, and 
 good will towards men." Amen. 
 
it* 
 
 JUDE 6th verse. 
 Unto the judgment of the great day. 
 
 2 PETER iii, 7. 
 
 But the heavens and the earth are kept in store, re- 
 served unto fire, against the day of judgment. 
 
 THE ruins of a garden, the fading of a flower, the fall- 
 ing of a leaf, are ungrateful to the sight. The wreck 
 of a ship, a house on fire, a sickly child, a dying 
 parent, the mouldering bones of a tomb, awaken our 
 pity, and diffuse a gloom over our minds. A tribunal 
 of justice, the venerable judges, the celebrated advo- 
 cates, the gazing multitude, the opening jail, the 
 trembling prisoners, the able pleadings and the solemn 
 verdict, is a scene to move and awe the heart of man. 
 How much more affecting is the day of judgment, or 
 the dissolution of all things ; when the charms of 
 nature must be defaced, and nature herself expire. 
 Not only the flowers of spring, and the richer fruits 
 of autumn, but palaces and cities vanish ; the sun and 
 
 stars dissolve ; darkness and desolation follow. 
 4 
 
26 
 
 The subject is forbidding to a gay world ; but not 
 therefore to be neglected. The first Christians look- 
 ed forward to the last day with hope and transport, 
 as to a glorious jubilee. Times are changed ; still we 
 should not divest ourselves of discretion and reason. 
 \\ ise men foresee and prepare for evils, which are 
 unavoidable, or only probable. They bring home to 
 their minds the sufferings of their fellow creatures, 
 and build hospitals. The conflagration of a city is a 
 dreadful event ; yet the citizens, instead of pushing 
 the danger from their thoughts, form themselves into 
 societies, and furnish themselves with engines to ex- 
 tinguish the flames. Though the expectation of death 
 be 'terrible, men sometimes write their own wills, 
 appoint their successors, direct where their bodies 
 shall be buried, or build their own tombs. 
 
 A familiar contemplation of the great day may be 
 equally wise, and a preparation for it more useful, 
 than any of those deeds of wisdom and discretion. 
 
 The general expectation of such a day by all ages 
 and nations, is evidence of its reality. A day of 
 judgment is an article of almost every creed in the 
 world. In this all parties of Christians unite. In 
 this Pagans, and Jews agree. This doctrine is taught, 
 not only in the churches of Jesus Christ, but in the 
 mosques of Mahomet, and in the temples of the hea- 
 then gods. The Brahmins of India, the Magi of 
 Persia, the Druids of Europe, taught the doctrine -of 
 a future judgment. The colleges of Egypt and Chal- 
 dea, gave their testimony to support the solemn fact. 
 In all the pomp of song, the bards of other times de- 
 scribed the terroiirs of Minos, and the other judges of 
 
27 HTTWl 
 
 the invisible world. Though traditn&4gL allegory 
 had obscured its splendours, the beams of truth burst 
 the mantling clouds of errour and displayed the day of 
 judgment as a tremendous scene. 
 
 What has commanded so general assent has high 
 claim to our belief. 
 
 The frequent judgments, which overwhelm the 
 wicked in this life, are presumptive arguments in 
 favour of a general judgment. The miseries of Cain, 
 of Achan, and Judas, were the day of judgment in 
 miniature. Belshazzar and Voltaire, Herod and 
 Robespierre, dying in torment, were witnesses of a 
 judgment to come. If God thus visibly pum'sh some 
 sinners, it is highly probable that he will judge all 
 sinners. But all are not judged in this life. These 
 strongly argue for a day of general retribution. 
 
 Listen to that designing wretch, in the guise of 
 friendship, prating of fidelity, of honour and truth, yet 
 secretly practising every species of enmity against his 
 greatest benefactor. 
 
 See yonder plausible hypocrite ; a splendid Bible 
 graces his parlour ; he pleads for the clergy and the 
 Sabbath, for public worship, and the Christian relig- 
 ion. He would be thought as temperate as Daniel, 
 as pure as Joseph, as penitent as David, and as ortho- 
 dox as Paul. He gains his point ; his good name is 
 as precious ointment : yet in his heart he despises the 
 Christian religion ; he detests the gospel ministry ; 
 and among his companions he ridicules the church, 
 and scoffs at the doctrines of the cross. Is there not 
 a day of judgment ? 
 
28 
 
 / 
 
 God judges some persons in this world to teach 
 mankind that he will by no means clear the guilty. 
 He suffers many others to pass with impunity, to 
 prove that the great day of his wrath is coming. The 
 present punishment of sinners, and their prosperity, 
 both prove the same truth the judgment of God. 
 
 With this day of trial, Scripture connects the uni- 
 versal conflagration. Do any circumstances render 
 such a catastrophe probable ? 
 
 The materials, in part, are already visibly prepared 
 for a general conflagration. Numerous facts now 
 show how possible and probable is such an event. 
 Vast magazines of coal, in different countries, are 
 found, buried in the bowels of the earth. Hills and 
 plains in our own country conceal their immense 
 stores of fuel, which may aid the fires of the great 
 day. Miry grounds, in large portions of the globe, 
 abound with a combustible substance, which being 
 once kindled, the world will burn as an oven. The 
 adamantine rocks are stored with latent sparks ; may 
 not these consume the dry land ? Marshes and ponds 
 often emit a fiery vapour ; water absorbs an inflamma- 
 ble air ; is capable of combustion, and may enrage 
 the burning of the last day. 
 
 So visible were the means or so authentic the tra- 
 dition of the event, that the ancient heathen believed 
 in a general conflagration. Pliny the elder, supposed 
 there was such a tendency in nature to this crisis, 
 that he wondered it had not taken place. The Stoic 
 philosophers, who had much important truth in their 
 system ; the Platonists, distinguished for the sublimity 
 
29 
 
 of their philosophy ; the Epicureans and Pythagoreans, 
 all expected a general conflagration. They probably 
 learned the doctrine from the Chaldeans ; the Chal- 
 deans received it from the Jews. Ancient heathen 
 oracles, and poets, and historians, warn the world of 
 the same terrible event ; as the Sybils, Sophocles, 
 Hystaspes, and Lucan ; Strabo, Plutarch and others. 
 Seneca says, " The stars shall run upon each other, 
 and every thing being on flame, that which now 
 shines regularly, shall then burn in one fire." Lucan 
 says, 
 
 " So when this frame of nature is dissolved, 
 And the last hours in future times approach, 
 All to its ancient chaos shall return. 
 The stars shall fall ; the moon attack the sun, 
 Driving her chariot through the burning sky." 
 
 The Sybils declared, 
 
 " For certainly the day will come, will come 
 When the bright sky shall from his treasure send 
 A liquid fire, whose all-devouring flames, 
 By laws unbounded, shall destroy the earth. 
 All shall vanish ; the waters of the deep shall turn 
 To smoke; the earth shall cease to nourish trees; 
 The air shall burn." 
 
 Ovid says " It was by fate decreed, that sea, and 
 earth, and heaven should burn, and this vast frame of 
 nature fail." 
 
 The brahmins of Siam and the savages of the 
 Cftnary islands, expected the world would be destroy- 
 ed by fire. This is one of the most ancient traditions. 
 The Jewish historian relates that Adam foretold that 
 the world should be destroyed by fire. The philoso- 
 phers of Greece, expected the final dissolution of the 
 
30 
 
 world by fire. " The world," say they, " is to be de- 
 stroyed by a general conflagration." 
 
 Though the operations of nature in the centre of 
 the earth must be very much more unknown to the 
 inhabitants of the surface ; yet circumstances render it 
 probable, that matter is not cold and inactive in the 
 fathomless abyss of the world. Earthquakes and 
 volcanoes, vaguely reveal the secrets of the earth. 
 " The enormous mass, which constitutes the moun- 
 tains of Arabia," says a late voyager,* " rests upon no 
 solid basis. An internal conflagration hath formed 
 immense caverns under their foundations, which, 
 passing under the Red Sea, communicate with Africa. 
 Hence Maha and Zeila, two towns on the opposite 
 shores of the Red Sea, feel the shock of an earth- 
 quake precisely at the same moment ; which proves 
 that they stand on one of those volcanic caverns, 
 which passes under the bed of the sea." The island 
 of Sicily is mostly covered with the eruptions of 
 jEtna. This mountain, one hundred eighty three 
 miles in circuit, and more than two in height, is sup- 
 posed by philosophers to have vomited forth more 
 than twenty times its own magnitude. The amaz- 
 ing furnace there burning below may be forty miles 
 in depth, and nearly two hundred in circumference. 
 
 An English philosopher,! in his account of Vesu- 
 vius, says " There is every reason to believe with 
 Seneca, that the seat of the fire, which causes the 
 eruptions of volcanoes, lies deep in the bowels of the 
 earth." The blazing hills are scattered among the 
 
 * Grandpre. t Sir W. Hamilton 
 
31 
 
 islands of the sea, and over both continents of the- 
 world. Geographers have given us information of 
 about one hundred burning mountains. 
 
 Were it prophesied that a certain temple or palace 
 should be consumed by fire ; should we afterwards see 
 flames, bursting from its hundred windows, could 
 we for a moment doubt the truth of the prophecy ? 
 
 The fires then, probably designed to spread a uni- 
 versal conflagration, are already kindled. They give 
 sublimity and grandeur to the day, and double hor- 
 rours to the night. 
 
 Several of these fires are burning in the southern 
 part of Europe. In the north, Hecla, in Iceland, has 
 thrown her blazing artillery one hundred and eighty 
 miles. What a splendid arch of fire did this form ! 
 The fiery explosion, like a storm of comets, filled the 
 country with amazement and terrour. In 1693 and 
 also in 1766, her fires spread devastation and ruin 
 over a country fifty miles in circuit. The burning 
 lava has since formed a tract of devastation for hun- 
 dreds of miles from the summit. 
 
 As our hardy seamen sail the great Pacific, and 
 direct their course to the frozen regions of the north, 
 along the western side of our continent, amid lofty 
 mountains, they see volcanoes disgorge their fires, 
 warning them of their approach to land. 
 
 More astonishing proofs than these, if more can be, 
 of a general conflagration, press on our attention. 
 Ancient and modern times have seen the internal fires 
 of the world, raising islands from the sea, loaded with 
 rocks and hills. How deep, how vast, how terrible 
 must be those fires ! 
 
32 
 
 Are not here visible witnesses that the world may 
 be burned in the day of the Lord ? Every burning 
 hill may be considered a lamp to show the divinity of 
 revelation. But leaving presumptive arguments, we 
 proceed to demonstration, resting the doctrine on the 
 word of God. 
 
 The short epistle of the text furnishes much evi- 
 dence. " The Lord saved the people out of the land 
 of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them who believed 
 not. And the angels who kept not their first estate, 
 he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under dark- 
 ness, unto the judgment of the great day. Even as 
 Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, 
 giving themselves over to fornication, are set forth for 
 an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." 
 By this we are taught, that as Sodom, and the old 
 world, and the fallen angels, are reserved for trial at 
 the great day ; so are all sinners. 
 
 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, though his writ- 
 ings are now lost, excepting one fragment, prophesied 
 of the great day, saying, " Behold the Lord cometh, 
 with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment 
 upon all." 
 
 In the book of Job, which is, probably, as ancient as 
 any extant, the doctrine of a judgment is revealed ; 
 " Wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword, that 
 ye may know there is a judgment." 
 
 David foretels the day of judgment, " For he com- 
 eth, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge 
 the world with righteousness." 
 
 From the pages of Solomon, clearer light shines, 
 " God shall bring every work into judgment, with 
 
33 
 
 every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it 
 
 be evil." 
 
 The son of Joseph taught the same doctrine. " Be 
 ye also ready, for the Son of Man cometh in such an 
 hour as ye think not." 
 
 St. John says he saw the dead, small and great, 
 stand before God. St. Peter declares that the heav- 
 ens and the earth are reserved unto fire, against the 
 day of judgment. 
 
 Having proved the certainty of a future day of 
 judgment, we proceed to illustrate its greatness. 
 
 Any day may be called great in which great or im- 
 portant events take place. The day was great when 
 the foundations of the world were fastened ; when 
 the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God 
 shouted for joy. The day was great when the foun- 
 tains of the mighty deep were broken up ; when a 
 world sunk in the deluge, and the church of God 
 floated on a sea without a shore. The day was great 
 which destroyed Sodom and the surrounding cities. 
 The day was great which saw the Lord of glory 
 bleed on a cross, enter the grave, chain the king of 
 terrours, and overturn the empire of death. The 
 day of judgment will be greater than all these 
 combined. 
 
 1. The day of judgment will borrow greatness 
 from its coming unexpectedly. 
 
 God generally bears with sinners till they have, in 
 a great degree, worn off their convictions ; till they 
 justify themselves ; till they are unconcerned respect- 
 ing the judgments of his anger. When they seem to 
 think God has forgotten their sins; when they put far 
 5 
 
34 
 
 off the evil day ; when they dare to sin with a bolder 
 hand ; then sudden destruction cometh. 
 
 The old world were deaf to the preaching of Noah. 
 They probably ridiculed his sermons, and his horrible 
 doctrine of a universal deluge, till it suddenly came 
 and swept them away. 
 
 Sodom and the cities of the plain gaily ate and 
 drank, and bought and sold, and planted and builded, 
 and insulted Lot, till the day he left the city. While 
 they were rioting and making themselves merry with 
 his serious threatenings, fire blazed from heaven and 
 destroyed them. So the Son of Man will come un- 
 expectedly. Of that day and hour knoweth no man ; 
 no, not the angels in heaven. 
 
 This dread hour may burst on the world in the 
 midst of their business and pleasure. The children 
 are sporting in the parlour or street ; the crowded 
 schools are cheerful ; mothers are preparing for the 
 return of their little ones ; the fathers are in the shop 
 or field ; the grass is falling before the mower's 
 scythe, and the song of the reapers is heard. In the 
 dwelling of the prosperous is the voice of gladness 
 and song ; mirth and riot echo from the board of lux- 
 ury, and the chamber of amusement. Suddenly the 
 trumpet sounds ; the Judge appears ; every face is 
 pale, and every heart is terrour. Like Belshazzar 
 they instantly pass from jolity and frolic to anguish 
 and everlasting despair. 
 
 The great day is called the day of the Lord ; hence 
 some have supposed, that on the Lord's day, while 
 the children of God are worshipping in his house of 
 prayer; while they are listening to the gospel with 
 
35 
 
 holy affections ; are ravished with the sweetness of 
 divine truth, and the prospect of future glory ; in a 
 moment they shall be changed, and ascend to meet 
 the Lord in the air. 
 
 The natural day contains an artificial day and 
 night, or twenty-four hours. In scripture this period 
 is often called a day. We know not, but, to gain new 
 horrours, the dreadful day of judgment may at mid- 
 night burst upon mankind. When the world is wrapt 
 in darkness, and creation is silent as the house of 
 death ; when the children of men are retired to rest 
 and buried in sleep, dreaming over the criminal pleas- 
 ures of the evening past, or contriving new scenes of 
 guilt ; then may an earthquake, lightnings and thun- 
 ders, rouse the guilty world from their last slumbers. 
 Amazed, they start ; they wake to sleep no more. 
 They see the Judge descending; the dead rising; 
 they cry for shelter from the wrath of the Lamb. He 
 cometh as a thief at night. The uncertainty of the 
 time increases the terrour of his coming. 
 
 2. The resurrection of the dead, and the immense 
 assembly collected will give greatness and magnifi- 
 cence to the day of judgment. 
 
 Those who are alive at the coming of the Lord, in 
 a moment will be changed. They will experience an 
 inconceivable transformation ; corruption will put on 
 incorruption ; their mortal bodies will instantly be- 
 come immortal. 
 
 Then will the Judge send his angels and gather in 
 his elect from the four winds ; from the uttermost 
 parts of the earth. Then shall the tombs and graves, 
 the store-houses of death, the repositories of human 
 
36 
 
 dust, give up the precious remains of our parents and 
 children, our lovers and friends ; not a bone, not a 
 particle of their dust shall be forgotten ; bone shall 
 come to his bone ; sinews and flesh shall clothe the 
 righteous in immortal beauty. Marvel not at this, for 
 the hour is coming in which all that are in their 
 graves shall hear his voice and come forth. The 
 traveller who fell in the desert, shall now awake, and 
 be known by his friends. The prisoner, who died 
 among his enemies, shall now rise and meet his kin- 
 dred. The mouldering bones, buried by the hand of 
 murder, shall come forward, and unfold a story of 
 blood. 
 
 Families shall then rise. Parents and children 
 come forth from their dark slumbers. Roused by 
 the voice of God, WE shall awake ; we shall arise ; 
 we of this assembly f , shall burst from our graves and 
 ascend to judgment. Oh, may we then welcome 
 each other to light, to life and joy; unitedly may we 
 ascend to hear our sentence, and enter into our rest. 
 
 Grave-yards move with life ; a hundred generations 
 come forth together ; the lonely grave and the marble 
 tomb give up their inhabitants. In the field of battle, 
 where armies fought and bled, those armies rise again. 
 Maimed soldiers receive their scattered limbs from dis- 
 tant countries. Nelson, the Christian hero, rising 
 among kings and nobles, receives that vigorous arm, 
 torn away in the fury of battle. From Europe, the 
 head of Pompey again unites with the body, rising 
 from the dust of Africa. 
 
 On the plains of Abram, and the borders of Cham- 
 plain ; on the hills of Saratoga and Charlestown, York 
 
37 
 
 and Mon mouth, the fallen ranks again appear. The 
 legions of Caesar, and the millions of Xerxes ; Abram 
 and his seed, as the stars of heaven for multitude, are 
 all present. The sea, boundless grave-yard, paved 
 with the skulls of neighbours and friends, gives up 
 her dead ; the bones of those wrecked in storms, or 
 slain in battle, appear clothed with immortality. The 
 old world, drowned in the flood are here. Adam be- 
 holds his innumerable posterity ; the whole earth has 
 resigned her scattered myriads ; a vast throng, a great 
 day. 
 
 All the inhabitants of heaven will be present. At 
 the dawning of the morning, the Lord God himself 
 shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the 
 voice of the archangel and the trump of God. Not. 
 the trumpet of jubilee, nor the blast of war ; but the 
 trump of the archangel, which instantly rouses the 
 dead. More terrible the sound than when it shook 
 the foundations of Sinai. In all the glory of the God- 
 head, Jesus appears in front of the procession. He 
 confines not his presence to the manger of Bethlehem, 
 the temple of Jerusalem, the plains of Jordan, or the 
 land of Judea. He publicly shows himself to the 
 universe. " Behold he comes with clouds, and every 
 eye shall see him." 
 
 With all the terrours of a Judge, with all the majes- 
 ty of God, he comes to judge the world. How unlike 
 the child flying into Egypt ; how unlike the poor 
 wanderer, sleeping on the mountains of Israel ; how 
 unlike the prisoner, insulted and scourged in the 
 courts of Jerusalem ; how unlike the man covered 
 with blood in the garden, and dying on Calvary ! Is 
 
38 
 
 this the man we saw expire on the cross ? Has he 
 been laid in a grave and covered with a rock ? 
 
 Abram, Isaac and Jacob have left their seats of 
 glory. David and Solomon, Enoch and Elijah, and 
 all the holy prophets, join the heavenly train. All 
 the righteous of the twelve tribes of Israel, with the 
 apostles, martyrs, and Christians of every age, an in- 
 numerable company, which no man can number, de- 
 scend with the Son of man. 
 
 All the inhabitants leave the holy city, their splen- 
 did thrones, their songs of praise, to attend the solem- 
 nities of the last day. The Lord Jesus comes in 
 glory, and all the holy angels with him. Thousand 
 thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand times 
 ten thousand are round about him. As he passes, 
 the heavens are hung with sackcloth ; the sun hides 
 his face ; the moon is blood ; earth trembles, and hell 
 is moved. In the region of the air they pause. 
 Thrones of judgment are prepared. Heaven and 
 earth are present. 
 
 What renders the scene more awful, all hell will 
 now appear. " The angels, who kept not their first 
 estate, but left their own habitation, God has reserved 
 in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judg- 
 ment of this great day. They are now prisoners con- 
 fined for trial on this great day. Satan, and all rebel- 
 lious angels, and all sinners, will be dragged in chains 
 to the bar of judgment. 
 
 For once the everlasting gates of hell will be unbar- 
 red. The doleful mansions of infernal darkness and 
 despair will be left without one inhabitant. Judas and 
 the rich man, Ananias and Sapphira, and all impeni- 
 
39 
 
 tent sinners, appear before their Almighty Judge. 
 From regions of solid darkness, from the cries and 
 wailings of infinite despair ; from the gnawing worm, 
 and the fiery lake, they come forth, they see the light ; 
 they see their own guilt ; they see the justice of God; 
 they hear their sentence, and begin their hell. How 
 great the day! Heaven, earth, and hell, stand collected! 
 
 3. The display of characters increases the great- 
 ness of the last day. 
 
 All hearts will be revealed. Artificial appearances 
 are at an end ; affected goodness vanishes ; apparent 
 and real are the same. He whose eyes are a flame of 
 fire, searches every heart, publishes every life. 
 
 The books are opened ; the volumes of nature and 
 revelation. Every person will be judged by the law 
 he has enjoyed. Plato, and Socrates, and Pagans of 
 every age and country, will be judged by the law of 
 nature. They will be condemned only as they have 
 violated natural reason and conscience. 
 
 Abram and Moses, Jews and Christians, will be 
 judged by the law of Revelation. They will be con- 
 sidered guilty, as far as they have broken these laws. 
 
 The volumes of omniscience and conscience are 
 opened. The power of memory will, probably, be so 
 invigorated, that every person will remember the ac- 
 tions of his whole life, as distinctly as you now r recol- 
 lect the actions of this morning. God will bring to 
 view every work done in the body. Every person 
 shall give an account for himself to God. Better had 
 it been for you, Oh ye profane swearers, had ye been 
 born without the power of speech. Better had it been 
 for you, intemperate men, had you been confined to the 
 
40 
 
 bed of sickness, loathing the honey-comb. Good had 
 it been for Sabbath breakers, had ye been born among 
 the savages of the forest. Ye are lost ; in debt ten 
 thousand talents, and have nothing to pay. 
 
 That characters may appear just as they are, secret 
 sins will be revealed. As the hand, writing on the 
 wall, shook the sturdy frame of Belshazzar with hor- 
 rour ; so will the wicked tremble at the opened books. 
 Their guilt is not written in a strange language or in 
 unknown characters. They need not the wise men 
 of Babylon to decypher the meaning of any charge. 
 They will be speechless with guilt, shame, and de- 
 spair, when fair appearances are torn away, and every 
 eye shall see their coldness and selfishness, their art 
 and hypocrisy in the most sacred duties of religion. 
 They will be speechless, as they see the page of their 
 secret hatred and enmity, their poisonous flatteries and 
 base compliances, practised against their generous 
 benefactors. They will be speechless, as they see 
 the page of their silent contempt, their proud disdain, 
 and their cruel neglect of those below them in society. 
 They will be speechless as they see the page of their 
 wanton thoughts, their impure desires, their lawless 
 passions, their seducing arts, by which they destroyed 
 the hopes of families, and plunged immortal souls into 
 everlasting misery. Whose heart and life will bear 
 the trial ? Whose spirit does not die within him, in 
 view of the last tribunal ? What heart will be glad ? 
 Whose humility and faith will support him, when the 
 darkness of night shall vanish, the curtains be drawn, 
 and he stand forth to learn his guilt, and hear his sen- 
 tence ? Designs and motives will be known. Naked 
 
41 
 
 hearts appear in all the deformities of spiritual death. 
 It will be known why some do not support the cause 
 of God, nor do good to their fellow-men; it will 
 be known why some appear engaged for the glory of 
 God and the felicity of man. 
 
 Sins of omission experience the justice of the law. 
 It will be known, who neglected to mourn for sin, to 
 believe in Jesus Christ, or to call upon God. In dis- 
 playing the guilt of those condemned at this time, 
 Jesus Christ mentions only sins of omission. " I was 
 hungry, and ye gave me no meat ; I was thirsty, and 
 ye gave me no drink ; I was a stranger, and ye took 
 me not in ; naked, and ye clothed me not ; sick, and 
 in prison, and ye visited me not." It does not appear 
 that these ruined mortals had done any positive 
 wrong. Like many people, who are considered de- 
 cent, moral Christians, they had enjoyed their own 
 comforts without injuring or offending others. They 
 reproached themselves with no crime, they probably 
 felt no remorse. They are damned for neglecting 
 the stranger, the sick, and the poor. 
 
 The long controversy whether sinners are God's 
 enemies is now to be decided. On examination it ap- 
 pears that wicked works are the natural expressions of 
 enmity to God; that murmurs against Providence 
 arise from hatred of God ; that opposing the doctrines 
 of the gospel, is actually fighting against God ; that 
 contempt of the Christian ministry, is contempt of 
 Jesus Christ ; that all selfishness is warfare against 
 the kingdom of heaven. So are human characters 
 revealed, before the universe. 
 
In this solemn scene, God also unfolds his own 
 character. God appears in all his glory ; his perfections 
 shine with infinite lustre. His power is manifested 
 in raising the dead, and calling all worlds before his 
 bar. His patience is displayed in his bearing so long 
 with sinners. His mercy and grace are evident in his 
 choosing and calling so many to eternal life. Justice 
 shines with overwhelmed splendour in his recording 
 all the wickedness of the wicked, and in punishing 
 them with everlasting destruction. The truth of God 
 commands the admiration of the universe. He had 
 said, he would raise the dead ; he has raised the dead. 
 He had said, he would gather all nations before his 
 presence ; he has gathered all nations before him. 
 He had said, he would bring every work into judg- 
 ment ; he has brought every work into judgment. 
 He had said, the wrath of man should praise him ; the 
 wrath of man does praise him. God is known on the 
 tribunal of judgment. 
 
 4. The separation of the righteous from the wicked, 
 will render the day of judgment a great day. The 
 Judge will separate them as a shepherd doth his sheep 
 from the goats ; the righteous on the right hand, the 
 wicked on the left. Serious and terrible is the mo- 
 ment. Cain and Balaam, Felix and Belshazzar, 
 where are they ? Pilate is at the bar, and the Babe of 
 Bethlehem is on the throne. On the right hand be- 
 hold the happy throng. There is Abel, and Noah, 
 and Abram, with the patriarchs and prophets. There 
 is the beloved John, and the valiant apostle to the 
 Gentiles, with the whole family of Christ, the mar- 
 tyrs and saints of every age and country. 
 
43 
 
 Have not some of you the assurance of hope, that 
 you will be found in this holy company ? Do we not 
 there behold a part of this assembly ? And are not all 
 of you on the right hand ! Where, where ! is the poor, 
 miserable, lost soul, to be found on the left hand ? In 
 which seat is he? Is he our friend, our brother? 
 Have pity on him ; have pity on him ; but have you 
 not a serious concern for yourselves ? On the right, 
 are the countless millions of the millennium. The 
 precious and the vile never will unite again. Families, 
 churches, and congregations are separated for the last 
 time. In some instances parents take a last view of 
 their children. David, no more, will see his Absalom. 
 Children for the last time will see their parents. 
 Good Josiah resigns his wicked father Amon, to the 
 dreadful justice of God. Lovers and friends, whom 
 death could not separate, are now forever and forever 
 separated. Fathers, can ye resign your darling boys 
 to the unchangeable sentence of their Judge ? Mothers, 
 can ye leave your daughters on the left hand of your 
 Saviour ? What is the anguish of closing the eyes of a 
 child or a parent compared with this ; what the 
 anguish of leaning over the grave of an only son. 
 How great the day, which separates the righteous 
 from the wicked ; when we hear the final adieu of 
 neighbours and friends ; the last farewell of parents 
 and children. 
 
 5. The probable length of the day of judgment, 
 will render it great and solemn. 
 
 How much time the process of this day will re- 
 quire, no created being can ascertain. If we examine 
 the business to be accomplished, we shall probably be 
 
44 
 
 convinced that more than one natural day will be re- 
 quired. The great design of the solemnity is not to 
 inform Deity, but to convince and satisfy creatures. 
 These receive truth gradually, and often slowly. 
 Every one must give an account of his open sins, of 
 his secret sins, of his actions, his passions, his 
 thoughts, of his childhood, his youth, and his riper 
 years. We presume not to fix the duration of this 
 day ; but sure we are, it will continue till all the un- 
 godly are convinced of all their ungodly deeds. The 
 term day is used in Scripture ; but a thousand years 
 with the Lord are as one day. Possibly, therefore, 
 the day of judgment may continue a thousand years ; 
 a thousand years solemnly examining the lives and 
 hearts of men. Great and awful period ! 
 
 6. The joys of the righteous, and the terrours of 
 the wicked, led before their Judge, increases the 
 greatness of the day. 
 
 Here words fail, nor can imagination realize the 
 truth. Eloquence might not dare attempt a descrip- 
 tion. Who can describe what is inconceivably terri- 
 ble. Those who had passed through life without 
 terrour of conscience, without a sense of danger, the 
 hope of pleasure in their hearts, and the voice of glad- 
 ness in their lips, now awake to guilt, dismay, and 
 terrour. Friendly advice, serious reproofs, awakening 
 sermons, holy sabbaths, years of salvation, all disre- 
 garded ; all lost, for ever lost, now rush on the mind. 
 The convictions they quenched ; the resolutions they 
 violated ; the calls of Providence they rejected ; the 
 solemn vows they broke, wring their hearts, and over- 
 whelm their spirits. Their self-deception, their oppo- 
 
45 
 
 sition to good men ; their hatred of truth, their wilful 
 errours, fill them with consternation. The kindling 
 wrath of their Judge ; the malignant spirits, devils and 
 fallen angels, who are to be their companions ; the 
 lake of fire, already burning, distract and amaze their 
 souls. They cry, " Oh that we had known the things 
 of our peace ; Oh that we had not hated instruction 
 and despised reproof. Had we been wise ; had we 
 listened to parents and ministers, we had not come to 
 this place of torment." On the other hand are seen 
 the smiles of peace and cheerfulness, of hope and joy. 
 Were a number of prisoners, tried for their lives, 
 justified by an earthly court, would not the relief of 
 their anxiety, the gladness and the raptures of their 
 minds, surpass description ? What is this compared 
 with pardon, with justification at the bar of God? 
 They recollect their wanderings, their sins, their 
 crimes ; of their spiritual dangers, their temptations, 
 and their terrours of conscience, they have a lively 
 remembrance. Their sense of unworthiness and crim- 
 son guilt, sinks deep in their hearts. But they find 
 themselves surrounded with chosen vessels of honour. 
 Their Judge is reconciled ; he is " their brother ;" he 
 has bled and died for them. Their past sufferings are 
 foils to set off their present prospects ; their losses, 
 their trials, and tears, enhance their present felicity. 
 Raised above the darkness, the distress, and dangers 
 of this life, they are waiting for glory and immortality. 
 As Moses saw from Pisgah's top the land of promise, 
 and the goodly mountain of Lebanon, so they see in 
 heaven, vacant seats and golden thrones, waiting their 
 arrival. With the voice of love and grace, the Judge 
 
46 
 
 addresses them, " Come, ye blessed, inherit the king- 
 dom, prepared for you, before the foundation of the 
 world." 
 
 Then, assuming all the terrours of an angry Judge, 
 to those on the left, he says, " depart, accursed, into 
 everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his an- 
 gels." They sink; they fall ; hatred, and envy, and 
 anger, raging in every breast. Almighty wrath hurls 
 them down, down to burning lakes, to the blackness 
 of darkness; to the prisons of everlasting despair. 
 Damnation opens all its horrours. They lie down in 
 everlasting burnings ; but not a heart of love, not a 
 hand of kindness or pity, is found in all the miserable 
 regions of lost souls. 
 
 What do we say ? Does not one pray, who never 
 prayed before ? " Have mercy on me, and send, Oh 
 send, one drop of water, to cool my parched tongue, 
 tormented in this flame. Send Lazarus, wrapt in a 
 blaze of glory, to warn my brethren, that they come 
 not to this place of torment." Prayers in hell, 
 will never be answered ; prayers, not addressed to 
 God in the name of Christ, will never be answered. 
 The poor stubborn, unbending soul is denied a drop 
 of water, or a message to his five brethren. 
 
 The righteous, being invited by Jesus Christ, have 
 ascended to glory, to mansions prepared for them be- 
 fore the foundations of the world. Jesus and his re- 
 deemed ones, robed in spotless purity, are entering the 
 pearly gates of the heavenly city. There they rest 
 from their labours ; there the wicked cease from 
 troubling ; there God shall wipe tears from every eye ; 
 there shall be no more death. The splendours of 
 
47 
 
 glory kindle immortal raptures in every breast ; they 
 join in the song of Moses and the Lamb, saying, 
 " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord, God, 
 Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of 
 saints." Gabriel, and the angelic hosts, ten thousand 
 times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, with 
 a loud voice, swell the chorus of praise, " Worthy is 
 the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, 
 and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and 
 blessing. Blessing and honour, and glory and power, 
 be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the 
 Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen." In his creatures 1 
 felicity, God himself is blest. 
 
 But, finally, our world like a falling temple, or a 
 sinking ship, having been forsaken during the long 
 day of judgment, is now to be burned ! This closes 
 the great day. The world, which had for thousands 
 of years been polluted with sin ; the hospital of the 
 human race ; the province of death, being itself one 
 continued burying-ground, this world is now to 
 perish. 
 
 At this awful crisis as the judgment closes, the 
 lightnings blaze, the thunders roar, the air is flame. 
 The combustible substances on the surface of the 
 earth begin the conflagration. The fields are con- 
 sumed ; the forests vanish; villages, and towns, and 
 cities, are lost in a flood of fire. One boundless blaze 
 enwraps the world. A hundred burning mountains 
 burn, and heaven's last thunders shake the world. 
 The meadows undermine the hills ; they bow, and 
 fall, and vanish, as fuel in a furnace. The snowy top 
 
of Lebanon sinks in the devouring fire. The venera- 
 ble Ararat, which once saved the church of God on 
 its towering summit, is now enveloped in the common 
 ruin. Carmel and Sinai, Zion and Calvary, vanish 
 as leaves of the forest, and are seen no more. The 
 volcanoes of the South disgorge their seas of fire ; 
 they advance ; they combine with those in the North ; 
 they raise a rampart of flame from the southern ocean 
 to the frozen pole. The branching hills extend their 
 fires in every direction. Nature's final hour is come. 
 The Andes, the Alps, and Appenines, send their blaz- 
 ing columns to heaven. The heavens are departing as 
 a scroll ; the elements are melting with fervent heat ; 
 a comet's raging fires melt the rocks, and dissolve the 
 world. The heavens are on fire ; they are passing 
 away with a great noise. The heavens and the 
 earth, which now are, by the same word of God, are 
 kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of 
 judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Amazing 
 idea of the sinner's punishment ; the place a burning 
 world, a system on fire. The stars are fallen; the 
 earth, driven from her orbit, hurries to the sun ; the 
 blazing planets rush to this common centre, and are 
 lost for ever. Boundless ruin spreads her terrours ; 
 all is one immense globe of fire. 
 
 Where are the splendid cities of the world, and their 
 numerous inhabitants ? Where are their veteran armies, 
 their daring commanders, their impregnable towers, 
 and their thundering artillery ? Where are their sol- 
 emn temples, their holy ministers, and their adoring 
 churches? Where are their glittering palaces, and 
 their royal masters ? All, all are vanished as flakes of 
 
49 
 
 snow, in the blaze of summer ; not a single atom be- 
 hind. Such is the close of time ; such the close of 
 the great day. 
 
 Many reflections are suggested by the subject ; but 
 our time is exhausted. We only ask in one word, 
 what improvement will you make of the subject; 
 what resolutions will you form ; into what promises, 
 what covenant engagements, will you now enter be- 
 fore God ? Should a heavenly spirit descend full of 
 tenderness and love ; should he now address you, in a 
 mortal voice, what would be his advice ? Would he 
 not say, dying mortals, pastor and people, are ye pre- 
 pared for the day of judgment? Are ye ready to see 
 the heavens open and the Judge appear ? Behold his 
 glory. Descending in awful majesty, he sweeps suns 
 and stars aside, the Almighty Judge ! If ye dread the 
 fury of his anger, if ye value your immortal souls, 
 trample not in his atoning blood ; grieve not his holy 
 spirit ; despise not his precious gospel, lest this bleed- 
 ing lamb, become the lion of Judah ; lest he who 
 knocks at your doors, his head wet with the dew, 
 and his locks with the drops of the night, soon swear 
 in his wrath, "you shall never enter into my rest." 
 Hath the last solemn scene awakened every heart, and 
 opened every eye ? Where is the heart, which dares 
 cry peace ; where is the eye, which dares sleep again, 
 till his peace is made with God ? Dare you challenge 
 Almighty wrath ; dare you brave the terrours of the 
 burning lake ? 
 
 Are the pleasures of sense a balance for the miseries 
 of eternity ? Are the raptures of a moment a balance 
 for everlasting burnings ? Animated with sinful pleas- 
 7 
 
50 
 
 ures dare you meet the king of terrours ; dare you 
 welcome the day of judgment; dare you wish for 
 immortal existence ? Would you live without peace of 
 mind ; would you die without hope ; would you in 
 the day of judgment cry to rocks and mountains for 
 relief ; would you through a hopeless eternity, curse 
 your God and king, begging in vain for a drop of 
 water ? If not, then like Zaccheus, welcome the Lord 
 of life, to your house and your heart; like the beloved 
 John, lean on the Saviour's breast ; like Jacob, wres- 
 tle till you obtain the blessing ; like Paul, be ready to 
 depart. Be ye also ready ; for the Son of man com- 
 eth in such an hour as ye think not. If the righteous 
 scarcely are saved ; where, where will the ungodly 
 and sinners appear ? Soon a universal cry will rend 
 the caverns of death. " The great day of his wrath is 
 come, and who is able to stand ?" The Judge pro- 
 claims " Behold I come quickly." Let every heart 
 reply, " Come Lord Jesus ; come quickly." Amen. 
 
2 CORINTHIANS iv, 4. 
 
 The glorious Gospel of Christ. 
 
 THE Gospel is that scheme of mercy which is re- 
 vealed in the word of God. God having conde- 
 scended to become an Author, we discover a work 
 like himself, sublime and glorious. The Gospel al- 
 leviates the heaviest woes of man, and is a source 
 of consolation in his most deplorable necessities. 
 Though the heathen, in his most uncultured state, 
 perceives himself to be vastly superiour to the other 
 creatures around him ; still in his most refined eleva- 
 tion, he is oppressed with weakness, terrified with 
 dangers, perplexed with doubts, tormented with suf- 
 ferings, for which he discovers neither cause nor rem- 
 edy. His neighbours die ; his parents die ; his chil- 
 dren die ; he is dying himself. He exclaims, 
 " Where have my friends gone ? What is their state ? 
 Shall we ever meet again? Why all this misery ?" 
 To his mind is not the scene a chaos of goodness 
 and wrath ? He reflects : he argues ; he is con- 
 founded ; he despairs. That cheering light, which 
 shall partially dispel his darkness, is like the opening 
 
52 
 
 of the prison to them who are bound. That friendly 
 voice which shall answer some of his anxious inqui- 
 ries, is glorious like the first song of heaven to the 
 departed saint. Such a light shines, such a voice is 
 heard from the pages of the Gospel. 
 
 To mention a few instances in which the Gospel is 
 glorious, is the present design. 
 
 I. The Gospel is glorious in revealing truths, 
 most important, but which had been unknown, or not 
 clearly discovered, by the heathen world. 
 
 This fact proves the necessity of revelation; and 
 from this we may infer, that God would give a reve- 
 lation. While destitute of this divine instruction, 
 have mankind ever conceived just ideas of the Divine 
 Being ? Which is the nation, learned or unlearned ; 
 who is the profound sage, what is his name, who has 
 entertained consistent ideas of the holiness, the jus- 
 tice, or the providence of God? Their gods have 
 been gods of the hills and of the vallies, gods of the 
 sea and of the dry land. Their gods were unright- 
 eous ; they were the dupes of intrigue ; they were pol- 
 luted with crimes. I do not however say, that no 
 pagans have ever had any just or sublime conceptions 
 of the Deity. By the force of genius, or the bor- 
 rowed rays of distant revelation, most sublime 
 thoughts have been elicited; but these are as rare 
 and as useless, compared with the permanent light of 
 the Christian world, as the lucid flashes of the elec- 
 tric cloud, compared with the splendours of the shining 
 
 sun. 
 
 No pagan nation has adopted rational views of 
 immortality. Though they have generally yielded 
 
53 
 
 a vague credence to the doctrine, their proofs have 
 been inconclusive and without authority, producing 
 little interest With the mass of the people, and afford- 
 ing the learned rather a theme of amusing specula- 
 tion, than a reason for serious practice. Yes: con- 
 cerning this most sublime doctrine, which is essential 
 to comfort, to hope, to morality, even the luminaries 
 of the pagan world, their Tully, their Socrates, and 
 their Plato, argued in a most unsatisfactory manner. 
 He that is least in the kingdom of Christ is greater 
 than they were. Speaking in the name of Socrates, 
 Plato asserts the immortality of the soul ; but his 
 proof may be thought puerile. " That which is 
 always in motion," saith he, " is immortal." This 
 he applies to the soul. Tully reasons in the same 
 manner. " That which is always moved is eternal." 
 Plato believed, that human souls were emanations 
 from the Deity, or Soul of the universe, at death 
 restored to the fountain whence they came, and there- 
 fore immortal ; but this would certainly destroy their 
 immortality. A short time before his death, Socrates 
 reasoned thus with his friends, "It is an ancient tra- 
 dition, that our souls go hence to another world, 
 \vhence they return to this ; therefore they are immor- 
 tal." Another argument of his was, -"All things take 
 their rise from contraries ; watching produces sleep, 
 and sleep watching ; death arises from life, so must 
 life from death. If living things did not rise from the 
 dead, all things would finally be swallowed up in 
 death ; therefore, the immortalitv of the soul must be 
 granted." Could such reasoning satisfy any mind ? 
 Is it strange, then, that Tully, while he often argues 
 
54 
 
 in favour of the doctrine, seriously doubted of the 
 soul's immortality ? He says, " While I am reading, 
 I assent ; but when I lay aside my book, and begin 
 to meditate by myself, concerning the immortality of 
 souls, all my conviction slides away." From Plu- 
 tarch we learn, that the opinion, just ascribed to Plato, 
 was common among the Stoicks, and other sects of 
 ancient philosophy, that human souls are portions of 
 the Deity. A doctrine similar to this has been holden 
 from time immemorial by the Brahmins of India, whose 
 sacred books teach, that intellect is a portion of the 
 great soul of the universe, breathed into all creatures, 
 to animate them for a certain time ; that after death 
 it animates other bodies, or returns like a drop into 
 that unbounded ocean from which it first arose. A 
 sober fact it is, at the present moment, that the greater 
 part of the human race believe in the doctrine of trans- 
 migration, or the transition of souls from one body to 
 another. While we giant that the heathen have had 
 some vague notions of immortality, still was there not 
 a necessity of a revelation to rectify their errours on this 
 point, that the doctrine might become a powerful ar- 
 gument for piety and morality, a source of sublime 
 hope and consolation? It may, however, be remem- 
 ered, that Tully relates, that the preceptor of Pyth- 
 agoras was the first man, known to the learned 
 world, who taught the doctrine of immortality. Soc- 
 crates says, that most men believed that the soul was 
 at death reduced to nothing. 
 
 The views of the heathen concerning their own 
 moral characters were equally confused and wrong. 
 Not having just ideas of the divine holiness, it was 
 

 55 
 
 not possible they should have adequate conceptions 
 of human depravity. The malignity of wickedness 
 results from its opposition to infinite goodness. The 
 heathen are successful in the chase, victorious in war, 
 or happy in their domestic circle. They look abroad ; 
 the blossoms of spring, the fruits of autumn, the 
 genial sun, the sparkling stars, proclaim the goodness 
 of the great Spirit. Remorse and self-reproach sting 
 the conscience for their ingratitude and malevolence. 
 But the scene changes ; they are conquered ; or 
 famine and pestilence lay waste their villages ; or the 
 angry storm, the furious tornado, its peals of thunder 
 and fatal lightning amaze and distract their souls. 
 Where is now the goodness of the great Spirit ? Will 
 they not justify their evil deeds? How great would 
 be the change in their views, should they hear that 
 their first father revolted from God, that his children 
 are born in his likeness, and are in a state of condem- 
 nation ! 
 
 Of a Redeemer, in whom all the families of the 
 earth shall be finally blessed, the heathen have never 
 made any discovery. The word of God contains all 
 our light and knowledge respecting a Mediator be- 
 tween God and man. This glory of the Gospel, this 
 last hope of man, is entirely unknown to all the tribes 
 of the world who have not read the word of God. 
 Yet, as if pressed by the necessity of such a doctrine ; 
 as if impelled by an overwhelming sense of their im- 
 becility, or directed by some perverted tradition of a 
 Mediator, most pagan nations have substituted medi- 
 ators between them and the eternal God. Heroes, 
 
56 
 
 and sages, and ancestors, are addressed in their neces- 
 sities, as mediators. 
 
 The doctrine of an adequate atonement for sin, is 
 discovered nowhere but in the pages of revelation. 
 There alone we learn that "the seed of the woman 
 should bruise the serpent's head ;" there alone we 
 learn, that for those who have not done "well" "a 
 sin offering lieth at the door." In the fulness of time, 
 this sacrifice was manifested to the world ; because 
 without the shedding of blood there is no remission 
 of sin. This was the language of every victim from 
 the lamb of Abel to the Lamb of God on Mount Cal- 
 vary. Jesus Christ was " made to be sin," i. e. a 
 sin-offering for his people. " He gave himself for 
 us, an offering and a sacrifice to God." " He made 
 propitiation for the sins of the world." So congenial 
 is this with the convictions of mankind, or so splendid 
 was its first revelation, that in all nations, even where 
 the original tradition had been lost, or perhaps had 
 never been heard, sacrifices have always been offered. 
 The most ancient nations in every quarter of the 
 world offered vicarious sacrifices. The Egyptians, 
 having cut off the head of their victim, and loaded it 
 with execrations, prayed that, if any evil were hang- 
 ing over the land, it might fall on that head. They 
 then sold it to the Greeks, or threw it into the Nile. 
 Among the Hindoos, also, they offer a sacrifice, resem- 
 bling that of the scape-goat of the Jews. The blood 
 of sacrifices has been sprinkled from Canaan to Mex- 
 ico, from China to Europe. They believed that the 
 more precious was the offering, the more acceptable 
 it was to the gods. Hence the universality of human 
 
57 
 
 sacrifices ; hence the altars of Moloch have been red 
 with the blood of innocence in every quarter of the 
 earth. ' That sincerity will meet the same reward as 
 actual services, where the power is wanting ; that the 
 mite of the widow is as acceptable as the sacrifices of 
 opulence,' saith M. Neckar, 4 is an idea in the Gospel 
 absolutely new. In no system of paganism has purity 
 of morals constituted any part of the design. The 
 heathen religions have been, merely, an exhibition of 
 rites and ceremonies.* The celebration of these was 
 the whole business of their priests ; on these celebra- 
 tions were supposed to rest the glory of the nation. 
 A perfect rule of life has never been discovered, but 
 in the word of God. Here alone we are taught, that 
 love to God and benevolence to man comprises our 
 whole duty. Of course the heathen have been igno- 
 rant of several important duties. A reasonable mode 
 of worship they have never discovered. This most 
 pure, most elevated service, which brings the heart 
 into nearest communion with its God, is often with 
 them a scene of profligacy and crimes. From no 
 part of the world could the first writers of revelation 
 borrow any examples or instructions to establish a 
 rational or decorous mode of worship. In no other 
 country was one God alone the object of worship ; in 
 no other country was one national altar erected ; in 
 no other country was one precise ritual established 
 for the whole nation. 
 
 Whether prayer be a duty, whether it produce any 
 advantage, whether it be not an intrusion on rights 
 divine, has never been ascertained by the wisdom of 
 
 * Dr. Clark. 
 
58 
 
 the world.* What relief, then, is it to the man of 
 sorrows, whose heart is torn by disappointment, 
 crushed by adversity, or overwhelmed with guilt, to 
 hear a voice from heaven, "Is any afflicted, let him 
 pray ;" "Ask, and ye shall receive." 
 
 Whether repentance is a duty, which will appease 
 an offended God, can be learned only from his holy 
 word. A confused hope of this has produced those 
 acts of penance, those" tortures and self-immolations, 
 so common among heathen. But repentance makes 
 no atonement ; it redeems no claim, which had been 
 lost ; and it is only for the sake of Jesus Christ, that 
 the penitent is pardoned. The pagan mourns ; he 
 weeps ; his wound incurable, except by "the balm 
 of Gilead, and the Physician there." 
 
 The enlightened Romans had no word in their 
 language to express humility.^ This proves they did 
 not consider it a moral virtue. She was a stranger, 
 her name unknown. The word in that language 
 from which we derive humility, signifies lowness, 
 poorness, meanness, baseness, inability, want of 
 power, &c. The precision with which moral ideas 
 are expressed among Christians, is a permanent mon- 
 ument of their refined and elevated morality. Of this 
 the English word murder is a notable instance; such 
 a word, expressing the killing of a man with malice, 
 is not found in the language of the polished Romans. 
 
 The means of obtaining strength to perform these 
 duties, are discovered only in the word of God. 
 Though a Roman moralist once said, "No one was 
 ever a great man without a divine inspiration ;"J yet 
 
 * Dr. Priestley. * Buck. Cicero. 
 
59 
 
 no consistent ideas of divine influences, or of the 
 means of obtaining them, were ever conceived by the 
 pagan world. They have never known, that every 
 good emotion of the heart is from the Spirit of God ; 
 they have never known that our heavenly Father is 
 moro ready to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask 
 him, than earthly parents are to give good things to 
 their children. 
 
 Of future rewards and punishments, the notions 
 of the heathen have been too chimerical and childish 
 to be mentioned in a Christian assembly. In the 
 systems of pagan wisdom, the doctrine of the resur- 
 rection is no where found. For them the grave is 
 shrouded in perpetual night. By the light of the 
 Gospel alone, we see the tomb open, and the prisoner 
 come forth. So absolutely unknown and unheard of 
 Was the doctrine, that the word was unintelligible, 
 even to the learned Athenians. When Paul preached 
 to them Jesus, and the resurrection, they thought 
 that resurrection was the name of a new god ; but 
 the Author of the Gospel gave proof of the doctrine 
 in his own person. Robed in light, angels descend ; 
 they roll the stone from the door of his tomb ; he rises ; 
 he goes to Galilee, and for forty days converses with 
 his friends. From mount Olivet he ascends, a cloud 
 receives him ; in triumph he enters the New Jerusa- 
 lem, a sure pledge that all his disciples shall rise. 
 
 It may be said, the preacher is lost in the darkness 
 of antiquity ; that men now are not so ignorant. But 
 was revelation necessary for the ancients ? Where 
 is the evidence, that the moderns are more sagacious ? 
 moderns, who are destitute of revelation, are 
 
GO 
 
 just as stupid as the ancients. For the proof of this, I 
 appeal to the present state of the pagan world. The 
 aboriginals of this country, it is well known, entertain 
 the most fanciful ideas of a future state. Their bows 
 and arrows, their ornaments, are buried with them for 
 their use in the land of spirits. The Tartars bury 
 their richest dress and furniture with their dead. 
 Customs like these are common in every quarter of 
 the globe. Our savages fly from the spirits, which 
 reside in their solitary islands, or on the tops of their 
 mountains. They tremble at the god, who thunders 
 in the cloud, roars in the volcano, or shrieks in the 
 howlings of the storm. If you will pass to the islands 
 of the Pacific, you will find their sacred places groan- 
 ing with bones of their human sacrifices ; you will 
 see them barter away their gods, or banish them, 
 or chastise them, when they do not seem to regard 
 their wishes. In Africa, you will find idolatry more 
 puerile, more dismal. 
 
 Is it said these are savages? Then I appeal to 
 nations more enlightened, where the arts which hu- 
 manize, where the sciences, which elevate the mind, 
 have long prevailed. In China the people are cov- 
 ered with gross darkness, concerning the unity of God, 
 and other essential truths. As arduous is the task 
 to Christianize them, as the savages of the desert. 
 Their libraries are numerous ; their colleges are rich- 
 ly endowed ; their learned men are greatly respected ; 
 but by all their wisdom, they do not know God. In 
 no part of the world do the missionaries find delu- 
 sions more absurd, prejudices more obstinate, or their 
 work more hopeless. The most reputable religion of 
 
61 
 
 China has no name for God ; while that of the vulgar 
 is burdened with festivals, ceremonies and idols. 
 
 In Japan idolatry has prevailed from time imme- 
 morial ; nor will they now protect a stranger, unless 
 he will trample on the cross of Jesus, to prove his 
 detestation of Christianity. 
 
 If you sail to India, you may see sixty millions of 
 people bowing to thirty millions of gods. You may 
 see a system of morals which strike the mind with 
 horrour ; you may sea infants murdered by their pa- 
 rents , you may see their sick friends deserted to die 
 alone ; you may see the widows burning in the same 
 fires with their husbands. 
 
 In Thibet, a man is worshipped as the eternal God. 
 Their sovereign Lama, the high priest of their relig- 
 ion, is believed to be immaculate, immortal, omni- 
 present, and omnipotent. Their temples are thronged 
 with gods, and the waters of the Ganges, are carried 
 over the mountains, to wash away their sins. 
 
 At the present moment, such is the religious state 
 of the world, where the word of God is not read ; 
 where the glorious Gospel is not preached. Will the 
 advocates for natural religion plead that this is a de- 
 generate age, and appeal to antiquity? We have 
 just seen that all antiquity is against them. What 
 was the religion of the Romans ? what was their 
 worship ? who were their gods ? Their religion 
 countenanced pride and revenge ; their worship often 
 consisted in scenes of intemperance, lasciviousness, 
 and human sacrifices. 
 
 What was the boasted wisdom of the Greeks ? 
 Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece, says 
 
62 
 
 that the sun, and moon, and stars, are animated and 
 divine. Pythagoras calls these luminaries immortal 
 gods. With them the Roman orator agrees, and calls 
 the sun the supreme god. 
 
 What was the learned religion of Egypt ? At 
 one time they considered the heavenly luminaries, as 
 the only gods, the creators of all things ; they ac- 
 knowledged eight primary gods ;* but afterwards, 
 brutes, reptiles and vegetables were deified. The 
 poisonous serpent, the deadly asp, the stupid ox, 
 fishes and birds, were gods of Egypt ! Lord, what 
 is man, while destitute of the Gospel ! Neither civ- 
 ilization, nor the arts, improve his religious knowl- 
 edge. 
 
 II. The Gospel is glorious because of its power- 
 ful tendency to comfort, to sanctify, and to save the 
 souls of men. 
 
 The Gospel is addressed to the spiritual necessi- 
 ties of all classes of men. Were the Gospel addressed 
 only to the wants of the poor and afflicted, it would 
 unavoidably provoke the contempt of the rich and 
 happy. Were the Gospel accommodated only to the 
 rich and great, it would irresistibly kindle the fires of 
 envy and hatred. Happily the word of life is glad 
 tidings of great joy to all people. No situation is so 
 low, no circumstances are so terrible, as not to bor- 
 row some comfort from the Gospel of Jesus. No 
 man is so elevated, so blest and happy, as not to be 
 more blest and happy by the Gospel. 
 
 The man of business, wearied with his labours, 
 disappointed in his plans, sick of his pursuits, turns 
 
 * Faber on the Cabiri, Bryant, &c. 
 
63 
 
 to the Gospel and finds rest to his spirit. The youth 
 finds his desires moderated, the impetuosity of his 
 passions restrained, his pursuits directed to noble 
 objects, worthy his immortal destination. The aged, 
 seeing his last sand falling and hearing the chariot- 
 wheels of his Redeemer coming, exults in the conso- 
 lations of the Gospel. See the devout astronomer. 
 He directs his glass to the starry sky ; he discovers 
 new planets, and measures their distance ; but soon 
 his hand trembles ; his instruments drop ; the gran- 
 deur and sublimity of the prospect vanish ; he leaves 
 his unfinished calculations. Think him not wretch- 
 ed ; though his science forsake him, he looks to the 
 cross and the tomb of his Saviour ; he sees him arise, 
 " Then," saith he, " I rose ; then glory and immor- 
 tality were secured to me." 
 
 In sanctifying the heart, the gospel shines, with un- 
 rivalled lustre, over all the systems of men. These 
 propose only to direct the sacred rites, or at most the 
 opinions of their disciples ; but the word of God 
 changes the moral character of the heart, and reforms 
 the actions of the life. The "truth" of the word 
 " sanctifies" the devout reader. Devotedness to the 
 different gods of heathenism, only leads the devotees 
 to different altars, to different sacrifices, to different 
 rites, and forms, and ceremonies. The man remains 
 the same, the same child of nature, the same son of 
 violence, his passions ungoverned, his conduct unre- 
 strained. But the word of God inspires the heart 
 with universal benevolence ; its efficacy is wonderful ; 
 it wounds and it heals ; it kills and it makes alive. 
 
64 
 
 If the word of God be received in any country, the 
 happy effects are wonderful. Idol temples are grad- 
 ually deserted ; gross vices become less common ; 
 wars are conducted with more humanity. In those 
 countries where prisoners had been offered in sacrifice 
 to their bloody gods, or eaten as a banquet of victory, 
 or tortured and murdered from mere revenge, if the 
 word of God be received among them, the ferocity of 
 their passions is softened and suppressed, captivity 
 becomes a less bitter cup ; prisoners are only sold, or 
 made slaves, or they are exchanged. In a country 
 where the word of God is generally respected, pris- 
 oners of war are often released without a ransom, as 
 our own miserable soldiers learn by daily experience. 
 Without making the request, they are sent home to 
 their country and friends. Acts of retaliation against 
 the barbarism of infidel armies, seldom proceed further 
 than the destruction of public property. 
 
 The Goths,, who formerly carried war and desola- 
 tion over Europe, were only partially acquainted with 
 the word of God ; yet a learned writer declares, that 
 they exhibited more instances of genuine mercy, con- 
 tinence, and generosity, than can be furnished by the 
 whole history of pagan Rome.* 
 
 The Romans, instead of sending their prisoners 
 home, subjected their necks to be trampled on by 
 their soldiers ; and afterwards sold them at public 
 auction. Frequently they burned them on the funeral 
 piles of their aged warriours, sacrifices to the infernal 
 gods. Well, therefore, might a late celebrated bishop 
 of London! say of Christianity, " It has insensibly 
 
 * Dr. Ireland. t Dr. Porteus. 
 
65 
 
 worked itself into the inmost frame and constitution 
 of civil states. It has given a tinge to the complexion 
 of their governments, to the temper and administra- 
 tion of their laws. It has restrained the spirit of the 
 prince, and the madness of the people. It has soften- 
 ed the rigour of despotism, and tamed the insolence 
 of conquest. It has, in some degree, taken away the 
 edge of the sword, and thrown, even over the horrours 
 of war, a veil of mercy. As one proof of this, among 
 many others, consider only the shocking carnage made 
 in the human species by the exposure of infants, and 
 the gladiatorial shows, which sometimes costs [Europe 
 twenty or thirty thousand lives in a month." "Here," 
 continues the same author, " here the hard and im- 
 penitent heart has been softened, the impetuous pas- 
 sions restrained, the ferocious temper subdued, pow- 
 erful prejudices conquered, ignorance dispelled, and 
 the obstacles to real happiness removed. Here the 
 Christian, looking round on the glories and blandish- 
 ments of this world, has been enabled with a noble 
 contempt to despise all. Here death itself, the king 
 ofterrours, has lost its sting, and the soul, with a holy 
 magnanimity, has borne up in the agonies of a dying 
 hour, and sweetly sung itself away to everlasting 
 bliss." Another learned writer says, " Kings and 
 peasants, conquerors and philosophers, the wise and 
 the ignorant, the rich and the poor, have been brought 
 to the foot of the cross ; yea, millions have been en- 
 lightened, improved, reformed, and made happy by 
 its influences." 
 
 Thus, my hearers, the word of God, when it comes 
 with power, has an irresistible energy. It tears up 
 
66 
 
 the roots of human depravity ; it breaks up the fallow 
 ground of the heart, and produces the flowers and 
 fruits of paradise. Old things have passed away, and 
 all things have become new. The man is no longer 
 " a rebel," " a viper," " a serpent." He is an heir of 
 glory. " The law of the Lord is pure, converting the 
 soul." 
 
 Behold Saul of Tarsus. Like a tyger of the forest, 
 he breathes slaughter and death. He has prepared 
 the prisons ; the chains are forged ; he is on the road 
 to Damascus, to drag men, women and children to 
 Jerusalem. At mid-day a light blazes around him ; 
 he falls ; he hears a voice, " Saul, Saul, why perse- 
 cutest thou me? What injury have I done thee ?" 
 " Lord, ivhat wilt thou have me to do ?" he cries. 
 He is willing to do any thing, to be scourged or im- 
 prisoned, or to go about doing good, visiting the sick, 
 and preaching the gospel to the poor. 
 
 Like the star, which directed the wise men to 
 Bethlehem, the word of God directs men to heavenly 
 glory. It is " the power of God and the wisdom of 
 God to the salvation of those who believe." It is "a 
 savour of life unto life," With anguish of spirit, the 
 soul exclaims, " What shall I do to be saved ?" Like 
 the wounded hart, with the spear of the hunter in its 
 side, the man flies to every means of hope. Sinking 
 into despair, he hears a voice from the word, " Come 
 unto me. Look unto me and be ye saved." " Thou 
 shall be with me in paradise." He knows that his Re- 
 deemer lives. He shall sit down with Abraham, arid 
 Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. So Abel, 
 and Enoch, and a great multitude, which no man can 
 
6? 
 
 number, have been saved by the word of God. It is 
 the word of life, eternal life. 
 
 III. The word of God is wonderful, on account of 
 the complete evidence of its divine authority. What- 
 ever may be the excellencies of Mahomeranism, or of 
 Paganism, and if we believe some infidels, they are 
 great ; still they are essentially wanting in efficacy, to 
 guide or comfort their votaries ; because they are not 
 supported by any satisfactory evidence ; they are not 
 patronized by any adequate authority ; they want the 
 sanction of God. God is not pledged to fulfil their 
 promises, to execute their threatenings, to support 
 their laws. Though in many instances they make 
 high claims to inspiration; yet before the eye of in- 
 vestigation, they vanish like meteors of the night. By 
 what evidence, except his brooding melancholy, which 
 led him to fly to the desert and dwell in a cavern, 
 did Numa satisfy the Romans, that their laws and re- 
 ligion were revealed to him by the goddess Egeria. 
 By what evidence did Capac and Ocollo convince the 
 Peruvians, that they were the children of the Sun, 
 descended from heaven, to be their teachers and 
 guardians ? By what evidence did Mahomet prove his 
 converse with Gabriel, his ascent to heaven, and his 
 numerous pretended revelations ? 
 
 Were the word of God ever so pure in its precepts, 
 ever so noble in its promises, ever so alluring in its 
 virtues, it could have little glory, were it deficient in 
 evidence of its divine authority. Its transcendent doc- 
 trines, its celestial prospects, its immortal rewards, 
 might only tantalize men with delusive hopes. Here 
 it may be proper to acknowledge, that some of the 
 
68 
 
 / 
 
 heathen uttered some excellent things, excited some 
 consoling hopes ; but they spoke without authority ; 
 they could not ensure the hopes which they excited. 
 Like a palace of ice on the bank of the Neva, which 
 at a distance, sparkles like a hill of diamonds ; but 
 within is a cold and dismal dwelling ; such were the 
 splendid theories of pagan philosophy. Such would 
 be the word of God were not its high authority clear 
 and certain. 
 
 But here I must stop. An entire discourse would 
 not be sufficient to exhibit the evidence in support of 
 divine revelation. Had I time, I might illustrate the 
 harmony of the various parts, written in different ages 
 and countries, by persons educated in different habits 
 and opinions ; and subject to different prejudices. Not 
 only the princes and nobles, the poets and the proph- 
 ets of scripture ; but the fishermen and herdsmen, 
 though they have a different style in writing, all give 
 the same just and sublime views of God, of the soul, 
 and the eternal world ; they all present the same views 
 of fallen man, of salvation by a Redeemer, and of 
 divine providence. A living coal from the altar of 
 God has touched all their lips, and they all speak in 
 the same strains of heavenly love. Who taught these 
 obscure sons of Abraham to wing their flight, far be- 
 yond the confines of time ? Who led them on, through 
 the gate of heaven, to draw the curtain, that we might 
 see the throne of God, and hear the harps of angels ? 
 Was this the fruit of their superiour application and 
 genius? This would be a greater miracle than any 
 which is supposed. Did they learn these sublime 
 strains in the celebrated seminaries of Egypt, of 
 
69 
 
 Greece, or Rome ? You have just heard the babblings 
 of their philosophers. They spake, therefore, as they 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost. I might, also, show 
 the simplicity and majesty of their style, far surpass- 
 ing the boldest flights of Grecian song, or Roman elo- 
 quence. I might summon from all antiquity a host of 
 historians to confirm many facts of the sacred volume. 
 
 Miracles demonstrate the authority of revelation. If 
 God arrest the luminaries of heaven, or raise the dead 
 to confirm any truth, God himself becomes pledged to 
 support that truth. No bad man would be the author 
 of such a holy religion. No good man would forge 
 such a work, and ascribe it to God. 
 
 Prophecy carries irresistible evidence to every age 
 and country, who hear its voice. I might mention the 
 present state of Nineveh. Zephaniah prophesied, 
 that Nineveh would be a desolation, dry like a wilder- 
 ness. Nineveh is a desolation ; her ruins are ruined. 
 Of Tyre a prophet declared, that " Her songs should 
 cease, that she should be a place to spread nets upon." 
 A few fishermen are now her only inhabitants. I 
 might mention the Jews, as so many living witnesses, 
 for the truth of prophecy. It was prophesied that they 
 should be scattered over the world ; they are scatter- 
 ed over the world. It was prophesied that they should 
 be a bye- word ; they are a bye-word. I might men- 
 tion the present state of Babylon, of Jerusalem, of 
 Palestine, of Noph, and Egypt, to confirm the proph- 
 ecies respecting them. The Arabians are a standing 
 miracle, a nation of witnesses in support of revelation. 
 It was prophesied of their ancestor, that in his poster- 
 ity his hand should be against every man, that yet he 
 
70 
 
 should dwell in the presence of his brethren, that he 
 should be .a wild man. This perfectly agrees with 
 the history of the Arabs in every age. No man can 
 devoutly study their character without increasing his 
 faith and religious wonder. Though generally hostile 
 to the human race, and of course frequently assailed 
 by the most formidable powers ; yet neither the 
 Alexanders, nor Caesars, nor Buonapartes, those thun- 
 der-bolts of war, have been able to conquer the Ara- 
 bians. Even w r hen separated into contemptible clans 
 of robbers and pirates, they remain invincible ; they 
 brave the most powerful fleets and armies of Europe ; 
 their most celebrated commanders retire from their 
 towns with vexation and dismay. Is not the evidence 
 in favour of the gospel clear and irresistible ? Is not 
 the word of God wonderful ? 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. How cruel and barbarous are those infidels, who 
 labour to destroy the influence of divine revelation. 
 Some men, not only disbelieve revelation themselves, 
 but are zealous to destroy the faith of others. Revela- 
 tion gives us all our knowledge of another world, and is 
 our only guide to future glory ; yet infidels, more cun- 
 ning than the serpent, and often more secret than pesti- 
 lence or death, make every effort to extinguish this 
 light, to bury the world in darkness and despair. Con- 
 science is sacrificed, genius is prostituted, the world is 
 ransacked, to furnish the means of their fatal purposes. 
 Some write travels ;* some, poems ;t some, sarcastic 
 essays ;^ to give the lie to Moses. The lava of the 
 
 * Brydone. t Barlow. $ Tom Paine. 
 
71 
 
 mountains is tortured and suborned to gr 
 testimony against revelation. 
 
 They would bar up the only harbour, which leads 
 to the celestial city ; they would tear away the only 
 bridge across the gulf of death. They would rend 
 the sun from the moral system, regardless of the dark- 
 ness and horrour, which would follow. They would 
 take away heaven, and leave no substitute. 
 
 Discard the gospel, and where are we ? Then, what 
 consolations sustain the heart in the long night of 
 adversity ? What hope cheers the mind, looking into 
 the world of spirits ? In that awful moment, when the 
 soul is leaving the world, when it needs the strongest 
 consolations, then would infidels tear away the last 
 hope of man, and shroud the prospect with endless 
 despair. 'Are they not rivals of that destroying angel, 
 who carried guilt and death into the bowers of Eden ? 
 
 II. If the gospel be so glorious, then Missionary 
 Societies are pious and laudable institutions. The ob- 
 ject of the gospel is so great, so sublime, that no 
 means should be spared to insure success. To com- 
 bine the experience, the exertions, the contributions of 
 a Society, is to multiply the probabilities of success. 
 Such associations, therefore, address their reasonable 
 claims of support, to persons of most profound wis- 
 dom, of the most illustrious talents, of the most opu- 
 lent possessions. Nothing is too important to be con- 
 secrated to this sacred cause. While acting alone, 
 man is imbecile and defenceless ; his sphere is limit- 
 ed ; his efforts are inefficient. Like a solitary star, 
 struggling with darkness, his most powerful efforts 
 
 
72 
 
 may not be perceived ; but united with others, like a 
 celestial constellation, they produce a field of light and 
 glory. In all their important, concerns, therefore, 
 men have been led to form associations. Mutually 
 conscious of their individual weakness, they have 
 spontaneously united together to accomplish their 
 great enterprizes. Hence societies of various names, 
 in almost every profession ; hence the origin of civil 
 government. Blessed be God ! many of our people 
 in this country ; many of our great men, many of our 
 rich men, are patrons of Missionary Societies. Our 
 governours are presidents, our legislators are bene- 
 factors of such Societies. Very much has been done ; 
 very much is now doing. The holy zeal burns through 
 the land. Nor are we the only people engaged in this 
 good work. All Christendom seems to be roused by 
 the same impulse. From Petersburg to Calcutta, we 
 hear the same strains of Christian benevolence. But 
 
 I am silent I hear the angel of justice exclaim, 
 
 " To raise thy pious wonder, to kindle thy sacred 
 emulation, look up to the London Missionary Society 
 and the British Foreign Bible Society, those noblest 
 associations ever formed in our world, and the parents 
 of nearly all the similar societies which now exist. 
 Their bishops, their legislators, their nobles, their 
 royal princes, are the patrons or presidents of such 
 Societies. They with other Societies, are engaged 
 in translating the word of God into all the principal 
 languages of the world. Their missionaries, like 
 the angels in the fields of Bethlehem, are proclaim- 
 ing peace on earth and good will to man, from the 
 line to the poles; myriads hang on their lips, and 
 
73 
 
 join in the praises of Immanuel. Their mission- 
 aries have planted the rose of Sharon among the snows 
 of Iceland and Labrador ; they have conveyed the 
 balm of life to the coast of New-Holland, to China, to 
 India, and the isles of the Pacific Ocean. They have 
 opened channels for the river of life among the moun- 
 tains of Caucasus, and in the burning deserts of Africa. 
 The banner of the cross waves on the towers of Ma- 
 homet, and the Wolga and the Ganges listen to the 
 songs of Zion. On the other side of the flood, in the 
 land of your brothers, whose blood rolls in your 
 hearts, you witness every thing which is catholic or 
 liberal, every thing which is enterprising and generous, 
 every thing which is opulent and grand in the cause 
 of goodness and philanthropy. Such extensive and 
 magnificent benevolence is displayed in no other na- 
 tion of the globe. Never did a nation stand so high 
 in virtue and glory. No where else has the empire of 
 Christian charity risen so illustrious and sublime. 
 Such are the two Englands. Like a parent and child, 
 they have united together to promote the glorious 
 gospel. Shall they not, like the two luminaries of 
 heaven, continue to aid each other in giving light and 
 glory to the world ? Must not our swords turn to 
 plough-shares and our spears to pruning-hooks ? 
 
 III. If the gospel be so glorious, ought we not to 
 bless God for our Christian privileges, and do all in 
 our power to extend these favours to others. By the 
 gospel ministry the revelation of God is explained, 
 established, and enforced. The ministry of reconcili- 
 ation is the river of life. Can we listen to the instruc- 
 tions of our spiritual guides ; can we look on the chart 
 10 
 
74 
 
 of life which they spread before us, without emotions 
 of praise and thanksgiving ? Do not the peals, which 
 summon us to the house of God, from Sabbath to 
 Sabbath, and the strains of heavenly mercy, which 
 there proclaim pardon and glory to penitent sinners, 
 excite us all to exclaim, " How amiable are thy taber- 
 nacles, Lord God of hosts!" Shall we not convey this 
 divine light to others ? This holy cause will infallibly 
 triumph. The idols of paganism, the temples of infi- 
 del philosophy, will vanish before the light of the gos- 
 pel. The Christian missionary goes on a voyage of 
 benevolence. So angels fly through the heavens, sail 
 from world to world, to promote the same glorious 
 cause. Rulers and legislators are never so entirely 
 the ministers of God for good, as when they support 
 the banner of the cross. They wisely build hospitals, 
 and found seminaries for the public good ; why should 
 they not regard the higher interests of man, the inter- 
 ests of the Redeemer's kingdom ? Why should they 
 not protect the church in " the wilderness," and " the 
 witnesses prophesying in sackcloth ?" When nations 
 shall understand their best interests, then kings, or 
 rulers, instead of waging ungodly wars, shall be nurs- 
 ing fathers, and queens nursing mothers of the church. 
 Aaron and Moses shall lead the people to the heavenly 
 Canaan. 
 
 So familiar are we with the doctrines and duties of 
 revelation, that we can hardly conceive the immense 
 importance of conveying it to others. Were it not 
 for the light of this gospel, we, we, this day might 
 have been worshipping in the temple of Mars, or 
 shouting the praises of Bacchus, or offering our chuV 
 
75 
 
 dren on the altar of Moloch. The poor will certainly 
 then contribute their inite, and the rich their silver 
 and gold, an offering to the glorious gospel. But 
 I recollect where I am. The metropolis of New- 
 England is more distinguished for its princely bene- 
 factions, than, any other place in the world ; it is a 
 fountain whose streams gladden the city of God. No 
 persuasion would prevent your offering to the Lord 
 the present which you have brought to his house. 
 Angels, who hover over the assemblies of the saints, 
 witness your pious sacrifices. Already He, who sees 
 the end from the beginning, has prepared a reward 
 for those who cordially support his cause. That 
 Saviour, who was present at a contribution in the 
 temple of Jerusalem, is present now. He will accom- 
 pany those who receive your gifts from seat to seat. 
 The recording angel will notice the widow's mite. 
 The names of every donor will be written in the book 
 of divine remembrance. In the great day, when the 
 Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven, with 
 all his holy angels ; when the earth shall be on fire. 
 and the heavens pass away with a great noise, and 
 you shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 
 then will he say to every one, who gave a cup of 
 water to a disciple in the name of a disciple, " Come 
 ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepar- 
 ed for you before the foundation of the world.- ' Amen. 
 
PSALM xlv, 6. 
 
 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre 
 of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 
 
 GOD is the greatest and most sublime object in the 
 universe. Every thing respecting Him, demands the 
 teachable and serious attention of mankind. But God 
 as a Saviour, " God in Christ," reconciling the world 
 to himself, is the most interesting character of the 
 Divine Being. The most essential part of Scripture 
 relates to the Redeemer of the world. His name, his 
 offices, his attributes, give interest and life to the 
 sacred page. It is, therefore, a duty of the first im- 
 portance to study his character, as it is revealed, to 
 learn the relation, which he bears to man. In vain 
 do we apply to any other, than the inspired teachers ; 
 in vain do we go back to the remotest antiquity, and 
 explore the records of Chaldean or Egyptian learning ; 
 in vain do we ask the sages of Greece or Rome, to 
 describe Immanuel. The lectures of their philoso- 
 phers, and the songs of their bards declare, " We 
 know him not." In vain do we consult the schools 
 
78 
 
 -and seminaries of modern times, to learn whether he 
 ought to be human, angelic, or divine ; their elevated 
 science, while it makes surprising displays of the 
 human intellect, is bewildered in the mysteries of re- 
 demption, and confounds their disciples with opposite 
 responses. Nor shall we be more safe in appealing to 
 ancient or modern creeds, councils, or spiritual tribu- 
 nals. Athanasius was deposed from the ministry, and 
 driven into banishment, because he advocated the 
 Saviour's divinity ; and in the same age, Arius was 
 exiled and excommunicated, because he opposed the 
 doctrine. In the reign of Henry VIII, Papists and 
 Protestants were burning at the same time. Is it safe 
 to trust such baleful meteors, to show us the way to 
 heaven ? To the law and the testimony let us resort, 
 that we may know Jesus Christ. The evidence of 
 many other facts and doctrines is derived from various 
 sources. The rivers and mountains, the sun and stars, 
 proclaim in every language, the existence and glory of 
 their Creator. Daily events around us, the changes 
 and revolutions of empires, announce the Providence 
 of God. Our own experience, our knowledge of 
 others, the history of man, confirm our belief of hu- 
 man depravity ; yet no where but in his word, which 
 he has magnified above all his works, is made mani- 
 fest the desire of nations, the Saviour of the world. 
 Neither philosophy, nor metaphysics, nor any other 
 science, would have discovered the doctrine or char- 
 acter of the Redeemer. We are, therefore, confined 
 to the sacred oracles. What they declare of this 
 wonderful personage we ought implicitly to believe. 
 We shall not question the truth, the propriety, or the 
 
79 
 
 necessity of what we read. It is entirely beyond the 
 limits of human reason to prescribe what should be the 
 powers, the attributes, or offices of the Saviour. To 
 the patriarchs and prophets, and writers of the New 
 Testament we appeal, as affording all the information 
 which can be obtained. To human deductions and 
 the reasoning of worldly wisdom we say, "Be far 
 away, far away, ye profane." 
 
 I now proceed to mention a few texts, which have 
 satisfied my own mind, respecting the divine charac- 
 ter of 'Jesus Christ, without an attempt learnedly to 
 discuss the subject, or to answer objections, or define 
 mysteries. 
 
 No reasonable doubt can be admitted, but our text 
 refers to the true God, to Jehovah. " Thy throne, O 
 God, is for ever and ever." In other parts of Scrip- 
 ture, the original word is applied to the ONE God. 
 " I am Jehovah, thy God." This is the same word, 
 and Jehovah is certainly the true God. So in Isaiah, 
 " O God of Israel, thy Saviour ;" and is not He the 
 true God ? And again in Hosea, " I am Jehovah, thy 
 God." Where, therefore, it is said, " Thy throne, O 
 God, is for ever and ever," the address is made to the 
 true God, to the Almighty, to Jehovah. So far then 
 we are safe and sure. If this passage, therefore, can 
 with any certainty be applied to Jesus Christ, then 
 Jesus Christ, with equal certainty, is proved to be the 
 true God. Will you look at Heb. i, 8, and say whether 
 an inspired writer has not applied these very words to 
 Jesus Christ. If this be the fact, we shall discover 
 his creed on this point, and have the authority of his 
 opinion, to direct our own. To Heb. i, 8, then let us 
 
80 
 
 turn. "But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O 
 God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is 
 the sceptre of thy kingdom." The Psalmist in our 
 text had indubitably addressed the one God ; the 
 apostle here applies the same words to Jesus Christ, 
 to the Son. Is not the Son, therefore, the true God ? 
 Is not this a fair and sound inference ? If several 
 such applications of texts by inspired writers should 
 be adduced, though the method be very simple, must 
 not the evidence of the doctrine be decisive, while we 
 escape the errours to which we are ever liable, while 
 reasoning a priori, or supporting our constructions of 
 texts, more indefinite, by long metaphysical deduc- 
 tions ? Can we then find other passages applied to 
 Jesus Christ, which originally referred to God alone ? 
 Look at Isaiah viii, 13, 14. " Sanctify Jehovah of hosts 
 himself .... and he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a 
 stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence." If this 
 passage, by any adequate authority, can be applied to 
 the Saviour, will it not go far to dispel the doubts 
 which may oppress any candid minds ? In this in- 
 quiry will not the opinion of St. Peter be decisive ? 
 To him then we repair. 1 Peter ii, 7, 8. Speaking 
 of Jesus Christ, " who is precious to believers," he 
 says, " The stone which the builders disallowed, 
 the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone 
 of stumbling, and rock of offence." The same kind 
 of irresistible evidence is seen in Rev. xxii, 6. "The 
 Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show 
 unto his servants the things, which must shortly be 
 done." Observe the Lord GW.sent his angel ; then 
 read the 16th verse. " I Jesus have sent my angel to 
 
81 
 
 testify unto you these things in the churches." Here 
 I see not but " the Lord God," and " Jesus," are the 
 same. Jesus speaks in the same style, and assumes 
 the same prerogative as " the Lord God." Isaiah vi. 
 " I saw also the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and 
 lifted up, and his train filled the temple, and one cried 
 unto another, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts ; 
 then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone ; for mine 
 eyes have seen the king, the Jehovah of hosts ; and he 
 said go, make the heart of this people fat, and make 
 their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they see 
 with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and under- 
 stand with their heart, and convert and be healed." 
 As the prophet, unquestionably, had a view of God, of 
 Jehovah, any just application of the passage to Jesus 
 Christ will, equally, prove that Jesus Christ is Jeho- 
 vah. But this has been done, not by party zeal, nor 
 inquisitorial power ; but by Apostolic inspiration. 
 John xii, 37. " But though he (Jesus Christ) had done 
 so many miracles before them ; yet they believed not 
 on him, that the saying of Esaias might be fulfilled, 
 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, 
 that they should not see with their eyes, or understand 
 with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal 
 them. These things said Esaias when he saw his 
 glory," that is, the glory of Jesus Christ, " and spake 
 of him." Therefore, unless St. John did not under- 
 stand Isaiah, nor know whom he saw, Jesus Christ is 
 Jehovah. 
 
 In the same manner St. Paul appropriates to the 
 Saviour an address which was certainly made to God. 
 "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even 
 11 
 
82 
 
 thousands of angels thou hast ascended on high ; 
 
 thou hast led captivity captive ; thou hast received 
 gifts for men." Should we learn that Calvin, or Au- ' 
 gustine, or Athanasius, had applied this passage to 
 Jesus Christ, we should perhaps view them as rash 
 interpreters, swayed by party zeal ; but should we not 
 say, " Prove the applications to be just, and we yield 
 the contest." But the inspiration of Eph. iv. 7. de- 
 cides the question. " But unto every one of us is 
 given grace, according to the measure of the gift of 
 Christ wherefore, he saith when he ascended on 
 high ; he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto 
 men ; therefore Christ and God are the same. 
 
 Speaking of Israel, when they sinned in the wil- 
 derness and were destroyed by serpents, Moses tells 
 the people, " Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, 
 as ye tempted him in Massah." Undoubtedly St. 
 Paul understood this text, and knew that God was 
 tempted, when he said, "Neither let us tempt Christ, 
 as some of them tempted, and were destroyed by ser- 
 pents. " If one inspired writer make a direct refer- 
 ence or address to God, and a second apply the same 
 to Jesus Christ, if this does not establish his divinity, 
 I am utterly at a loss how this, or any. other doctrine 
 can be established by -Scripture authority. Permit 
 me then to adduce a few more passages, of this class. 
 Psalm cii. " I said, O my God . . . , of old hast thou 
 laid the foundation of the earth." Heb. i, 10. "But 
 
 unto the Son Thou, Lord, in the beginning 
 
 hast laid the foundation of the earth." This requires 
 no comment. The same address is made to God, 
 and the Son. Here is the force of the evidence ; and 
 
83 
 
 in this view, what is gained by those, who plead that 
 heavens and earth mean the Christian and Jewish 
 dispensations? You all recollect 1 Kings viii, 39. 
 In his prayer to God, Solomon says, " Thou, even 
 thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men ;" 
 and God says, Jer. vii. " I Jehovah search the heart, 
 and try the reins." Now, permit me to repeat Rev. 
 ii, 23. Remember this was the revelation of Jesus 
 Christ He saith, I am he who liveth and was 
 dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and 
 all the church shall know that / am he, who search- 
 eth the reins and hearts." This knowledge Christ 
 possesses, and Jehovah declares this to be, exclu- 
 sively, his prerogative. Are they not one ? 
 
 If any fact is familiar, if any thing recorded in 
 the book of God is certain, it is the appearance of 
 the Almighty on Mount Sinai, at the giving of the 
 Law. Exod. xix and xx. And Moses went up unto 
 God, and the Lord called unto him out of the moun- 
 tain. And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo I come 
 
 unto thee in a thick cloud. And Moses brought 
 
 forth the people out of the camp to meet with God. 
 
 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, 
 
 because the Lord descended upon it in fire. And 
 
 God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord 
 thy God." Here was God, attended with undescrib- 
 able tokens of sublimity and grandeur. Now, if any 
 inspired writer has taught, that all this was effected 
 by the presence and power of Jesus Christ, it may 
 satisfy us respecting his divinity, and relieve our 
 anxiety, while we render him religious homage. 
 Heb. xii, 24, 25, 26. " And to Jesus the Mediator 
 
84 
 
 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh," that 
 
 is, Jesus Christ ; " for, if they escaped not, who re- 
 fused him that spake on earth," namely Moses, " much 
 more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him, 
 that speaketh from heaven," that is Christ, speaking 
 in the gospel, " whose voice then shook the earth." 
 that is, the voice of Jesus Christ, which shook mount 
 Sinai, w T hen he descended in fire. Thus the writer 
 of Hebrews evidently teaches, that it was the voice 
 of Jesus Christ, that shook the earth at mount Sinai, 
 but Moses and Habakkuk have abundantly confirmed 
 the fact, that it was the glory of God, which " cov- 
 ered the heavens ; burning coals went forth under 
 his feet ; the perpetual hills did bow ; the remote land 
 of Midian trembled." 
 
 I will select only a single passage more of this 
 class. Rev. i, 17, 18. The Son of man says, " Fear 
 
 not, / am the first and the last, 1 am Alpha and 
 
 Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the 
 last." When you compare this with the language of 
 Jehovah, in Isaiah xliv, 6, is any room left to hang 
 a doubt on ? " Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Is- 
 rael, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts, / am the 
 first, and / am the last." Are not these the declara- 
 tions of the same person ? While we believe the 
 same works justly ascribed to God and Christ, and 
 the same perfections claimed by both, and these sur- 
 pass all created attributes, we can perceive no rea- 
 son to question their equal divinity. 
 
 With religious caution, I proceed to a few other 
 passages of another class, selecting only those, which 
 are plain and easy ; for humble are my limits, as 
 

 85 
 
 well as talents, leaving no room for argument or elab- 
 orate illustration. Happily it is not the greatest num- 
 ber of proofs, which leaves the strongest or clearest 
 convictions on the mind. This subject has, I think, 
 suffered much by being cumbered with proofs multi- 
 plied and ambiguous. This certainly ought to be 
 avoided ; for the remark of St. Austin is very just, 
 " That no point is to be mistaken with more danger, 
 none to be studied with more diligence, none to be un- 
 derstood with more profit." Rom. ix, 5. " Of whom, 
 (the Israelites,) as concerning the flesh, the Christ 
 came, who is over all, God blessed for ever." May 
 not the four and twenty elders bow down to the man, 
 who can express the doctrine in plainer words ? True, 
 a different rendering has been given to this passage, as 
 well as others ; but after all which has been said and 
 written on the text, I think the candid will allow that 
 this is the' most literal and direct translation. Though 
 much has been said, respecting different translations 
 and readings, I do not think the doctrine loses any 
 material evidence, by the most exact translations, or 
 the severest scrutiny of various readings. Some few 
 passages may be rendered more, some less favorable 
 to the doctrine, than in our version. After saying this, 
 you may, perhaps, feel a right to require a specimen of 
 what may be effected by different translations. 
 
 The principal demands, if I mistake not, are on the 
 three following passages, 1 John v, 7. " There are 
 three that bear record in heaven," &c. It is asserted 
 that this is an interpolation, supported by only one sin- 
 gle manuscript more ancient than the art of printing. 
 Here I hold no controversy. Acts xx, 28. " Feed 
 
86 
 
 the church of God, which he has purchased with his 
 own blood." This has been rendered, "the church 
 of the Lord," and to this we make no formal objection; 
 for it appears that " three readings of the text are 
 found in the Greek manuscripts and versions, " the 
 church of God," " the church of the Lord," and 
 "the church of the Lord and God;" and from Gries- 
 bach and Wetstein it appears that no very ancient 
 manuscripts read "church of God," and many manu- 
 scripts, and several versions, as the Armenian, and 
 Ethiopic, read " church of the Lord," church of 
 the Lord and of God is the reading of the great ma- 
 jority ; but the most ancient manscripts read, 
 " church of the Lord ;" yet I might add, that a very 
 respectable Socinian writer* contends for the present 
 version, " the church of God." 
 
 The other passage is 1 Tim. iii. 16. " Great is 
 the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the 
 flesh." Instead of God was manifest in the flesh, it 
 has been rendered, " he who was manifest." This 
 text I have not quoted ; "for several manuscripts, 
 versions, and fathers read who or which," referring to 
 the word mystery ; though I do . not discover deep 
 sense in saying, that the mystery of godliness was 
 manifest in the flesh, and received up to glory. 
 
 But I am bound now to state, that some texts admit, 
 and in justice require a translation more favourable to 
 the doctrine, than our common version. I will tres- 
 pass on your patience with only two or three. 1 John 
 v, 20. " We are in him that is true, even in his Son 
 Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." 
 
 * Rev. G. Wakefield, 
 
87 
 
 This passage may, and I think ought to be read, "We 
 are in him, who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ, he is 
 the true God and eternal life." Is not this a trium- 
 phant declaration of the Saviour's divinity ? 
 
 2 Pet. i, 1. "Simon Peter, to them who have ob- 
 tained like precious faith with us, through the right- 
 eousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." A 
 slight improvement in the translation renders the as- 
 sertion of our doctrine more forcible, viz. " Through 
 the righteousness of our God and Saviour, Jesus 
 Christ." A similar increase of evidence is discovered 
 in Titus ii, 13. " Looking for that blessed hope and 
 glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, 
 Jesus Christ." These words, Dr. Doddridge remarks, 
 might be fairly rendered, "Our great God and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ." He quotes Mr. Fleming, who asserts, 
 that we never read the Father appears to men. Of 
 the same opinion was the learned Beza. This pas- 
 sage is thus translated by Dr. A. Clark. " And the 
 appearing of the glory of the great God, even our Sa- 
 viour, Jesus Christ." In all these passages, to name 
 no more, is an evident increase of proof in favour of 
 our doctrine. 
 
 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, 
 and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and 
 his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, -the 
 mighty God, the everlasting Father, or Sire of eter- 
 nity, the Prince of Peace." What child born, what 
 son given, is the mighty God, unless it be the son of 
 Mary, the seed of the woman ? 
 
 " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 
 was with God, and the Word was God." The Word 
 
88 
 
 was God, was made flesh, and dwelt among us* 
 This accords with other passages. " A body hast thou 
 prepared me." If these proofs do not establish the 
 doctrine, I ask, and I anxiously ask, what proofs, 
 what form of words, would establish the doctrine ? 
 Indeed this has been the general belief of the church, 
 with little interruption, to the present time. In the 
 next age after the apostles, Ignatius, who was made 
 bishop of Antioch by St. John, wrote thus to the 
 church of Smyrna, " I glorify Jesus Christ our God." 
 To his friend Polycarp he wrote, " Expect him, who 
 is above all time, the invisible One, who was made 
 visible for us." 
 
 Justin, who suffered as a martyr, A. D. 163, says to 
 the court, " I am too mean to say any thing (of Jesus 
 Christ) becoming his infinite deity." A writer in the 
 early part of the third century inquires, " Who doth 
 not know, that the works of Irenseus, Melito, and all 
 other Christians, do confess Christ to be both God 
 and man ?" 
 
 Irenoeus, who was a disciple of St. John, says of 
 Christ, " He united man to God." Clemens of Alex- 
 andria, about the close of the second century says, 
 " Believe, therefore, in one God, who is God and 
 man." In a letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians, 
 A. D. 116 or 17, he thus expresses himself, " There 
 is one Physician, God incarnate." In the narrative 
 of Poly carp's martyrdom, which he suffered March 
 26, A. D. 147, it is said, " Through his only begotten 
 son, to whom be glory, and honour, and power, and 
 majesty for ever and ever." Milo, bishop of Sardis, 
 about A. D. 170 says, "that Jesus Christ is the true 
 
89 
 
 and everlasting God." So overwhelming is the evi- 
 dence, that the divinity of the Saviour was acknowl- 
 edged in the early ages of the church. In further 
 confirmation of this, if further confirmation be possi- 
 ble, I may add, these primitive fathers of the church 
 applied all those texts in the Old Testament, to Jesus 
 Christ, which represent God, as making himself visi- 
 ble to men. In this, as I have shown, they followed 
 the example of those holy men, moved by the Holy 
 Spirit, who wrote the New Testament. " The Lord 
 appeared to Abram in the plain of Mam re." " And 
 Abram stood before the Lore?." " I am the God of 
 Bethel." " I appeared unto Abram, unto Isaac, and 
 unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my 
 name Jehovah was I not known to them." These 
 and several other similar passages, I might adduce, 
 all of which are applied by Justin Martyr, to Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 Ivenseus explains some of those texts with several 
 others, jn the same manner, as " The Lord came to 
 Adam," " The Almighty God, even the Lord hath 
 spoken," " In Jiulah God is known." Though 
 these quotations do not prove the doctrine, yet they 
 certainly show what were the opinions of the pastors 
 of the primitive churches. 
 
 With a few of the many reflections which might be 
 made, I close the Subject. 
 
 1. The doctrine teaches us that Jesus Christ might 
 make an atonement for the redemption of mankind. 
 
 I am not tenacious of the word ; but the idea which 
 I receive from atonement, appears so familiar on the 
 12 
 
90 
 
 sacred page, that I can hardly conceive a formal proof 
 necessary. Of what benefit were all the sacrifices of 
 the Old Testament, unless they exhibit the necessity 
 of a real sacrifice or atonement ? What wisdom, what 
 meaning, what humanity, can be discovered in the 
 bloody rites of the Mosaic dispensation, unless they 
 are types and emblems of a sacrifice not then made ? 
 Accordingly, as soon as this sacrifice was made on 
 Calvary, those sacrifices all ceased, as the tapers of 
 night, before the rising morn. 
 
 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats 
 should take away sin ; but the Son of man came to 
 give his life a ransom for many, and to bear our sins 
 in his own body. He appears as the substitute of the 
 sinner. " For the transgression of my people was he 
 stricken." " He was delivered for our offences.' 7 
 " He gave himself for our sins." " Christ hath once 
 suffered for our sins." " The good shepherd gives 
 his life for the sheep." " I lay down my life for the 
 sheep." Is not here the idea of substitution, or a 
 vicarious offering distinctly presented ? 
 
 Is not the notion of a direct sacrifice equally certain ? 
 " Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." " He gave 
 himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God." 
 He " put away sins by the sacrifice of himself!" So 
 reconciliation was effected between God and man. 
 " God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." 
 " It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things 
 to himself." Were such passages rare and solitary, 
 we might consider them figurative ; but when we find 
 them so numerous, so frequently used by the different 
 writers of the sacred volume, though they have received 
 
91 
 
 a different construction from men of great learning and 
 powerful minds, I am compelled to believe the doctrine 
 of atonement. The language of patriarchs and legis- 
 lators, of prophets and apostles, whether proclaimed 
 in the wilderness of Arabia, or on the banks of the 
 Jordan ; whether addressed to the churches of Asia, or 
 the city of the Caesars, announces Jesus Christ as the 
 propitiation for the sins of the \vorld. But is not this 
 beyond the power of a man, or of any creature ? 
 " None can by any means redeem his brother, or give 
 to God a ransom for him ; for the redemption of 
 their soul is precious," too precious to be redeemed by 
 man. " Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of 
 rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil ?" " Shall I give 
 my first born for my transgression, the fruit of mv 
 body for the sin of my soul ?" If a man should devote 
 and sacrifice himself, it could not redeem his soul. If 
 all the race of man were to sacrifice themselves, this 
 would not procure their redemption. He then, who is 
 the Redeemer of the world, must have more weight of 
 character, more worth, more dignity and excellence, 
 than all the human race. No finite being can give a 
 ransom for the sins of the world. But if Jesus Christ 
 be really God with us, then his merit is infinite ; his 
 divinity is necessary to his atonement. So clearly evi- 
 dent is this, that generally those, who deny his divin- 
 ity, reject the doctrine of atonement. This is con- 
 sistent. The two doctrines stand, or fall together. 
 If Christ be divine, he has merit to redeem the world. 
 2. We learn from the subject that Jesus Christ can 
 govern the worlcj. 
 
92 
 
 It was foretold that " the government should be upon 
 his shoulder;" that " he should be king of Zion:" 
 All power in heaven and earth is in his hand. All this 
 is credible if he be the " mighty God ;" all this is 
 certain, if he be " Jehovah our righteousness ;" but is 
 not this impossible, if he be a mere man, or a depend- 
 ant creature of any grade ? If he be divine, then he is 
 present every where, and can direct all events, how- 
 ever numerous or widely extended. Nothing is too 
 great, too little, or too mysterious for him to accom- 
 plish. His steps are in deep waters, clouds and dark- 
 ness are round about ; he does all his pleasure, nor 
 gives account of any of his matters. He can change 
 the tendency of actions, and render those salutary, 
 which apparently were big with mischief and ruin. 
 Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image, and commands all, 
 on penalty of death, to bow down and render religious 
 homage to his splendid idol. The tendency of this 
 measure was to suppress freedom of thought, aud ex- 
 tinguish the last spark of true religion. The result 
 was directly opposite ; to advance the cause of divine 
 truth, and religious liberty. 
 
 He can produce effects directly the reverse from the 
 design and intention of the persons acting. The breth- 
 ren of Joseph intended merely to indulge their envy, 
 his mistress to satiate her revenge, his master to pun- 
 ish his supposed crime ; but God by these measures 
 prepared an eminent Statesman for a great nation, and 
 made provision for the house of Jacob, till the time ar- 
 rived for them to march and take possession of the land 
 flowing with milk and honey. The persecution of the 
 primitive Christians was intended to crush the good 
 
93 
 
 cause, and extirpate the name from the annals of the 
 world ; but while it scattered the disciples, it inflamed 
 their zeal, produced a powerful sympathy in their be- 
 half, and greatly promoted their design. So does 
 intolerance always defeat itself, and build up that in- 
 terest, which* it intended to destroy. He that holdeth 
 the stars in his right hand, raised up Cyrus, a pagan, 
 to the empire of the world, to be his servant, to deliver 
 his people from captivity. All things, from the atom 
 floating in the air, to the globes of heaven ; all events, 
 from the fall of a sparrow to the redemption of a 
 world, are under his control. He changes the hearts 
 of kings, demolishes thrones, and raises up empires. 
 He walks on the wings of the wind, thunders in the 
 heavens, wheels the planets in their orbs, produces all 
 the revolutions of times and seasons. According to 
 his promise, he is every where with his people to the 
 end of the world. 
 
 3. From the dignity of the Saviour, we learn how 
 suitable a being he is to judge the world at the great 
 day. 
 
 To judge the deserts of men, it is not only neces- 
 sary that all their actions should be known ; but their 
 talents, motives, and affections. What mere man can 
 take cognizance of all these in all ages ? Who but 
 God knows all the secrets desires and designs of men 
 and angels ? Who but God can weigh their worth or 
 ill desert ? 
 
 But all judgment is committed to the Son ; and if he 
 is Jehovah, who searches the heart and tries the reins, 
 he is a suitable Judge to come in the clouds of heaven, 
 to command the angels, to raise the dead, to gather 
 
94 
 
 them before his bar. He has power to blot out the 
 stars, to quench the sun, to burn the world. He 
 knows where every child of Adam sleeps, on the land, 
 or in the sea. He knows the place of every grave 
 yard, of every battle, of every city, overwhelmed by 
 earthquakes, or volcanoes, by floods or fires. Patri- 
 archs and prophets, kings with their subjects, gener- 
 als with their armies, Adam and all his children, are 
 caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 
 
 Consoling is the thought to the lamb of the Redeem- 
 er's flock, to the babe in Christ, trembling at the splen- 
 dours of the great day. This Judge is his friend, the 
 friend of sinners, his Saviour, who took little children 
 in his arms, who healed the sick and comforted the 
 weeping widow. He, who pardoned sinners, who 
 spent his life to reform and save sinners, who died for 
 their redemption, is their Judge. He knows our 
 weakness, sympathizes in our infirmities, and does not 
 need that we should make a splendid show of our piety, 
 by praying in the corner of the street, by multiplying 
 our sabbaths and our new moons, or other ordinances 
 of our invention, to prove our goodness or sincerity. 
 He, who sees our hearts, and will duly notice every 
 benevolent wish, every secret whisper of devotion, 
 and every cup of w r ater given to a disciple, is our, 
 Judge. The doctrine is full of hope and encourage- 
 ment, to the humble, trembling spirit, oppressed with 
 a sense of unworthiness and guilt. 
 
 When every one has given an account of himself to 
 God ; when the examination closes, the gracious 
 Judge will say ; (oh may we all hear the joyful de- 
 claration,) " Come ye blessed of my Father* inherit 
 
95 
 
 the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation 
 of the world." 
 
 To those on the left, " Depart ye cursed into ever- 
 lasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." 
 Down they sink, while the heaven and earth have 
 been kept in store> reserved unto fire against the day 
 of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. The 
 Saviour with all the righteous ascends to his Father 
 and their Father, to join in the hallelujahs of angels ; 
 " Glory, and honour, and immortality to Him, who 
 sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, who was slain, 
 for ever and ever." AMEN. 
 
ISAIAH ix, 6. 
 For unto us a Child is 6ora, unto us a Son is given. 
 
 THAT mankind are in a lapsed state, that the proper 
 course of their passions is disturbed, that they are 
 guilty and miserable, are truths, which have been 
 extensively acknowledged in every age of the world. 
 Another wonderful fact, equally attested is, that from 
 the most early records of time, the nations, or the 
 more enlightened of them, from Europe to China, 
 have expected some mighty Teacher and Saviour, to 
 deliver the world from its ignorance, crimes, and mis- 
 eries. Their precise view of this august Personage 
 have been various; but all have agreed in the opinion 
 of his wonderful goodness, wisdom and power. This 
 desire of all nations is evidently the person of the text. 
 He is also the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Prince 
 of Peace. He is also man. The terms child and son 
 are literally applicable only to man. The same may 
 remarked of the term born. Angels are not born, 
 human beings alone are born. It is doubtless the 
 13 
 
98 
 
 same person spoken of by the Angel. "Unto you Is 
 born a Saviour who is Christ the Lord." The object 
 of this discourse is to show that Jesus Christ is liter- 
 ally and truly MAN. 
 
 I. All the information and propehcies concerning 
 him, previous to his being born, naturally led the world 
 to expect he would be a man. This would be inferred 
 from the manner in which he is first mentioned in 
 Scripture. " The seed of the woman, it shall bruise 
 thy head." What could the seed of a woman be but 
 a man? But a remarkable peculiarity is here ob- 
 served. The father is not mentioned. As a man, 
 lie was to be exclusively the son or seed of the 
 woman. The history of the event confirms this con- 
 struction of the prophecy. In the fullness of time, 
 God sent forth his Son, made of a woman. A son 
 had been born but he was the child of a w r oman. 
 The Lord appeared unto Abraham in the plain of 
 Mamre ; but what was his form, his appearance ? It 
 was the form of a man. "And he looked, and lo! three- 
 men stood before him. And he said, My Lord !" As 
 far as he had any apprehension, any conception that 
 this was his Saviour, must he not have considered him 
 as a man. Does not this fact now indicate to us, 
 that he who is our Deliverer, our Saviour, must be a 
 man ? He did appear as a man. 
 
 In the same manner did he apppear to Jacob. 
 " There wrestled a man with him until the breaking 
 of the day." Though Jacob said that he had seen 
 God, and though the angel implies the same, " As a 
 prince hast thou power with God," yet he is also 
 called man. He appeared as a man, he was a man. 
 
99 
 
 In the same form did he appear to Joshua at tin 
 siege of Jericho. " There stood a man over against 
 him." By this event it was made known to Joshua, 
 and to the world, that their Redeemer should be a 
 man, that he should partake of flesh and blood, that 
 he should be made flesh, and dwell among us. How 
 dignified was this man! Though Joshua had fallen 
 prostrate before him, as if this were not enough, he 
 says to him, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for 
 the place where thou standest is holy." As if he had 
 said, " You are in the presence of adorable majesty, 
 therefore offer the highest kind of worship." 
 
 I might before have mentioned the prophecy of 
 Balaam, which would lead' Israel and the world to 
 expect a human deliverer." I shall see him, but not 
 now; I shall behold him, but not nigh." A long- 
 series of ages intervenes, of fifteen hundred years." 
 " A star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall 
 rise out of Israel." Star denotes a prince or illustri- 
 ous man. Christ himself is called a star. This 
 prophecy, indeed, is supposed to have an immediate 
 reference to king David, and was fulfilled when he 
 smote Moab, and " measured them with a line," so 
 that the Moabites became David's servants. 2 Sam. 8. 
 Yet the Saviour w r as doubtless the ultimate object. 
 Perhaps this prophecy of Baalam, who was of the 
 East, being preserved by tradition, in that country, 
 might induce the wise men, on seeing some uncom- 
 mon star over the land of Israel, to go and inquire for 
 the child, born king of the Jews. The whole sug- 
 gests the idea of an illustrious man. In Ezek. chap. 1 
 we read, that by the river Chebar, the prophet 
 
100 
 
 the likeness of a glorious throne, upon which was 
 u the likeness, as the appearance of a man." After- 
 wards the prophet informs us that this was the appear- 
 ance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord ; but he 
 was in the form of a man. 
 
 The same doctrine is taught by Zechariah. " I 
 saw by night, and beheld a man riding upon a red 
 horse." This man in verse 11. is called the angel of 
 the Lord. 
 
 Although, in the burning bush, no form of a man 
 was visible to Moses, yet he heard a voice which 
 he understood. Indeed, if we accede to the general 
 opinion of the church universal, in every age, that 
 the appearance of the Lord, and the angel of the 
 Lord, at various times, before the advent of Christ, 
 was the Messiah, the Saviour, it will greatly strengthen 
 the idea, that he was to appear in human form, and to 
 be a man. 
 
 Gen. i, 26. And God said, "Let us make man in 
 our image, after our likeness." In view of this pas- 
 sage, is it unnatural to suppose, and believ;e, that 
 when God had created man, he appeared to him in 
 the form of a man, in the same form, which he cer- 
 tainly did assume, ii\_ repeated instances, when he 
 rendered himself visible to Joshua, Ezekiel, Zecha- 
 riah, and others. 
 
 " And the Lord God brought every beast of the 
 field, and every fowl of the air, to Adam, to see what 
 lie would call them." Does not this seem to be a 
 transaction conducted in such a manner, as to render 
 human language, and the appearance of a man highly 
 probable ? 
 
101 
 
 fci And they heard the voice of the Lord God walk- 
 ing in the garden, and Adam and his wife hid them- 
 selves. And the Lord called unto Adam. And he 
 said, I heard thy voice, and hid myself." If this 
 scene be candidly examined, I think we shall find 
 that God manifested himself by a human voice, and 
 in a human form. How could Adam and Eve think 
 of hiding themselves from God, unless they actually 
 saw his person, or had been used to see it, and now 
 expected its appearance again ? Could they be so 
 stupid as to hide themselves from a mere voice, among 
 the trees ? Could they be ashamed of their naked- 
 ness before a mere voice, a noise in the air ? Could 
 they hear a voice walking in the garden ? But if you 
 suppose they saw a form, a man, walking in the gar- 
 den, then all is probable and natural. 
 
 " And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou 
 wroth, where is thy brother? And Cain said, I 
 know not. And God said, What hast thou done ? 
 And Cain said, My punishment is greater than I can 
 bear, from thy face I shall be hid." When it is so 
 often said that the Lord, that Jehovah, that the Lord 
 God appeared, and sat, and stood, and walked, and 
 spake, and talked, is it not very hard to suppose that 
 nothing was manifest but a voice, a sound ? Is it not 
 much more natural to suppose that the voice, the artic- 
 ulate human voice, was accompanied by the form of 
 a man ? Is not this very much confirmed by the well 
 known fact, that he often did assume the form of a 
 man ? From the whole we infer that the information 
 and prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old 
 Testament, all go to prove that he was to be a real 
 
102 
 
 man, that such must have been the expectation of 
 the Jews. 
 
 We have omitted to mention the appearance of this 
 mighty personage to Gideon, and to Manoah and his 
 wife, and some others in the form of a man. Scrip- 
 ture declares he was a man. Phil, ii, 8. " He was 
 found in fashion as a man." 1 Tim. ii, 5. "The 
 man Christ Jesus." 1 Cor. xv, 47. " The first man 
 is from the earth, the second man is the Lord from 
 heaven." 
 
 II. We proceed to show from matter of fact, that 
 he was truly man. The history of his birth, and 
 life, and death, proves that Jesus Christ was a man. 
 He was born as other children are, and wrapped in 
 swaddling bands. In his infancy he was carried into 
 Egypt. He increased in knowledge and favour with 
 God and man. He had the appetites of a man ; he 
 ate, he drank. He had the weakness of a man ; he 
 slept,- he was weary. He had the passions of a man ; 
 he was grieved, he was angry, he rejoiced, he loved, 
 he was pitiful. He was mortal as a man ; he was 
 wounded, he was bruised, his blood flowed, his bones 
 were out of joint, his strength was exhausted, he 
 bowed his head, he died for he was man! 
 
 Though we have not time to solve difficulties, or to 
 answer objections, yet the supernatural conception of 
 this wonderful man has met with so powerful oppo- 
 sition, that it may deserve a word of notice. This 
 mystery has induced some of our Unitarian friends 
 to erase from their Bibles those chapters in St. Mat- 
 thew and Luke \vhich relate the surprising fact. 
 Our reply is very simple, and very short. Besides 
 
103 
 
 the prophecies concerning his being the seed of the 
 woman exclusively, and born of a virgin, as preludes 
 to this event, several parents bore children contrary 
 to the ordinary course of nature. The birth of Isaac 
 was as remarkable, and as miraculous as the birth of 
 Jesus Christ. The mother of Isaac was constitution- 
 ally incapable of bearing a child. This alone ren- 
 dered the thing impossible without the almighty inter- 
 position of the Creator. In addition to this, she was 
 advanced to that period of life, in which no woman 
 had ever become a mother. Sarah could no more 
 become a mother without a miracle, than Mary, the 
 mother of Jesus Christ. Therefore, when each of 
 them make their objection, they receive for substance 
 the same answer. The reply to Mary was, "With 
 God nothing shall be impossible." To Sarah it was 
 said, " Is any thing too hard for the Lord ?" All 
 these remarks apply with equal force to Elizabeth and 
 Zechariah, who were the parents of John. His birth 
 was altogether as miraculous as that of Jesus Christ. 
 
 To these facts we add the birth of Sampson. 
 " And , the angel of the Lord appeared unto the 
 woman, his mother, and said unto her, Behold thou 
 art barren, and bearest not, but thou shalt conceive, 
 and bear a son." 
 
 Must all these histories be torn from the sacred 
 volume ? Or shall we believe what was foretold in 
 prophecy, and what has been related by inspired his- 
 torians, concerning the miraculous conception of the 
 man Christ Jesus. 
 
 Our improvement will be only a few general reflec- 
 tions, connected with the subject. 
 
104 
 
 I. We see the plausible reason for the success of 
 those who teach that Jesus Christ is a mere man. 
 It is a fact that he is a man. When they urge and 
 prove this, with great learning as they often do, they 
 urge and prove a great truth. This wins the confi- 
 dence of many, and from being persuaded that Jesus 
 Christ is man, they are led to believe that he is only a 
 man. So a great portion of truth is blended with the 
 greatest errour. A mixture of truth often sanctions, 
 and gives currency to errour. As the most daring 
 crimes are often attended with some palliating cir- 
 cumstance, so the most dangerous errours are gen- 
 erally softened by a mixture of salutary truth. Our 
 Socinian friends, or Unitarian as they choose to be 
 called, say that Jesus Christ was merely a man. We 
 say he was a man. Therefore, unless other things 
 are said of him, unless other attributes are ascribed to 
 him, which do not belong to human nature, all de- 
 nominations must say, that he is only a man. But 
 when he says "Before Abraham was, I am" this looks 
 as if he was superiour to Abraham. When he speaks 
 of the glory which he had with the Father before the 
 w r orld was, we are compelled to think him somewhat 
 more than man. When this child born is called the 
 mighty God, and is said to be " God over all," and 
 " God with us," then we imagine we do him a mighty 
 wrong to say, that he is no more than man. The 
 Jews, some of them, have been so perplexed with 
 these two widely different characters of their 
 Messiah, as described by their prophets, that they 
 have adopted the notion of two Messiahs. They 
 have believed that one, Ben Ephraim, would appear 
 

 105 
 
 in a state of poverty and suffering, that he would 
 fight against Gog, and be slain by Annillus. They 
 have believed that the other Messiah, Ben David, 
 would appear in splendour and glory, that he would 
 conquer and slay Annillus, assemble all Israel, and 
 reign over the whole world. 
 
 Such devices have men adopted in every age. So 
 have they separated what God has joined, and be- 
 lieved only half the truth, in order to avoid difficulties 
 and mysteries. But difficulties and mysteries we 
 must believe, or we shall not believe that we have a 
 soul and body, or that we are dependant, yet moral 
 agents, or that Jesus Christ was before Abraham, yet 
 bom in the days of Herod the king. 
 
 II. We see the errour of those who uniformly 
 elevate the character of Jesus Christ above man, 
 above human virtues and human powers. They place 
 him above man, above angel. If Jesus Christ be 
 really man, then Arius is still further from the fact, 
 further from any true description of Jesus Christ, than 
 Socinus. 
 
 Arius taught that Jesus Christ had no human soul, 
 that he had nothing of man in him but his flesh, to 
 which the Logos, or word of God, or superangelic 
 spirit, was united. While he denied his divinity, he 
 rejected his humanity, but gave him a rank between 
 both. He denied that he was a man, but the first 
 and noblest creature which God created, the agent by 
 whom he formed the universe. So far from being 
 man, he was next to God; and so far from being 
 God, he was a creature made by God. Still the 
 different learned men, and they are very learned, 
 14 
 
106 
 
 have given somewhat different views of the Redeem- 
 er's dignity. The low Arians say that Jesus Christ 
 pre-existed not as the eternal word of the Father, not 
 as the being by whom he made worlds, and who had 
 intercourse with the patriarchs, not as having any 
 rank or employment in the government of the uni- 
 verse. 
 
 The Semi- Arians hold that the Son is of a like sub- 
 stance with the Father, that he was from all eternity 
 begotten by the will of the Father. 
 
 They all agree that he existed before his incarna- 
 tion, they all deny that he was the true God, or real 
 man. Therefore, while in some respects they render 
 superiour honours to the immaculate Saviour, none are 
 further from our views of his character, as man, and 
 Mediator. 
 
 III. The subject reminds us how far we differ from 
 those who believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of 
 God, as really as Isaac was the son of Abraham. 
 We can discover no material difference between these 
 and the Semi-Arians just mentioned. Yet in defer- 
 ence to their feelings, as they choose to be considered 
 as a separate class, we mention them so, distinctly. 
 Our eyes see no difference, our ears catch no discor- 
 dant sounds, our reason discovers no different results. 
 They and the disciples of Arius agree in denying 
 the real humanity of Jesus Christ, they agree in deny- 
 ing his absolute divinity ; in saying that he is the eter- 
 nal Son of God. They disagree in nothing impor- 
 tant. In fact, in modern times the term Arian is by 
 the most respectable writers, indiscriminately applied 
 to all those who consider Jesus Christ more than 
 
 I 
 
107 
 
 man, yet subordinate to the Father. The persons to 
 whom we refer do hold that Jesus Christ is more than 
 man, yet subordinate to the Father, therefore they 
 belong to the school of Arius. 
 
 The physical impossibility that the Father should 
 produce a Son, coequal with himself, and eternal as 
 himself, needs no proof. The notion of an eternal 
 generation is not merely a mystery, but an impossi- 
 bility. It is a violent solecism in language to call any 
 being the son of another, who is of the same and' equal 
 origin. This, therefore, infallibly destroys the real 
 divinity of the son. No being, who has a beginning, 
 is God. Eternity is a necessary attribute of God. 
 But, fortunately, this I need not prove. For the au- 
 thors of this theology do not teach that their Redeem- 
 er is God, the Eternal, but the Son of God. 
 
 For ages, the church has been agitated with the 
 question, in what sense and for what reason is Jesus 
 Christ called the Son of God. I do humbly confess, 
 that, to me the answer is so plain, so easy, so certain, 
 if the most remarkable mistakes had not been com- 
 mon, with the best and wisest men, I would hardly 
 have believed a mistake here to be possible. Take 
 another instance as remarkable. Mark ix, 31. "Jesus 
 Christ taught his disciples and said unto them, the 
 Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and 
 they shall kill him, and after that he is killed, he will 
 rise the third day." What can be more plain, more 
 easy, more certain, than the meaning of this passage? 
 "But they understood not the saying, and were afraid 
 to ask him." What then could they understand? Yet 
 they were good and great men. So are they good and 
 
108 
 
 great men who mistake the sonship of Jesus Christ, 
 Afterwards, when Jesus Christ was killed, instead of 
 expecting his resurrection on the third day, as they 
 might, with every reason of hope and triumph, they 
 gave up his cause as lost, lost, for ever lost. 
 
 Now listen to Luke i, 35, and see if it be possible 
 to mistake his meaning. "And the angel answered 
 and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon 
 thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow 
 thee, THEREFORE, also, that holy thing, or holy per- 
 son, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the 
 Son of God." Now is it possible that the meaning 
 should be misunderstood, or that any mortal doubt 
 why Jesus Christ is called the Son of God? The 
 power of the highest shall overshadow thee, therefore, 
 thy child shall be called the Son of God. In one 
 word, on account of his miraculous conception he is 
 the Son of God. Could man, could angel, could 
 Deity, express himself more intelligibly? Why then 
 all this dispute respecting the Son of God? Why will 
 men run back to the beginning of eternity, and dis- 
 tract their minds with the notion of an everlasting 
 generation, which is an everlasting impossibility, when 
 the Bible has explained the subject in a different man- 
 ner, but never, in a single instance, mentioned an 
 eternal Son, nor an everlasting generation? They 
 take away the man Christ Jesus, our kinsman, our 
 brother, who is touched with the feeling of our infir- 
 mities, and I know not where they have laid him. 
 
 IV. Was Jesus Christ man, then we may all learn 
 what we may be, and what we ought to be. See 
 him, as a son, subject to his parents; at twelve years 
 
109 
 
 of age, hear his wonderful questions; see him ad- 
 vancing in knowledge, growing in favour with God 
 and man. As a learner, see him attending all the 
 rites and ordinances of his church, seeking baptism, 
 and fulfilling all righteousness. As a teacher, he 
 speaks as never man spake. The sturdy unbeliever 
 listens, his mind is enlightened, his heart is softened, 
 his marble eye weeps, his limbs tremble, and he be- 
 comes a new man. He blesses Jesus as his faithful 
 minister, comforter, and Saviour. His doctrine drops 
 as the rain, the people are awakened, sanctified, and 
 prepared for glory. 
 
 See him, going from one hospitable door to another. 
 He eats and drinks with those who receive him with 
 open arms. But while he receives the bounty of his 
 friends, his silent prayers ascend to heaven for their 
 prosperity, for their comfort, and for their salvation. 
 While he receives the tokens of their respect, he heals 
 their sick, he instructs their families, he saves their 
 souls. He goes about doing good. When the ear 
 heard him, then it blessed him; when the eye saw 
 him, then it gave witness to him. He delivered the 
 poor, who cried, and the fatherless, and him that had 
 none to help him. The blessing of him that was 
 ready to perish came upon him, and he caused the 
 widow's heart to sing for joy. He was eyes to the 
 blind, and feet to the lame. He pardoned the trem- 
 bling penitent, he comforted the weeping mourners, 
 he raised the dead. When he was reviled and abused, 
 he returned not railing for railing; he blessed those 
 who cursed him, he prayed for his murderers. He 
 
110 
 
 died for us, while we were yet enemies, to save us 
 from the wrath of God, to save us from hell. Ho- 
 sanna to this Son of David! O give thanks unto the 
 Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 Let every thing, which hath breath, praise the Lord. 
 Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Praise ye the Lord. 
 
HEBREWS xi, 33. 
 Who through Faith subdued kingdoms. 
 
 THE mysterious power of God is manifest in pro- 
 ducing sublime effects by inadequate causes ; stupen- 
 dous events by trivial means. Moses lifts his rod, 
 and the Red sea is divided. Joshua says, " Sun, 
 stand thou still ;" and the planets stop in their course. 
 A little clay opens the eyes of a blind man, and the 
 faith of a mother expels a demon from her daughter. 
 The faith of feeble mortals is an efficacious engine 
 of God, in governing the world. The faith of David 
 puts to flight the armies of Philistia. The faith of 
 Noah preserves the wreck of the human race, again to 
 cover the earth with the dwellings of joy. The faith 
 of Abraham produces a race of believers, to the end 
 of the world. Faith subdues kingdoms, stops the 
 mouths of lions, quenches the violence of fire. If 
 eminent advantages do result from faith, the fact 
 should be proclaimed for the encouragement of be- 
 lievers, for the conviction of unbelievers. It is, there- 
 fore, the religious duty of Christians not only to 
 
112 
 
 believe, or exercise faith, but to learn its benefits. 
 In gospel faith, God proposes a benefit as well as a 
 duty. Those, therefore, who stop at the duty, with- 
 out a distinct view of the blessings, rob themselves of 
 immense privileges and consolations. Excepting 
 some general convictions that faith will save the soul, 
 its blessings are, I think, little known or examined. 
 If there be other blessings besides salvation, it is 
 important, according to the value of those blessings, 
 that they be distinctly ascertained. A person may 
 possess the richest gems and jewels; but not knowing 
 their value, they may be useless to him. The richest 
 cordials may produce no benefit when the physician 
 is unacquainted with their effects. The quadrant, 
 and telescope, and compass, so essential in astronomy 
 and navigation, are, in the hands of ignorance, merely 
 so much wood and glass, brass and iron. So a person 
 may be a believer, but not knowing all the advantages 
 of faith, he may lose vast comforts and blessings. 
 
 I proceed to mention a few advantages of faith, 
 after explaining what faith is. " Faith is a cordial 
 belief of the divine oracles;" or according to the per- 
 fect definition of the apostle, " Faith is the substance 
 of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not 
 seen.*' Faith brings near those things W 7 hich are far 
 off, and gives the substance, gives the enjoyment of 
 the object, before it is possessed. Faith is itself evi- 
 dence of the fact. Faith that we shall enjoy a blessing, 
 is proof of its being on the way. The words trans- 
 lated " evidence of things not seen," according to 
 many learned men, is " a strict proof or demonstra- 
 tion." Faith is a strict proof, or demonstration, 
 
113 
 
 a certainty, that the thing will take place. Faith in 
 God that an event will take place, is a demonstration 
 that it will take place, and emboldens the believer to 
 act accordingly. Jonathan believed in God, that he 
 and his armour bearer should take a whole garrison. 
 He proceeded to act according to that faith. The 
 result justified the faith. Because Antinomians 
 and enthusiasts have been fools, and fired their minds 
 with false raptures and visions of glory, we must not 
 rob ourselves of hopes and joys which rest on the 
 promises of God. 
 
 The objects of faith are extensive and general. 
 A man may believe, not only to the saving of his soul ; 
 but he may have equal faith that God will grant him 
 numerous other favours. Like the men going into the 
 furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, he may believe that God 
 will deliver him from his fiery trials. Like Jacob he 
 may believe that God will prosper his journey through 
 life, and spread his table with plenty. But we hasten 
 to mention some of the privileges and blessings of 
 faith. 
 
 I. We hardly need mention that the man of faith 
 believes to the saving of his soul. 
 
 Notwithstanding his unworthiness and his crimson 
 guilt, since the Redeemer has come, since atonement 
 has been made, the believer trusts in God for pardon 
 and eternal life. Looking back to his guilty life, he 
 believes that Jesus Christ has borne his sins in his 
 own body, and that by his stripes he is healed. He 
 looks forward to the dark valley, and the shadow of 
 death, and believes that God will support and save 
 him. He believes that he shall be admitted to mount 
 15 
 
114 
 
 Zion, the city of the living God. He is admitted. 
 Such is the efficacy of faith ; it saves the soul. 
 
 II. Faith in Jesus Christ enables the believer to 
 resist temptation. In a world of temptation, where 
 sin and ruin lurk in every path, how precious is the 
 shield that repels the allurements of the world, the 
 flesh, and the adversary ! 
 
 See Joseph in Egypt. His master is abroad. The 
 garden of voluptuous pleasure is open ; the bower of 
 secresy is formed. Youth and beauty unite, and 
 urge him to seize the cup of delight, to riot in sensual 
 pleasure. But he believes in God. He believes the 
 promises, and the threatenings of God. Faith saves 
 him from guilt and ruia. 
 
 David finds Saul, his enemy once and again, asleep, 
 and defenceless. In a moment he might have slain 
 him. The world would have justified him ; the 
 world would have praised and applauded him. He 
 would have secured the royal treasures ; he would 
 have delivered himself from a murderous enemy ; 
 he would have secured the kingdom to himself. Who 
 would not have given the fatal thrust to have freed 
 himself from such malignant persecutions, to have 
 secured such a mighty empire ? Yet David, com- 
 forted and supported by faith in God, willingly suffers 
 his enemy to escape unhurt- 
 Job, deprived of his children, robbed of his property, 
 robbed of his reputation, instead of cursing God, says, 
 "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; 
 blessed be the name of the Lord. Such is the power 
 of faith to defend the soul against temptation. 
 
115 
 
 III. Faith enables the believer to do what he 
 would have thought impracticable or absurd. " I can 
 do r all things, cries faith, through Christ Jesus who 
 strengtheneth me." " If I go through the water, it 
 will not overflow me. If I go through the fire, it 
 will not kindle upon me." 
 
 On the truth of God's word, Noah anticipated the 
 deluge. He had no other evidence of such an event, 
 nor was it so probable, as a thousand things which 
 are daily disregarded. We have more evidence that 
 it shall go well with the righteous, and ill with the 
 wicked, that the way of wisdom is pleasant, and the 
 way of transgressors hard ; yet how few believe, or 
 are influenced by these truths. 
 
 But Noah believed, and therefore went to the forest, 
 cut down the trees, collected and hewed the timber, 
 and built a huge ship, probably on dry land. Had he 
 not been impelled by faith, would he have done this ? 
 
 Could Moses, could any man of a sound mind, not 
 animated by faith, have led the unarmed mob of Israel 
 from Egypt, pursued by the royal army ? Could any 
 mind, not transported by faith, have left the solid shore 
 to tread the bottom of the miry deep ? The army of the 
 Midianites and the Amalekites was immense. Their 
 camels were without number ; yet Gideon with only 
 three hundred men, attacked and drove them from the 
 field. What but faith could rouse Deborah, a wise 
 and peaceful woman, to lead the armies of Israel to 
 battle, and to victory ? Would any persons in their 
 senses have entered on such expeditions, unless raised 
 above mortal views, by that faith which is the evi- 
 dence of things not seen ? Faith of this sort has been 
 
116 
 
 displayed by the pious in every age, from the begin- 
 ning of the world to the present day. I will mention 
 a single instance in comparatively modern times. 
 
 If we exclude faith from his character, the conduct 
 of Martin Luther was folly and rashness in attempting 
 the reformation of the papal church. While the 
 laws of his country condemn him ; while the spir- 
 itual tribunals, the most frightful of all tribunals, are 
 preparing their racks and their fires ; while the thun- 
 ders of the Roman pontiff are bursting on his head, 
 what has he to hope ? Could any thing but that faith 
 which is the substance of things hoped for, calm his 
 fears, sustain his course, fire his zeal in view of judges, 
 and princes, in view of torture and death ? Faith 
 changes rashness into prudence, presumption into 
 wisdom. Faith elevates man above himself; the 
 timid become bold ; the feeble are made strong ; the 
 lukewarm are fired with a holy zeal. 
 
 IV. Faith may deliver the believer from the great- 
 est evils, and procure the most valued blessings. 
 
 Believers often sigh and weep in a dungeon of 
 despondency ; because they are unconscious of the 
 power to unlock their prison door. They forget the 
 promise made to faith ; they forget the sword of the 
 Spirit. How many are bowed down under their bur- 
 dens, unconscious of their spiritual strength to throw 
 them off, unconscious of their power with God. 
 
 So Jacob mourned ; " All these things are against 
 me." So for a time, David mourned ; " I shall one 
 day fall by the hand of my enemy." So pious Chris- 
 tians, and faithful ministers often tremble at the sight 
 of their enemies. Not so do they, not so did David 
 
117 
 
 always tremble. By degrees his faith rises, his hope 
 becomes strong. Though he had been discouraged 
 and perplexed ; though he had been persecuted and 
 hunted as a partridge in the woods of Judea, a step 
 between him and death, his enemy ready to devour 
 hi m yet his faith triumphs. His light breaks forth, 
 like the splendours of a morning sun, after a night of 
 storm. He believes, though he does not know how, 
 that God will destroy Saul. " As the Lord liveth," 
 saith he, " the Lord shall smite him ; or his day shall 
 come to die ; or he shall descend into battle and per- 
 ish." He believes that somehow God will deliver 
 him from his enemy. 
 
 Unless we ascribe this to faith, it was presumption, 
 it was impiety ; it was murder to foretell the death of 
 his enemy. Such is the power of faith to repel the 
 evils of life, when exerted by an injured, persecuted 
 servant of God. 
 
 Now see its power in the soul of a sick and dying 
 man. Hezekiah w r as sick unto death. His sentence 
 is pronounced. Isaiah comes to him, and says, 
 "Thus saith the Lord; Set thine house in order ; 
 for thou shalt die, and not live." What could be 
 more absolute, what more dreadful ! Hezekiah was 
 surprized and amazed. He was not yet satisfied with 
 life ; he was not convinced that the best time for his 
 departure had come ; he was not willing to die ; he 
 could not be willing. His mind rose; he exercised 
 that triumphant faith which every good man may. " I 
 beseech thee, oh Lord, remember how I have walked 
 before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have 
 done that which is good in thy sight." He could speak 
 
118 
 
 no more, though his heart was yet full, " and Heze- 
 kiah wept sore." What next ? Before Isaiah was 
 out of the house, he hears a voice, " Turn again, tell 
 Hezekiah, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy 
 tears ; I will heal thee ;" thou shalt recover. Such 
 is the power of faith on a sick bed. It wrests the 
 prisoner from the king of terrours ; delivers him from 
 the agonies of dissolution, brings him back from the 
 gates of death, saves him from the opening grave ! 
 
 A law was made, signed and sealed, in Shushan, 
 that all the Jews should be destroyed. It was a law 
 of the Medes and Persians. It could not be altered. 
 All the power of the empire was armed to execute the 
 law. According to human calculations, not a ray 
 of hope cheered the dreadful scene. 
 
 The faith of Mordecai is unshaken. In spite of 
 laws, in spite of armies, he believes that Israel will 
 be saved. He requests his kinswoman to devote three 
 days to fasting and prayer. He assures her that if 
 she neglects her duty, " Deliverance shall come from 
 another quarter." His faith prevails ; the church 
 escapes the edge of the sword. 
 
 All the citizens of Nineveh with her royal court, 
 might be summoned to the bar, to support the efficacy 
 of faith. But I hasten down to the Gospel age, 
 where nothing is found too hard for God, where it is 
 found that whatever men believe, that he performs for 
 them. Matt. xv. Christ says to the Syrophenician 
 woman, " Great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as 
 thou wilt." Dr. Clarke, remarking on this passage, 
 says, "Persevering faith, and prayer are next to 
 omnipotent. No person can thus pray and believe 
 
119 
 
 without receiving all his soul requires." Mr. Henry 
 says, " Be it unto thee I can deny thee nothing ; 
 take what thou earnest for. Great believers may 
 have what they will for asking." The same doctrine 
 is enforced Matt, viii, 13. " Go thy way, and as thou 
 hast believed, so be it done unto thee." Their faith 
 is the exact measure of their blessing. What you 
 believe you shall receive ; it is precisely the thing 
 which shall be given you. On this passage Mr. 
 Henry remarks again. " Christ gave the centurion a 
 blank. Be it done unto thee as thou believest. Yet 
 what was said to him is now said to us." See here 
 the power of faith ; as Christ can do what he will, 
 so an active believer may have what he will from 
 Christ. You may enlarge their faith to any extent, 
 all shall be given you. Accordingly a very learned 
 commentator adds, " According to thy faith be it done 
 unto thee, is a general rule of God's dealings with man- 
 kind. God is the same in present time as in ancient 
 days, and miracles of healing may be wrought on our 
 own bodies and souls, and on those of others by the 
 instrumentality of faith. My friends, is not God the 
 same ? is not faith the same ? is not Christ the same ? 
 is not the promise the same ? I ask then, I anxiously 
 ask, why the blessings of faith from Jesus Christ should 
 not be the same ? the same in all ages ? You need 
 not be apostles, you need not perform miracles. Bar- 
 timeus did not perform a miracle. He merely believed 
 that Jesus Christ was able to open his eyes. Jesus 
 Christ is now able, and you need do no more, than 
 humble believers did under the Old and New Testa- 
 ment. They had faith in God and Christ, that they 
 
120 
 
 were able to cure their leprosy, to heal their maladies, 
 and that they should experience such favours. There- 
 fore Christ did actually confer such favours. He is 
 still the same, his promises are the same, and it is only 
 for believers to be the same, and then the same bless- 
 ings will follow from their faith. 
 
 o 
 
 Matt. xvii. The disciples inquire, " Why could not 
 we cast him out ?" Answer. " Because of your un- 
 belief;" or, as it is in many manuscripts and versions, 
 " because of the littleness of your faith." The disci- 
 ples had saving faith ; but they had not faith in this 
 particular instance. Or it was weak and doubtful, 
 owing, perhaps, to some peculiar malignity in the 
 case. Such, doubtless, is the infelicity of thousands 
 of saints. They have saving faith, but like Christian 
 in the den of giant Despair, they have not faith to 
 relieve themselves froln temporary evils. 
 
 The doctrine of faith is repeated in language 
 stronger than any which I have used, in Mark 9. " If 
 thou canst believe ; all things are possiblp to him that 
 believeth." 
 
 The man had said to Christ, " If thou canst," if thou 
 art able " to do any thing, have compassion on us, and 
 help us." Christ replies, The difficulty is not in my 
 want of power. If there be any difficulty, it is your 
 want of faith. If you can believe the fact, then all 
 your desire shall be accomplished. 
 
 In perfect unison with this, Christ says to his dis- 
 ciples, " If you have faith and doubt not, ye shall say 
 to this mountain, be thou removed and cast into the 
 sea." Though this need not be understood literally, 
 because it was a proverbial expression ; still it signi- 
 
121 
 
 lied the removal of the greatest evils of life. In this 
 sense the Rabbis were termed " Rooters up of moun- 
 tains ;" that is, they could solve the most difficult 
 questions. So faith, however small, like a grain of 
 mustard seed, will conquer the greatest evils. 
 Again, " Whatsoever things ye desire when yc 
 pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall 
 have them ;" verily I say unto you ye shall have them. 
 
 But, perhaps, it may be inquired, " How shall we 
 distinguish between things attainable, and things which 
 are impossible ? We can have no reasonable assu- 
 rance, without a promise ; but now we seldom or 
 never have a promise, in any particular case." To 
 this we need only one word of reply. A general 
 promise is just as binding on the part of God, and 
 gives as strong a claim on the part of the creature as a 
 particular promise. " Whatsoever ye ask the Father 
 in my name, he will do it for you," is a ground of as 
 strong confidence, whatever be desired, as the partic- 
 ular promise, "The prayer of faith shall save the 
 sick." We rest on the general promise. 
 
 V. Faith displays her mysterious power in the 
 support, the consolation, and triumph, which she 
 affords believers in the unavoidable evils of human 
 life. 
 
 Notwithstanding the commendations of faith, and 
 her mighty power, it must be carefully remembered, 
 that faith is always reasonable ; its object must be 
 consistent with the divine glory; and the general 
 good. But often the removal of our evils hath no 
 such tendency ; but the general good, and even our 
 personal welfare, on the whole, require our endurance 
 16 
 
122 
 
 of the evil. A thousand cases might be described, 
 where some thorn in the flesh is necessary for the 
 individual, where some domestic trouble is salutary 
 for the family, where some public calamity is useful 
 to the nation. In such circumstances, it is not possi- 
 ble to exercise Gospel faith, for the removal of such 
 evils. This concession does not weaken the power 
 of faith ; because no faith is ever exercised in such a 
 case. Faith is not to be blamed for not being able 
 to accomplish what she never attempts, and what she 
 ought not to attempt. 
 
 In Egypt Joseph endured much evil ; his father 
 endured much evil from his absence ; but all was 
 meant for good. A faith which had opened the house 
 of bondage, and hurried Joseph back to his father's 
 bosom, would have been a rash, a baleful faith. 
 
 What then, after all, is the benefit of faith, if it will 
 not remove all the evils of life ? Much every way. 
 Faith will, or may remove all the evils which 
 ought to be removed. More than this, faith sustains 
 the soul under those evils which are unavoidable, 
 which are necessary, which are beneficial. Faith is 
 not less glorious in the strength which she imparts, 
 than in the deliverance which she brings. She is not 
 less glorious in sustaining St. Paul under his perils 
 and persecutions, than in leading St. Peter, at mid- 
 night, from his dungeon and his fetters. 
 
 Where is a sight more sublime, where a voice 
 more celestial, than breaks from the lips of faith, 
 touched with a coal from the holy altar ? "I take 
 pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, 
 in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. I have. 
 
learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be 
 content. I glory in tribulation. I am ready not only 
 to be bound, but also to die. I desire to depart to be 
 with Christ." Such is the celestial power of faith. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. We live in a day of weak faith. Men, by their 
 faith, just save their souls. Hence the glory and 
 invincible efficacy of faith are supposed to be limited 
 to the apostolic age, or the first three hundred years 
 of Christianity. 
 
 The propensity is universal among mankind, to 
 accommodate the meaning of Scripture to their own 
 experience. Every thing beyond their own views, is 
 thought to be enthusiasm or extravagance. When 
 people have only superficial convictions of sin, the 
 doctrines of universal depravity, of regeneration, and 
 future punishment are denied or explained away. 
 Thus they perceive no necessity of atonement, and 
 deny the divinity of the Saviour. 
 
 So is it with faith ; men are weak in faith ; hence 
 they deny that such a powerful faith is exemplified, 
 or required in the gospel. Happily the oracles 
 of God remain unaltered, and doubtless they will be 
 more clearly understood, and the power of faith 
 be again acknowledged, as the light of the millennial 
 day advances. Then will men be strong in faith, 
 and plead like Abraham, and prevail like Jacob, while 
 wonders of grace will follow. 
 
 II. Saving faith is not inferiour to the faith of mir- 
 acles. It may accomplish more ; it wodks by love. 
 
124 
 
 and purities the heart, it saves the soul. It is there- 
 fore superiour to the faith of miracles. This may 
 leave the heart destitute of every grace. Gospel 
 faith sanctifies the heart, gives it a claim to eternal 
 life ; and produces all reasonable wonders and mira- 
 cles. Faith is rational; its object is suitable and 
 proper, and for the divine glory. As long as miracles 
 had this character, they were produced by faith. 
 When they became unnecessary, or unreasonable* 
 they ceased ; but whatever thing or event may now 
 be reasonable, and for the divine glory, is still a 
 proper object of faith, and may be produced by faith. 
 Indeed, I do not believe, that any precise line can be 
 drawn, between events deemed natural, and those 
 which are supernatural. We do not by this mean 
 that they can never be distinguished. When Laza- 
 rus rises from his grave, we are sure of a miracle. 
 When Ahab is wounded in battle, we think only of a 
 natural effect. Betw r een these may be many cases of 
 a doubtful nature. Was the recovery of Hezekiah, 
 was the birth of Isaac, was the preservation of Daniel, 
 natural or miraculous? You do not certainly know. 
 Both classes of events are produced by the agency of 
 God ; both may be the effect of faith ; the scriptures 
 make no distinction ; they unite and blend like the 
 colours of the rainbow. How then shall they be 
 distinguished ? 
 
 By faith Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice. By 
 faith Noah built an ark, and Abraham travelled to 
 Canaan. These were natural actions. By faith 
 Moses passed through the Red Sea, by faith the Walls 
 of Jericho fell. These were miraculous ; but the Holy 
 
[25 
 
 Scriptures make no distinction, they are blended to- 
 gether in the same sentence. All are ascribed to faith, 
 and to tile same sort of faith ; no distinction is made. 
 The essence of faith is ever the same ; it may be im- 
 mensely varied in degree in different individuals, in 
 different characters and ages of the world. 
 
 There may not be the same reason for wonderful 
 events in every age ; then, as faith is always rational, 
 the same events will not be produced in every age. 
 Still the nature of faith is unchangeable, and is prob- 
 ably producing more glorious effects in every age than 
 the world believe or imagine. If we are straitened, 
 if we are circumscribed to small things, we are not 
 strairened in God, nor by the nature of faith ; but by 
 our unbdief, or the weakness of our faith. 
 
 Do any say, it is impossible that such great effects 
 as those which have been mentioned, can result from 
 faith. I only ask, what event is greater or more 
 wonderful than the salvation of a lost sinner ? the 
 spiritual resurrection of souls dead in trespasses and 
 sins ? If God give this greater salvation to our faith, 
 why then should it be thought a thing incredible, that 
 faith should produce less wonderful effects ? 
 
 II. The subject calls upon us, and encourages us 
 to enlarge and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. 
 Is not the world, and are not we, miserably deficient ? 
 Where is that unmixed confidence in God which his 
 word justifies, which his word requires, which his 
 word commands ? Like the church at Sardis, have 
 we not a name to live, while we are really dead ? 
 Like the church at Laodicea do we not imagine our- 
 selves zealous, and rich in morals and missionary 
 
 - 
 
126 
 
 sacrifices, while we are lukewarm ? Where are those 
 fruits of our faith which Noah, and Daniel, and Job 
 received in handfuls ? 
 
 Let us then fix our attention on what is most 
 important, most desirable ; let us dwell on the object, 
 till we see all its excellencies ; then let us believe, 
 believe that God is able and willing to bestow this 
 important and desirable object ; ask him, believing 
 that he will hear you, and the thing shall be accom- 
 plished. Like Solomon, ask for much, and more shall 
 be given you. What a man soweth, that shall he 
 reap. 
 
 Refuse nothing to Jesus Christ, and he will refuse 
 nothing to you. Devote yourselves to God, and believe 
 his promises ; exercise the faith of patriarchs and 
 apostles, and your rewards and consolations shall be 
 as great as those of patriarchs and apostles, who 
 through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteous- 
 ness, obtained the promises, escaped the edge of the 
 sword, received their dead raised to life again! 
 
 Faith is the gift of God. Will God give faith only 
 to disappoint, to confound, and shame the believer ? 
 All great and mighty impulses of the mind, while 
 founded in reason, are the gift of God. The inge- 
 nious skill of Bezaleel, and the daring enterprise of 
 Cyrus, were the gift of God. Thence we see that 
 the natural hope and confidence, or faith, of natural 
 men, concerning worldly things are the gift of God. 
 
 These mighty affections of the heart are inspired 
 by God, to produce great and lasting effects, in the 
 divine government. Unless their legitimate and spon- 
 taneous effects be realized, these mighty powers are 
 
127 
 
 useless and dangerous. A potent cause, not producing 
 its effects, is an absurdity, and a reproach to its author. 
 Such a solecism never does take place. Historic 
 facts will show what wonderful effects have been 
 produced by a mere natural or physical faith. Can 
 we, then, too highly estimate the faith of the Gospel ? 
 Is a man disappointed in his reasonable arrangements 
 and expectations ? It is because he did not desire 
 and believe with ardour. He was not animated with 
 that love, which, sooner or later, grasps the object to 
 which it aspires. Those who have faith in nothing, 
 will achieve nothing. Feeble minds there are, who 
 have no faith in themselves, in man, in God. But 
 faith is power. Thirty-five thousand Greeks had 
 confidence in their commander; and they followed 
 Alexander to the conquest of the world. An oracle 
 gave the universe to the Romans ; the Romans be- 
 lieved the promise, and gained the empire of the uni- 
 verse. Columbus believed in the existence of a new 
 world ; and a new world rose from the bosom of the 
 ocean before him. Shall we not then exalt our views 
 of Christian faith ? Shall we not say of all believers 
 what St. Ambrose said of the martyrs, " Without 
 armies, without legions, they vanquish tyrants, tame 
 lions, take from fire its vehemeuce, and its edge from 
 the sword." Shall we not then aspire to their faith ? 
 Is not the same faith required of us ? Are not the 
 same promises made to us ? Shall we not soon, very 
 soon, be in perishing need of the same faith ? 
 
 Look then to the examples of Noah and others. 
 Noah saw the storm gathering, the lightning blazing, 
 and the hills trembling. The windows of heaven are 
 
128 
 
 open, tlie waters overflow the earth, and the shrieks 
 of a perishing world are lost in the howlings of the 
 storm. Yet, supported by the power of faith, Noah 
 rides the billows of the world. Calmly he surveys 
 the wreck of human glory ; his faith supports him 
 till he rests on Ararat, and kindles the sacrifice on the 
 holy altar. 
 
 Do you not, my dear friends, need the faith of 
 Noah ? A more, yes, a more terrible scene lies before 
 you. You need, if possible, a more powerful faith. 
 You will soon see the dead rising, and the Son of 
 man coming to take vengeance on the wicked. Are 
 you prepared to meet your Judge. Have you faith 
 to see, unmoved, the heavens pass away with a great 
 noise ? Should you this moment hear the voice of 
 the Archangel, and the trump of God ; should you 
 now be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, could 
 your heart endure, or your hand be strong ? These 
 very things are at the door. Remember how precious 
 is faith in Jesus Christ. He that believeth shall be 
 saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. 
 
ISAIAH xlv, 11. 
 Command ye me. 
 
 IN every book which we read, we anticipate pleasure 
 and instruction corresponding with the character of 
 the author. We expect piety in Watts, sublimity in 
 Milton, harmony in Pope, profound thoughts and 
 strong arguments in Edwards, strains of eloquence in 
 Saurin and Massilon. 
 
 The God of heaven has condescended to be an au- 
 thor, and we are not disappointed. We find a work 
 like himself, sublime and incomprehensible. He has 
 published a system of Theology, containing doctrines 
 more wonderful than the heart of man had ever con- 
 ceived, enjoining duties which philosophy had never 
 acknowledged, proclaiming promises more glorious, 
 than human hopes had ever expected, and threatenings 
 more dreadful than mortal fears had ever imagined. 
 In every part of the work we discover the strokes of 
 the great Master. As the sun, shining in his strength, 
 surpasses the light of the comet, roving in darkness ; 
 so the instructions of the Bible are more excellent 
 17 
 
130 
 
 than the writings of men. The proud speculations of 
 human sagacity are humbled ; the eye of worldly 
 wisdom is dazzled and confounded. 
 
 An example is presented in the text. The impor- 
 tance, the efficacy, and irresistible success of prayer, 
 is announced in a manner to surprise and astonish the 
 reader. The fact hardly gains our belief, though it 
 is declared in the plainest manner, and in other parts 
 of Scripture repeated in various forms. 
 
 The pagan philosophers had doubted whether 
 prayer was any advantage, whether prayer was a 
 duty. The text does not merely settle these ques- 
 tions, but asserts the mighty power, the certain suc- 
 cess of prayer, gives it the force of a " command." 
 " The meaning," saith the pious Flavel, " is, that God 
 hath, as it were, subjected the works of his hand to 
 the prayer of his saints. And it is as if he had said, 
 If my glory, if your necessity require it, do but ask 
 me in prayer, and whatever my Almighty power can 
 do, I will do for you." 
 
 The following paraphrase is from the learned Dr. 
 Lowth. " Thus saith the Holy One of Israel and his 
 Maker, which generally ushers in a glorious promise, 
 instead of murmuring, humble yourselves, and ask 
 what you will, for the consolation of my children, 
 and ye shall be sure of it, as ye are of those things 
 which are at your command. Although God is not 
 obliged to render an account of his proceedings, yet 
 he is graciously pleased to resolve any questions that 
 are proposed to him, concerning the issue of his peo- 
 ples' captivity. Nay, he represents himself, as ready 
 to serve, and to do every thing which can be desired 
 
131 
 
 in favour of his elect, those whom he calls his sons, 
 and the works of his hands." Command ye me. 
 
 DOCTRINE. Certain prayers God will answer in 
 the most literal manner. 
 
 This doctrine does not contradict a common opin- 
 ion that the prayer of faith will obtain the thing 
 asked, or something which is better; but proceeds 
 further, and asserts that we may by prayer obtain the 
 very thing which is desired. But perhaps it may be 
 proper to remove some apparent difficulties. 
 
 It is said Jer. xv. " Though Moses and Samuel 
 stood before me, my mind could not be towards this 
 people." This shows, perhaps, no more than that the 
 usual and common prayers of Moses and Samuel 
 would not save that wicked people. Remarkable 
 evils require remarkable means to remove them. The 
 doctrine does not assert that the common prayers of 
 faith will obtain the object which is desired. But I 
 may also remark that neither Moses, nor Samuel, nor 
 even Jeremiah, did pray for that people ; for God had 
 said to him, " Pray not for this people." 
 
 Possibly, it may be objected to this opinion, that it 
 is new. This, I do not think, is perfectly just. If you 
 read the addresses made to the benevolent corporations 
 of the day, many of them assert my doctrine. If you 
 read the divines of the present or past ages, though I 
 do not say, that they systematically support this opin- 
 ion, yet I do say that often they do assert the same 
 doctrine. I will give a single instance from Dr. John 
 Edwards, whom Dr. Kippis calls the St. Paul and 
 Augustine of his age. "Prayer mightily prevails 
 with God, and, if I may so speak with reverence, 
 
132 
 
 forces and extorts mercy from him. One said of 
 Luther, who was wonderfully prevalent in prayer, 
 * That man could do what he would.' It is true, in its 
 proportion, of every pious and godly supplicant ; he 
 can do as he pleases ; he can wrestle with omnipo- 
 tence and overcome. He can besiege heaven, and 
 take it by violence." But were the opinion novel, this 
 would not prove it false. The time has been when 
 every thing was new. So lately as the 17th century 
 Galileo was condemned by the Inquisition, as an 
 obstinate heretic, because he believed that the earth 
 and planets revolved in their orbits. He was com- 
 pelled to retract this heresy, and as a further punish- 
 ment, after a long imprisonment, was required to 
 repeat the seven penitential Psalms every week. 
 
 It will probably be said by some, that the trans- 
 lators of our Bible have not done justice to the text ; 
 that instead of standing as it does, it should be in the 
 form of a question, Command ye me ? This is en- 
 tirely a matter of opinion, and who shall decide 
 where learned men disagree ? Dr. Lowth, whose 
 name outweighs a host of ordinary commentators, 
 approves our common translation. Yet I feel no par- 
 ticular interest in defending the translation of our 
 Bible in this passage. I have placed it merely as a 
 motto to this discourse, and do not intend to use it as a 
 proof text ; others, as I think, are abundantly numer- 
 ous. 
 
 It will possibly be said, that pious professors have 
 not found the doctrine true, and that they lightly es- 
 teem such an opinion. To this I can only reply, that 
 some professors, through a long life, have found the 
 
133 
 
 doctrine true ; in the hour of danger and distress, it 
 has been their strongest support ; the sweetest cor- 
 dial in the cup of life ; the richest jewel of all their 
 treasures. 
 
 It may be objected that Paul prayed, that "the 
 thorn in the flesh might be removed," and Moses 
 " that he might enter Canaan ;" and that both were 
 denied. To this I only say, that no evidence 
 shows that their prayers answered the description 
 which I am about to give of those prayers which are 
 universally successful. What then is the distinctive 
 character of such prayers ? 
 
 I. To be sure of success, the supplicant must have 
 a clear persuasion that the thing for which he prays 
 is for the divine glory. 
 
 Here is firm ground. Having this argument, we 
 have power with God. We are stronger than Samp- 
 son, more successful than David. This is the con- 
 sideration, which moves the divine mind ; for which 
 worlds roll from his hand, and men and angels bow be- 
 fore his throne. All the works of God are to promote 
 his own glory. This was the object when he created 
 the world, and furnished it with conveniences for the 
 comfort of man. All things were created by him and 
 for him. For his glory he kindled the light of the 
 sun, balanced the stars, bid the mountains rise, the 
 ocean roll, and Eden bloom. For the same great 
 purpose, he governs the nations, and their successive 
 monarchies rise and fall. For this purpose the Saviour 
 was promised, was born, and made a sacrifice for sin. 
 For this great object, the glory of God, the inspira- 
 tion of the Almighty has in this age, excited " many 
 
134 
 
 to run to and fro," the world is moved, knowledge is 
 increasing, the influence of the Gospel is advancing, 
 the lights of Christianity are kindling, soon to shine 
 and enlighten all the coasts of the world. For this 
 the Holy Spirit operates, the minds of men are sanc- 
 tified, converts are multiplied, and the songs of the 
 redeemed are heard from mount Zion, to the ends of 
 the earth. He whose mind contemplates this sublime 
 object, which has interested the heart of Deity from 
 everlasting, kindling with sacred delight on discov- 
 ering some event which will advance this object, may 
 offer his prayers with assurance of success. True, 
 there is a physical possibility he may mistake ; but, 
 having a sound judgment, a pure conscience, and a 
 good heart, he may have a moral certainty of being 
 right. Especially^ if in addition to his clear convic- 
 tion of the fact, he enjoys a spirit of prayer for the 
 object, he may be assured he is not wrong. " The 
 Spirit helps our infirmities," and though we may not 
 absolutely know what we should pray for as we 
 ought, yet the Spirit will make intercession for us. 
 " He will lend us his helping hand, and manage these 
 affairs for us, guiding our minds to suitable petitions ; 
 so that we shall pray as we ought, for what is good 
 and acceptable. This the Scripture teaches. Then, 
 we may indulge the sacred ardour of our hearts ; we 
 may pour out our souls, day and night ; we may 
 refuse to be denied. Doing the work of God, guided 
 by the Spirit of God, we cannot be disappointed. 
 Desires produced by the Spirit of God, directed to 
 the glory of God, cannot be lost ; they must succeed. 
 
135 
 
 Here it may be remarked, that this persuasion can- 
 not always be felt in view of things very desirable. 
 Sometimes the man under sore trials is satisfied, that 
 his troubles are for his best good, and for the divine 
 glory. He surely cannot pray in the manner we are 
 describing, for the removal of such evils. Often, 
 where such a clear discovery is not made, the man 
 may be wholly uncertain whether his affliction may 
 not be for the glory of God. For the removal of such 
 evils he cannot pray with assured success. Often it 
 would puzzle a man's self-love to show that his being 
 rich would honour God more than his poverty. How 
 would it conduce to the general good, if his neigh- 
 bour's wealth were transferred to him ? Where is 
 the evidence that the divine glory will be promoted 
 if his sick child recover, if his dissolute child be 
 reformed, if he K;nself be a monument of mercy, 
 rather than of justice ? Yet, sometimes these, and 
 many other things, may be so presented to the mind, 
 that the divine honour seems deeply involved. Irre- 
 sistible evidence of this fastens on the mind, while 
 some kind promise occurs, which is received with 
 confidence ; then may we pray with assurance of 
 hope. Some things may often appear in this light, 
 as the influence of the Holy Spirit, the success of the 
 Gospel, the salvation of men. When such a convic- 
 tion, in view of any event, has fastened on the mind ; 
 when we have a clear persuasion that the object will 
 promote the divine glory ; then may we bend the knee, 
 and spread forth the hand, and raise the strong, fer- 
 vent cry of supplication. Then may we repeat and 
 persevere in our supplications ; so believing we ought 
 
136 
 
 to persevere. We shall prevail. The Psalmist un- 
 derstood the efficacy of this argument. " For thy 
 name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is 
 great." " For the sake of thy name and glory, pardon 
 my sin." His sin was pardoned. His second argu- 
 ment is allied to this. " Pardon my sin," not because 
 it is small, but because it is great ; I cannot make 
 atonement, I am lost without pardoning mercy ; nor 
 is this all ; the greater the sin, the more will the 
 honour of divine mercy be magnified in its for- 
 giveness. It is the glory of the great God, to forgive 
 great sins, to forgive all iniquity, transgression and sin. 
 
 Joshua understood the power of this argument. 
 Israel was smitten, and fled before their enemies. 
 Joshua perceived that the divine honour was involved 
 in this state of things, that this evil must be retrieved, 
 or reproach would be cast on the name of God. 
 " Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon 
 his face before the ark of the Lord." He cried, " O 
 Lord God, O Lord, what shall we say, when Israel 
 turneth their backs before their enemies, and what 
 wilt thou do unto thy great name ?" This argu- 
 ment, " the great name," the honour of Jehovah, is 
 irresistible. God immediately answers this devout 
 leader of Israel, directs him how to proceed, and soon 
 leads him on to victory and conquest. 
 
 Moses once and again enjoyed the happy answers 
 of this effectual mode of supplication. The people 
 of Israel had rebelled, were about choosing a leader 
 that they might return to Egypt. In this distress, 
 while the people were ready to stone him, Moses 
 flies to the throne of mercy, and cries, " If thou shalt 
 
137 
 
 kill this people, then the nations wiifeak saying, 
 " The Lord was not able to bring this people into the 
 land, which he sware unto them." ' Reproach and 
 dishonour will be reflected on the glory of thy name ; 
 secure thy glory ; pardon, I beseech thee, the ini- 
 quity of this people.' Like a prince he has prevailed 
 with God. "The Lord .said, I have pardoned, 
 according to thy word ; but as truly as I live, all the 
 earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." ' I 
 yield to your argument ; my providence shall suffer 
 no reproach ; the fame of my wonders shall travel 
 through the world.' Such is the certain effect of 
 prayer, when the mind discovers the divine glory to 
 be concerned ; when the heart duly pleads and urges 
 this argument. Then does God say, " Ask, and ye 
 shall receive ; command ye me." 
 
 II. To be sure of success, the man of prayer 
 must not only have a true, evangelical faith, but an 
 appropriate, particular faith. 
 
 That faith in Scripture is a generic term including 
 different species needs no proof. From not keeping 
 this circumstance in view, much perplexity has risen. 
 Men have disputed, and denied or claimed that efficacy 
 for one species of faith, which is promised only to 
 another. Scripture speaks of the belief or faith of 
 devils. The apostles had the faith of miracles ; all 
 sincere Christians have evangelical faith ; Sampson 
 had a particular faith, that he could pull down the 
 temple of Dagon, and Elijah that an abundance of 
 rain was coming. The prayers of evangelical faith 
 may or may not be literally answered. They often 
 are, and often are not. When thev are not, something: 
 13 
 
138 
 
 better may be supposed. The " grace sufficient" for 
 Paul was better than a removal of "the thorn." 
 The prayer of appropriate faith ensures its object. 
 I need not analyse the evidence of this particular 
 belief, to answer cavils and quibbles. When a fact 
 can be proved, objections are futile. But I may say, 
 generally, that some intense, invincible impulse on 
 the mind is experienced, or some promise is believed; 
 and I ask, what danger or distress do men ever 
 endure, to which some promise may not be applied ? 
 Promises do not leave the result contingent, or merely 
 probable, but absolutely certain, when the condition 
 is observed. Who then may not exercise this faith ? 
 Christians speak freely of pleading the divine prom- 
 ises ; and they often speak as they do of their neigh- 
 bour's promise, which merely renders the favour hope- 
 ful or probable. Not such are the promises of God. 
 They are yea and amen, absolutely certain. To 
 plead the promises of Gpd is either proper or im- 
 proper. If it be improper, let the phrase be blotted 
 from the dialect of religion, and the duty never again 
 attempted. If it be proper, then let men plead the 
 promises with sincerity, with confidence, and assu- 
 rance of success. Still I would not too sanguinely 
 determine with precision, how far this faith is a duty, 
 or only a privilege. Possibly it is a privilege seldom 
 or never granted to some Christians, and not always, 
 to any. 
 
 The following observations from an eminently 
 pious divine* seem to corroborate my opinions ; they 
 breathe the air of experience, and intimate knowledge 
 
 * Dr. Cotton Mather. 
 
139 
 
 of the subject. He says, that "Good men, who 
 labour and abound in prayer to the great God, some- 
 times arrive to the assurance of a particular faith, for 
 the good success of their prayer. 'Tis not a thing 
 that never happens, that the children of God in the 
 midst of their supplications for this or that particular 
 mercy, find their hearts very comfortably, but unac- 
 countably, carried forth to a strange persuasion, that 
 they shall receive this particular mercy from the 
 Lord ; and this persuasion is not a mere notion and 
 fancy, but a special impression from heaven upon the 
 minds of the saints that are made partakers of it. 
 This particular faith is not the attainment of every 
 Christian, much less an endowment of every prayer. 
 There is no real Christian, but what prays in faith. 
 His prayer hath a general faith in the power, and 
 wisdom, and goodness of God, and the mediation 
 of Christ. But there is many a real Christian who 
 is a stranger to the meaning of this thing, viz. 
 a particular faith for such mercies, without which 
 a man may get safe to heaven at the last. It is 
 here and there a Christian, whom the sovereign 
 grace of heaven does favour with the consola- 
 tions of a particular faith ; nor if a Christian taste 
 of these joys, may he expect more than a taste of 
 them ; they are dainties that are not every day to be 
 feasted on : it is not in every prayer that the King of 
 heaven will admit every one to so much of intimacy 
 with himself. Indeed, such a particular faith is not 
 so much the duty of a Christian, as his comfort, his 
 honour, his privilege. There is a praying in faith 
 incumbent on every Christian in every prayer ; but this 
 
140 
 
 particular faith for the bestowal of such and such de- 
 sired mercies, is not incumbent on a Christian: it is 
 not required of him. It is a vast privilege for a Chris- 
 tian to be assured that the Lord will do this or that 
 individual thing for him ; however, it is no sin for a 
 Christian to break off not assured of it. But it is the 
 Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, that with a 
 singular operation, does produce in a Christian this 
 particular faith ; which, indeed is near a kin to the 
 faith of miracles. The wondrous meltings, the 
 mighty wrestlings, the quiet waitings, and the holy 
 resolves, that are characters of a particular faith, 
 which is no delusion, are the works of the Holy 
 Spirit." Such were the views of this pious and 
 learned divine. 
 
 Without saving faith, it is impossible to please God. 
 The faith of Abraham and Jacob rendered them the 
 friends of God, and gave such success to their prayers. 
 While we are unbelieving, or regard iniquity in our 
 lid&rts, the Lord will not hear us. The prayers of 
 impenitence are " abominable" in the .sight of God. 
 It was the prayer of faith which produced those im- 
 mense blessings recorded in the book of God. The 
 prayer of faith opened the windows of heaven, shut 
 the mouths of lioiss, subdued enemies, healed the sick, 
 raised the dead. 
 
 But for assured success in prayer, again I say, 
 somewhat more than mere saving faith is necessary. 
 He who so prays, must believe that God is a rewarder 
 of those, who diligently seek him. His faith must 
 be appropriate to the object which he seeks ; he must 
 take hold of a promise, and apply it to the blessing for 
 
141 
 
 which he prays; or feel an intensity of desire asso- 
 ciated with the divine glory, which brooks no denial. 
 Noah not only believed to his salvation, but he be- 
 lieved that God would keep him amid' the tempests 
 of a drowning world. Abraham not only had the 
 faith of eternal life, but he had an appropriate faith, 
 when he stood by the altar, with the knife in his 
 hand, that somehow, God would make the seed of 
 Isaac numerous as the stars of heaven. Jacob, while 
 he makes supplication, and dedicates a tenth of his 
 substance to God, has not only the faith of God's 
 elect ; but he believes that God will " keep him in the 
 way that he goes, give him bread to eat, and raiment 
 to put on. 
 
 To be sure of success in prayer, it is not sufficient 
 merely to exercise evangelical faith. A man may 
 have faith for the salvation of his soul, and yet have 
 no faith as to some particular favours which he de- 
 sires. This probably is the reason that good men 
 suffer so much, and enjoy so little. As to these 
 things they are weak as other men ; they have no 
 faith. In such case their saving faith gives no secu- 
 rity of obtaining these favours of providence, their 
 faith does not extend to them ; how can it have any 
 influence in securing them ? Peter had faith that 
 Jesus Christ was the Redeemer of his soul ; but when 
 he felt the winds blowing, and the sea rolling, he had 
 not faith that Jesus Christ would enable him to walk 
 on the angry sea. But when two blind men cry, 
 Son of David have mercy on us," Jesus says to 
 them, " Believe ye that I am able to do this ?" They 
 must have a particular faith for the particular favour 
 
142 
 
 which they ask. They had this faith, and their eyes 
 were opened. Does an afflicted father bring his son 
 oppressed with a dumb spirit, foaming and gnashing 
 with his teeth ? Jesus saith unto him, " If thou canst 
 believe ; all things are possible to him who believeth." 
 The father was not required to perform miracles, nor 
 to exercise the faith of miracles. He was required 
 only to believe, that Jesus Christ could perform mira- 
 cles, or this miracle in particular. With tears the 
 father cried, " Lord, I believe." His son was healed. 
 Again, the Saviour says, " What things soever ye 
 desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, 
 and ye shall have them." * Believe that I am faithful 
 to my promise, that I do hear prayer, and your prayer 
 shall be answered.' Thus a particular faith is neces- 
 sary to ensure a particular favour. When you so 
 offer up your supplications, God says " Command ye 
 me." If this proof be not full and complete, the 
 Father of the faithful offers himself as the last wit- 
 ness to be admitted. When God appeared to judge 
 and punish Sodom, Abraham drew near in the confi- 
 dence of his heart, and with strong expressions of 
 faith in the righteousness of God, offers his interces- 
 sions. He believes that the Judge of all the earth 
 will do right in this particular instance, and not de- 
 stroy the righteous with the wicked. As we ought 
 to expect in such cases, his first, and second, and third, 
 and fourth, and fifth petition is granted; all are 
 granted ; had there been more petitions, no doubt they 
 would have been granted. The oil of mercy ceases to 
 flow, not because the fountain is exhausted ; but the 
 vessel receiving it is full. God continues to grant, 
 
143 
 
 as long as Abraham continues to pray. The cause of 
 Sodom is lost, not because her Judge is inexorable, 
 nor because he is weary of hearing the plead- 
 ings of her advocate ; but his faith has reached its 
 limits, he can say no more. While he prays, he re- 
 ceives all he asks; his faith fails, and Sodom is 
 destroyed. May I not again say such prayers are 
 effectual ; to such supplicants God says, " Ask, and 
 ye shall receive." But the faith must be appropriate 
 and particular. A want of discrimination here has 
 been the source of mistake and wrong opinions. 
 The faith of miracles, and saving or evangelical faith, 
 are supposed to include all faith. But to confute 
 this notion, I further ask, What was the faith of Jon- 
 athan, that he and his armour-bearer could vanquish 
 a garrison of Philistines? What was the faith of 
 Nehemiah, that the " God of heaven" would prosper 
 him in building Jerusalem ? What was the faith 
 of Ezra, when he said to the king " The hand of our 
 God is upon all them for good that seek him," refus- 
 ing to ask the protection of a band of soldiers ? Here 
 were no miracles, of course no faith of miracles; 
 neither was it mere saving faith. In fact, what was 
 the faith of all those persons, for whom miracles were 
 performed, the widow of Sarepta, the lame, and the 
 blind ? They performed no miracles ; they therefore 
 had not the faith of miracles ; neither was it merely 
 evangelical faith : but an exercise of the heart entirely 
 distinct ; it was a particular, appropriate faith. St. 
 Peter's saving faith was not destroyed nor weakened, 
 though his appropriate and particular faith failed, 
 walking on the sea. Yes ;. all these and many more 
 
144 
 
 had the appropriate, particular faith for which I am 
 pleading. In the exercise of this faith, they raised 
 their hands and their hearts to heaven ; they were 
 heard and answered, as such supplicants ever are. 
 
 III. To ensure success we ought to feel a humble, 
 pious resolution never to give over our supplications, 
 while there is a possibility of obtaining the object. 
 
 In the neutral, indifferent prayers, which, alas, we 
 fear, are too common, men are soon weary and faint, 
 they become inconstant, and forget their object. 
 Like the king of Israel, who smote the ground thrice, 
 and then stayed, which provoked the wrath of the 
 prophet, they pray thrice, or a few times, and think 
 this to be sufficient. But had he smitten the ground 
 perseveringly "five or six times," he would have 
 obtained his desire, he would have consumed his ene- 
 mies ; so, would men persevere in their petitions, 
 they would be answered. 
 
 In the prayers also, which arise from a spirit of 
 self-righteousness, or reliance on our own strength, if 
 the blessing does not soon arrive, we are too apt to 
 feel disappointed, to be hurt, and grieved, and dis- 
 couraged, and cease to pray. But even when prayer 
 is offered in a better temper, we may fail from the 
 imbecility of our purposes, or from discouragement in 
 view of difficulties, which are putting the object fur- 
 ther and further from our reach, or from utter despair, 
 rising from some unexpected frown of providence, 
 rendering our prospect more and more dismal. Our 
 confidence, and faith and hope are weakened ; our 
 prayers lose their fervency; they become inconstant; 
 the object recedes from our view ; or is mingled with 
 
 
145 
 
 others of a general character, of only ordinary interest, 
 which make only a slight impression on the heart. 
 Prayers made in these circumstances afford no prom- 
 ise of success. 
 
 But sometimes, as new trials rise, as new dangers 
 alarm the mind, the pious suppliant offers his petitions 
 with increasing constancy and perseverance. Like 
 blind Bartimeus, as difficulties are thrown in the way, 
 he cries " a great deal the more^ Jesus, thou Son of 
 David, have mercy on me, and answer this prayer, 
 which I offer." 
 
 Sometimes an object appears so desirable, so im- 
 portant, so necessary, that the idea of losing it is 
 insupportable. In such a time, the heart often cleaves 
 to the throne of grace, as the vine twines itself round 
 the tree on which it grows. If you tear it away, you 
 rend it in pieces. With such a temper Moses prayed 
 for the deliverance of Israel in the wilderness. God 
 has pronounced their sentence, " Let me alone, that 
 my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may 
 consume them." Was ever destruction more sure ? 
 But Moses will not let God alone, and see him de- 
 stroy his dear people. He will not consent, that his 
 family shall not be made a great nation. No. He 
 resolves not to despair, not to give up his hope and 
 faith, not to leave off his intercession, while any 
 possibility of success remains. He therefore re- 
 peated his petitions, continued his supplications, till 
 he secured his object, till "the Lord repented of the 
 evil which he thought to do unto his people." 
 
 Was not the prayer of Elijah for rain after a long 
 and terrible famine of a similar character? Ho 
 19 
 
146 
 
 ascends to the top of mount Carmel, he sits down with 
 his face between his knees, as though he was resolved 
 not to rise, till his prayer was answered. Accordingly, 
 soon was heard the sound of an abundant rain. 
 
 In the story of the unjust judge, Jesus Christ has 
 taught us the certain success of invincible perseve- 
 rance in prayer. The judge neither feared God, nor 
 regarded man ; yet because the widow troubled him, 
 and wearied him, by her continual coming, he says, 
 " I will avenge her," or do her justice. I will grant her 
 request, lest she "stun"* me. So will God do jus- 
 tice to those who persevere in their supplications ; he 
 will answer his elect who cry day and night, and 
 as it were, " weary and trouble him" with their con- 
 tinual prayers. He will answer those, who resolve 
 to continue their petitions. 
 
 The same doctrine is enforced in the history of the 
 man, who at midnight went to borrow three loaves of 
 bread. A very unpromising time to ask a favour, nor 
 would he then have applied to his surly neighbour, had 
 he not been a good and hospitable soul himself. His 
 benevolence gave him zeal and courage. As proba- 
 bly he expected, his neighbour answered him roughly, 
 refused to give him admittance, and virtually bid him 
 be gone. " Trouble me not the door is shut my 
 children are with me I cannot rise I will not." 
 So the business seems to be closed, and no hope is 
 left. Yet we read, that by the perseverance, by the 
 unyielding importunity of the borrower, his drowsy 
 neighbour is persuaded to rise from his bed, to open 
 his door, and give him as much bread as he desires. 
 
 * Dr. Doddridge. 
 
147 
 
 It is worthy of notice, that the Greek word trans- 
 lated "importunity" may signify impudence, and is 
 so translated by learned critics. It is compounded 
 of two words which signify destitute of modesty. It 
 is applied to beggars, who press their petitions, and 
 will take no denial. 
 
 To show that this is neither new nor rash, I quote 
 Dr. Edwards of England, who more than a century 
 ago, said, " Pray with constancy and perseverance." 
 That humility, which inspires the Christian soul, bids 
 him imitate the woman of Canaan, who would not be 
 denied. Our Saviour taught his disciples to perse- 
 vere in prayer, by a parable of one who went to his 
 friend by night to borrow some necessaries of him, 
 and procured them of him merely by his importunity ; 
 because of his impudence; so in strictness it ought to 
 be rendered. This answers to what we read in the 
 Talmud. " Impudence toward God is beneficial. 
 There is, if I may so speak, and I may, because the 
 original authorizes me, an allowable sort of impu- 
 dence, such as makes the faithful persevere in their 
 requests to God, and remain undaunted in their peti- 
 tions." No candid mind can mistake this language ; 
 although strong and bold, it is much like that of the 
 Apostle, Heb. iv. 16. " Let us therefore, come boldly 
 to the throne of grace." I find I have spoken in 
 unison with another celebrated divine, Dr. Barrow, 
 who says that in " certain cases we should be eager and 
 hot, resolute and stiff, free and bold ; yea, in a man- 
 ner, peremptory and insolent solicitors with God. 
 
 So our Saviour intimateth, when comparing the 
 manner of God's proceeding with that of men, he 
 
148 
 
 representeth one friend yielding needful succour to 
 another, not barely upon the score of friendship ; but 
 for his impudence, that is, for his confident and con- 
 tinued urgency, admitting no refusal or excuse. So 
 doth God, in such cases, allow and oblige us to deal 
 with him, being instant and pertinacious in our re- 
 quests ; giving him no rest ; not enduring to be put 
 off, nor brooking any repulse ; never being discour- 
 aged nor cast into despair by any delay or semblance 
 of neglect. We may wrestle with God like Jacob, 
 and with Jacob may say, I will not let thee go, 
 except thou bless me. Thus God suffereth himself 
 to be prevailed upon, and is willingly overcome. 
 Thus omnipotence may be mastered, and a happy vic- 
 tory may be gained over invincibility itself. Heaven 
 may sometimes be forced by storm, or by the assaults 
 of extremely fervent prayer ; it will assuredly yield 
 to a long seige. God will not ever hold out against 
 the attempts of an obstinate suppliant." 
 
 More than a thousand years before this, St. Greg- 
 ory had said, " For God will, by a certain importu- 
 nity, be entreated, he will be compelled, he will be 
 conquered."* 
 
 Indeed, what was the instruction, the lesson, de- 
 signed by Jesus Christ in his beautiful apologue of 
 the man borrowing bread at midnight ? What was the 
 inference, what else could be the inference or moral, 
 but that which he himself drew, and which I have 
 drawn from this little history ? Unquestionably this 
 is the inference ; therefore, " I say unto you, Ask. 
 
 * Vult enitn Deus rogari, vult cogi, vult quadam importunitate.vinci. 
 
149 
 
 it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find ; 
 knock, and it shall be opened to you." This is 
 precisely the doctrine which I am urging, the infer- 
 ence which I have made. Here again I am supported 
 by another ancient divine, who says, " Whosoever 
 asks in full faith, and seeks with great diligence, and 
 knocks with constant perseverance, shall obtain the 
 thing which he wishes."' Another writer says > 
 "These three, asking, seeking, knocking, must be 
 joined to obtain our desires." On this passage 
 another commentator! says, " The precept is, perse- 
 verance and importunity in prayer ; the promise is, 
 audience and acceptance. If we do not immediately 
 receive what we ask, we must continue to seek and 
 knock. Though prayer be not always answered in 
 our time, it shall never fail of being answered in God's 
 time." Surely, this parable gives a clear right and 
 authority to indulge all the holy, importunate perse- 
 verance of the soul, and to pray, and pray, and pray, 
 till the blessing is granted. 
 
 If it be not the design of these two beautiful para- 
 bles to teach the very doctrine, which I am urging, I 
 am utterly at a loss what can be their design, or to 
 perceive any useful meaning. Why are the judge and 
 neighbour represented as unyielding, and not dis- 
 posed, immediately, to grant the requests made to 
 them, unless it be to show, that men ought always to 
 pray, to pray without ceasing day and night? Indeed 
 we are not left to conjecture on this point. The 
 Evangelist, as if anticipating the doubts of men, con- 
 cerning this doctrine, makes a formal introduction to 
 
 * Menochiu*. t Burket. 
 
150 
 
 this parable, and tells us explicitly, in a plainness of 
 style, which ought not to be misunderstood, that Jesus 
 Christ " spake a parable unto them to this end, that 
 men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Or, 
 according to a later translation, " Then he addressed 
 them with a parable, to show them that they ought to 
 persevere in prayer, and not be discouraged." Here 
 then we are on a sure rock ; the Evangelist has told 
 us the design of the Saviour ; it was to recommend 
 this perseverance in prayer, which I am urging. But 
 why are the defenceless widow, and the poor man, 
 destitute of bread, made so triumphantly successful ? 
 The answer is certain, for it is a part of the parable. 
 " Hear what the unjust judge saith, I will avenge her, 
 and shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day 
 and night unto him ? I tell you that he will avenge 
 them ;" their prayers, so offered, must and will be 
 answered. God has pledged his veracity not to reject 
 such requests. 
 
 As Jesus Christ approached the limits of his mission, 
 near Tyre and Sidon, a pagan woman met him, and 
 cried observe the ardour of her mind " She cried." 
 She did not from false modesty, or the fear of man, 
 whisper her desires, or speak in a moderate manner. 
 She cried, " Have mercy on me, oh Lord, thou Son 
 of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a 
 devil." Her prayer was affecting and sincere, it was 
 respectful, and ardent, and believing , yet Jesus Christ 
 took no notice of her, " he answered her not a word." 
 Probably he did not look on her, nor seem to hear her. 
 Still she continues her supplications. The disciples 
 were offended at her freedom, her boldness, her appa- 
 
151 
 
 rent impudence. They beg Christ to send her away, 
 as a troublesome intruder. He replies, " I am sent only 
 to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ; this woman 
 is a heathen ; I shall hold no discourse with her, not 
 so much as to send her away." She hears all ; her 
 heart is breaking; she finds no encouragement for 
 her suffering daughter. Was ever a kind mother in a 
 more afflicting condition ? Still, once more she ven- 
 tures ; she presses a little nearer ; she cries again, 
 " Lord, help me ; help a distressed widow, mother, 
 and child." Never was the mild Saviour so severe to 
 a devout applicant. For once, the gentle Saviour 
 spoke harshly to this helpless, weeping mother. " It 
 is not fit," said he, " to take the children's bread, and 
 give it to dogs," ' as you heathen are.' What hope 
 is left ? The merciful Saviour rejects prayer ; he 
 seems to reproach one kneeling before him. Yet she 
 perseveres. In the agony of her soul, in the border 
 of despair, she once more cries, " Truth, Lord ; yet 
 the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's 
 table." ' I do not ask the bread of the children's 
 table ; I only ask the crumbs which they can spare, 
 and you can give.' She has conquered, the Saviour 
 is overcome ; he replies, " Oh woman, great is thy 
 faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt." He signs a 
 blank ; she may fill it as she pleases. She has her 
 desire. Her faith is like a swollen river, stopped in 
 its course by some casual obstruction. The longer 
 it stops, the higher it rises, only to sweep all before 
 it, with a more irresistible impetuosity. Her faith 
 triumphs; she is a notable witness to support the 
 doctrine, that such believing, persevering prayers will 
 
152 
 
 be crowned with success. When oppressed with 
 wants, when borne down with afflictions, I open the 
 volume of life, and turn to the promises, my heart is 
 gladdened, I hear the voice of a kind Father, and I 
 hear him say, " With the merciful I will show myself 
 merciful. Ask, and ye shall receive deliverance." 
 I believe, and I plead, and continue my importunity 
 till the answer is given. A general promise is just as 
 available as the most particular. 
 
 This persevering, invincible importunity manifests 
 itself in the constancy of its supplications. It is not 
 confined to times nor places, but is habitual and 
 untired ; as Nehemiah declared, that he prayed " day 
 and night." Jacob prayed on his journey ; alone and 
 defenceless, he found God present in a desert, as well 
 as at the tabernacle. While in company at Shiloh, 
 Hannah prayed and made earnest supplication to her 
 God. Though she is at the place of public worship, 
 she does not wait in listless indolence . for Eli, the 
 minister of religion, to lead the devotions, neither 
 does she disturb others. She was in bitterness of 
 heart, and therefore she prayed unto the Lord, and 
 wept sore. Now Hannah spake in her heart ; her 
 lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Of this kind 
 was the prayer of the Psalmist. He says, " When 
 I awake, I am still with thee." ' When I fell asleep, 
 my heart was with thee, ascending in prayer. The 
 last thought which I recollect was a devout aspiration. 
 As I awake, my heart is still the same, cleaving to its 
 object, and ascending in fervent prayer.' 
 
 To be sure of success we must not give over or 
 suspend our prayers ; our hearts must burn with that 
 
153 
 
 holy zeal, which waits not for the stated hours of 
 devotion, for family or formal prayer; but in the 
 house and on the road, in the field and the shop, raises 
 the soul to heaven. 
 
 IV. Our prayers, to be certainly successful, must 
 be offered with fervour, or glowing zeal. 
 
 " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and 
 the violent take it by force." Or according to a more 
 modern rendering of this passage, " The kingdom of 
 heaven is entered by force, and the violent seize it 
 greedily."* In any form it justifies the utmost vio- 
 lence of sacred devotion. It does more ; it implies 
 the certain success of such devotion. It is the fervent 
 prayer of the righteous man which avails much, which 
 is effectual. Jacob did not content himself with 
 merely asking, that he and his dear family might be 
 delivered from Esau and his four hundred warriours. 
 No. He rose high in his address. He importuned, 
 he insisted, he demanded, he would not be denied. 
 " I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me ;" ' unless 
 thou give some assurance of escape from danger.' 
 Was this privilege peculiar to Jacob ? May not we 
 say to God, we will not suspend our prayers till the 
 desire of our heart is granted ? Does not God say, 
 " Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it ?" < En- 
 large your desires, ask for the most valuable blessings, 
 and you shall not be disappointed.' God is as willing 
 to give great favours, as small ones. He says to his 
 people, Ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall 
 search for me with all the heart." Does not the 
 Church say, " I found him whom my soul loveth, the 
 
 * Wakefieh!. 
 
154 
 
 Saviour, I held him, and would not let him go?" 
 Such is the zeal of believers, sometimes, that they 
 will not leave the throne of mercy, till they obtain 
 their request. They ask, God listens; they repeat 
 and press their request ; he yields. 
 
 This strong degree of fervour may, and often ought 
 to be indulged. This is one of the essential circum- 
 stances of assured success. So far from being offen- 
 sive, it is often highly acceptable to God. He some- 
 times waits to discover this disposition, before he 
 grants the request. He not only allows a holy impor- 
 tunity of soul, and is pleased when we repeat our 
 petitions, and pour forth the sacred eloquence of the 
 heart ; but often awakens and excites those stronger, 
 overwhelming feelings which are inexpressible. The 
 Holy Spirit produces those mighty desires, which are 
 manifested by groanings, which cannot be uttered ; 
 those intense affections which cannot be expressed 
 in formal language ; those exquisite thoughts which 
 break forth only in sighs and groans. Neither need 
 we in such case lament the want of powerful words. 
 He, who searcheth the heart, knows the mind and 
 intent of the spirit, in exciting those unutterable 
 desires, which will produce a favourable return. 
 
 V. The effectual prayer must be accompanied 
 with the faithful use of all other means, for the attain- 
 ment of the object. 
 
 This is so evident, as not to merit particular notice, 
 were it not that men are prone to extremes. After 
 all the power ascribed to prayer, it does not operate 
 as a charm. It has no native strength, no executive 
 force or efficacy. More generally it only secures the 
 
155 
 
 blessing of God on other means, than is itself the 
 direct cause of any effect. It does not supersede 
 labour, but obtains the blessing of heaven on your 
 labours. It does not supersede study, but procures 
 a blessing on your studies. Let no man, therefore, 
 feel sure of any blessing which he asks of God, unless 
 he use all other means in his power. Moses, and 
 Daniel, and Jacob, used other means, as well as 
 prayer, to secure their object. Is health sought? All 
 the prayers of the sanctuary may not save you, if you 
 neglect other suitable remedies. Do you seek prop- 
 erty ? Diligence and economy are essential. Do 
 you pray for holiness ? Then other means of grace 
 must be attended. Jesus Christ calls Lazarus from 
 his dismal tomb ; but this prisoner of death does not 
 move, till the stone is rolled* away. Noah escapes 
 the deluge, but he must use- other means beside prayer. 
 He must build a spacious ark. The church of Christ 
 prays for salvation ; but she builds a house for God ; 
 she attends public worship ; she supports the Gospel. 
 Vows are another mean. Where these in Scripture 
 accompany prayer, the prayer is effectual. By vows, 
 I mean promises to devote something valuable to the 
 service of God, if he shall grant a particular request. 
 Jacob promised to God, that if he would give him 
 bread to eat, and keep him in safety, he would give 
 a tenth of his property to his service. God did sup- 
 ply and protect him. The Israelites vowed to God, 
 that if he would deliver their enemies into their hands, 
 they would destroy their cities. God did give them 
 victory. Hannah vowed to give her child unto the 
 Lord, if he would make her a mother. God did 
 
156 
 
 make her a mother. To such prayers, God says, 
 ". Ask, and ye shall receive." 
 
 On reviewing the subject, many reflections occur, 
 which I think might be enforced and illustrated with 
 profit ; but the time requires me to mention only a 
 few, in a brief manner. 
 
 I. The subject clearly shows us why God some- 
 times prevents or withholds a spirit of prayer, and 
 sometimes has forbidden prayer, when it would con- 
 travene his purposes. 
 
 When God has determined to' inflict a certain evil 
 on men, he devises some method in the course of 
 Providence to prevent the importunate supplications 
 of his friends. He had determined that it should not 
 rain on the land of Israel for three years and six 
 months. He therefore directed Elijah to leave the 
 country, to conceal himself in retirement, that his 
 eyes might not affect his heart, that he might not be 
 excited to pray for the people, or to stir up their 
 hearts to cry for relief. But when the time had ex- 
 pired, when God was about to refresh the land and 
 relieve the people from their sufferings, by the plenti- 
 ful showers of heaven ; then, and not before, he com- 
 mands Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab,* to 
 survey the miseries which the dreadful famine has 
 produced, that he might be moved to cry mightily for 
 their removal. God is resolved not to shorten the 
 calamity ; yet he would not have his servant address 
 his ardent prayers to be denied ; he sends him away 
 from the heart-moving scene, that his intense devotion 
 
 * See Henry and Scott. 
 
157 
 
 may not be excited. Heaven and earth shall sooner 
 pass away, than one promise made to prayer shall fail. 
 When God has determined to accomplish any ob- 
 ject, whether it be the punishment of an individual or 
 nation ; when the decree is unconditional, and irre- 
 versible, he will turn away the attention of his people 
 by some providential event, or even forbid their . sup- 
 plications. They might and probably would offer 
 those believing, fervent, persevering prayers, which 
 must be answered ; but this would involve divine 
 operations in an impossible dilemma. The decree 
 must be executed ; the prayer must be answered ; but 
 this is not possible. The only preventive is to with- 
 hold the spirit of grace and supplication, or to forbid 
 prayer. Accordingly, is it not a general opinion, that 
 sometimes the best men have not a spirit of fervent 
 prayer in view of events, most interesting and impor- 
 tant ? But why should God withhold the spirit of de- 
 votion from Elijah, or forbid the prayer of Jeremiah, 
 unless he has engaged to give a favourable answer ? 
 Therefore, God did forbid Jeremiah to pray for his 
 people. " Pray not for this people, neither lift up 
 cry nor prayer for them ; neither make intercession to 
 me." In three chapters, this interdiction is repeated. 
 "Pray not;" "pray not;" "pray not for this peo- 
 ple." If they burn his sermons, God will silence his 
 effectual prayers. Their destruction was certain ; the 
 favourable answer to his prayers was as Certain ; 
 therefore the prayers must be forbidden. But, if 
 divine faithfulness was not pledged to grant a favour- 
 able answer, why should they be forbidden ? Merely 
 to save Jeremiah the trouble of praying ? It was de- 
 
158 
 
 priving him of a pleasure, rather than relieving him of 
 a painful task. Was it not to secure the divine faith- 
 fulness from reproach, and not to save the prophet 
 from useless labour. So, when God determined, 
 that the sin against the Holy Ghost should not be 
 forgiven in this life, or that which is to come, he gives 
 it as a general precept, "I do not say you shall pray 
 for it ;" " With respect to this, I do not say that he 
 should make petition."* Why, why should not prayer 
 be offered for such a sinner, unless some promise is 
 made to prayer ? 
 
 In perfect uniformity, as I think, with this view of 
 the subject, God says to Moses, " Let me alone, that 
 my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may 
 consume them." * Suspend your supplications ; let 
 me no more hear your fervent intercessions, be silent; 
 for it will be impossible to execute my purposes of 
 wrath on this wicked people, while your prayers arise 
 with such holy importunity. Such petitions I have 
 promised to answer. Leave my presence ; let me 
 alone, that my wrath may wax hot.' Had Moses 
 yielded and been silent, no doubt, Israel would have 
 been " consumed." But Moses did not leave the 
 divine presence ; he did not cease from his interces- 
 sions. They were irresistible ; God was moved, per- 
 suaded, overcome ; He " repented ;" the people 
 escaped ; they could not be destroyed, while such 
 prayers were rising in their behalf. Does not the in- 
 terdiction of believing prayers, when they contravene 
 the div ine purpose, prove them mighty and effectual ? 
 
 * Thomson's Translation. 
 
159 
 
 When God intends to withhold any mercy, he never 
 grants his people this irresistible importunity in 
 prayer. 
 
 2. How great the privilege, which this doctrine im- 
 parts to praying believers. Once, and again, and 
 again, the Saviour promises, " Ask, and ye shall re- 
 ceive." " And all things, whatsoever, ye shall ask in 
 prayer, believing, ye shall receive ;" or, as this may 
 be rendered with very little variation, " Moreover, ye 
 shall obtain whatever ye shall pray for in faith." Or 
 according to another recent translation, " And what- 
 ever ye ask in prayer, with faith, ye shall obtain." If 
 such passages do not mean precisely what they say, 
 what then is their meaning? Have they no meaning but 
 for the age of miracles ? Have they for a thousand, and 
 half a thousand years been useless, or delusory parts 
 of the sacred oracles ? If your prayer is not effectual, 
 what must be the cause ? Is God unfaithful to his 
 word ; or are you wanting in faith and perseverance 
 in your supplications ? I need not multiply such quo- 
 tations as the following; because they are so numer- 
 ous. " If ye abide in me, and my w r ords abide in 
 you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done 
 unto you." " He will fulfil the desire of them, he 
 also will hear their en/, and will save them." How 
 precious are such promises ; how consoling to the 
 bleeding heart, sweeter than honey, dropping from the 
 comb. Are you led into severe temptations, and im- 
 pelled to crimes ; are you tempted to doubt the truth 
 of the divine promises ; raise your heart to God ; the 
 trial will pass away ; or you will have strength to 
 resist its power. Are you oppressed with enemies : 
 
160 
 
 do they hurl a javelin to destroy you ? They will only 
 wound themselves, or batter their own walls. Are 
 you oppressed with want ; are you destitute and 
 afflicted ? Be importunate with God ; and the win- 
 dows of heaven shall be opened ; your bread and your 
 water shall be sure. 
 
 Are you sick ; are friends and physicians forsaking 
 you ; remember Hezekiah, and with his ardour and 
 his faith, cry to your Father in heaven, and he will 
 hear and heal you. Such persevering prayers, offered 
 with appropriate faith, furnished Jacob with provision 
 on his journey, gave to Paul the sailors in the ship, 
 and to Mordecai and Esther the lives of their nation. 
 Here were no miracles, no faith of miracles ; but a 
 faith which secures its object. 
 
 Well might the apostle say to believers, possessing 
 such a privilege, " All things are yours." 
 
 3. We learn why many prayers are not answered. 
 If they be not graceless, if they be not destitute of that 
 faith, which is necessary to please God, they have not 
 a clear, and strong conviction, that the glory of God 
 is involved in their answer. They are not animated 
 with due fervour ; they have not the strength of per- 
 severance ; they are not offered in the spirit and man- 
 ner of successful prayer ; they will not be answered. 
 
 4. Does not the subject present a convincing, and 
 mighty argument for prayer ? 
 
 In every necessity, in every want, in every desire, 
 shall we not remember, that in God is a boundless 
 store of all good things ? He is infinitely willing to 
 grant us the riches of felicity. No kind father is so 
 willing to gratify his beloved children. He only re- 
 

 161 
 
 quires us to ask, to ask believing the promise of God. 
 He is always ready to hear. He never grudges us 
 any favour of any kind. He will give, when we ask 
 and are prepared to receive the favour. 
 
 With such a Benefactor, with such " power with 
 God," what may you not obtain ? May not your 
 prayers render yourselves rich in comforts and conso- 
 lations, and others blest ? May not your prayers be a 
 defence to yourself and friends, like the electric rod, 
 which silently conveys away the forked lightning 
 from the social dwelling ! Is it, my friends, within 
 the scope of the human mind, to conceive a doctrine 
 more animating, more encouraging ? 
 
 Will not every person be persuaded, be resolved 
 and impelled, to cry day and night, while he has a 
 trouble to be removed, a want to be supplied, a com- 
 fort to be secured ? If you are not blest, is it not be- 
 cause you are too drowsy to feel, or too slothful to 
 pray for help, or too proud to accept deliverance at 
 the hand of sovereign mercy ? He, who listens to the 
 cry of ravens, and taketh care of oxen, cannot harden 
 himself against the voice of your prayer. Neither 
 the skill of David in war, nor the strength of Samp- 
 son, were so sure a defence, as the feeblest hand 
 lifted to God in holy prayer. The weeping widow, 
 the sighing orphan, the defenceless stranger, are all 
 heard. Will not all, then, who need help, bow the 
 knee, and raise the voice of prayer ? So may you 
 procure blessings invaluable, for yourself, your family, 
 your friends, your country, and the world. 
 
 Devoutly resolve then, my dear friends, each one 
 for himself, " As for me, I will call upon God ; I will 
 21 
 
162 
 
 cry unto God, most High, unto God, who performeth 
 all things for me. 
 
 Finally ; Have not more than common prayers been 
 offered of late years ? 
 
 Are not the effects manifest ; are they not encour- 
 aging to perseverance ? Are we not safe in designat- 
 ing the cause from the effect ? When we see a field 
 or garden, covered with fruit or flowers, we infer that 
 the hand of cultivation has been there, that the sun 
 has shone, that the rain has fallen. So, when we see 
 the prevalent objects of prayer, every-where conspicu- 
 ous in a new and wonderful manner, we unavoidably 
 conclude that believing, fervent prayers have been 
 offered. When we see Bible Societies, Missionary 
 Societies, Humane Societies, Education Societies, 
 and lastly, though not the least important, Peace 
 Societies, shedding their lustre over the world, 
 splendid as the constellations of heaven ; when the 
 Spirit of the Lord is extensively poured out on every 
 quarter of the world ; when thousands and ten thou- 
 sand times ten thousand, are gathered into the visible 
 Church ; when silver and gold in surprising sums are 
 freely cast into the treasury of the Lord ; when mis- 
 sionaries of the cross are going forth to people of every 
 nation and language, can we doubt whether prayer 
 has been offered, and prayer answered ? Do we not 
 hear God saying in his Providence, as well as in 
 his word, " Ask and ye shall receive," " Command 
 
 ve me ?" 
 
 Are these things the fruit of man's device or power ? 
 Had the Legislature of the State, forty years ago, 
 assessed those sums, which are now cheerfully con- 
 
163 
 
 tributed, for religious purposes, would it not have 
 produced insurrection ? At that period could all the 
 orators of the world have persuaded the nobles and 
 princes, the kings and emperors of Europe, to come 
 down from their thrones, to aid Bible and Missionary 
 Societies in sending the news of salvation to Pagans 
 and Mahometans ? Who, but that God, who is the 
 Author of the divine word, could have caused those 
 intrepid heroes of the North, those thunderbolts of 
 war, at the battles of Moscow, of Leipsic, and Water- 
 loo, to sheathe their swords, drunk with the blood of 
 slaughter, to clothe themselves in the robes of peace, 
 to send the word of life to all the tribes of Adam, to 
 cause the light beaming from the sword of the Spirit 
 to shed its cheering rays through their most barbarous 
 provinces, changing the dismal night of heathen dark- 
 ness into the light of moral day? The Christian 
 world bows before the impulse, as a forest before the 
 wind. The Spirit of God moved on the face of the 
 waters to produce this world of order and beauty ; so 
 is He now moving to produce knowledge, and holi- 
 ness, and a millennium of glory. Ethiopia stretches 
 forth her hand for the cup of salvation ; the isles wait 
 for the law, and of them, it may be said, " A nation 
 is born in a day." The feeble Hindoo, the cautious 
 Chinese, the red man of the forest, listen to the strains 
 of gospel mercy. 
 
 This, and much more is the fruit of prayer. It is 
 prayer, which has caused the cloud, small at first, like 
 that which the servant of the prophet saw from the 
 top of Carmel, to extend far and wide, distilling its 
 
164 
 
 showers in the North and South, watering the burning 
 plains of Africa, converting her deserts into fields and 
 gardens. In answer to believing, persevering prayer, 
 the nations are waking from the slumber of ages, and 
 inquiring for "the balm of Gilead and the physician 
 there." They are raising their eye to the tree of life, 
 bearing its fruit every month, whose leaves are for 
 the healing of the nations. The Star from the East 
 is shedding its light on every land, and the hymn of 
 angels is again sung in the fields of Bethlehem. 
 Looking to the cross of Calvary, pagans exclaim, 
 " Truly this man was the Son of God." Devout 
 women, not a few, are making costly preparations, 
 not to embalm the body of Jesus, not to perfume 
 his tomb ; but to extend the glory of his name, to 
 rescue ignorance from its errours, and vice from its 
 miseries. As if refreshed with the dews of Hermon, 
 the rose of Sharon blossoms in the wilds of Tartary, 
 and on the shores of the Caspian ; the vines of Esh- 
 col are planted in the isles of the sea, and the forests 
 of America ; the cedars of Lebanon wave on the 
 banks of the Ganges and shade the palaces of Ava ; 
 the songs of Zion echo from the hills of Greenland, 
 and the angel is flying through the heavens, having 
 the everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of 
 the earth, to every nation, and tribe, and language, 
 and people. 
 
 When believing and fervent prayers shall become 
 general and constant ; then greater things than the ^e 
 will take place; the Spirit of the Lord will be pour- 
 ed forth without measure ; liberty and science will 
 
165 
 
 break the chains of despotism ; the useful arts, pure 
 morals, Christian principles, will give a new aspect to 
 society ; piety and benevolence will rule the hearts of 
 men ; and one united chorus of praise ascend from all 
 the domestic altars, and all the religious assemblies 
 of the human family. Amen and Amen. 
 

 GENESIS xviii, 19. 
 
 For I know him that he will command his children, 
 and his household after him. 
 
 THAT mankind were formed for improvement is too 
 evident to require any formal proof. That our im- 
 provement is generally considered a matter of high 
 importance, many things evidently prove. Not only 
 the great expense incurred, and patient labour en- 
 dured, to accomplish the purpose, but a thousand 
 other circumstances, proclaim the high estimation in 
 which intellectual culture is holden. 
 
 The constantly increasing pleasure of advancing 
 knowledge, indicates that we are pursuing an im- 
 pulse of nature, and obeying the will of God. 
 Travel to yonder forest. It is silent, gloomy, dismal. 
 Cut down the trees, break up the ground, sow the 
 seed, and behold a field of blossoms and fruit. So 
 great and more important is the change produced by 
 education. As the Chinese clay assumes the form of 
 beauty, as a block of marble becomes a Venus or a 
 
163 
 
 Hercules, so the human character is formed by edu- 
 cation. 
 
 Hear the profound Legislator of Israel. " For I 
 know Abraham, that he will command his children 
 and his household after him, and they shall keep the 
 way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." He 
 will command, his influence with his children will 
 be efficacious, irresistible, unchangeable as the laws 
 of the Medes. 
 
 This opinion of education was held by Solomon 
 nine hundred years after, when he declared, without 
 any qualification, " Train up a child in the way he 
 should go, and when he is old, he will not depart 
 from it." This same opinion was prevalent a thou- 
 sand years after Solomon, and for substance repeatedly 
 expressed by the writers of the New Testament. 
 They require " parents to bring up their children in 
 the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The whole 
 mass of evidence from all antiquity shows the efficacy 
 of early instruction. 
 
 DOCTRINE. Mankind will be what their education 
 makes them. 
 
 We use the word education in its most extensive 
 import, not having any exclusive reference to a uni- 
 versity or college, to a school or private family, but 
 we include all the impressions made on a human 
 being from its first existence to the hour of death, or 
 at least to the time of his entering on business, when 
 the character is supposed to be formed. Hence no 
 parent or tutor can be wholly responsible. The com- 
 pany books employment a sound heard an ob- 
 
169 
 
 ject seen a pain a pleasure, may $ive a new turn 
 to the disposition. 
 
 Though superiour influence must be ascribed to 
 schools and seminaries, and other institutions of civ- 
 ilized society, yet education may be defined, that 
 whole series of means by which the understanding is 
 gradually enlightened, and the dispositions of the 
 heart are formed. This comprehends the circum- 
 stances of the child as to local situation, the manner 
 in which the comforts of life are furnished him, the 
 degree of care and tenderness with which he is nursed, 
 the examples set before him, the restraints imposed, 
 the liberty allowed, the languages, the arts and sci- 
 ences which are taught him, the manner in which 
 they are communicated ; and above all, the moral and 
 religious instruction, and even the state of the health, 
 dress and diet, all go to produce what I shall call 
 EDUCATION. In fact, every impression made on the 
 infant on the child on the youth, makes a part of 
 his education. Every influence, from the first hour 
 of life, before he sees the light, to the closing scene, 
 helps to make the man. 
 
 My design is not to designate the best mode of 
 education. This I leave to more powerful and better 
 informed minds, but to illustrate the FACT that edu- 
 cation forms the mind of man, and then suggest a few 
 reflections. 
 
 I. I infer the irresistible force of education, from 
 the general resemblance of character, in the different 
 states of society, the savage, the barbarian, the civ- 
 ilized. 
 
 22 
 
170 
 
 Though there is some difference amongst individ- 
 uals, who most nearly resemble each other, as among 
 flowers of the same seed, yet a general likeness pre- 
 vails among men in the same state of society. Hav- 
 ing seen one savage, you have for substance seen the 
 whole tribe. Having seen one tribe, you have a gen- 
 eral view of all the tribes on the globe. 
 
 Go, take command of a vessel, sail round the 
 world, discover an island never before heard of, return 
 and tell me your island is inhabited, but the people 
 have no iron, say not a word more, and I will in- 
 form you that they are savages. I will describe their 
 character, customs and manners. I will inform you 
 how they obtain a living, what are their houses and 
 their navigation, what their morals and their religion. 
 I will tell you the manner in which they treat their 
 females. I will tell you that in their religion they 
 pay homage to a variety of deities, that they consider 
 every thing remarkable, such as a volcano, an earth- 
 quake, or an eclipse, as a manifestation of a particular 
 god. I will tell you that the wives are slaves to 
 the husbands, that they are compelled to perform the 
 laborious drudgery of the family. I will tell you that 
 their chief support is from hunting or fishing, that a 
 few shells or baskets constitute their most valuable 
 furniture, that they are filthy and brutal in their man- 
 ners, revengeful, cruel and warlike in their character. 
 I might enumerate many other particulars with almost 
 the same exactness as if I had lived amongst them. 
 This sameness of character in the same state of 
 society, from the Arctic ocean to the stormy regions 
 of Cape Horn, displays the irresistible force of educa- 
 
171 
 
 tion. These tribes have been educated as savages. 
 They are savages for the want of iron. 
 
 The same doctrine is equally displayed in the bar- 
 barous or shepherd state of society, where men procure 
 their living chiefly from their flocks and herds. This 
 description includes a considerable section of the human 
 family. A great part of the Arabs in Asia and Africa, 
 and numerous hordes of wandering Tartars live chiefly 
 on the milk of their flocks and herds. To accompany 
 and provide them pasturage, is the business of their 
 lives. Such people have a character peculiar to them- 
 selves. They are indolent, they are addicted to music 
 and story telling, they are superstitious in their religion, 
 yet hospitable to strangers. 
 
 If among civilized men, this unity of character 
 seems to be less perfect, it is not less real. The 
 degrees of civilization are immensely varied, among 
 individuals and communities. This must produce a 
 corresponding variety of character. The multiplicity 
 of arts, of employments and professions, produces 
 other points of difference. Still the strong features 
 of character are the same, they are permanent and 
 fixed. 
 
 In all civilized nations, intellectual and moral im- 
 provement are more valued than bodily strength. In 
 such countries men obtain their support by the prac- 
 tice of the arts. In them, the precepts and doctrines 
 of their religion are written and known, and public 
 solemnities give importance to their faith. They 
 have written codes of laws, established forms of 
 government, and known tribunals of justice, to guard 
 the rights of individuals. This general resemblance 
 
172 
 
 pervades the civilized nations in all the three conti- 
 nents. As a strong proof of likeness among all civi- 
 lized people, let a single savage intrude himself into 
 any such community, and he will be immediately 
 recognized as such, he will be gazed at as a phenom- 
 enon. So irresistible is the force of education, that 
 not a single savage was ever raised in a civilized com- 
 munity, not a single civilized man was ever found in 
 a tribe of savages. 
 
 II. The mighty power of education is visible in 
 the different religions of mankind. f As to religion, 
 the human family may be considered in three divis- 
 ions, the Pagan, Christian, and Mahometan. I ought 
 perhaps not to forget the Jews. In each of these 
 sections a general and strong resemblance of char- 
 acter is manifest. The pagans are all superstitious, 
 they all believe in a plurality of gods, most of them are 
 idolaters. They generally worship the sun or moon, 
 or some idol, or other object of the senses. Pagans 
 do not know the true God who made heaven and 
 earth. They may be well versed in the sciences, they 
 may have profound skill in the useful and fine arts. 
 Yet they make little or no advance in rational religion. 
 They sometimes are unrivalled masters in those arts, 
 which adorn and dignify society, yet in the things of 
 God, they are nearly as ignorant and stupid as the 
 savages of the forest. The history of ancient Greece 
 and Rome, and of modern India and China estab- 
 lishes all this. The world by all their wisdom do 
 not know God. They may build the stupendous 
 pyramids, they may rear the lofty temple, and the 
 opulent city. Their laws may be wise, their elo- 
 
173 
 
 quence irresistible, their music enchanting, their 
 painting may give life and passion to the canvass, the 
 songs of their bards may be heard till they are drowned 
 by the trump of God in the great day, yet they cannot 
 show one sin forgiven, nor lead a step beyond the 
 grave. The same blindness of mind covers all the 
 pagan nations, ancient and modern. There education 
 displays her full power. The son wanders in the 
 gross darkness which bewildered his father. A simi- 
 lar general resemblance is evident among the follow- 
 ers of Mahomet. They believe in the same impostor, 
 they adopt the same articles of faith, they practise 
 the same superstitions, they believe in the necessity 
 of a pilgrimage to Mecca, they perform the same 
 ablutions and devotions which their fathers performed 
 a thousand years ago, they indulge the same virulent 
 prejudices against the disciples of Jesus Christ, and 
 like their fathers, look forward to the delights of a 
 sensual paradise. The force of education triumphs 
 over reason, and all the tender charities of the heart. 
 Notwithstanding the variety of sects and parties 
 amongst Christians, yet they have strong features of 
 resemblance to distinguish them from Pagans and 
 Mahomedans. Christians all agree in the belief and 
 worship of one God, that man is imperfect, and needs 
 the mercy of God, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah 
 and Saviour, that there will be a resurrection and 
 general judgment, that God rewards the righteous 
 and punishes the wicked. So powerful is the influ- 
 ence of education, that not one Pagan, not one Mahom- 
 etan, grows up in a Christian community. While 
 Christianity opposes all the corruptions, all the lusts 
 
174 
 
 of man, and the other two religions are indulgent to 
 those lusts, yet no Christian revolts, and adopts the 
 creed Gr worship of a Mahometan or a Pagan. Even 
 if an individual, through the wickedness of his heart, 
 does apostatize and ahjure Christianity, where these 
 sects live together, he does not become truly a Pagan, 
 he does not become entirely a Mahometan, he still 
 retains many sound and orthodox opinions. 
 
 The still stronger and more uniform resemblance 
 among persons of the same communion, the same sect 
 or denomination, more perfectly exhibits the sway of 
 education. Here men become, as it were, the same. 
 They are recognized by the same phrases, the same 
 opinions, the same prejudices, the same manners, the 
 same cast of countenance. Some of the sects are 
 instantly known not merely by their dress, but by 
 their visage, their personal appearance. Perhaps all 
 might be. were they to continue together through life. 
 
 III. I only add, that the sameness of appearance, 
 of character, and manners, among people of the same 
 calling and employment, is a fact which supports our 
 doctrine. No man is able to conceal his vocation. 
 His speech, his appearance betray him. If this 
 should not at once be admitted, it may be accounted 
 for by the fact, that many men occupy themselves in 
 a variety of employments, and have not therefore the 
 distinct characteristics of either. But in those coun- 
 tries where professions are distinctly separated, the 
 difference is evident to every beholder. A European 
 will discern the profession or employment of a person, 
 with a readiness which astonishes a person of this 
 country. "There is no man," says Dr. Johnson. 
 
175 
 
 " who works at a particular trade, but you may dis- 
 cover it from his appearance." But even in this 
 country, where trades and professions are so blended, 
 who is so blind as not in a moment to discern which is 
 the husbandman, and which the mariner ? which the 
 soldier and which the merchant? which the clergy- 
 man and which the physician ? Each of these pro- 
 fessions has a distinct language, distinct manners, 
 opinions, and morals. 
 
 In unison with this, it is a common remark of geo- 
 graphical writers, that "well bred people, in all civi- 
 lized nations, are much alike." Notwithstanding 
 national distinctions, they always recognize each 
 other. 
 
 I might easily enlarge and illustrate the doctrine in 
 a vast variety of particulars, but your own reflections 
 will pursue the subject, and render enlargement unne- 
 cessary. The more the subject is examined, the 
 stronger will be the conviction, that the influence of 
 education is irresistible. 
 
 Education preserves the peculiarities of individuals, 
 brings them nearer to a common standard, and gives 
 them that likeness of appearance which under the 
 same kind of culture is every where so evident. 
 
 Education is a furnace which consumes the excres- 
 cencies of personal character, melts down the mass of 
 the community, till it becomes in a degree one body, 
 of the same colour, texture, and quality. 
 
 Objections may be made to the doctrine before us, 
 and so may plausible objections be made to the di- 
 vine goodness, and even to the existence of God, but 
 objections do not disprove facts. 
 
176 
 
 It may may be said that wicked children may be 
 found in the best families. 
 
 This instead of weakening the principle, is a new 
 proof that even transient impressions may be powerful 
 and irresistible. It shews that not only uniform and 
 systematic lessons may be powerful, but that those 
 which are incidental may be permanent in their 
 effects. Occasional impressions may be indelible. 
 
 You will bear in mind, that by education is not 
 meant merely the lessons of the mother or master, 
 the impressions of the nursery or the school-room, but 
 all those ten thousand thousand impressions, exam- 
 ples, objects, books, and sounds, which make a man 
 what he is. 
 
 It is not believed that the greatest number of les- 
 sons, or the longest lessons, will always have the 
 greatest effect. No. You cannot calculate the 
 effect of education from its quantity, as you do of 
 nitrous grain in a rock. No. The temper, and the 
 force, and the adaptation, and the time, and the place, 
 and the character of the parties, all come in for an 
 incalculable share of the influence. Sometimes one 
 look will triumph over all the impressions made by 
 whole libraries, one companion will make a deeper 
 impression than the whole circle of friends had done. 
 Sometimes one WORD may do more to form the char- 
 acter, than all the sermons, all the lectures, and all 
 the conversation ever heard. A youth, who has been 
 frank, open, unguarded, may, by the reading of one 
 book, become prudent, cautious, circumspect. A 
 youth, who had been sedate, reserved, serious, by a 
 change of companions may become cheerful, gay and 
 
177 
 
 humerous. Some such incidental cause may pro- 
 duce the difference of virtue and vice in the same 
 house. Children of the same house do not all receive 
 the same impressions, they do not hear, they do not see 
 the same things. They are very far from receiving the 
 same education. One is at home, while his brother 
 or sister is abroad. In these different places they see 
 and hear things very different. One child reads this 
 book, another that. One child is sickly, and finds in 
 his parents a nurse and a physician. One is wilful 
 and headstrong, and views his parents as two officers 
 of justice. One is mild, modest, docile, and finds 
 his parents delightful companions. In these different 
 circumstances, must not the character of the children 
 be formed in a different manner, be imbued with a 
 different spirit ? While these things unite to shew the 
 difficulty and the danger, in executing the business of 
 education, they have no tendency to lessen its im- 
 portance. While we discover the delicacy of the 
 task, we also learn how powerful are impressions, 
 and how necessary are wholesome discipline and a 
 uniform system of instruction and example. 
 
 Nor is it more difficult to show why children often 
 acquire a character different from their parents. It- 
 may be said, very often, that the parent does not edu- 
 cate his own child, even when he dwells under the 
 same roof, eats at the same table, and is warmed at 
 the same fire. Some other persons, very different 
 from the parent, may have more influence. Some 
 other teacher, or some other company, may be form- 
 ing the mind of the child. This circumstance will 
 always render the religious education of children 
 23 
 
178 
 
 extremely difficult, till all parents, and all persons 
 shall engage in the grand design. Then the minds 
 of children will not be poisoned the moment they go 
 abroad. We may with deep humility add, that until 
 religious parents are more religious, we may not 
 witness the full effect of domestic education. Still, 
 children are the creatures of education, of imperfect, 
 and if I may so say, of heterogeneous education. 
 
 Again, sometimes by a dislike to the character of 
 the parent, that of the child is indirectly formed to an 
 opposite one. The child of a prodigal parent expe- 
 riences the misery of the vice, and is taught the virtue 
 of frugality. The child of a vain, weak, and vol- 
 atile parent, is mortified by such puerile frivolity, and 
 is thus taught to be steady, sedate and thoughtful. 
 On the same principle, children of injudicious pious 
 parents may be pushed into irreligion and vice. The 
 rigid and austere requirements, and the tedious admo- 
 nitions and the long prayers, and severe deportment of 
 some such parents, though I think the instances very 
 rare, may disgust the child, and render religion odious, 
 and excite him to impiety and vice. Sometimes vice 
 and folly may be designedly presented before the 
 eyes of children. The Spartans permitted their 
 children to see their slaves drunken that they might 
 abhor the brutal vice. A jail and its pale tenants, its 
 iron doors, and dismal dungeons may be a profitable 
 sight to children. God himself seems to have adopted 
 this principle in the education of his people. To 
 punish and to cure them of idolatry, he sends them 
 captive to Babylon, a land of idols. He had taught 
 them by precepts and examples, by terrours and by 
 
179 
 
 judgments, all in vain. He then gave them a surfeit 
 of idolatry, and this wrought an effectual cure. 
 Still all these children and people are formed by 
 circumstances, they are creatures of education. 
 
 With a few reflections, we close the subject. 
 
 I. We see the sovereignty of God, in disposing 
 the lots of men, so that they are made what they are. 
 Circumstances are the media of light and darkness, 
 of life and death. These circumstances are arranged 
 by divine Providence. How mysterious are those 
 dispensations, which appoint the boundaries of men. 
 Who will ask the Almighty why he has placed whole 
 nations beyond the limits of the Gospel ? Who will 
 demand of him why he has sent out the wild Arab, 
 his hand against every man, whose house he has 
 made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwel- 
 ling, who scorneth the multitude of the city, neither 
 regardeth the laws of a master. The range of the 
 desert is his pasture, and he searcheth after every 
 green thing. Who will ask the Most High why Pha- 
 raoh and Herod were placed in such imminent circum- 
 stances ? Why Samuel and Timothy received such 
 high moral culture ? Why the babe taken from the 
 ark of bulrushes was so taught as to become the 
 legislator of nations ? Why twelve fishermen of 
 Galilee were so placed as finally to change the relig- 
 and morals of the world ? Father, it is thus, because 
 thy will chose and ordained it should be so. 
 
 II. As children are formed by education, how 
 important is it that they enjoy the means best adapted 
 to their capacities and prospects. It is not necessary 
 that all should be eminently learned, but it is neces- 
 
180 
 
 sarj that all should receive Instructions, suitable to 
 their dispositions and stations. Will not children and 
 parents thank God and take courage in view of their 
 numerous privileges ? What a weight of obligations 
 does this subject devolve on parents ! Think, oh think 
 of your great work, of your serious responsibility. 
 Will you suffer your children to grope in darkness, 
 while the lamps of science and religion are shining 
 around them ? Shall the minds of your children fam- 
 ish in ignorance, while the trees of religious knowl- 
 edge are loaded with fruit, the branches bending to 
 the reach of the smallest babe ? Shall they starve, be- 
 cause a little trouble and expense is required in gath- 
 ering the fruit ? If your children remain untaught and 
 unsanctified, their education, or rather their want of 
 education, makes them what they are. 
 
 III. From the subject, we may infer the uniformity 
 and efficacy of divine influence on the human mind. 
 I allow it is not owing to any inherent power of the 
 human character, that such uniform or general results 
 are produced, by intellectual or moral culture. It is 
 not by the natural power of education, but by the im- 
 perceptible influence of the divine Spirit, that minds 
 are formed in such a regular succession of uniformity, 
 that we can augur beforehand, what will be their 
 complexion, texture, character. As there is nothing 
 in the nature of inert matter, to produce gravitation 
 and attraction, which are nothing more than the power 
 of God constantly exerted to impress those laws, 
 which bind the material universe with invisible chains, 
 which give it a fixed direction from which it never 
 swerves ; so there is no efficient cause or power in 
 

 * 181 
 
 the lessons of education to produce those permanent 
 effects, which continue from generation to generation. 
 It is the Spirit and providential power of God impress- 
 ing the mind, which produce, and which continue 
 these uniform results. Were these withheld, no such 
 regular effects would follow. All would be an intel- 
 lectual and moral chaos. It becomes us then, to look 
 to God for his blessing, to implore the dews of his 
 grace, when we cultivate the olive plants around our 
 table, as devoutly as when we plough our fields or 
 weed our gardens. In both species of cultivation, we 
 are entirely dependent on the Spirit of God, the salu- 
 tary influence of heaven. The farmer may plough, 
 the gardener may sow, Paul may plant, and Apollos 
 water the seed, parents and preceptors may inculcate 
 the doctrines of science and religion, yet if God with- 
 hold his merciful influence, all is useless. The best 
 gardens will become barren, the best families will 
 produce Absaloms and Rehoboams. For the Spirit 
 of God then let us pray, and on the Spirit of God let 
 us depend, while we " rear the tender thought, and 
 teach the young idea how to shoot." Those, who are 
 discouraged and careless and neglect the duty of edu- 
 cation, because it does not infallibly communicate 
 wisdom, rebel against the great law of the universe. 
 This errour, no doubt, often induces neglect of moral 
 and intellectual culture. Truth perverted is some- 
 times more dangerous than palpable falsehood. With- 
 out education or instruction, the Spirit of God does 
 not produce wisdom or grace. The Spirit operates 
 by means. Nothing is effected, not even miracles, 
 without means. Unless the architect labour, the 
 
182 
 
 Lord will not build the house. Unless men are taught 
 to abandon savage life, to cast away their idols, to 
 attend the institutions of religion and civilization, the 
 Spirit of God does not enlighten or sanctify them. 
 Truth is the medium through which the Holy Spirit 
 operates. Intellectual and moral instruction is the 
 powerful agent, by which God prepares the mind for 
 his favour, expands the mental capacities, elevates the 
 character, sanctifies the affections, and prepares fallen 
 men to rival angels in the kingdom of glory. Though 
 education be powerless itself, it is the instrument of 
 Almighty power to form of a worm of dust an heir of 
 heaven. However ineffectual any or all means of in- 
 struction may be in themselves, yet by divine influ- 
 ence, they are the lights to guide us through this 
 world, the great links in the golden chain of our sal- 
 vation. 
 
 The mariner may as well cast away his compass, 
 because it is not capable of itself to direct his ship 
 across the stormy deep, as parents neglect the educa- 
 tion of their families, because education does not of 
 itself convey prudence or grace. Unless the compass 
 be carefully regarded, the ship will never find its port ; 
 unless education be wisely directed, the children of 
 men will not acquire wisdom, human or divine. The 
 Holy Spirit will not enlighten and convert the nations, 
 without a course of instruction. Moral instruction, 
 religious education, is the grand medium of divine 
 operations. This might be confirmed by the fact, 
 that those who are truly pious, become so by the in- 
 struction they receive in religious families. If there 
 be some enlightened by other means, they form a 
 
183 
 
 t 
 
 fractional part, so small, as to make no consider- 
 able addition to the census of the Christian church. 
 The church then is the sacred lamp destined to 
 enlighten all the nations. The church is the hope 
 of the world. Her moral culture will render this re- 
 bellious province of Jehovah as mount Zion, where the 
 tribes kindled the fire of sacrifice. She will transform 
 this wilderness into the garden of the Lord. We are 
 not to suppose that light will burst from the clouds 
 and overwhelm the nation, as it did Saul on the road 
 to Damascus. No, the missionaries of the cross will 
 traverse the world having the everlasting gospel to 
 preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every 
 nation and kindred and tongue and people. Schools 
 of the prophets will be increased, Education Socie- 
 ties will be supported, the minds of children will be 
 formed to virtue and godliness ; and whenever such a 
 system of education shall become UNIVERSAL, then 
 will the day of the millennium shine. When the rulers 
 of nations shall unite in a truly holy alliance, when 
 Peace Societies shall be established among the people, 
 when the empire of benevolence shall be universal, 
 then will holiness to the Lord be inscribed on the 
 bells of your horses. 
 
 In future years, the learned historian of the millen- 
 nium, seeking materials for his work, will explore 
 the archives of Christendom. Coming down to this 
 century, he may employ some profound antiquarian to 
 open their books, to decipher their characters. Then 
 will he discover the year when Education Societies 
 gave a new impulse to the Christian public, when 
 Christian morals were required in teachers of chil- 
 
184 
 
 dren, when Sunday schools visited the regions of 
 ignorance and vice, when Peace Societies, when Bible 
 and Missionary Societies, first shed their glorious light 
 over the darkness of this world. Having established 
 the dates of these events, the historian will pause in 
 his narrative and exclaim, " here was the beginning of 
 the millennial age, here was the dawn of that day 
 which has shone so long and so bright, whose meridi- 
 an splendours yet dazzle and delight the world." Pro- 
 ceeding in his research, exploring the marble tombs, 
 the historian may form a splendid catalogue of the 
 founders, the presidents, and munificent patrons of the 
 Societies, which are now sending instruction, light, 
 comfort and salvation, to the most distant corners of 
 the globe. 
 
 These children of benevolence, these men of holy 
 renown he will honour as the great agents of God in 
 introducing a thousand years of peace and joy, these 
 men he will applaud as angels of charity, these he will 
 eulogize as the deliverers of mankind from sin and 
 ruin. 
 
 Finally, how important are the periods of childhood 
 Wd youth. In these periods, education is chiefly ac- 
 quired, the character is then formed, the person gen- 
 erally becomes what he is to be forever and ever. 
 What is sown in spring will be reaped in autumn. 
 The impressions and passions of childhood and youth 
 will be experienced in old age. Every thing, my young 
 friends, is infinitely important to you. As the atmos- 
 phere in some places conveys health, in others death, 
 so the place where you live may cause moral health, 
 or spiritual death. The books which you read, the 
 
.185 
 
 sermons which you hear, may convey saving truth or 
 fatal errour. One wicked companion may be as fatal 
 to you, as the serpent in Paradise. One evil example 
 may disturb your judgment, may fascinate your im- 
 agination, may inflame your passions ; one alluring 
 word, one enticing look, may, like enchantment, re- 
 lax the vigour of your resolution, and plunge you 
 down the gulf of ruin. Take heed, then, to all your 
 ways, your labours, your amusements, your studies, 
 your words, your thoughts ; the objects which you 
 see, the sounds which you hear. " He that walketh 
 with the wise shall be wise, but a companion of fools 
 shall be destroyed." Amen. 
 
1 COR. Xiii, 12. 
 
 Now I know in part. 
 
 DID mankind know how weak are their mental 
 powers, it might subdue their pride, humble their 
 vain glory. Were they conscious how partial and 
 imperfect are their most liberal attainments in knowl- 
 edge, it might cure their contempt of others, and often 
 convert their bitter reproaches to pleasant strains of 
 approbation. This knowledge of our own weakness 
 has a powerful tendency to render the heart affection- 
 ate, the language kind, the manners gentle, the man 
 holy. It produceth that charity which hopeth all 
 things, believeth all things, thinketh no evil, becometh 
 all things to all men. 
 
 Saul of Tarsus, with Stephen and Barnabas, had 
 received his education at the celebrated school of 
 Gamaliel, in Jerusalem. He was well acquainted 
 with the orthodoxy of the Jews and the literature of 
 the Greeks. He had enjoyed visions and revelations, 
 he had been caught up to the third heaven, to Para- 
 dise, and heard unspeakable words, yet he humbly 
 says, " I know in part." Although I have an imme- 
 
188 
 
 diate revelation from God, concerning his great design 
 in the gospel, yet there are lengths and breadths, 
 depths and heights of his design, which even revela- 
 tion has not discovered. I know many facts, but the 
 reasons and designs of divine operation I do not com- 
 prehend.' 
 
 So Job, after enumerating many known facts, that 
 God had garnished the heavens with stars, and hung 
 the earth upon nothing, that he binds the waters in 
 the clouds, and that hell is uncovered before him, 
 says, " Lo, these are a portion of his ways." How 
 little a portion is heard of him, how very little is un- 
 derstood. Nor is this difficulty confined to revelation. 
 To understand any science requires wearisome labour. 
 Ask the astronomer, the mathematician, or historian, 
 They all say, " with a great price of labour we ob- 
 tained our knowledge." 
 
 Religion is no more clouded with mystery than 
 other sciences. Nor does the veil of mystery or in- 
 comprehensibility, which is spread over all things, and 
 which renders the acquisition of knowledge, human 
 and divine, laborious and imperfect, lessen the happi- 
 ness of man. It rather gives life, energy and felicity 
 to the mind. 
 
 To pursue, to investigate the secrets of science, is 
 the mental food, the life and glory of the human mind. 
 Could we at once glance an eye through all the mys- 
 teries of nature and revelation, the mind would soon, 
 become wearied and satiated with the sameness of its 
 views, and like Alexander, weep because there were 
 no more difficulties to conquer, no more mysteries to 
 explore. 
 
189 
 
 DOCTRINE. In this life our knowledge of all things, 
 human or divine, is very limited. We all know only 
 in part. 
 
 1. We know but little respecting creation and the 
 operations of nature. The fact that something exists, 
 has been created, is evident. But how did God 
 create ? Here you are lost. No explanation can be 
 given. The possibility of a creation from nothing 
 was denied by all pagan antiquity. Infidels of modern 
 times have made the same assertion an argument 
 against revelation. 
 
 A thousand circumstances respecting creation are 
 inexplicable. Why did God create so many different 
 species of creatures ? Many of them seem unnecessary, 
 some of them injurious. If they were not necessary 
 or useful, why were they created ? If they were useful, 
 why has not their Creator preserved them all ? Why 
 has he suffered so many whole species to be destroy- 
 ed, making, as we should think, a chasm in his own 
 work? Many whole species of animals, from the 
 immense Mammoth, or "Behemoth," down to the 
 races of smaller cattle which once rambled in the 
 forest, or rioted in the pasture, have disappeared. We 
 know not how many, but one celebrated philosopher 
 of Europe* has discovered the bones or fossil remains 
 of forty-nine species of quadrupeds, which are now 
 unknown and probably extinct. What then becomes 
 of the popular doctrine of philosophy and poetry, 
 
 " From nature's chain, whatever link you strike, 
 . Tenth, or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike." 
 
 * M. Cuvier. 
 
190 
 
 Did the world, when first created, contain its pre- 
 sent variety of earths and minerals, or was it an uni- 
 form homogeneous body, earth or water or somewhat 
 else, the iron, granite and other substances, being 
 subsequently formed ? By what power have these 
 transitions been effected ? 
 
 We know, in part, the blessing of the shining sun. 
 He clothes the spring with blossoms, the autumn with 
 harvests, he opens enchanting prospects to our vision, 
 and renders this world a delightful habitation for man ; 
 but what is his influence on other planets ? Do the in- 
 habitants of Jupiter, if there be any, welcome his 
 approach, or " like the wild beasts of the desert, when 
 the sun riseth, do they lay themselves down in their 
 dens ? 
 
 How are the fires of burning mountains kindled ? 
 What is their use ? What is their fuel ? How are the 
 planets holden where they are ? By whose dial do 
 they regulate their courses ? What force impels them 
 through infinite space ? Why does not " earth unbal- 
 anced from her orbit fly ?" Philosophers tell us much 
 of gravitation and attraction. What are these won- 
 derful powers ? The properties of matter, or the 
 agency of God ? 
 
 The fixed stars, what is their use ? Merely to 
 twinkle in the darkness', or shine they, suns to other 
 worlds ? What worlds ? Who has seen them ? W T ho 
 has heard the thunder of their artillery ? 
 
 Whence come the comets ? What is their errand ? 
 Do they come merely to alarm the ignorant and 
 amuse the learned ? How far do the regions of space 
 extend ? Are they filled with worlds and suns and 
 

 191 
 
 stars ? How many planets, how many systems, wheel 
 their orbs beyond our remotest star ? 
 
 How many " embryo systems and unkindled suns" 
 are about to burst, with new splendour, from night and 
 silence ? Since the morning stars sang together, how 
 many suns have been shining, whose light has not yet 
 reached our world ? 
 
 " Have the gates of death been opened to thee, or 
 hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death ? 
 Declare if thou hast understanding. Lo these are a 
 part of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of 
 him." We know in part. We imagine but a small 
 part of his ways. 
 
 II. We know but little respecting the providence of 
 God. Here again we know many facts, but we do 
 not understand their connexion, tendency, or design. 
 
 Surveying the work which he had made, the earth 
 and heavens, men and angels, God pronounced all 
 very good. In this moment of felicity and glory, 
 while the songs of angels proclaimed the excellence 
 of creation, sin entered the world. Before the great 
 Builder had turned away his eye from the work of 
 his hand, under the immqpliate shadow of his arm, 
 and while the walls of Paradise yet trembled at the 
 threatening of death just pronounced, man seized 
 the forbidden fruit, man revolted. Clouds gath- 
 ered, the sun grew pale, death entered the world. 
 This new province of God in a moment is lost. 
 Why did Omnipotence suffer this? Why did he not 
 drive back the tempting angel ? Why did he not fortify 
 the purity of our first mother? Why did evil enter his 
 perfect government ? 
 
192 
 
 How unsearchable are his judgments, and his Ways 
 past finding out ! Although God governs, evil is con- 
 tinued. Fever, consumption, and ten thousand mise- 
 ries, destroy the hopes of man. Our fathers, where 
 are they ? Our children, many of them, slumber in the 
 narrow house. They were more lovely than all the 
 blossoms of spring, more precious than all the fruits 
 of autumn. 
 
 A part, a small part of his ways, may be under- 
 stood, but such partial light, renders darkness more 
 visible. 
 
 In the common evils of pestilence and war, we dis- 
 cover some good. By the conquests of Alexander, 
 the Greek language was rendered extensively familiar, 
 to hasten the progress of the Scriptures, which were 
 soon after translated from the Hebrew into that lan- 
 guage. So, afterwards, by the Roman victories, the 
 march of the Apostles was secured through the world. 
 But why do wars continue, continue among Chris- 
 tians, the disciples of the Prince of peace? Why, 
 since the reign of Constantine, have two hundred and 
 eighty-six wars crimsoned the world with blood ? For 
 what reason have half a score of wars been waged to 
 convert heretics ? 
 
 Will the sword convince the conscience ? Will the 
 fatal artillery enlighten the understanding, or amend 
 the heart ? Blow the trumpet, bid the legions march, 
 cover the field with the bodies of heretics. Have you 
 enlightened one mind ? Have you convinced one con- 
 science ? Have you saved one soul ? If the law now 
 protects the peaceful citizen, and such persecution be 
 impracticable, will you organize a spiritual tribunal.. 
 
193 
 
 nominate the judges, and arraign the erroneous profes- 
 sor of Christianity ? 
 
 The prisoner pleads guilty. " This I confess, that 
 after the way which ye call heresy, so worship I the 
 God of my fathers." Will you drive the victim from 
 society, render him as infamous as possible ? One 
 moment pause. Will this severity conciliate his es- 
 teem ? Will this intolerance soften his heart, or recon- 
 cile him to gospel doctrines ? 
 
 These things have been done in every age of the 
 church. In some regions they are now done. God 
 in his providence suffers them to be done. But who 
 can explain their wisdom ? We know in part. Clouds 
 and darkness are round about him. 
 
 III. The objects of the sciences, or the sciences 
 themselves, are very imperfectly understood. 
 
 By diligent study and investigation, we may ex- 
 amine and learn something of the objects of science. 
 Compared with entire ignorance, we may learn much. 
 Still our attainments are but partial and limited. 
 What is the nature of spirit, of mind ? Can spirit 
 operate on matter, can it move trees and rocks ? If 
 not, how does the mind move the body ? How did 
 men raise the pyramids of Egypt, or the walls of 
 Babylon ? How does GOD wheel the orbs of 
 heaven ? 
 
 Whence does the sun borrow his heat and light r 
 Is it a globe of fire, or, according to modern astron- 
 omy, a solid and dark mass, encompassed with a re- 
 splendent covering ? 
 
 Is your knowledge of yourself perfect ? What is the 
 soul ? How is it united with the body ? What is the 
 25 
 
194 
 
 ligament which connects them together ? Why does 
 a broken bone distress the mind? Why do anxiety 
 and sorrow wear out the body ? 
 
 By what power is a wound or broken bone healed ? 
 By what mechanism is the blood impelled from the 
 heart, and returned from the arteries through the 
 veins ? 
 
 Food nourishes the body, but who can tell how it 
 is changed to blood, to flesh and bones, to nerves and 
 sinews ? There is a vein for silver and a place for 
 gold. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is 
 molten from the stones, but how are these metals, 
 with the topaz, the jasper, and other gems, formed in 
 the bowels of the earth ? 
 
 How are chrystals produced, with their polished 
 sides, their exact angles, and why do so many sub- 
 stances assume the chrystal form, as water congealing, 
 gems and metals ? By what process is the difference 
 made, between the coal in the furnace of the chemist, 
 and the diamond on his finger ? 
 
 Human science cannot answer these simple queries. 
 Not only is the nature of cause and effect wrapt in 
 darkness, but the sciences, the pride of man, are im- 
 perfectly understood. What single science has reach- 
 ed its highest point, admitting no improvement ? Does 
 the anatomist perfectly understand his science, limited 
 to the narrow compass of the human frame ? He cuts 
 and dissects with little ceremony. He often makes 
 great parade of his skill. He learns the use of the 
 veins, the arteries, the muscles ; but some parts he 
 does not understand. Many things he cannot explain. 
 Who can account for involuntary motion, for the 
 
195 
 
 action of the lungs while we are asleep, or in fact for 
 the action of the heart, and the power of breathing, 
 while we are awake ? 
 
 Is the physician master of his art ? Would to God 
 he were ! Our hearts would not so often bleed. I 
 venerate the profession, I love the men. But ask the 
 man seized with an epilepsy, how perfect is their 
 skill. Ask the lovely youth, pining in a consumption. 
 They, with anguish and despair, will tell you, " Mis- 
 erable comforters are they all." 
 
 Has the geographer " fully perceived the breadth of 
 the earth ?" He sails round the globe, he draws his 
 maps and his charts. Now ask the most learned what 
 tribes inhabit the regions of Africa ? Where is the 
 head of the Nile, or the mouth of the Niger ? Is it 
 land or water at the poles ? His learning fails him. 
 He does not answer. Again you may ask him, 
 where was Eden, where was Ararat, where was 
 Tarshish, the mart of Solomon's fleet, where was 
 Sheba, whose queen came to his court, with spices, 
 gold, and precious stones ? He cannot tell. In all the 
 pride of science, the astronomer lifts his glass, he de- 
 scries the planets and the stars, but he can neither 
 count their number, nor tell their design. 
 
 Nay ; ye who till the ground, and believe ye need 
 no book to instruct you ; can you explain the cause 
 why corn and grass flourish more in one region than 
 in another ? Why a handful of pulverized stone will 
 double the growth in a hill of corn ? Can you explain 
 why the seed must first perish, to yield thirty or an 
 hundred fold ? 
 
196 
 
 " Lo these are a part of his ways, how little is 
 understood" pertaining to the sciences, when all the 
 study, all the genius of man, is exhausted. 
 
 IV. Our knowledge of revelation is partial and 
 limited. ' 
 
 As a system of necessary truth, the gospel is per- 
 spicuous. It is where usefulness terminates, that 
 impervious obscurity commences. The divine oracles 
 contain a series of facts, and precepts, and promises, 
 on a due regard to which our happiness depends. 
 These are plain. ' Doctrines and duties, when consid- 
 ered only as they are revealed, seldom present difficul- 
 ties to the mind. It is when we begin to develope 
 their design and consistency, that, like the men round 
 the door of Lot, we find ourselves blind and lost. It 
 is when men, like Milton's fallen angels, dispute re- 
 specting, " providence, fate, free will, and foreknowl- 
 edge absolute," that they are " in wandering mazes 
 lost." The perplexity commences, when we undertake 
 to shew the necessity, the rationale or harmony of 
 points which are not revealed, and in which we have 
 no concern. The inspired writers clear up no seeming 
 inconsistencies, they reconcile no apparent contradic- 
 tions. Why should we then puzzle ourselves in the vain 
 attempt ? Would men stop where the oracles of God be- 
 come silent, they might enjoy light and peace. The 
 Sadducees were not content with the simple fact, the 
 soul will exist in a future state. They must inquisi- 
 tively ask, which husband of seven the widow would 
 have in the next world. They were not satisfied with 
 the plain doctrine, the body will rise again. They 
 
197 
 
 must sagely inquire, with what bodies will they rise. 
 Proud men ! they might have left these problems to 
 infinite wisdom. 
 
 It is the part of humble faith to believe right on, 
 just as truths are recorded in the word of God. It is 
 a restless, unhallowed curiosity which pries into the 
 secret things of God. These God has not revealed. 
 While his providence is made known, the mode of its 
 execution is incomprehensible. 
 
 As the guide to eternal life, the gospel is plain. It 
 was designed for the weak, the ignorant. The pleas 
 of philosophy or natural religion need not be heard. 
 The simple question is, what does the Bible say. 
 Believe this, or reject revelation itself. It plainly 
 asserts the being of God, the Creator, Governour, 
 Redeemer, and Sanctifier of men, the lost state of 
 man, the duty of repentance, faith and obedience, a 
 future state of rewards and punishments. But when 
 you would inquire how or why these things are so, 
 you instantly find yourself wandering in speculations 
 more dark and cold, than the cheerless course of the 
 mariner on the frozen ocean, where no sun warms the 
 atmosphere, no light directs his course, no needle is 
 true to the pole. 
 
 Who can illustrate the dependence of man, show 
 how absolute and universal is this dependence, and 
 then explain the consistency of this with human liber- 
 ty ? Who can display the immediate agency of God, 
 directing all events and all creatures, the sparrow of 
 the field, the prophet in the temple, the murderer on 
 the hill of battle, and the angel of death laying waste 
 the nations, and then show how this is consistent with 
 
198 
 
 the accountability of man, and the hopes of human 
 activity and enterprise. How does spirit influence 
 spirit? How does the divine Spirit influence men or 
 angels ? Is the mind excited to action by invincible 
 motives, by moral suasion, or the positive agency of 
 God ? Granting either of these suppositions, who can 
 explain its compatibility with moral agency, with 
 praise or blame ? The fact I do not deny, but I ask 
 for the lucid illustration. 
 
 An oracle may proclaim, God foreordains whatso- 
 ever comes to pass. But can this oracle show, how 
 events could possibly have been different from what 
 they have been, from what they now are, from what 
 they will be ? Yet we all believe they might have been 
 different, nor have I selected these doctrines, because 
 I have any doubts respecting them, or to weaken 
 your confidence in their truth or importance. My 
 design has been clearly and forcibly to convince you, 
 how feeble and limited are your highest mental efforts ; 
 to convince you, that every man, of every sect or 
 party, believes, devoutly believes doctrines, the con- 
 sistency of which he cannot explain, the accordance 
 of which with each other he cannot illustrate or con- 
 firm. Nor need you be surprised at this. If you 
 do not thoroughly understand human science, why 
 should you expect to fathom heavenly science. If you 
 do not comprehend the things about you, which you 
 see and handle, can you expect to comprehend the 
 " visions of God," the wonders of redemption. If 
 you do not comprehend the stars which you see, nor 
 the world which you inhabit, nor the seeds of your 
 fields, nor your souls, nor your bodies, can you expect 
 
199 
 
 to comprehend the deep things of God, the mysteries 
 of the heavenly world ? Can you expect to compre- 
 hend God himself? 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. The subject is a lesson of humility. 
 
 Man holds a high rank among the creatures of God. 
 He is little lower than the angels, he can extract the 
 lightning from the clouds, weigh the air, and measure 
 the planets. Man understands facts, but when he 
 proceeds to investigate their cause, or their consis- 
 tency, he is stopped in his course, or if he proceed, is 
 liable to errour and delusion. 
 
 We know that man can do good or evil, and that 
 he is dependent. We know that Jesus Christ is 
 man, and that he is the same yesterday, and for 
 ever, but how these apparently opposite facts are 
 consistent, divines cannot explain, philosophers cannot 
 illustrate, perhaps angels cannot unfold. With all 
 his sublime attainments, man cannot comprehend the 
 movements of his own mind. We know in part, we 
 perceive the mental imbecilities of others, we feel our 
 own, and are humble. Will not the subject silence 
 the boastings of human reason ? 
 
 II. It is no conclusive objection against a duty or 
 doctrine, that we understand it only in part. Did our 
 first parents fully understand the threatening, " Thbu 
 shah die," or the promise, " The seed of the woman 
 shall bruise the serpent's head ?" Did the Jews fully 
 understand the nature of the sacrifices, which smoked 
 on their altars, of the angel, who went before them. 
 
200 
 
 of the rock, which quenched their thirst, of the brazen 
 serpent, which healed their wounds? Did the Apos- 
 tles themselves, for a long time, have any just appre- 
 hensions of the Messiah's kingdom, and the nature of 
 that empire he was about to establish over the world ? 
 
 Why then need we be alarmed, or reject duties or 
 doctrines, merely because we do not fully comprehend 
 them ? Who can explain the utility of prayer, which 
 is addressed to an infinite and unchangeable mind ? 
 Yet by our feeble researches, we fondly expect to 
 understand all knowledge. 
 
 Forgetting our limited powers, forgetting that a 
 spire of grass, or a particle of sand may baffle all our 
 philosophy, we presumptuously attempt to explain the 
 government of God, and the mode of his existence, 
 themes which confound the intellect of the boldest 
 seraph, and silence all the heavenly host. 
 
 Some circumstances in creation, some designs of 
 Providence, some portions of revelation, are covered 
 with darkness too profound to be pierced by mortal 
 eyes. We trace the same Author in them all. Why 
 should we not observe the same precaution respecting 
 all ? We never deny that stones fall from the clouds, 
 nor that volcanoes blaze, merely because it is unknown 
 whence the stones come, or what feeds those fires. 
 Whatever God has said, may command our faith, 
 without feeling any perplexity respecting its conse- 
 quence or consistency. 
 
 Whatever God reveals, the heavenly hosts believe. 
 Whatever he commands, they obey. 
 
 " Nor Gabriel asks the reason why, 
 Nor God the reason gives." 
 
201 
 
 III. The subject presents a most persuasive argu- 
 ment for candour towards those, who cannot under- 
 stand and believe as we do. 
 
 With all our superiour privileges and happy pro- 
 gress, with all our faithfulness, and sincerity, and 
 piety, we know but in part. Yet well aware I am, 
 how suspicious and even odious is such an inference 
 with some zealous Christians. But must good feel- 
 ings and Christian graces be abandoned, because they 
 happen not to be fashionable ? 
 
 Have we not fallen on evil times, when the fairest 
 virtue of the Gospel is ridiculed and despised, when 
 candour and charity, the richest blossoms in the 
 garden of God, are trampled under foot as emblems 
 of heresy ? When from the language of some, we 
 might fear, that the precept " Judge not," with the 
 threatening " With what judgment ye judge, ye shall 
 be judged," was unfortunately omitted in the edition 
 of the Bible which they read ? 
 
 But let all be reminded that the Christian church 
 holds the union of " orthodoxy and charity." Censo- 
 riousness and bitterness have been condemned by the 
 most sound writers of the Christian church. " Him 
 that is weak in the faith receive ye." Saith Dr. 
 Doddridge, " Let the different sects and parties of 
 Christians, study to imbibe more of the equitable and 
 lovely temper, which the apostle expresses in so gen- 
 uine a manner. The divisions of the church are not 
 to be healed by imposing our sentiments, and phrases, 
 and forms, and censuring, and harassing those who 
 will not acquiesce in them." Dr. Watts says, " This 
 iniquity of uncharitableness has more springs than 
 26 
 
202 
 
 there are branches to the great river of Egypt. 
 It is more fruitful of serpents and monsters. Itself 
 is a Hydra of many heads." The wholesome advice 
 of the great Baxter is, " Let him who is wiser, or 
 more orthodox, or godly than others, show it as the 
 Holy Ghost directs. Let him show out of a good 
 conversation his works with meekness and wisdom." 
 This deportment may allure others to love the truth, 
 but scowling censoriousness makes no converts. An 
 ugly fiend, she rouses the strongest passions of the 
 community against the truth. She arrays all the 
 prejudices of the public against sound doctrines. She 
 multiplies the advocates of errour. Truth suffers, 
 truth is the victim, when she descends to associate 
 herself with intolerance and spiritual despotism. 
 
 Dr. Owen declares, " For men to pretend to follow 
 the example of Christ, and in the meantime to call 
 fire from heaven, or fetch it from hell themselves, is 
 to cry ' Hail, Master,' and crucify him afresh." 
 
 Archbishop Tillotson remarks, "that uncharitable- 
 ness is as bad an evidence of a true Christian as one 
 would wish. Damning men is a very hard thing, and 
 whenever it is done, the case should be wonderfully 
 plain." The bishop of Norwich says, "that ever j 
 penalty, every disability, every restriction, every in- 
 convenience, to which any good civil subject is 
 exposed on the score of his religion, is, in its degree, 
 persecution, because, as Lord Mansfield observed, 
 conscience is not controllable by human laws, nor 
 amenable to human tribunals." 'Such are the testi- 
 monies of our greatest divines. 
 
203 FpmSllT 
 
 
 ^^v:4/.k?*'WZ3 Iftv* 
 The spirit of Christianity is forgiving and kind, as 
 
 the father's heart when running to embrace a long 
 lost son ; it is loving and tender, as the sighs of the 
 mother over her expiring babe ; it is mild and benevo- 
 lent, as the whispers of angels to the departing saint. 
 Is that man then a Christian, who judges and con- 
 demns his brother, whose tongue is sharper than the 
 adder's sting, who bolts and bars the gate of heaven 
 against all mankind, but himself and his little sect ? 
 
 We all see through a glass darkly : darkly enough, 
 God knows. We see in part, we know in part. 
 Some see more, some less. Is this any reason why 
 you should contemn, and disturb, and vex, your neigh- 
 bour ? Because an individual or a people are not as 
 understanding as you are, would you withhold from 
 them all sound instruction ? If our own knowledge 
 be limited, and imperfect, and obscure, if our opinions 
 are far from being infallible, shall we not sympathize 
 with men groping in darkness, mistaken, and erro- 
 neous ? You perceive a mote in their eye, possibly, 
 possibly, a beam is in your own eye. Have they not 
 a claim on your Christian sympathy, your tender 
 compassion. 
 
 Let the man, who is sure that God has revealed his 
 secrets to him, despise his weaker, humbler brethren, 
 and arraign them before his bar; but let him first 
 show, in words which cannot be mistaken, that he, 
 exclusively, understands the oracles of God, that he is 
 authorized to reduce us to his opinions. Then will 
 we bow to his spiritual authority. 
 
 But will any man who has known the terrours of 
 the Lord, who, perplexed with uncertainty, has de- 
 
204 
 
 voutly and humbly laboured to understand the truths 
 of revelation, who has been oppressed with fears lest 
 he himself should fall into fatal errours, will he 
 judge and condemn his brother, and call him, for 
 whom Christ died, by hard and bitter names ? Has he 
 the charity which hopeth all things, that believeth all 
 things, and endureth all things ? Or has he the pagan 
 pride, which kindled the fire of Babylon's furnace ? 
 Is he not guided by that terrific blaze, unconscious 
 of the gentle star, which led the wise men to Bethle- 
 hem ? 
 
 We are now worms, grovelling in darkness ; we 
 are birds of the night, averting our eyes from the 
 splendours of moral day. Soon we shall drop 
 these tenements of clay, and rise, and soar, and 
 mingle with patriarchs and prophets. We shall there, 
 at the footstool of the Eternal, learn the wonders of 
 immortality. There, in the society of the re- 
 deemed, robed in light, and in the immediate pres- 
 ence of God himself, we shall advance in knowledge, 
 till we reach the present attainments of David, and 
 Daniel, and Isaiah, who have been for thousands of 
 years in the school of heaven. We shall then more 
 rapidly advance, till we acquire the present wisdom 
 and understanding of Gabriel, and the highest seraphs 
 around the throne. We shall still advance, and leave 
 the present attainments of the highest angels as 
 far behind, as those angels are before the weeping 
 babe of yesterday. Then how low, how miserable, 
 will our present attainments appear. Who will not 
 then exclaim, ' How could I indulge pride and self- 
 exultation, how could I reproach the errours of my 
 
205 
 
 neighbour, when my own views were so feeble, so 
 confused ?' 
 
 We know in part. Our own conduct and attain- 
 ments demand the candour and charity of our friends. 
 Shall not we then manifest that charity which cover- 
 eth a multitude of sins? The Saviour himself is 
 touched with the infirmities of our imperfect brethren. 
 Shall mortal man be more severe than his Maker ? 
 Shall we not all rather, like our divine Saviour, who 
 freely associated with all the sects and tribes of Israel, 
 do good to all men, as we have opportunity. 
 
JEREMIAH xvii, 9. 
 
 The heart is deceitful above all things, and des- 
 perately wicked. 
 
 As the benevolent physician would wish never to 
 administer a remedy which is unpleasant, so the sym- 
 pathetic preacher would gladly be excused from pub- 
 lishing any doctrine which is offensive, any duty 
 which is unacceptable. But as the guardians of your 
 health are compelled by love and humanity, to recom- 
 mend medicines bitter to the taste, so the ministers of 
 the cross find themselves called, by the voice of com- 
 passion and tenderness, to proclaim doctrines painful 
 and alarming. 
 
 Such was the situation of the good prophet. It 
 became his duty to tell the house of Israel their sins, 
 to proclaim to the world their depravity. This was 
 not a description of this or that unprincipled individ- 
 ual, but of the whole race. Not merely their immoral 
 actions, but their hearts, the fountains of action, are 
 " desperately wicked." A doctrine always admitted 
 
208 
 
 with reluctance, and often repelled with force, with tal- 
 ents, and learning. A thousand plausible and pleasant 
 things have been said, to wipe away the stain. As 
 well may you wash the Ethiopian white, or efface the 
 leopard's spots. 
 
 My object is to enforce the lesson of the text, that 
 the heart of man is exceedingly wicked. 
 
 I shall not appeal to passages of Scripture which 
 support this doctrine, although I believe them numer- 
 ous and conclusive. They are before you to be 
 consulted at pleasure ; they daily offer you light and 
 conviction ; they are familiar to your minds. 
 
 Neither do I appeal to the history of man, though 
 this would furnish incontrovertible evidence of the 
 doctrine. While orthodox divines have incurred the 
 odium of being the chief heralds of man's depravity, 
 the historians of the world may claim a full share of 
 the labour. Their pages are crowded with proofs 
 that the heart of man is " desperately wicked." 
 Their records of violated treaties, of bloody wars, 
 captivities, and victories, demonstrate how deep, how 
 malignant is the poison of human depravity. Before 
 the pulpit is reproached for portraying the wicked- 
 ness of man, let the voice of history be silenced, 
 destroy the records of ancient and modern days, erase 
 from the annals of the world the tales of ambition, 
 and revenge, of wars, and revolutions. 
 
 Neither shall I attempt to carry you in imagination 
 to the wilderness, to survey savage manners and 
 morals, to see them torture their captives, eat the flesh, 
 or drink the blood of the slain. We will not approach 
 the camps and prisons of the world, to hear their 
 
209 
 
 blasphemies, or witness the vices of men, in their gross 
 and hideous forms. 
 
 Indeed I am at a loss what proofs to adduce. They 
 are so numerous, so complete, that a more prudent 
 man might well doubt which to choose, or where to 
 begin. The mind is bewildered with their multitude, 
 and rather labours to select those which are not hack- 
 neyed, than to find those which are conclusive. 
 
 To prevent all degrading comparisons, all uncandid 
 representations, I will summon my witnesses from 
 the reputable part of society. If, in this mode of 
 procedure, evidence of deep depravity forces itself 
 upon us, the doctrine must stand on a basis immove- 
 able. 
 
 I. Is it not a proof of human depravity that a 
 constant series of efforts are necessary to maintain a 
 pure and holy course of conduct ? 
 
 Were the heart good, free from the poison of sin, 
 would it require any self-denial, any effort to be 
 dutiful, obedient, and holy? I speak not of those 
 who commit iniquity with greediness, who roll sin 
 as a sweet morsel under their tongues, who cannot 
 $ease from sin, but of the more sound and decorous 
 portion of society. Is it any reproach to the pure 
 and excellent of the earth to suppose, that they make 
 some effort to be good and holy ? I ask you who are 
 fathers in the church, you who are mothers in Israel, 
 whether some watchfulness, some irksome self-denial, 
 be not requisite, to maintain a pure conscience, to 
 live soberly, and righteously, and piously ? Must you 
 not be ever on your guard, ever attentive, sometimes 
 resolute, not to wound your consciences ? Does it 
 27 
 
210 
 
 not require some fixedness of purpose, to turn away 
 from an alluring temptation ? Like Lot's wife, do you 
 not sometimes cast back a lingering look ? What is 
 the unavoidable inference from this ? That you are 
 perfect ? That you are equally disposed to good as 
 to evil ? Or that the leaven of wickedness has deeply 
 penetrated your heart ? You are, I charitably believe, 
 a sincere follower of Jesus Christ, you are gentle, and 
 kind, and devout. You are a blessing to your friends, 
 and an ornament of human nature. But how came 
 you thus ? Is all this self command natural and 
 easy ? Have you always moved spontaneously along 
 the narrow path of life ? Have you no selfish, 
 worldly, vain, wicked thoughts and passions to 
 govern, to resist, to subdue ? Do not your wayward 
 passions call you to resistance and exertion, as if you 
 were running a race, or carrying on a warfare ? 
 Are you not required to take the helmet of salvation, 
 and the sword of the Spirit, and the whole armour of 
 God ? Is not this needful ? Are not your different 
 desires and passions like the company of two armies ? 
 Have not all former saints found these to be sober 
 facts ? Did not prophets and apostles call on the 
 people to " gird up their loins," " to run," " to fight," 
 " to crucify their passions ?" Does not this prove 
 man to be a fallen, sinful, depraved creature ? Were 
 you not sinful, were not your heart desperately 
 ^wicked, it would be as easy to be good, to love and 
 serve God, as to breathe, to sleep, and eat, and love 
 the world. Every effort to be good, every struggle, 
 every painful act of self-denial, proves the heart of 
 man to be desperately wicked. 
 
211 
 
 II. Is it not proof of great wickedness in the heart, 
 that worldly good is pursued with so much more 
 constancy and zeal, than spiritual ? Need I adduce 
 any proof that the pleasures of this world command 
 more attention, than the hopes and glories of the world 
 to come ? But is this reasonable or right ? Does 
 it not argue a depraved state of heart? A few 
 individuals may have been as much engaged to pro- 
 mote their own salvation, and the glory of God, as 
 the worldly man is to secure temporal good. The 
 prophets, and apostles, and a host of martyrs may 
 be enrolled in this catalogue. A vast multitude, 
 in every age, pursue spiritual good, or a course of 
 religious duty, with a laudable degree of zeal 
 and perseverance. They build churches, they sup- 
 port the gospel, they do good in a thousand ways. 
 But when have you seen men universally or generally 
 thus engaged ? When have you seen them as much en- 
 gaged, and acting with the same invincible energy, in 
 a course of religious duty, as in some worldly pursuit ? 
 When have you seen worldly men as much engaged 
 to support the gospel, as to enrich themselves ? As 
 much concerned to make their calling and election 
 sure, as to prosecute some promising speculation? 
 As anxious to enjoy spiritual consolation, as sensual 
 pleasure ? For worldly advantages, they can devote 
 their thoughts, their conversation, their ease, their 
 health, labour all the day, watch all the night. But 
 when have you seen men thus engaged in the work 
 of salvation ? Here they are cool, careless, incon- 
 stant. Yet will they acknowledge that spiritual good 
 is in finitely the most important, that worldly good is 
 
212 
 
 vanity and a bubble. Does not this evince a deep 
 rooted and malignant depravity, that the heart-is des- 
 perately wicked ? 
 
 III. It argues a bad state of the heart, that man- 
 kind are more fruitful in expedients to obtain worldly 
 good, than spiritual. 
 
 Men of the world are wiser in their generation, 
 than the children of light. You are not unfrequently 
 surprised at the fertility of invention, the sageness and 
 perspicuity displayed by men for the attainment of 
 their object. The warriour is prolific in stratagems, 
 the philosopher in experiments, the merchant in devis- 
 ing new avenues of wealth. The skill manifested in 
 navigation, manufactures, and the arts, often astonishes 
 those unacquainted with those arts. Under the gui- 
 dance of a trembling needle, the mariner traverses 
 every ocean, explores every coast, visits every island 
 and port. Man dives into the bowels of the moun- 
 tains, and returns loaded with their silver, and gold, 
 and gems ; he commands the fire, the wind, and 
 water, 'and vapour of water, to execute his labour, 
 to minister to his pleasures. But when, and where, 
 and by whom, has such skill been displayed in the 
 attainment of spiritual good ? By whom has such 
 fertility of resource been exhibited, in reducing to 
 exact rules, the art of self control, of right conduct, 
 of holy living ? Man commands the cattle on a 
 thousand hills ; the elements, the rivers, the sun, 
 moon, and stars, are his servants. He bids the mar- 
 ble breathe, the canvass move with life, but how 
 seldom are these the agents to promote his virtues, to 
 cultivate his Christian graces ? Although God is 
 
213 
 
 abundantly manifest in these works, yet the world by 
 this wisdom has never known Him, his being, or 
 perfections ; has never discovered any rational system 
 of worship, or faith, or practice. Does not this de- 
 monstrate their extreme depravity ? The learned 
 Greeks were no more moral, no more rational, in 
 their worship, than the barbarous Scythians. The 
 refined Athenians had a religion no more rational, 
 than the uncouth Boeotians. Men are wise to do 
 evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. Is 
 not the evidence irresistible that the wickedness of 
 man is great ? 
 
 IV. Human depravity is evinced by the fact, thai 
 powerful means of moral improvement produce little 
 effect. 
 
 Through life, men are invited, and urged, and com- 
 manded, to be good. Does not this single circum- 
 stance decide the question respecting their moral 
 character? Do men need to be urged to what is 
 natural ? Do you warn, or exhort men to eat or 
 sleep ? 
 
 The immense moral culture bestowed on men, with 
 the very imperfect result generally produced, proclaims 
 the depravity of the heart, in language not to be mis- 
 understood. That man is made wicked by evil exam- 
 ples, is one of the most fallacious apologies to palliate 
 crimson guilt. Would wicked example, would false 
 instruction, poison pure minds ? Did they leave a 
 stain on the heart or life of the Saviour ? 
 
 But whence come wicked examples, and false 
 instructions ? Must they not have originated in the 
 native depravity of man ? So far from borrowing 
 
214 
 
 their wickedness, exclusively, from wicked examples, 
 men sin spontaneously, and in opposition to an 
 immense force of moral influence and instruction. 
 Hardly is it conceivable, what is done for the im- 
 provement of man, from the cradle to the grave. 
 Even in heathen nations, and among savage tribes, 
 the influence of education is not inconsiderable. The 
 worst system of superstition and idolatry, is less inju- 
 rious than cold and cheerless atheism. Some crimes 
 are punished, some vices are suppressed, some moral 
 virtues are inculcated, much possible evil is prevented. 
 
 But in a civilized, Christian country, the machinery 
 of education is immensely extensive, various, and 
 powerful. Its numerous engines move with a force, 
 I had almost said, irresistible. Irresistible they would 
 be, were not the heart of man desperately wicked. 
 
 For a moment consider the amount of instruction 
 afforded a person in a Christian country. While on 
 his mother's breast, rays of moral light begin to dispel 
 the darkness from his mind. Soon his mind is en- 
 riched with prayers and hymns, and catechisms, and 
 moral narratives. Soon he consults the word of God, 
 he listens to the gospel of salvation, instructions daily 
 press on his mind, from year to year. 
 
 The light of truth is constant, like the shining of 
 the sun and stars. By day, by night, at home, abroad, 
 heavenly monitors accompany him. Sometimes the 
 success is, in a good degree, answerable. The mind 
 is enlightened, and elevated, and sanctified. It is but 
 little lower than the angels. Yet generally, how 
 unsatisfactory, how partial, how imperceptible is the 
 effect from these multiplied modes of religious instruc- 
 
215 
 
 lion. In most instances, do not these persons so 
 
 highly favoured, remain worldly, vain, wicked, in 
 
 their temper and conduct. 
 
 Though doctrines have been so often explained, 
 
 their minds remain confused ; though duties have been 
 so often urged, they are neglected ; though repentance 
 and faith have been so often enjoined, they remain 
 unbelieving and impenitent ; though the character of 
 Jesus Christ has been recommended, they have none 
 of his virtues. 
 
 Should the sculptor labour day after day to shape and 
 polish a block of marble, and it yet remain rough and 
 shapeless, would you not believe it hard and unyield- 
 ing ? If such immense labour be expended on the 
 human character, to enlighten the mind, to soften and 
 sanctify the heart, while so little is generally effected, 
 must you not conclude that the heart is desperately 
 wicked, hard as the nether millstone ? While you 
 witness so much resistance to the powerful voice of 
 religious truth, must you not infer, are you not com- 
 pelled to believe, that the human character is radi- 
 cally depraved, that men hate the light ? 
 
 Must you not plead for the Scriptural account of 
 man, that he has destroyed himself, that he is an 
 enemy to God, a child of wrath, destitute of holiness, 
 of all moral good, entirely sinful ? Why else is so 
 much moral culture lost ? Why does Scripture re- 
 quire him to be a new creature ? Why else may ho 
 not apply the gracious promises of the gospel to 
 himself, made to the least degree of goodness ? Why 
 are no concessions made to his moral purity in the 
 
216 
 
 day of judgment ? Is not the race of man desperately 
 wicked, entirely depraved ? 
 
 V. The general conformity of moral character 
 among individuals of the same profession, combined 
 with their want of conformity to the divine law, is 
 evidence of human depravity. 
 
 The fact has too much notoriety to require proof. 
 That seamen and soldiers have a general resemblance 
 of morals, that clergy and laity have an appropriate 
 moral complexion, will not readily be questioned. 
 Does not this indicate that each section has established 
 some ideal standard of duty, some artificial rule of 
 conduct, to which they accommodate themselves ? 
 Hence these classes, while they maintain a known 
 conformity of character, when associated together, yet 
 strikingly differ in different countries and divisions of 
 the same calling. Sailors in the navy and the fish- 
 eries exhibit a marked difference of moral character. 
 The clergy of the different sects may sometimes be 
 readily recognized. Here is further evidence of an 
 ideal standard, that of popular opinion, or fashion, or 
 habit. Were all governed by the love and fear of 
 God, did all strive exclusively to observe the law of 
 God, did they fix their eyes on this law, and not on 
 rules of their own forming, they might as easily obey 
 the law of God, as the rules of their society. They 
 would be more happy, for the ways of wisdom are 
 pleasant. 
 
 Did all scrupulously consult the same standard, the 
 difference of moral character, in the various sects and 
 professions of society, would in a degree pass away. 
 
217 
 
 The dialect of the ship and the pulpit would be less 
 discordant, integrity would not avoid the mart of traf- 
 fic, nor seek an asylum in the shade of obscurity. All 
 having the same star to direct their course, their pro- 
 gress, allowing for their different advantages and 
 abilities, would correspond. 
 
 Does not this kind of conventional morality, in the 
 various sections of society, argue that they are not 
 governed by the principles of piety and duty ? Others 
 are satisfied with them, and they are satisfied with 
 themselves. So much moral character is necessary 
 for a mariner, so much for an attorney, or a merchant, 
 and so much they have. Generally they graduate 
 their conduct to the scale of popular demand, with 
 great accuracy. Infamous delinquencies, in any pro- 
 fession, are rare. While the popular standard of duty 
 is not grossly violated, conscience is quiet. The in- 
 dividual pleads, " if I am not pious or moral like 
 many others, I am as good as those of my own calling 
 or profession, and therefore not liable to reproach." 
 Is not this, substituting opinion for the will of God ? 
 Is it not to regard man more than God ? Is it not 
 casting off the fear of God ? Does it not argue that 
 the heart is " desperately wicked ?" 
 
 VI. The terrible punishment which, in the general 
 judgment, will be inflicted on the impenitent, is proof 
 of extreme wickedness in the heart of man. 
 
 Great pains have been taken to disprove this doc- 
 trine. Powerful talents have been exerted to show 
 that, in the original of the scriptures, no such place as 
 hell has been named. Whether the place be named 
 or not, the thing is most evident. " Some shall awake 
 28 
 
218 
 
 to everlasting shame and contempt." The wicked 
 will be " cast into a lake of fire." But particular texts 
 need not be cited. The doctrine is conspicuous on the 
 whole page of revelation. Two classes of men are 
 every-where exhibited, the different treatment which 
 they receive from God is constantly kept in view. 
 The Judge himself has left us a particular and affect- 
 ing description of the last solemn scene, when every 
 man will be rewarded according to the deeds done in 
 the body. All mankind will be divided into two 
 classes, the holy and the unholy. The wicked must 
 depart into everlasting fire, " where the worm dies not 
 and the fire is not quenched." This punishment is 
 not confined to enormous offenders, to murderers, and 
 warriours drunk with the blood of the slain, but in- 
 cludes all who ajre not the benevolent followers of the 
 Lamb, who did not feed the hungry, visit the sick, or 
 clothe the naked. Surely their sins must be dreadful, 
 their hearts must be desperately wicked, or they 
 would not be consigned to the vengeance of eternal 
 fire. No doctrine of the gospel is more important, 
 none more essential. Unless men are convinced of 
 their lost estate, they cannot feel their need, nor 
 accept the offer, of divine mercy ; unless they do 
 accept gospel mercy, they cannot be saved. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. We learn the duty of candour towards the faults 
 and sins of others. 
 
 We survey our fellow-men, we observe our friends, 
 we soon perceive that they are not perfect, not what 
 we should desire, not what they ought to be. We 
 
219 
 
 lament their faults. This is right. But sometimes 
 contempt or wrath is kindled. We magnify their 
 guilt, and condemn them as worthless, or odious. If 
 they have injured us, we pour on them the full vials 
 of our indignation. But is this proper, wise, or just ? 
 Are not we in the same condemnation ? Are we not 
 sinners ? Does not He, who searches the heart and 
 knows all our actions, see more iniquity in us, than 
 we have witnessed in the greatest offender? Do not 
 we know as much iniquity in ourselves, as in the man 
 we so unmercifully condemn ? Are we not sometimes 
 humbled, and abased, and confounded, by our own 
 conduct ? Shall we not then be candid to others ? Can 
 we see the faults of others, and not feel our own ? All 
 have a mote in their eye. All have sinned. Is it 
 reasonable for men, convicted of the same guilt, con- 
 demned by the same law, at the mercy of the same 
 judge, and exposed to the same punishment, to be cen- 
 sorious and cruel ? We do not always regulate our 
 thoughts and desires, govern our passions, or perform 
 those actions our conscience approves. Yet we ex- 
 pect the candour of our friends, we expect them to 
 put a kind construction on our questionable or myste- 
 rious conduct. They also are imperfect and depraved. 
 They have an equal claim on our candour and kind- 
 ness. Shall it be withheld ? Let us agree to endure 
 each other's imperfections, to cover each other's faults 
 with the mantle of silent charity. 
 
 II. Let us learn from this subject to be diffident, 
 and jealous of ourselves. 
 
 Can you depend on your sincerity and perseverance 
 to accomplish your best purposes ? Many have for a 
 
220 
 
 season bid fair for the kingdom of heaven, and yet 
 have fallen away never to be renewed. With all your 
 present good resolutions, may you not transgress with 
 a bold face and a daring hand, disappoint yourselves 
 and your best friends ? Solomon has said, and well 
 he knew, that " he who trusteth his own heart is a 
 fool." You may as well expect the sea to be always 
 smooth, the sun always to shine, the wind ever to be 
 gentle, as that your own heart will be always in a 
 serious and rational temper. 
 
 When you murmur at the absolute government of 
 God, at the strictness of his law, at the character 
 given of man, or at the dreadful punishment of sin, 
 are you sure the evil is not in your own heart ? The 
 prisoner at the bar, under sentence of death, seldom 
 entertains a high opinion of the law, of the judge, or 
 the witnesses. But is he a competent authority ? 
 Does any one believe him impartial, candid, or just ? 
 This is precisely our situation. A sinful world are 
 under sentence of the judge. He has pronounced 
 them guilty, desperately wicked, daring criminals. 
 They are liable every moment to be arrested, and cast 
 into the lake of fire. 
 
 All men recoil from what lessens and degrades 
 them. It is therefore not strange, that they often dis- 
 pute, resist, and reject this account of themselves. 
 But are they not too deeply interested to judge cor- 
 rectly ? Are they not under a corrupt influence ? Are 
 they not violently tempted to justify themselves, to 
 " contemn God," and " to speak stout words ?" So 
 situated, ought they to have much confidence in their 
 own opinions on moral subjects ? 
 
221 
 
 It would to them seem more rational, more honour- 
 able to God, were man less depraved, and sin a 
 less evil, and the punishment less dreadful, and the 
 divine wrath more placable. But would it not, on 
 the same principle, appear better still, better for man, 
 and more glorious to God, were there no sin, no pun- 
 ishment, no anger of God ; yet these, in some degree, 
 certainly do exist. We know we endure them. 
 They torture our souls, make our eyes weep, our 
 hearts bleed. Can we be adequate judges of the evil 
 of sin, of the punishment most suitable to be inflicted, 
 of the just intensity and duration of the divine anger ? 
 The very circumstance that we are offenders, that 
 God has charged us with being desperate offenders, 
 should excite self-jealousy, should lead us to abandon 
 our confidence in our own wisdom, and to wait and 
 hear what God has said in his word. This we should 
 believe, without opposing our wishes, our opinions, to 
 the doctrines revealed, or the duties commanded. Let 
 God be true, and his word be received as irresistible 
 authority, while we cultivate a humble jealousy of 
 our own religious views, of our fidelity and wisdom. 
 
 III. The subject teaches us that the gospel must 
 be glad tidings of great joy. 
 
 We are sinners under condemnation, every moment 
 exposed to endless misery. In this situation, while 
 trembling under the terrours of divine wrath, and 
 hiding ourselves from God, the gospel finds us. The 
 gospel offers pardon, offers to deliver us from the pit 
 of ruin. It does more, it proffers the spirit of adop- 
 tion, promises to make us children and heirs of God, 
 promises us glory and immortal life. Who, that pos- 
 
222 
 
 sesses the reflection and sensibility of a rational being, 
 does not hear the strains of gospel mercy with thanks- 
 giving and raptures of holy joy. " Come unto me all 
 ye that are weary and heavy laden" is good news from 
 a far country, is liberty to the captive, health to the 
 sick, life to the dying. Those who hear the joyful 
 sound are the favourites of providence. You he treats 
 as the children of his watchful care. He has not done 
 the same for all people. He passes by the heathen 
 world, they are left in moral darkness. For you the 
 Morning Star rises, the Sun of Righteousness shines. 
 To you God seems to say, "You only have I 
 known." 
 
 Is it possible that any should reject the merciful 
 Saviour, while you hear him saying, " What more 
 could I have done, that I have not done." " In my 
 father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a 
 place for you." Is it possible that any should resist 
 the Holy Spirit, when he comes to be their comforter 
 in distress, their sanctifier, and teacher ? Is it possible 
 so to harden the heart, as to resist the light of truth, 
 and reject the salvation offered ? Are not gospel privi- 
 leges invaluable ? Do you not believe them so ? Is it 
 possible for you to refuse your faith and obedience, 
 and render your state more dreadful than that of the 
 heathen ? Shall it be more tolerable for Tyre, and 
 Sidon, for Sodom, and Gomorrah, in the day of judg- 
 ment than for you ? Rather raise your thoughts and 
 desires to the heavenly world. Say in the language 
 of piety, As for me, I will serve the Lord ! 
 
 " Happy is the man who findeth wisdom, and the 
 man who getteth understanding." 
 
ZECHARIAH iv, 6. 
 
 by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith 
 the Lord of hosts. 
 
 READING the volume of civil history, we are amused, 
 or instructed, or charmed, with the activity, the enter- 
 prize, or intelligence of man. By his labours and 
 wisdom, fields are loaded with harvests, science and 
 art exhibit their wonders, society is organized, legis- 
 lators exhibit all that we can imagine of greatness and 
 grandeur. Here the story ends. But when we open 
 the volume of revelation, another scene is presented. 
 God, the infinite spirit, is the first object, angels are 
 seen descending and ascending, to execute the orders 
 of his throne. Him we behold, creating the world, 
 weighing the mountains, and balancing the stars. We 
 see him disposing of men. They are blest or misera- 
 ble, rich or poor, wise or powerful, by his guiding 
 providence ; legislators and conquerors are merely the 
 instruments of his purposes, moral machinery under 
 his direction. 
 
224 
 
 At the time of this prophecy, the rebuilding of Jeru- 
 salem had been suspended. Artaxerxes had gone to 
 his fathers, and Darius was on the throne. Fearing 
 they should not obtain his consent to renew the work, 
 opposition rising, and some saying, " the time is not 
 come that the Lord's house should be built," the peo- 
 ple were discouraged. To revive their hopes, a 
 revelation is made to Zechariah. The word of the 
 Lord to Zerubbabel was, " Who art thou, great moun- 
 tain, before him ?" Though the obstacles in his way 
 are as mountains, they shall become a plain. The work 
 shall proceed, though not by human might or power. 
 Your father's deliverance from Egypt was accom- 
 panied with miraculous displays ; the winds blew, the 
 sea opened, Pharaoh and his host were destroyed. 
 They entered Canaan in triumph. The sun and moon 
 stood still, Jordan stopped to gaze at the grandeur of 
 their march, the walls of Jericho trembled and fell, 
 flying javelins dazzled the eye, clouds of arrows dark- 
 ened the air. But now the whole process of your de- 
 liverance is different. Cyrus was insensibly inclined by 
 the Spirit of God to restore you to your country. 
 Darius will be disposed by the same spirit, to revive 
 the work of finishing the temple and city, the people 
 will be devoutly disposed to labour. The walls will 
 rise, the temple will be completed. As the top stone 
 is laid, you will shout, "grace, grace." 
 
 DOCTRINE. All the blessings of life, are effected 
 by the Spirit of God. 
 
 I. The Spirit of God bestows on men their intel- 
 lectual powers. 
 
225 
 
 This is exclusively his work. Men are as depend- 
 ent for their mental capacity, as the marble for the 
 form which it receives from the sculptor. Unless 
 men can act before their existence, they can have no 
 agency in their original powers of mind. These are 
 precisely what their Maker pleases to give. As in 
 grace, so in capacity, one man differs from another, 
 as one star surpasses another in splendour. He, who 
 formed the mountains with various degrees of magni- 
 tude and grandeur, has given to human minds different 
 degrees of elevation and power. Some are feeble, in- 
 capable of continued attention, and groveling in their 
 disposition. Others, on a strong wing, soar above 
 their fellows, discovering truths hidden from ages, 
 opening new sources of wonder and rational delight. 
 This mental vigour is from God. If he withdraw his 
 Spirit, the most sublime intellect is deprived of its 
 power, the most splendid genius is destroyed. " The 
 inspiration of the Almighty giveth men understand- 
 ing." Whenever scripture alludes to the display of 
 remarkable powers, these powers are ascribed to the 
 Spirit of God. The Spirit of God came upon Samp- 
 son, and he displayed prodigies of valour. David de- 
 clares that God taught his hands to war. 
 
 This influence of the Spirit does not necessarily 
 imply gracious or holy exercises. It is as truly the 
 Spirit of God, who gives us our intellectual and phy- 
 sical powers, as the graces of a pious heart. He, that 
 in the fields of science or business rises above his 
 fellows, and occasionally above himself, is as really 
 the subject of divine influence, as was St. Paul at 
 Damascus, or Isaiah, when he announced himself 
 29 
 
226 
 
 anointed of God. The gifts are different, the giver is 
 the same. The same Spirit which elevated the mind 
 of Newton to investigate the physical laws of the 
 universe, inspired Peter with penitential sorrow to 
 weep for his sins. Our mental power is from the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
 II. Men are indebted to the Spirit of God for that 
 peculiar texture of mind, which is congenial with 
 liberal improvement. 
 
 For this, mere strength or extent of capacity is not; 
 always sufficient. The most vigorous powers may 
 be disposed to exhaust themselves in active courage or 
 arduous enterprise. A particular complexion of mind, 
 and circumstances which are often beyond control, 
 are necessary for high intellectual attainments. It 
 may therefore well be said " God giveth men wis- 
 dom and knowledge." In scripture, declarations of 
 this kind are numerous. God said to Solomon, 
 " Wisdom and knowledge are granted unto thee." 
 4 1 give you these blessings.' Solomon surpassed all the 
 kings of the earth, not only in opulence, but in wisdom. 
 All the kings of the earth sought unto Solomon, to 
 hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart" 
 This is equally true of other wise men as of Solomon. 
 That power of attention, that strength of memory, 
 that penetration, and discernment, that leisure, and 
 command of other means necessary for eminent intel- 
 lectual attainments, are the gift of God. 
 
 In almost every age, a few sublime minds, like 
 Enoch and Elijah, ascending to heaven without pass- 
 ing through the territories of death, soar above other 
 men in science, knowledge, and goodness, while we. 
 
227 
 
 who are souls of ordinary mould, so far from being 
 competitors in their ascent, are unable to follow in 
 the track which they mark, or to comprehend the 
 mysteries which they reveal. Like Elisha, we gaze 
 with admiration, exclaiming, " the chariots of Israel 
 and the horsemen thereof!" These men shed light on 
 all the walks of life, they raise the character of man, 
 they preserve us from ignorance and errour, they 
 ,swell the tide of human felicity, they are the benefac- 
 tors and the ornaments of the world. These are men 
 whom God delights to honour, whom he has stamped 
 with greatness, whom he has irradiated by his Spirit. 
 
 Of Bezaleel God says, " I have filled him with the 
 Spirit of God in wisdom, and understanding, and 
 knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship." 
 What was this distinguished gift of heaven ? Was it 
 luminous piety ? Was it skill in government, or emi- 
 nence as a minister of God ? It was chiefly " to work 
 in gold, and silver, and brass, and cutting stones, and 
 carving timber," mere manual labours. In all those 
 who laboured in these arts, God says " I have put 
 wisdom." In another place, Moses repeats this doc- 
 trine ; " The Lord put wisdom in their hearts." The 
 ordinary and eminent attainments of the mind are from 
 the Spirit of the Lord. 
 
 III. Convictions of sin and a new heart are from 
 the Spirit of God. 
 
 This doctrine is so popular as to require little con- 
 firmation. " The Spirit of God leads the mind into 
 all truth." Those who believe on his name are born 
 not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of jnan, 
 but of God," " He saves us by the renewing of thfc 
 
228 
 
 Holy Ghost." It is the appropriate work of the Holy 
 Spirit to convince men of sin, of righteousness, and 
 judgment. He enlightens, convinces, and renews, 
 the heart. When the first serious thought arises in 
 the mind, the Holy Spirit is the author of that 
 thought. When the conscience is enlightened and 
 convinced, and the man becomes habitually serious, 
 this is the work of the Holy Spirit. As truth con- 
 tinues to operate, and conviction increases, and the 
 soul in anguish inquires, "Lord, what wilt thou have 
 me to do," here is more decisive evidence that the 
 Holy Spirit has commenced a work of power. Divest- 
 ed of its own righteousness, humbled, and penitent, 
 the soul displays the blessed operations of the divine 
 Spirit. 
 
 IV. The progressive advance of holiness in the 
 hearts of men is effected by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Sanctification is a gradual process ; but while the 
 man is active, he is not independent ; he is clay 
 formed, by the Spirit of God, to be a vessel of 
 honour. While he is voluntary, and rouses his 
 best powers to run the Christian race, he finds the 
 path narrow, and obstructed by many difficul- 
 ties and dangers. To day, fields and blossoms de- 
 light his senses, and gardens of fruit open their treas- 
 ures to allure him from his course ; tomorrow, a laby- 
 rinth of distress, a slough of despondence, discourage 
 his exertions, and freeze his heart with a thousand 
 terrours. Painful crosses, enchanting pleasures, 
 worldly affections, violent passions, assail the Chris- 
 tian in his way to heaven. The progress of holiness 
 is an arduous labour, a painful conflict, a dangerous 
 
229 
 
 warfare. Mere human power is unequal to the con- 
 flict ; yet the Christian conquers, not by might or 
 power; but by the Spirit of God. To his people 
 God says, " I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and 
 my blessing upon thy offspring ; and they shall spring 
 up, as willows by the water courses." Others shall 
 take knowledge of them, that they have the Spirit of 
 Christ, the Spirit sent to be their Comforter. 
 
 Isaiah teaches the same doctrine. " I will pour 
 upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of 
 Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication ; 
 and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, 
 and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for 
 his only son. 
 
 Here, the Spirit of God produces a spirit of grace 
 and sanctification, a spirit of prayer, and holy com- 
 munion with God, a spirit of mourning and godly sor- 
 row for sin. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, 
 and righteousness, and truth." 
 
 The path of the just is as the shining light, that 
 shineth more and more unto the perfect day. As the 
 good man advances in life, he learns more of himself, 
 of his earthly disposition, of his inordinate self-love, 
 of his distance from God, of his absolute dependance, 
 of his constant danger of sin and ruin, and he becomes 
 more devout, more humble, more penitent, more holy. 
 The longer he lives, the more various his trials and 
 blessings, he has more adequate views of sin, its evil 
 nature, and dreadful tendency ; of course he has more 
 profound apprehensions of divine mercy, and the love 
 of God in giving his Son to die for sinners, of the ex- 
 cellency and preciousness of the Saviour, of the im- 
 
230 
 
 portance and necessity of the gospel. This leads him 
 to prize, and love the word and ordinances of the 
 gospel. The word of the Lord is sweeter than honey, 
 dropping from the comb. The Sabbath is his delight, 
 and he exclaims " When shall I come and appear be- 
 fore God." " A day in thine house is better than a 
 thousand, I had rather be a door-keeper in the house 
 of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." 
 " How amiable are thy tabernacles." His daily prayer 
 is, " Lead me not into temptation." "Keep back 
 thy servant from secret sins." Such a temper is from 
 the Spirit of God ; such a heart is a temple of the 
 Holy Ghost ; he dwells in such a soul. As the waters 
 of the sanctuary cleansed and purified the victim and 
 the priest ; so the Holy Spirit sanctifies the heart, and 
 prepares it for glory. 
 
 V. The Holy Spirit is the Author of all our success 
 in the affairs of this world. 
 
 The prosperity of Israel is by Isaiah ascribed to 
 the Holy Spirit. He, therefore, says " Until the 
 Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wil- 
 derness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be 
 accounted for a forest." Whether this be considered 
 literal or figurative, whether it indicate spiritual or 
 worldly prosperity, the general lesson of instruction is 
 the same. In either case the Holy Spirit is the author 
 of the good enjoyed. If your graces bud and blossom, 
 and you bear fruit like the garden of the Lord ; or if 
 your fields are fruitful, and loaded with abundant 
 harvests, so that your former cultivation shall appear 
 like a forest, all this temporal or spiritual progress is 
 from the Spirit of God. 
 
231 
 
 For a moment recollect what things are necessary 
 to ensure success, and then ask thy heart, if it does 
 not depend on the grace of God. Select the acquisi- 
 tion of property. Can a man feel sanguine of wealth, 
 unless his plans and pursuits are contrived with judg- 
 ment and discretion ? How many things are destroyed 
 for want of judgment. 
 
 Must not faithful partners, or assistants be obtained. 
 The affairs of Potiphar prospered, while Joseph was 
 his servant. Laban advanced in wealth, while Jacob 
 was his partner. The means of your expected wealth 
 must be in demand, or your hopes will be blasted. 
 
 After all these advantages, and the highest success, 
 which may follow, if the man have not prudence and 
 judgment to retain what he has acquired, to vest or 
 use his acquisitions in a judicious manner, he has 
 laboured only for the wind ; he will reap the whirl- 
 wind. Are not all these blessings from the Spirit of 
 God ? Whence comes the prudence or discretion of 
 man, in executing the common business of life ? Who 
 instructs the ploughman and artisan ? Is it not the 
 Spirit of God ? Is it not he, " who turns the hearts" 
 of men to love us, to be faithful in our business ? Did 
 he not influence Jacob, and Joseph, and David ? Is it 
 not he, who gives peace and wealth, to a neighbour- 
 hood or nation, so that business flourishes, so that 
 men are encouraged to labour in their calling, and find 
 success in their various enterprises ? A certain degree 
 of civilization, and general wealth, are necessary, that 
 the artisan may find employment, that the merchant 
 may dispose of his goods r the husbandman of his pro- 
 visions. Change the face of society, or the habits of 
 
232 
 
 the people, and you close the avenues to wealth and 
 prosperity. Sampson had valour and physical 
 strength to acquire fame and glory. Haman had 
 skill and address to obtain wealth and power, and the 
 confidence of his king. But the Spirit of God did not 
 give them wisdom to retain and enjoy their lofty 
 eminence, they fell, to rise no more. Instead of being, 
 on the whole, prosperous or happy men, they stand 
 as dry trees in the field, scorched by the lightning of 
 heaven, numbered among the most unfortunate and 
 miserable of the human race. 
 
 The life of Joseph was a course of splendid 
 achievements, a path of radiant glory ; but did he for 
 this lean on the strength of his own arm, or was he 
 guided by mental energy of his own production, or by 
 grace and sanctity of heart, which he did not receive ? 
 By what means did he obtain such an ascendency in 
 the house of his master, that the domestic cares rested 
 on him, that the business was transacted by him, that 
 his master did not examine his conduct? The sacred 
 historian distinctly informs us, " the Lord was with 
 Joseph ; the Lord made all that he did to prosper ?" 
 
 More remarkable was his success at the prison. 
 Accused of an odious crime, treated according to the 
 severity of the law, his feet galled with irons, what 
 has he to hope ; yet in the prison, he soon has the 
 management of affairs, and is the overseer of the pris- 
 oners. This mystery is unfolded when we read, that 
 still, "the Lord was with Joseph, and gave him 
 favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." 
 Nothing is too hard for God. He can raise Joseph 
 from a dungeon to the steps of the throne, and Daniel 
 
233 
 
 from a den of lions, to the highest honours of Babylon. 
 All our success comes from God. 
 
 VI. The comfort and felicity, which you enjoy in 
 your acquirements, come from God. 
 
 A man may possess incalculable treasures and not 
 enjoy them. " A man, to whom God hath given 
 riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing 
 for his heart, of all that he desireth ; yet sometimes, 
 God giveth him not power to eat thereof. " Every 
 man, to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and 
 hath given him power to eat thereof, and to rejoice in 
 his labour ; this is the gift of God. The Holy Spirit 
 is the Comforter. As Christ was the comfort of his 
 disciples while on earth ; so the Holy Spirit now is. 
 The Saviour makes this a reason for his departure, 
 that otherwise the Holy Spirit would not come, as if 
 he were more than a substitute for his presence. 
 " Blessed be God, the God of all comfort." "The 
 blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no 
 sorrow with it. All consolation is from the Spirit of 
 God. The most splendid wealth, the most powerful 
 friends, the most exalted fame, with the richest stream 
 of sensual delights, with the most elevated privileges 
 for intellectual and religious improvement, unless God 
 bless them, will leave the heart cold, and cheerless, 
 and dead. 
 
 Did the money of Gehazi comfort his heart ? Was 
 he happier for his bags of silver, and his changes of 
 garments ? The leprosy was in his silver, the poison, 
 of death in his garments. Was Ahab, or Haman 
 happy in their numerous children, or ample posses- 
 30 
 
234 
 
 sions ? In the proud palace, and at a royal banquet, 
 one hears the sentence of death, the other pines and 
 sickens for his neighbour's vineyard, and instead of 
 being crowned with victory, is borne dying from the 
 field of battle ? 
 
 Was Balaam blest, while the fame of his wisdom 
 was sounding among distant tribes ? Was the king 
 of Babylon blest, in the splendour of his capital, or 
 the adulation of his power? Was Solomon blest 
 in his palaces, and pools, and gardens, and orchards, 
 and vineyards ; his silver, his gold, his music, his 
 wine, and his women ? Did he not hate the works 
 of his hands ? 
 
 The wisdom, which secures felicity in the favours 
 of providence, is from the spirit of God. The depth 
 saith, " It is not in me," and the sea saith, " not with 
 me." It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall 
 silver be weighed for the price. Whence then 
 cometh wisdom, and where is the place of under- 
 standing. Destruction and death say, " We have 
 heard the fame thereof with our ears." " Behold, 
 the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart 
 from evil, is understanding." These graces are from 
 the Spirit of God. 
 
 To prevent mistake I may briefly inquire, by what 
 means the Spirit of God confers these favours upon 
 men. Men are not moved as the wheels of a watch, 
 by physical force ; they do not flourish as the lily of 
 the valley, or cedar of Lebanon, without choice or 
 agency of their own. The work of the Holy Spirit 
 is not intended to supersede our own endeavours ; but 
 
235 
 
 i- 
 
 to give life, and energy, and success to those endea- 
 vours, producing such results as divine wisdom has 
 appointed. 
 
 Sometimes God blesses men, by directing and 
 giving efficacy to their endeavours, beyond their 
 power or intention. Still they are the means of their 
 own felicity. The apostles \vere called to high sta- 
 tions in the church, while sitting in their office, or 
 mending their nets, unconscious of any approaching 
 change, not aspiring to honour, nor expecting new 
 employments ; yet they were in their place, in the 
 way of blessings. David was called home from the 
 pasture, where he was doing his duty, contented with 
 his harp, and his flock, to be anointed king of Israel. 
 Joseph was led through a dreary path, to roll in 
 affluence, decked with honours, the benefactor of 
 his father's house, of the country, and the church of 
 God. 
 
 In her simplicity, a little captive maid in the family 
 of Naaman, said, " Would God, my lord were with 
 the prophet, that is in Samaria, for he would recover 
 him of his leprosy." Her words are repeated; a 
 message is sent to the king of Israel ; the military 
 chieftain repairs to the prophet ; he is healed ; he 
 becomes a convert to the true faith, and the glory of 
 Israel's God is extended into Syria. In many instan- 
 ces of divine favours which I have mentioned, great 
 effects result from common or trivial causes. Had the 
 Arabian caravan arrived at the field of Dothan only 
 a few hours sooner, Joseph would not have been 
 there ; had it come a few hours later, he might not 
 have been alive. All the wonderful consequences of 
 
236 
 
 his agency to his family, to Egypt, and the world, 
 seem to be suspended on a trivial, contingent event 
 
 But the Spirit of God more generally blesses men 
 according to their manifest diligence, their discretion, 
 perseverance, and fidelity. This is the general law of 
 divine procedure, that every one receives " according 
 to his works." " The diligent hand maketh rich." 
 " That which Joseph did, the Lord made it to pros- 
 per." " What a man soweth, that shall he reap." 
 Every man assumes the complexion of his own char- 
 acter, chooses his own course, carves his own portion, 
 secures his own reward. The measure of our sincer- 
 ity, of our faithfulness, and wisdom, is the general 
 measure of our success, and of our felicity. In those 
 instances where the sovereignty of God seems to 
 exclude not only all merit, but all worth or agency of 
 men, it may possibly be found, that their character, 
 what they are, and what they do, has more influence 
 than is generally supposed. God blesses men, by 
 first making them good or wise, to prepare them for 
 subsequent favours, and to render them the instru- 
 ments of their own felicities. Joseph has been men- 
 tioned ; but after all the interpositions of providence, 
 and the displays of divine sovereignty, in his behalf, 
 may it not be said, that the conduct, or personal worth 
 of the man, was the germ of his flourishing honours ? 
 Piety was the basis of his reputation and success. 
 His innocence in his master's house, his integrity in 
 prison, secured the divine favour, and the inspiration 
 of wisdom. Hence his capacity of explaining mys- 
 teries ; hence his fame, his power, his riches, his 
 greatness. 
 
237 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. From the subject I infer the folly and wicked- 
 ness of excusing ourselves from any particular duty, 
 merely because the Holy Spirit has not excited us to 
 the performance. 
 
 The dependance of man is universal. The govern- 
 ment of God is universal. If you excuse yourself 
 from one duty, on account of your dependence, you 
 may from another, and from all duty. If you justify 
 yourself on this principle, for not repenting, believing, 
 or " making yourself a new heart," you may, with 
 the same reason, for neglecting to labour, to speak 
 the truth, or to perform the common duties of human- 
 ity. It is the Spirit of God instructs and inclines 
 "the ploughman to turn the furrows, to break the 
 clods, and cast in the seed." Can the slothful man, 
 then, excuse himself for suffering his vineyard to be 
 " overgrown with thorns, and nettles, and the stone 
 wall to be broken down ?" Neither can you, for your 
 impenitence and unbelief. To cultivate his land he 
 needs the influence of the Holy Spirit, as really as 
 you. He is as dependent as you are, for a disposi- 
 tion to perform his duty. If dependence be an excuse, 
 the slothful man is as innocent as you. 
 
 The dependence of man, and the universal agency 
 of God, are the two great pillars of Revelation ; they 
 do not excuse men from any duty. They are ac- 
 countable for all their conduct. 
 
 II. We learn why, contrary to seeming probability, 
 and general expectation, men of eminence often rise 
 from the humble walks of life. 
 
238 
 
 Men do not always wait for wealth, or patronage, 
 or education, to raise them to the pinnacle of human 
 glory or excellence. Bezaleel, the eminent artist, 
 Amos the prophet, Peter the apostle, David the king, 
 rose from the obscure paths of life to eminence and 
 fame. Many in every age have reason to exclaim, with 
 David, " Is it a light matter in your eyes to be son-in- 
 law to a king ? As for me, I am a man of humble 
 condition, and not entitled to honour.'^ 
 
 Many of that constellation of great men, who are 
 enlightening the present age, rose to their present 
 distinction, without patronage, without a liberal educa- 
 tion, through poverty, and toil, and distressing discour- 
 agements. Had the question been submitted to the 
 votes of the community, some other individuals would 
 have been selected. Reviews and critics would 
 gladly have assigned the wreath of honour to other 
 heads ; but the work was of God ; he chooses whom 
 he will to honour. Laborious mechanics, dwellers in 
 the valley of obscurity, strangers to science, are 
 illumined by the Spirit of God, are raised above their 
 fellows, to shine as stars of splendour, while many 
 nobles and princes are forgotten or unknown. 
 
 On the same principle the success of the gospel is 
 often so different from the expectations of its friends. 
 Men are wont to expect improvement from the 
 gospel, according to the genius, or science, the fidelity, 
 or talents, of their spiritual guide ; but these gifts may 
 be as the sun shining on the desert, producing no 
 fruit ; while the labours of an ordinary mind, seem to 
 
 * Septuagint. 
 
239 . 
 
 enjoy the rain and dew of heaven, turning the wil- 
 derness into a garden or a field, which the Lord has 
 blessed. These are the Lord's doings, and they are 
 marvellous in our eyes. 
 
 III. We learn from the subject not to be proud, or 
 elated with prosperity. 
 
 Success often renders the person " another man." 
 His deportment, his opinions, his affections, his lan- 
 guage, are changed. His elevation has made him 
 dizzy ; he is intoxicated with self-complacency. Is 
 this wise or rational ? Is the sick man proud of his 
 hospital ? Will the inmates of the alms-house boast 
 of their comfortable apartments ? Why then do men 
 boast of their genius, their talents, or acquirements ? 
 These are the gift of God. What have they which 
 they have not received ? " Shall the axe boast itself 
 against him that heweth with it ?" 
 
 To cure your pride, remember that in the midst of 
 your prosperity, you are still dependent ; your bless- 
 ings are on the wing. To day your fields are prom- 
 ising ; tomorrow comes a frost, and your hopes are 
 gone. As your orchards this morning, covered with 
 blossoms, delighting the eye, and perfuming the air, 
 will soon lose their beauty, the flowers fallen, and 
 scattered by the winds, so your felicities of health, 
 and friends, possessions, and pleasures, of every name, 
 will vanish away, to return no more. Is here reason 
 for pride ? 
 
 Will you boast of your bounties, \vhen you recol- 
 lect that the same favours are sometimes granted to 
 the most worthless of the human family ? No man 
 knoweth love or hatred, by his worldly circumstances. 
 
240 
 
 Nabal was rich, and Haman and Herod were pow- 
 erful. Absalom by the charms of his person, and his 
 captivating address, stole the hearts of Israel. He 
 who lifted up his eyes in torment, crying for a drop 
 of water, had been "clothed in purple and fine linen, 
 and fared sumptuously every day." Have you not 
 known some of the vilest men, as rich, as distin- 
 guished in society, as prosperous, as you are ? Where, 
 then, is the ground for pride or self-complacency ? 
 The splendour of wealth, the friendship of the world, 
 the pleasures of sense, are such a miserable portion, 
 that God often confers them, on the most wicked men. 
 Your highest transports of success establish no claim 
 to merit, give no decisive proof of the divine favour. 
 
 As a further remedy for pride and exultation, con- 
 sider how inadequate is your success to satisfy your 
 desires, to make you happy. Who is so rich, as not 
 to feel a painful desire for greater possessions ? 
 " How delightful it would be," says the landholder, 
 " had I only this house, or that field, or meadow, or 
 yonder grove, added to my farm." 
 
 What prince or conqueror does not thirst for more 
 extensive power and dominion ? Like the all-devour- 
 ing grave, the heart of man is perpetually crying 
 " Give, give." Earthly good is not adapted to the 
 wants of an immortal mind. Never is it satisfied with 
 objects of sense ; they leave an aching void. The 
 soul of man, though fallen, and in ruins, like a fallen 
 temple, exhibits the tokens of her former elevation 
 and grandeur ; she turns away dissatisfied with 
 worldly good. As the ocean is not filled with all the 
 rivers of the world, pouring in their floods from gen- 
 
241 
 
 eration to generation* so the mind of man is not satis- 
 fied with all the streams of worldly prosperity. They 
 furnish no cause for pride and vain glory. 
 
 IV. If all our success and consolation come from 
 God, is it not presumptuous to depend on ourselves, 
 or our hopeful means of success, while we neglect 
 God. 
 
 Let all those, who confide in their own strength, 
 remember that " the race is not always to the swift, 
 nor the battle to the strong, nor riches to men of 
 understanding. " Time and chance," or rather the 
 providence of God, governs all. The weakest army 
 often raises the shout of victory. Ancient and modern 
 days are replete with stories of this sort. Neglecting 
 God, you neglect Him who gives power and efficacy 
 to your own efforts, and all the means which you 
 employ. The resolution is marked with atheism, 
 when, without reference to God, you say, " to day, or 
 tomorrow, I will go into such a city, and continue 
 there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain." You 
 know not what will be on the morrow. What is your 
 life? It is a vapour. 
 
 Every devout man will say, " If the Lord will, I 
 shall live, and do this or that." Every thing respect- 
 ing the future is uncertain, any further than W 7 e can 
 learn the divine will. If you can find a promise, if you 
 plead the promise, and believe the promise, your object 
 is sure. But while you neglect God, relying on your 
 own strength, or skill, or other flattering means, your 
 hopes are on the sand ; your confidence is vain ; dis- 
 appointment is at the, door. Or should you succeed, 
 31 
 
242 
 
 your success will not be prosperity ; it may involve 
 you, with Joseph's brethren, in remorse and shame. 
 
 " Delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee 
 the desire of thine heart." 
 
 Hezekiah exulted with vain glory, while he dis- 
 played his treasures before the servants of the king of 
 Babylon. At the very sight they probably conceived 
 the idea of bearing them away in triumph, While the 
 prophet is commanded to announce to him the sad 
 tidings, that " all that is in thine house shall be car- 
 ried to Babylon, nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. 
 Thy sons shall be captives in the palaces of Babylon." 
 Learn, then, to acknowledge God in all thy ways, 
 and he will direct thy paths. He will give success 
 to thine affairs ; not by might, nor by power, but by 
 the Spirit of the Lord. 
 

 PROVERBS xxii, 29. 
 
 Seest thou a man diligent in his business ? he shall 
 stand before kings ; he shall not stand before mean 
 men. 
 
 ACTION is every-where manifest. The sun is turning 
 on his axis ; the stars are moving in their courses ; 
 the earth is revolving in its orbit. Winds blow, 
 rivers run, oceans roll. Birds are on the wing ; 
 cattle rove round a thousand hills ; man goeth forth 
 to his labours ; angels are ascending and descending 
 between heaven and earth. God himself works ; 
 God is the most constant and powerful Agent in the 
 universe. Though perpetually giving life and activity 
 to his creatures, He never rests nor tires. A wakeful, 
 active spirit pervades his works. Were a planet to 
 stop in its course, it would destroy or derange the 
 system. If a man is idle, it disturbs the moral order 
 around him ; a train is laid for unnumbered evils; 
 Most of the troubles in this life ; all the miseries of 
 the life to come, result from the wrong employment 
 of time. 
 
244 
 
 * 
 
 Though at the commencement of his course, a man 
 may labour with those, or be employed by those, who 
 are mean, and low, and base ; yet being diligent, he 
 will rise ; he will be distinguished ; he will leave his 
 murky atmosphere, his former associates ; he will 
 mingle in better society, and be admitted among per- 
 sons of the highest standing. A diligent man will 
 become independent and respectable. 
 
 The bible, and those sermons, which are conform- 
 able to the bible, give instructions pertaining to this 
 life, as well as that to come ; they would make us 
 good here, that we may be happy hereafter. It is, 
 therefore, an indispensable duty to discuss topics like 
 that suggested by the text ; for such texts are parts of 
 holy inspiration. No one then can object, lest he 
 should manifest an ignorance of what is proper, or a 
 pride which refuses instruction. The subject now 
 selected, is as really inculcated in the Old and New 
 Testaments, as are regeneration or the divine in- 
 fluences. 
 
 My object is to exhibit some of the reasons for 
 diligence. 
 
 I. The make and character of body and mind in- 
 dicate that they were formed for action. If man were 
 not designed for action, why should every limb and 
 faculty be adapted to such a purpose ? If you enter 
 the shop of a mechanic, and survey his tools, his axe, 
 his saw, and his hammer, do you not conclude they 
 were formed for use ? But what instrument is more 
 adapted for use, than the hands of man ? Not an im- 
 plement of the artisan is so ingeniously contrived for 
 
245 
 
 labour. All the limbs, organs, and senses, speak the 
 same language. 
 
 Is not the mind as evidently formed for action and 
 diligence ? Why else this perpetual inquisitiveness of 
 spirit, this restlessness of desire, this intensity of 
 passion, this glowing ambition, this daring enter- 
 prise, this insatiable thirst for wealth, pleasure, and 
 fame ? Why is such energy of power given, if not to 
 be exerted ? 
 
 Since the fall of man labour has become necessary. 
 The surly earth refuseth sustenance to man, unless 
 she be corrected, disciplined, and subdued. Briars 
 and thorns, serpents and tigers, she offers for your 
 provision : but these must be destroyed ; wheat, rye, 
 and barley must be sown ; flocks and herds must be 
 reared ; houses and barns must be built ; numerous 
 labours must be executed if man would live in this 
 world. In China it is a maxim, that if one man be 
 idle, some man must suffer for food and clothing ; 
 because the country will barely support them all, if 
 all are industrious. This may, in some degree, be 
 applicable to all countries. 
 
 II. Diligence is necessary to sustain the bodily and 
 mental powers. Give a man wealth ; let him recline 
 on the sofa of pleasure ; let him call his servants 
 around him ; let him indulge in every luxury, and 
 avoid every exertion 'of body or mind, and how long 
 will his faculties remain unimpaired ? How long will 
 it be ere his sinews will be unstrung, his muscles re- 
 laxed, his nerves shattered, his mind gloomy and sad, 
 his health gone, and a thousand miseries shrouding 
 every prospect? In vain do nurses and physicians 
 
246 
 
 minister their opiates and cordials ;-~in vain they ad- 
 vise him to roll in the carriage of pleasure. The light 
 of the sun, and the fair face of nature, no longer 
 animate his spirits ; the flowers, and gardens, the fields, 
 and harvests, have no pleasures for him. Such is the 
 effect of idleness, of rest, of luxury. So necessary is 
 diligence. 
 
 III. By diligence, you will form a habit of labour, 
 "Which will render it pleasant, and even necessary to 
 your comfort. By custom, what was unpleasant be- 
 comes desirable ; what was painful becomes agree- 
 able ; what was odious becomes necessary. However 
 improbable this might, at first view, seem, it is de- 
 monstrated by daily experience, and the known laws 
 of the human mind. By custom, labour becomes 
 pleasant, promotive of our comfort, and in the strong 
 language of common life, a second nature. The man, 
 who in boyhood was delighted to escape from his 
 task, to frolick in the field and sport in the water, is 
 now unmoved, and continues cheerfully at his labour, 
 notwithstanding all the parade and splendour of some 
 great festive celebration. The child often considers 
 his book and his school the greatest afflictions, and 
 his father and teacher little better than tyrants for re- 
 quiring his daily task; but by degrees, frequently by 
 very slow degrees, he acquires a habit of reading and 
 study ; now his book becomes a luxury, and the priv- 
 ilege of mental improvement the richest felicity of his 
 life. This, in a great degree, is true of every occu- 
 pation and pursuit. Exertions of duty are satisfactory 
 to the mind ; they are recollected with self-compla- 
 cency ; they swell the tide of our happiness. 
 
247 
 
 IV. Inestimable advantages result from diligence. 
 Compare the idle and the diligent man. The idler 
 drags himself along through the mire of poverty, 
 chilled by the neglect of his friends, torn with the 
 briars of their contempt. Drowsiness will clothe a 
 man in rags ; his poverty and want shall come as an 
 armed man. The diligent hand maketh rich ; he that 
 tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread ; in all 
 labour is profit. 
 
 Look round the land. Who are the rich men, the 
 opulent merchants, the great landholders ? Who are 
 the men of knowledge, luminaries of church and state, 
 the guides of public opinion ? Without numerous ex- 
 ceptions, they are men, who a few years since, were 
 not worth an acre of ground. Their hands, and reso- 
 lute hearts, and habits of diligence, constituted all 
 their wealth. They began life with nothing. They 
 laboured, they studied, they persevered ; they were 
 frugal of money, frugal of time ; they were industri- 
 ous. They did not run to listen to this concert of 
 music, nor to that eloquent advocate at the bar. Not 
 all the pomp and noise that accompany the anniver- 
 sary of our nation's freedom, could draw them from 
 their shops, their fields, their studies. When invited 
 to some neighbouring auction or military parade, they 
 would severally reply ; " God sent me into the world 
 to till my land, me to tend my shop, me to pursue 
 my studies. I have no concern with shows and par- 
 ades." These are the great men, these are the rich 
 men, to whom the idle go for a piece of bread. Such 
 men acquire reputation. He, who is diligent, who is 
 faithful, in season, and out of season, will be respect- 
 
248 
 
 ed. Even while yet in the humble walks of life, he 
 will be noticed and encouraged. If he persevere, with 
 discretion, he will, at length, associate with great 
 men ; with the judges, and senators, and governours. 
 of the land : I mean, if providence should cast him 
 in their way. 
 
 If study be his employment, such a man will become 
 distinguished in science. He will be enrolled with 
 the luminaries of the age. His name, far and wide, 
 will become familiar as a household-word ; he will be 
 a guide to the blind, and a blessing to the world ; 
 while his fellow-student, more disposed to self-indul- 
 gence, seldom at home, and never at his books, 
 withers like a plant scorched by the sun, lives un- 
 known, and dies unlamented. 
 
 V. These, and all other blessings, give us the higher 
 satisfaction for being procured by our own prudence 
 and industry. When a man, viewing his house and 
 land, congratulates himself, is not his a justifiable self- 
 complacency. " These are the fruit of my labours, 
 purchased or improved by the sweat of my brow, by 
 the frugality and toil to which I have submitted. 
 These fields, these trees, bear the marks of my 
 hands." Is not here a peculiar pleasure, a lively 
 enjoyment, unknown to the sons of sloth ? 
 
 If a man enjoy a good name, a fair reputation ; if 
 he stand among the nobles of the land ; if, like Job, 
 he be honoured as he passes in the street ; is it not 
 a reasonable satisfaction to recollect that his diligence 
 in affairs has procured these attentions? His reputa- 
 tion and honour did not descend from his father ; 
 thev were not inherited like goods and chattels ; but 
 
249 
 
 are the fruits of discretion and fidelity in his Calling. 
 Is he not reasonably entitled to self-gratulation ? Is it 
 possible for him to suppress the consciousness of his 
 own agency, in the acquisition of these blessings ? Is 
 it desirable ? Would it be right ? Honour to whom 
 honour is due. 
 
 VI. Diligence is an immense security against sin 
 and vice. The idle man is exposed to every sin and 
 crime. He is " like a city broken down and without 
 walls," exposed to every enemy at home and abroad. 
 So irksome and dismal is idleness, that he is ready to 
 expose his innocence in any adventure, however pre- * 
 sumptuous ; so dull and melancholy is solitude, that 
 he cheerfully mingles in any society, however base or 
 dangerous. 
 
 Is a talent given him to be used, he buries it in the 
 ground. Is Lazarus at his gate, covered with sores, 
 and dying with anguish, he is faring sumptuously, 
 and cannot send him one drop of his cordials. Sodom, 
 wrapped in the fires of heaven, contained no spirit 
 within her walls, worse than licentious idleness. 
 
 Not such is the diligent man. He has no time for 
 mischief. He has no time to spend with vain associ- 
 ates, or to learn their wicked examples. He has no 
 time for scenes of prodigality and intemperance ; no 
 time to lie in wait for opportunity and temptation, 
 for crime and vice. He is unavoidably regular in his 
 habits. He has an appropriate employment for every 
 year, every day, and every hour. He has not only 
 business for every hour, but an hour for every kind of 
 business. He enjoys the -present, and, with satisfac- 
 tion, anticipates the future, because the employment 
 32 
 
250 
 
 and the time are happily adjusted. No time hangs 
 heavily on his hands for want of business. No busi- 
 ness oppresses him for want of time. Here is little 
 room for crime or temptation to enter. 
 
 Nor is this all his security. Diligent labour tames 
 the spirit. The passions of the idle man are unman- 
 ageable, inflaming every lust, and exposing him to 
 every crime. But diligence quiets the desires, and 
 restrains impetuous passions. Look at the man of 
 steady diligence : is he not sober, temperate, moral ? 
 Who does not covet his security from vice and 
 crime ? 
 
 VII. Diligence urges itself upon us, as being neces- 
 sary to a happy and useful life, in any employment or 
 profession. Survey your acquaintance ; inquire of 
 every man with whom you converse , recollect every 
 page of biography, which you have read, and then 
 name an idle man, who has been useful, who has 
 eminently answered the purposes of life. When did 
 he live ? What valuable service did he render to man- 
 kind ? As well may you expect the Red Sea to rise 
 again in walls, or the wilderness of Arabia to be cov- 
 ered with manna, as to look for idleness and useful- 
 ness combined. Without a miracle, an idle man must 
 be not only a useless, but a noxious, member of society. 
 Is he a farmer? Are his buildings repaired, his 
 grounds improved, his stone walls a safe defence f 
 Are his fields early planted, his harvests seasonably 
 gathered ? Are his children well furnished with cloth- 
 ing and books ? Are they distinguished in all the 
 schools for their good conduct, and progress in learn- 
 ing ? Who ever heard of such a useful, idle man ? 
 
251 
 
 Is diligence less necessary in the learned profes- 
 sions ? Imagine an idle advocate at the bar. After 
 much difficulty, his client has found him, though not 
 in his office. Will he now listen with patience to the 
 tedious detail of circumstances ? Will he understand 
 the nature of the facts ? Will he perceive on what 
 point the whole question rests ? Will his past reading 
 enable him to give proper advice ? Will he, to prevent 
 all possibility of mistake, review the statutes and re- 
 ports referring to the case ? Will he prepare himself 
 for the trial, so as to be master of the subject, of the 
 testimony, and the law? Will he speak in a prompt 
 manner, in a finished style, with pathos and elo- 
 quence, carrying conviction to the minds of judges and 
 jurors ? Did you ever know an idle lawyer to acquit 
 himself in this manner? The advocate, who would 
 ably and faithfully discharge his duty, must be deeply 
 read in ancient and modern law, in the principles of 
 justice, and the decisions of the courts. He must 
 be a diligent man, as indeed must every one in every 
 occupation, who would be either useful or distin- 
 guished. 
 
 Neither can these persons enjoy the rich felicities of 
 their profession, without persevering industry. If the 
 husbandman be industrious, his lands will be produc- 
 tive ; his produce will more than reward his toil ; his 
 harvests will be the jubilees of his life ; he will have 
 food for his household, with a surplus to meet the de- 
 mands of charity, of religion, and government. His 
 heart expands with gratitude and joy ; he walks erect 
 among his neighbours ; courts and jails, and winter's 
 frosts, have no terrours for him. He has enough, and 
 
252 
 
 owes no man any thing but love. Is he not a happy 
 man ? 
 
 How blest is the physician. He has quieted rest- 
 less fevers, stopped the progress of wasting con- 
 sumptions, healed broken bones, poured in light, 
 and vision, where darkness had shrouded the eye, 
 and hidden the beauty of the world. He has restored 
 children to their trembling parents ; he has rescued 
 husband and wife from the opening, grave. Does 
 not the physician's heart bound with joy ? Does he 
 not liberally share in the blessings, which he confers 
 on others ? 
 
 The advocate at the bar sees the oppression of the 
 widow and fatherless ; he sees the fraudulent man 
 assail the simple and unwary, alike unconscious of 
 blame, and unprepared for defence ; or he sees one 
 accused of a capital crime, his life trembling in the 
 balance, and death threatening him in its most terrific 
 form. Convinced of their innocence, he becomes to 
 such an angel of deliverance. The law and the evi- 
 dence are familiar to his mind. He rises with the 
 irresistible power of truth ; with luminous eloquence, 
 dispels the mists of errour and delusion ; he arrests 
 the danger ; he relieves the victims. His elaborate 
 investigation triumphs over falsehood, and deception, 
 and circumstances artfully or dangerously combined. 
 Is he not in the course of rational and elevated 
 felicity ? 
 
 The minister of religion reclaims the wandering, 
 instructs the ignorant, awakens the careless, and 
 sometimes saves those, who were lost. He is the 
 servant of God, to prepare sons and daughters for 
 
253 
 
 glory. He loves them as his children. They respect 
 him as a friend and father. They are his joy and 
 crown of rejoicing. Is he not a happy man ? 
 
 But all these men, to reap the comforts of their vari- 
 ous callings, must be faithful, must be diligent, must 
 work while the day lasts, doing their duty with all 
 their might. In season, and out of season, they must 
 be seen in their fields, or in the courts, among their 
 patients and their people, not avoiding but watching 
 for opportunities of useful labour, enjoying their 
 habits of persevering diligence. To such pleasures 
 the idle are strangers. They are not accustomed to 
 eminent success. They have no occasion to congrat- 
 ulate themselves, or to receive the thanks of others. 
 They never triumph in the raptures of holy benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 Indeed is it possible for the idle man to be a repu- 
 table Christian, to be a good man ? Are not a thou- 
 sand duties perpetually calling him to occupy every 
 hour, to employ all his powers? If he disregard 
 these calls of duty, can he be considered good ? Can 
 that man find time for sloth, who cultivates his mental 
 powers, seeks for wisdom as for hidden treasure, 
 and diligently makes his calling and election sure; 
 who duly regards his worldly interest, takes care of 
 his household, and lays up for his children ; who an- 
 swers the cries of humanity and charity, visits the 
 sick, feeds the hungry, and clothes the naked ? <, 
 
 VIII. Without diligence, it is not possible to enjoy 
 peace of mind, or the approbation of our own con- 
 science. These are essential to rational enjoyment. 
 An idle man, therefore, cannot be happy. Happiness 
 
264 
 
 arises from the contemplation of something, which is 
 desirable and pleasant ; something which we approve, 
 and love. But how little that is pleasant or lovely 
 does the idle man find in his temper or conduct. What 
 does he do to command his own respect ? Unless his 
 whole soul were in disorder, how could he love him- 
 self? Suppose he undertakes to analyze his own con- 
 duct to extract something that may promote his self- 
 esteem ; What will be the result ? Listen to his con- 
 siderate soliloquy. " My parents were kind, and dis- 
 posed to render me all reasonable assistance ; they 
 gave me such advantages for education, as their cir- 
 cumstances and my talents rendered proper ; but my 
 improvement was by no means answerable. I had 
 some property, but that, from my want of judgment, 
 or some other cause, has melted away, and now I 
 " have poverty enough." My friends were kind and 
 respectful, but they seem to have deserted me. My 
 morals were pure, but now they are tarnished and sus- 
 pected. My hopes were high and flattering, but now 
 I almost despair. Many of my companions have 
 become eminent and happy ; I am obscure and mis- 
 erable." Such are the reflections of the idle man. 
 What ground has he for self-approbation? Can he 
 enjoy a quiet conscience ? If that monitor be not dead, 
 must it not be armed with a lash of scorpions ? Is it 
 not his perpetual tormentor ? 
 
 Look now for a moment at the man of industrious 
 habits. His parents, perhaps, were poor ; his oppor- 
 tunities for education few and unfavourable ; but his 
 uncommon application enabled him to surpass his 
 fellows. Beginning his course with nothing but his 
 

 255 
 
 /v4 
 
 hands and a sturdy resolution, he has acquired a 
 decent competence ; he has been enabled to relieve 
 the poorj to assist his aged parents, and to aid the 
 great cause of general benevolence. From the darkest 
 obscurity, he has risen into notice, and public estima- 
 tion. His children rise up and call him blessed ; 
 and well they may, for they have received the best 
 education, and enjoy the fairest prospects. Are 
 not here streams of comfort, solid pillars of joyful 
 hope, just reasons for peace of mind, and a quiet con- 
 science ? Is he not abundantly rewarded for his sober 
 diligence, his labours, and privations ? 
 
 In one word, idleness destroys time, time, that 
 precious gift of heaven to man ; time, by which we 
 become wise, enlarge our possessions, increase in favour 
 with God and man, secure pleasure here, and glory 
 in the world to come. Time is " the stuff" of which 
 life is made. By the right use of which, we virtually 
 prolong life, multiply our days, live more than other 
 men. Idleness contracts the narrow limits of life, 
 shortens our days, quickens the march of time, 
 hastens on the hearse and the funeral procession, 
 which conduct us to the dismal cavern of the grave. 
 
 Sloth is death advancing, weakening the intellect, 
 depraving the heart, diffusing a fatal palsy over body 
 and soul. The child of sloth is like a meagre shrub 
 in the burning sand, without vigour, beauty, or fruit. 
 The man of industry may be compared to a cedar of 
 Lebanon, rising in grandeur, nourished by the soil, 
 the atmosphere, and the showers of heaven, and 
 extending far and wide its salutary and protecting 
 shade. 
 
256 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. No eminence, or distinction of circumstances 
 will excuse men from diligence and care. Some per- 
 sons idly imagine that the rich, and those who are 
 elevated to office, and perhaps men in the learned 
 professions, may rest from their labours, and in- 
 dulge their ease. The idea is unfounded and delu- 
 sive. Distinction in wealth, honour, or knowledge, 
 so far from allowing indulgence, imposes new obliga- 
 tions to diligence and care. I do not say that all are 
 bound to labour in the same manner, but that no 
 elevation will give countenance to sloth. Office and 
 eminence are new calls to fidelity and labour. 
 Riches are as the lever and pulley in mechanics ; they 
 give immense additional power to do good, to benefit 
 men, to honour God, and they demand correspondingly 
 greater exertions. Knowledge to the student is like 
 a sure guide and a smooth path to the traveller. He 
 hastens on with new ardour and success. The greater 
 his present attainments, the more he feels to be re- 
 quired of him. Abundance of time, or of possessions, 
 instead of giving license to dissipation and prodigality, 
 raises the demand for economy and care. Diligence 
 itself is not more necessary. Of two men, whose 
 privileges, whose industry, whose acquirements are 
 equal, one may retain ten-fold, or a hundred-fold, 
 more than the other. What is the portion of the prod- 
 igal son, however opulent his father ? What are the 
 most extensive acquisitions, unless when used with 
 wisdom and economy ? 
 
257 
 
 II. We see how greatly idle men miscalculate the 
 chances of human happiness. They intend to sup- 
 plant their neighbours ; to secure a larger share of 
 enjoyment. They design a stolen march, and con- 
 gratulate themselves on their superiour foresight. In- 
 dulging themselves in the shades of rest, on the couch 
 of slumber, and at the table of luxury, they point the 
 finger of derision at their friends, plodding, and toiling, 
 weary, and faint, with their unremitted labour. They 
 congratulate themselves as forestallers and monopo- 
 lizers, in the market of happiness. They believe 
 themselves wise calculators; but when the result is 
 produced, they are found to be miserable proficients 
 in the arithmetic of human comfort. 
 
 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vine- 
 yard of the man void of understanding, and lo, it was 
 all grown over with thorns : nettles had covered the 
 ground, and the stone wall was broken down : his 
 house was marked with decay, and his children were 
 crying for bread. Yet I heard the wretch exclaim, 
 " A little more sleep, a little more slumber ; a little 
 more folding of the hands to sleep." Surely, said I, 
 this is the dwelling of misery and despair. Such is 
 the idle husbandman. 
 
 Look at the idle physician. He is roving any 
 where, and listening anywhere, rather than with his 
 patients. He moves about without system or energy. 
 His visits are tardily made, and unnecessarily pro- 
 tracted. Most of the little he had once learned, is 
 forgotten. A few prescriptions answer for all cases. 
 Palsy, and fever, spasm, and consumption, are encoun- 
 tered with similar remedies, while his patients, silent 
 33 
 
258 
 
 in their tombs, tell no tales, report no deceptions. 
 He is forsaken by the prudent and well-informed, he 
 preys on the poor and the ignorant. Is he not a stran- 
 ger to true enjoyment, and rational felicity ? 
 
 To be impartial, must I draw an idle pastor ? The 
 species are various. The conceited man, always pre- 
 pared, and the enthusiast, waiting for inspiration, may 
 be their own painters. A better class will give us 
 performances, prepared without the research of reading, 
 or the labour of thought, unedifying as the effusions 
 of enthusiasm, and even less interesting. I dare not 
 proceed. The effects of this idleness are not doubtful. 
 The people generally become uninterested in what is 
 said or done ; they neglect public worship ; vacant 
 seats are numerous. Those who resort to the house 
 of God, are careless and indifferent, wrapped in slum- 
 ber, or sending their thoughts to the ends of the earth. 
 New opinions are adopted ; sects and divisions in- 
 crease ; people have itching ears. The rest need not 
 be told. 
 
 Such are not the effects of diligent and impressive 
 instruction. This will rouse the attention ; this will 
 lead men to inquire and understand ; their hostile 
 opinions are harmonized ; their divisions are healed. 
 For want of this faithful diligence, how many pastors 
 have ruined themselves and families, and scattered their 
 flocks. Who can number the woes of idleness in public 
 and private life ? They darken they air, from the 
 valley, to the mountain top ; they spread misery, from 
 the child in the factory, to the prince on his throne. 
 
 III. How necessary are discretion and goodness, 
 to direct the hand of diligence to suitable objects, 
 
259 
 
 and in a right spirit. As cunning is not wisdom, but 
 essentially different, so there may be persevering ac- 
 tivity, which does not deserve the laudable name of 
 diligence : there may be labour which is not com- ' 
 mendable. We may be habitually active and restless 
 in our exertions, and yet render no benefit to others, 
 obtain no good ourselves, and in fact, be actuated by 
 no praiseworthy motives. Such labours may be 
 prompted by the worst passions, and may produce 
 much mischief. Some of the most malignant and 
 injurious animals are among the most active. Absa- 
 lom and Judas were active, enterprising, and bold ; 
 but for want of discretion and of goodness, their exer- 
 tions were baleful to others, and fatal to themselves. 
 Others, though harmless in their intentions, for want 
 of judgment, produce little good. Some persons are 
 ever learning, yet never come to the knowledge of 
 the truth ; so others are perpetually active, without 
 accomplishing much that is valuable for themselves or 
 others. 
 
 Wisdom is necessary to direct the active exertions 
 of man, in order that he should live usefully and 
 happily. To this end, he must know himself, 
 his powers, passions, and attainments. He must 
 ascertain his capacity for the various employments 
 around him, as well as their relative importance, and 
 select and pursue them with a zeal excited and 
 guided by knowledge. A failure here is a common 
 cause of the disappointments, the perplexities, and 
 the miseries of men. They bestow on trifles the 
 labour and time, which are due only to things of 
 high importance. Things of real consequence are 
 
260 
 
 treated as trifles. Personal accomplishments arc 
 preferred to intellectual attainments; treasures in 
 heaven are sacrificed for the fleeting treasures of earth ; 
 the applause of man is dearer to the heart, than the 
 honour which cometh from God. 
 
 Here it. may be distinctly noticed, that the favour 
 and mercy of God are not promised to passive slumber, 
 to slothful quietism ; but to diligence in religious in- 
 quiry: "then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know." 
 Mercy is promised to those who seek the Lord ; to 
 those who work out their salvation ; to those who give 
 all diligence to make their calling and election sure. 
 If in all things we are bound to be diligent, how 
 pressing our obligation to be so in the concerns of 
 eternity ; if it is our indispensable duty to be useful 
 in this life, how much more should we prepare to 
 serve God forever ; if we should labour for the bless- 
 ings of time, for the pleasures which cannot satisfy 
 the heart, can we, with impunity, neglect the joys 
 of heaven, the glories which fill the soul ? Scripture 
 not only calls upon us to be diligent, to labour, that 
 we may eat our own bread, and provide for our own 
 families; but it also calls upon us to seek first the 
 kingdom of God ; to prefer .this object before all 
 other things. Salvation is the great design of life. 
 Generally some appropriate course of duty in some 
 particular calling is to be pursued. The more faith- 
 ful and disinterested you are in this, the purer may be 
 your religion, the higher you may rise in the divine 
 favour ; the more sure is your salvation. Being faith- 
 ful over a few things, you will be made ruler over 
 many things, and will enter into the joy of your Lord. 
 
261 
 
 From this stated calling, nothing should divert you. 
 Amusements, avocations, other labours, are to be pur- 
 sued no farther than they promote this main employ- 
 ment, this grand object of life. It is not enough to 
 be busy here and there ; it is not enough to be labo- 
 rious, unless your labour be such as God requires, and 
 your motive be obedience to his commands. Can 
 you expect him to reward or approve your zeal and 
 toils to gratify yourself, your thirst for wealth, your 
 love of the world ? Can you ask him to be pleased 
 with your bustling activity, when its sole object is to 
 gratify your own ambition, and love of fame ? Can 
 you promise yourself the divine approbation, merely 
 because you have been attentive and diligent to secure 
 the riches of this world, the pleasures of this life, the 
 gratifications of sense ? Is this zeal for earthly good, 
 this desire for self-indulgence, this unwearied chase 
 of phantoms, the pure diligence, the elevated pursuit, 
 required by reason and scripture ? Is it a faithful 
 use of talents, is it a suitable return for divine bless- 
 ings ? Or is it groveling selfishness, the wisdom of 
 this world, the essence of depravity, and rebellion 
 against heaven? 
 
 Pursued with such a spirit, this diligence, and these 
 labours become impediments in the great object of 
 life, the work of salvation. They leave no room for 
 meditation, for prayer, and other essential duties of 
 the Christian course. They afford no just reason for 
 comfort or hope, but only for grief, humiliation, and 
 terrour. Although we display the activity of apostles, 
 and endure the sufferings of martyrs, while destitute 
 of the love and fear of God, he ranks us among his 
 
262 
 
 enemies. To imagine that God will reward your 
 intemperate self-love and ambition, with the enter- 
 prise, care, and toil, which they produce, is to forget 
 that He looks at the heart, that without faith it is 
 impossible to please Him, that without holiness, no 
 man shall see the Lord. 
 
 You are distinguished among men of business; but 
 are you known in the dwellings of sorrow and distress ? 
 You are envied for your restless ardour, and eminent 
 success in your various pursuits ; but are you an exam- 
 ple of believers, a disciple of Jesus, a pillar of his 
 church ? Your name may live, when your body 
 sleeps in dust, but are you written in the book of life ? 
 
 Commune with your own heart, ponder the paths 
 of your feet, watch, and be sober, fear God, and keep 
 his commandments ; then may you eat your bread 
 with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, 
 for God accepteth your work, and will place you 
 among the kings of the earth. 
 

 JOHN iii, 14, 15. 
 
 But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
 so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever 
 believeth on him may not perish, but have everlast- 
 ing life. 
 
 IN the infancy of the world, God instructed man by 
 signs, which were addressed to his senses. A flaming 
 sword, a dying victim with its streaming blood, and 
 the smoking altar, were the first teachers of our race. 
 Afterwards, when divine instruction assumed a more 
 systematic form, and the art of writing was employed 
 to give more distinct information, still material objects 
 Were often employed to enforce doctrines or duties, 
 which were rational and spiritual. Reference was 
 had to persons, to things, or events, which were 
 emblems or symbols of such religious truths, as were 
 not readily received by minds, not enriched by moral 
 or intellectual culture. In this manner, evangelical 
 truth is often presented in the Old Testament. In- 
 deed, the Old Testament is the gospel, revealed very 
 
264 
 
 much in sensible signs, types, and bold figures of 
 speech. The sacrifice of a lamb represented "the 
 propitiation to be made for the sins of the world." 
 The scape-goat was an emblem of Him, who has 
 since " borne our sins in his own bod) 7 on the tree." 
 The brazen serpent was a wonderful representation of 
 the Saviour, raised on the cross of Calvary. The 
 mode of his death seems to have been a circumstance 
 of importance. "If Ibe lifted up, I will draw all 
 men unto me." " As Moses lifted up the serpent in 
 the wilderness ; so must the Son of man be lifted up." 
 Although a Jew, he must stand at a Roman tribunal, 
 indicted for an offence, not cognizable by their laws, 
 and be condemned to an ignominious punishment, 
 unknown to the courts of his own nation. So sur- 
 prising was the mode of the Saviour's death. 
 
 To illustrate the coincidence of the symbol in the 
 text with the death of Christ, is my present design. 
 
 I. As the brazen serpent was not raised nor pro- 
 posed, till the people were bitten and dying ; so the 
 Saviour was not crucified nor promised, till man had 
 sinned, and was perishing. 
 
 God did not say to Mose's, " Make thee a fiery ser- 
 pent, and set it upon a pole," till " the fiery serpents 
 had bitten the people," and much people of Israel had 
 died." Their distress was overwhelming, before any 
 remedy was provided, before any relief was suggest- 
 ed. In such a crisis of misery, when the tribes were 
 distracted with terrour ; when the serpents filled the 
 air ; when their poison was scattering death through 
 the desert ; was the splendid symbol of mercy raised 
 on the banner of Israel. 
 
265 
 
 Such was the state of the human family before a 
 Saviour was announced. They had sinned ; they 
 had fled ; they had hidden themselves among the 
 trees of the garden. Guilty, trembling, despairing, 
 they heard the well known steps, and the endearing 
 voice of their Creator ; " Adam, where art thou ?" 
 4 Where art thou, my son, my beloved children ? Do 
 you fly from your father's love ? Do you conceal 
 yourselves from my parental eye? Do you call in 
 question my compassion and tenderness ? Do not de- 
 spair ; do not hide yourselves among the trees ; re- 
 turn to your Father's love ; the Seed of the woman 
 shall bruise the serpent's head ; a star shall rise, to 
 guide you to bliss ; the sun of righteousness shall dis- 
 pel your darkness, and cover you with light and 
 glory.' 
 
 II. As the serpent was raised in view of the camp ; 
 so must Jesus Christ be revealed, or made manifest, to 
 those whom he saves. 
 
 Had some intervening object obstructed the view ; 
 or had the distance been so great, as to render the 
 emblem of mercy invisible, its virtues had been lost, 
 its healing powers had never been known ; the peo- 
 ple must have perished. Had the serpent been made ; 
 had the metal been polished, and rendered dazzling as 
 the sun ; had the construction been perfect, so as to 
 represent life, and breath, and motion ; yet if it had 
 not been made visible ; if it had not been raised in 
 sight of the perishing tribes, they had not been healed. 
 
 So in order to save perishing sinners, Jesus Christ 
 must be made known ; he must be revealed, and pro^ 
 claimed. This gives to every missionary exertion in- 
 34 
 
266 
 
 finite importance. We do not say how little knowledge 
 of Jesus Christ may secure the salvation of the sinner ; 
 but some manifestation seems to be necessary. Why 
 else, according to Scripture, must " this gospel of the 
 kingdom be preached in all the world ?" " How shall 
 they believe in him, of whom they have not heard ?" 
 Therefore, the Apostles must " teach all nations." 
 This perfectly accords with reason, with fact, or ex- 
 perience in all other cases. Is the desert of Africa, or 
 the wilderness of Arabia, made fertile, or sprinkled 
 with blossoms, by the clouds and showers of Canaan, 
 which never extend to their borders, to cool their 
 burning atmosphere, to cheer their desolation, with the 
 sound of rain ? Does the apostolic preacher, announc- 
 ing life and salvation, instruct or comfort that portion 
 of the congregation, who do not hear his voice ? Is the 
 ear delighted with music, which it never hears ; or 
 the eye with beauty, which it never sees ? Is the 
 thirsty traveller refreshed with the fountain, of which 
 he never drinks, or is the hungry man satisfied with 
 the banquet, which has never been offered him ? Can 
 a man believe and be saved by a Redeemer, who has 
 never been announced to him ? Can revelation en- 
 lighten those, whom it doth not reach, or guide those, 
 whom it doth not enlighten ? The sun does not benefit 
 those, who are enclosed in dungeons ; neither does 
 the Saviour comfort or deliver those, who are not 
 illumined by his revelation. Where the precepts of 
 Jesus are not known, can they direct the conduct, 
 control the passions, or guide the soul to glory? 
 Where his promises are unknown, can they dispense 
 holy zeal, or consolation, or hope ? He that never 
 
267 
 
 heard the promise of acceptance with God, how can 
 he obtain encouragement to seek the divine mercy ? 
 He who never heard the promise of the Holy Spirit, 
 how can he cherish, or pray for his divine operations ? 
 With those to whom heaven has not been revealed, 
 can it be an object of pursuit or desire ? What can 
 rouse men to flee from the wrath to come, but know- 
 ing the terrours of the Lord ? That men may believe 
 and be saved, Jesus Christ must be made known to 
 them. 
 
 III. As looking to the serpent was necessary to the 
 healing of the Israelites ; so looking to Jesus, or be- 
 lieving in him, is necessary to salvation. 
 
 " And it shall come to pass, that every one that is 
 bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." To turn 
 an eye, to look, and see the serpent, was necessary. 
 A voluntary act of the patient was indispensable. 
 Although the wounded Israelite was near ; although 
 he stood under the healing banner ; although he 
 handled this symbol of life ; although he raised it up 
 himself for others to see and be healed ; none of these" 
 things would restore him, unless he looked himself. 
 The rays from the dazzling object, falling on his 
 passive organs of sight, would not heal his wounds. 
 He must look. 
 
 So an active faith is necessary, that we may be 
 healed of our spiritual wounds. Without faith it is 
 impossible to please God. To enjoy his redemption, 
 sinners must look to Jesus Christ. Wherever his gos- 
 pel is proposed to men, they are called to action, to 
 believe. A passive spirit, a spirit of slumber, is the 
 spirit of moral death. Therefore, men are called 
 
268 
 
 upon to look to the Saviour; to seek him, to put on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. " The Son of man must be 
 lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
 perish, but have eternal life." 
 
 IV. As the wounded Israelites had no other means 
 of recovery, but the brazen serpent ; so sinners have 
 no other means of salvation, but Jesus Christ. 
 
 No record shows that any, or all the physicians of 
 Israel could heal one person. All the spices of Arabia 
 were useless ; all the miraculous waters of Horeb's 
 rock would not extinguish the fire of the poison. 
 Vain were prayers ; vain were all human means. 
 Nothing but a sight of the winged serpent on the ban- 
 ner of the camp, would assuage the fiery venom. 
 Philosophy and religion may exhaust their various re- 
 sources ; still as long as the winged foe is among the 
 tents, as long as the people are bitten, the poison 
 rankles in their veins ; every serpent is armed with 
 death, and every wound is fatal. 
 
 So nothing but a crucified Saviour can deliver lost 
 men, from the ruin produced by the serpent of Eden. 
 Christ alone is " the way" to endless felicity ; he 
 alone is " the life" and felicity of immortal man ; he 
 alone is " the door" of hope and happiness ; he alone 
 is " the Physician" to heal the fatal malady of sin. 
 Though men have devised other means ; other means 
 have failed them. Some hope to secure the divine 
 favour by the uniformity of their good works. An 
 amiable young man mentioned in the gospel, while 
 contemplating the divine commands, says, " All 
 these have I kept from my youth up, what lack I 
 yet." * I have obey'd the law ; I have lived without 
 
269 
 
 reproach; why may I not depend on the divine 
 favour, and future felicity ?' Yet, the Saviour gives 
 him a lesson of deeper self-denial. The cross is too 
 heavy ; the price of heaven too dear ; with disappoint- 
 ed sorrow, he retires from his faithful teacher. 
 
 Others trust in their orthodoxy ; their sound prin- 
 ciples. They believe all that the prophets and apos- 
 tles have spoken. They believe the revelation which 
 God has given of his Son ; they believe the threaten- 
 ings of the word ; they yield a cold, speculative assent 
 to the duties enjoined, and what is more, far more in 
 their view, they believe the doctrines of revelation. 
 Whatever is popularly believed, to be " the faith once 
 delivered to the saints," they believe in the gross. 
 Nothing is too dismal, nothing too mysterious, to be 
 inserted in their creed. Yet, they " hold the truth in 
 unrighteousness" While their faith is orthodox, their 
 lives are polluted with practical heresy. Still they 
 think themselves the favourites of heaven. They ex- 
 pect to stand next to apostles and martyrs, though 
 Scripture has told them, that faith without works is 
 dead, and he only, who doeth righteously, is righteous\ 
 
 Others depend on their strict observance of external 
 rites and ordinances. The language of such an one is 
 c I fast twice in the week ; I have eaten and drunk 
 at the table of the Lord ; and constantly meet the 
 Society for prayer ; I dwell as it were in the house of 
 the Lord.' 
 
 Scripture admonishes such, that unless their right- 
 eousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and 
 Pharisees, they cannot see the kingdom of God. 
 They may pray much, and read much, and hear 
 
270 
 
 much, and know much, and profess great piety ; yet 
 unless they believe in Christ Jesus, they must die in 
 their sins. Christ will not give his glory to another. 
 He will not permit another to share with him the 
 honour of man's salvation. He will be the only 
 Saviour of lost man. The wounded Israelite was not 
 cured partly by a view of the brazen serpent, and 
 partly by the application of medicine. In no case was 
 it partly owing to the smallness of the wound, or the 
 mildness of the poison, or the strength of the consti- 
 tution, that any person recovered. All their deliver- 
 ance, all their hope, rose from the serpent of brass ; 
 from raising their eye to that symbol of divine mercy. 
 
 So the whole recovery of sinners depends on their 
 beholding the lamb of God, their faith in Jesus Christ. 
 " Other foundation can no man lay, than that, which 
 is laid." " No other name is given under heaven 
 among men, by which they can be saved." Their 
 salvation in no part depends on the native gentleness 
 of their disposition, the small number of their sins, or 
 the mere morality of their lives. They are justified 
 by faith in the merits of Jesus Christ. Their numer- 
 ous concerts of prayer ; their frequent religious assem- 
 blies, their, sober professions, and their splendid sac- 
 rifices, as matters of justification, are only sounding 
 brass, and tinkling cymbals. 
 
 V. As a look to the serpent of brass assuredly cured 
 the most dismal wound ; so looking to Jesus Christ 
 will save the most guilty sinner. 
 
 Hear what God says to Moses. " Make thee a 
 fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come 
 to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh 
 
271 
 
 upon it shall live." Here is no exception for unwor- 
 thy subjects, for remarkable wounds, or desperate 
 circumstances. Though an Israelite had been bitten 
 in the most dreadful manner ; though the wounds 
 were numerous, and deep, and large, and in a vital 
 part ; though he had been for a long time languishing 
 in distress ; his body swollen, gangrene advancing, 
 and the palsy of death invading his limbs ; still if he 
 looked ; if he saw the shining emblem of mercy, he 
 revived, his pulse beat, his limbs moved. If he raised 
 his half closed eye to the banner of love, he lived, 
 he recovered. So although your sins may have been 
 exceedingly great and numerous, " as crimson or as 
 scarlet," if you by faith behold the lamb of God, hope 
 in him, and trust in him ; you shall be received, as a 
 child of God, an heir of glory. 
 
 Though you have long resisted the Holy Spirit ; 
 though you have afflicted and grieved the people of 
 God, and trampled on the blood of the covenant ; 
 yet if you now look to the cross of Jesus, you shall 
 know the blessedness of the man, whose sins are for- 
 given. If you have sinned against great light and 
 endearing love, breathing hatred, and malice, slaugh- 
 ter and death, against those, who are the salt of the 
 earth, and light of the world ; still the Saviour calls 
 after you ; " Come unto me all you who are weary 
 and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 
 Saul of Tarsus had persecuted the church of God, 
 had been crimsoned with the blood of the saints ; but 
 he heard, he saw Jesus Christ, and obtained mercy. 
 Manasseh was covered with blood ; but he trusted in 
 the mercy of God, and was pardoned, and saved. The 
 
. 272 
 
 chief of sinners have obtained mercy, and are bending 
 before the throne of God and the Lamb. 
 
 VI. As the appointment of the serpent, and the cir- 
 cumstances of the cure, were a display of divine sove- 
 reignty ; so also, were the death of Christ, and other 
 great events, in the salvation of man. 
 
 The fiery serpent of brass could not be the device 
 of human skill. Had all the philosophers and physi- 
 cians of the world been consulted, they must have 
 said, that such a representation of the venomous crea- 
 ture, which inflicted the wound, would be a danger- 
 ous experiment. From the powerful principle of 
 association or suggestion, it would tend to revive the 
 terrours of the patient, to disturb his spirits, to aggra- 
 vate his disease, to protract, and perhaps to prevent, 
 his recovery. Such must have been the reasoning of 
 man. The salutary serpent of brass was made by 
 the sovereign command of God, to stain the pride of 
 all flesh, to show his own immediate agency, in the 
 recovery of those who were wounded, independently 
 of human aid. The same sovereignty is displayed in 
 man's redemption. Who would have anticipated such 
 results from the death of Christ by wicked hands ? 
 Who would not have said, ' This will increase the 
 guilt of the human family ; this will afford new cause 
 of condemnation ; and plunge them deeper and deeper 
 in misery and despair ? 5 
 
 Indeed, the principal circumstances of redemption, 
 the person employed, the mode of accomplishing the 
 object, the race of beings to be redeemed, are evi- 
 dently dictated by the same sovereign wisdom. Why 
 should the Son of God become the victim of divine 
 
273 
 
 justice ? Why should death be the means of eternal 
 life ? Why should men be elected to the high desti- 
 nation of endless happiness, while angels are left in 
 chains and darkness ? 
 
 In a word, it seems to be the sovereign pleasure of 
 God, to raise those who are low ; to distinguish those, 
 who have no power of their own. The general aspect 
 of Providence coincides with this. 
 
 For a moment, transport yourself to the banks of the 
 Nile. Look at the weeping babe in the ark of bul- 
 rushes. Can you venerate him as the future legisla- 
 tor and guardian of Israel ? Now, pass to the land 
 of Canaan ; notice the arrival of Joseph and his fam- 
 ily, to be taxed at Bethlehem ; see the Magi of the 
 East approach with their gold, and their frankincense ; 
 accompany them to the humble manger ; can you join 
 them in worshipping the infant son of Mary ? 
 
 Go back in imagination to the morn of creation. 
 See the father of mankind imbibing life, moving on 
 the ground, rising from the dust, gazing on the sun 
 and surrounding objects ; hear the sons of God shout 
 for joy, and the morning stars raise the song of glad- 
 ness. Do you believe that man, a worm of the dust, 
 will ever rise and approach their glory, only a little 
 lower than the angels of light ? When further in- 
 structed in these subjects ; when you have seen the 
 children of Adam raised from the dust, and placed 
 among the angels of glory ; when you have seen 
 Moses, the legislator of nations ; and the babe of Beth- 
 lehem, at the right hand of the Father, having all 
 power in heaven and earth ; do you not acknowledge 
 and adore the sovereign power of God ? 
 35 
 
274 
 
 Did he not proceed according to his own indepen- 
 dent wisdom, uninfluenced by men or angels ? This 
 is the sovereignty of God. "With whom took he 
 counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in 
 the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, 
 and showed to him the way of understanding ?" 
 With whom took he counsel, in giving his Son to die 
 for lost sinners ? Who taught him to save men, 
 rather than fallen angels ? Were they not as deserv- 
 ing ? Were their sins of a deeper die ? W^ould they 
 not have been as thankful for redeeming love ? Yet, 
 while man has only to look to the Saviour to obtain 
 mercy, no mercy is provided for fallen angels. Man 
 is enlivened by a state of probation, joy in his heart, 
 and heaven in his eye. Angels are reserved in chains, 
 under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. 
 No Redeemer has visited their dismal mansion. No 
 banner of mercy has waved on the walls of their 
 prison. No apostles of Jesus have been sent to them, 
 with the glad tidings of redeeming love. No minis- 
 ters of the gospel are now persuading them to be recon- 
 ciled to God. 
 
 For the salvation of sinners the blood of Jesus is 
 offered without money, and without price ; for this, 
 the Holy Spirit strives, and enlightens their minds, a 
 thousand concerts of prayer are attended, and 
 millions of Bibles are dispersed ; but for fallen 
 angels, the blood of Christ is not offered ; the Holy 
 Spirit does not strive ; not one prayer is offered ; not 
 one Bible is given. No deliverer attempts to open 
 their prison door. No physician has gone to bind up 
 their bleeding hearts : no good Samaritan pours in 
 
275 
 
 the wine and oil of consolation ; not a single word of 
 comfort has ever cheered their miserable dwelling ; 
 not a ray of light has ever gleamed on their sight ; 
 not a drop of rain has fallen on their burning lake. 
 
 God, with all his love God, with all his tender 
 mercy, has never once said, "Lucifer, son of the morn- 
 ing, I do earnestly remember thee still." The Saviour 
 of the world, who laid down his life for sinners, who 
 bled on the cross for sinners, has never dropped one 
 tear over fallen angels, has never spoken a word of 
 kindness, to soothe the agonies of their despair. Yet 
 man he loads with his mercies ; man he saves from 
 the gulf of ruin, and raises to glory, to dwell in the 
 temple above, and join in the songs of immortality. 
 Who, then, will not approve and admire the sove- 
 reign mercy of God to ruined sinners ? 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. The subject may teach us the felicity of the 
 change from sin to holiness. 
 
 It is like a recovery from the bite of a serpent. 
 The terrours of guilt and remorse are like the anguish 
 of those bitten by the fiery serpents. Our enemy is 
 the old serpent ; his temptations are " fiery darts." 
 They bite like a serpent, they sting like an adder. 
 No wound is so intolerable. The curses of the Law 
 are as " deep wounds ;" the tokens of divine wrath 
 are more dreadful, than all the terrours of the Arabian 
 desert. But faith in Jesus, restoration to the favour 
 of God, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, are as 
 health to the sick, as life to the dying. 
 
276 
 
 The poor Israelite is in terrour ; he is actually 
 bitten ; the poison is burning in his veins ; pain and 
 anguish have seized his whole frame. All are 
 equally exposed ; all are distracted with the same 
 danger. In this mournful crisis, Moses is seen on 
 yonder eminence, raising the ensign of the camp, on 
 which is fastened a brazen serpent. The people look 
 and look with holy wonder. Instantly the anguish 
 of their wounds is assuaged ; their pains are gone ; 
 the dying live. But just now, the serpents were 
 hovering on every side, darting, with wings of fire, 
 into every tent. No age, no sex escaped their deadly 
 fangs. Fathers were bitten ; mothers and children 
 were bitten ; all were dying. In the midst of this 
 alarm and terrour, while parents were weeping over 
 their children, and children gazing at the ghastly 
 visages of their parents, one turns his eye to the ser- 
 pent of brass, and finds instant relief; others look, 
 and are healed ; their fever subsides ; their agony of 
 body, and horrour of mind, are gone. They can 
 hardly realize the change, or believe what they feel. 
 They fear it is a dream, a delusion, a delirium of 
 errour. Still the change is manifest to all. Sighs of 
 anguish, and shrieks of terrour, are changed to raptures 
 of joy, and songs of praise. 
 
 Such, often, is the transition from sin to holiness, 
 from unbelief to faith. He, that has sown in tears, 
 reaps in joy. Such was the joy of Adam, when he 
 heard the Saviour say, " The seed of the woman shall 
 bruise the serpent's head." Such was the bliss of 
 JNaaman, when he washed in Jordan, and was made 
 whole. Such was the bliss of Saul, when the scales 
 
 
277 
 
 fell from his eyes ; and such, in some measure, is the 
 felicity of all, who bow to the prince of Peace. 
 ^ Blessed is the man, whose sins are forgiven." He 
 is often ready to cry, " Come all ye who fear God, 
 and I will declare what he hath done for my soul." 
 His terrours of conscience have passed away, his 
 slavish fears and anxieties have subsided into that 
 gentle fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of 
 wisdom, his hopes and his comfort more and more 
 evidently rest on the Rock of ages. Such relief has 
 been experienced ; such divine consolations are well 
 known to myriads, who are now pillars in the church 
 of Christ ; to myriads, who are now bowing before 
 the throne of God and the Lamb. 
 
 II. How possible and easy is salvation by Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 As the serpent was lifted up, so is the son of man. 
 As an Israelite had only to look to the serpent of 
 brass, so sinners have only to look to Jesus Christ. 
 As multitudes of Israel were healed by looking to 
 their banner, so a multitude, which no man can 
 number, have been saved by the cross of Calvary. 
 Was not the remedy easy for them ? Is not the rem- 
 edy as easy for us ? Was it not easy for them to 
 raise their eye to the shining symbol of health? Is 
 it not easy for us to behold the Lamb of God ? No 
 miraculous aid, no supernatural influence was neces- 
 sary to brighten the vision of a distressed son of 
 Abraham. He need only look. We need only look, 
 or believe. Why will ye die ? 
 
 III. Wicked men are destroyed, merely because 
 they will not believe in Christ. 
 
278 
 
 After the brazen serpent was elevated in the camp, 
 did any of the people perish ? It was because they 
 did not desire life. They would not make an effort ; 
 they would not lift an eye ; they would not move a 
 muscle. Did they not w r antonly throw away their 
 lives, murder themselves ? 
 
 Do sinners now perish ? Is it not merely because 
 they "love death," and will not seek salvation, nor 
 look to Jesus Christ for pardon and eternal life ? 
 This is just as simple an act, just as practicable, just 
 as easy, as for a proud, stubborn Israelite to adopt his 
 humble remedy, to believe in the efficacy of dead 
 brass, to save his precious life, to believe in the mirac- 
 ulous virtue of a hidden serpent, to deliver him from 
 the shades of death. He that blames a perishing son 
 of Jacob, condemns himself, unless he looks to the 
 Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. 
 
 Will it not be more tolerable for the tribes of Israel, 
 as well as for Tyre and Sidon, in the day of judg- 
 ment, than for you, unless you believe the record, 
 which God has given of his Son ? The efficacy of 
 his cross is abundantly manifest. In past ages, and 
 in our day, he has done wonderful things. We have 
 reason to bless his name, for what our eyes have seen, 
 and our ears have heard. The nations are waking 
 from the slumber of ages. God is doing great 
 things in the land Ham, and in other countries, not 
 by thunder, and darkness, and death ; but, by the still, 
 small voice of his Spirit, and by the heralds of the 
 cross. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- 
 ness, so is the Son of man lifted up, that whosoever 
 believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 
 
1 CORINTHIANS i, 24. 
 Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God^ 
 
 THAT human nature is in a lapsed, depraved state, has 
 been observed, and acknowledged, from the first re- 
 cords of time. From ancient days, the tale of the 
 historian, and the song of the bard, have proclaimed 
 the reign of vice and crime. 
 
 In early ages, pagan philosophers perceived the 
 necessity of some superiour teacher, to instruct man- 
 kind, and deliver them from their darkness and mis- 
 ery. Discouraged by the inefficacy of their own 
 feeble efforts, they waited the advent of a deliverer 
 sent from God. 
 
 To restrain and govern this deplored waywardness 
 of mankind, legislators have enacted laws, moralists 
 have published their systems of ethics, prophets and 
 apostles have announced the messages of God. Hence 
 in every age, the world, conscious of their vast import- 
 ance, has holden in high estimation, legislators and 
 magistrates, temples, altars, priests. And although 
 
280 
 
 some of these modes of restraint have been barbarous 
 and vicious, jet on the whole, they have accomplished 
 vast good. All have in some respects been salutary. 
 The vilest despotism is better than licentious anarchy. 
 No system of paganism is so mischievous, as absolute 
 impiety and atheism. But the most sublime pagan- 
 ism, is the device of man, the wisdom of this world. 
 
 It is in the gospel, in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 
 that we discover the only effectual mode of restraining, 
 governing, and perfecting, the human character. He 
 alone is the wisdom of God and the power of God, 
 for the redemption of lost men. To illustrate this 
 fact is my present design. 
 
 I. Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God, 
 in the illumination or instruction of those who receive 
 his gospel. 
 
 The knowledge of Jesus Christ has been sufficient- 
 
 o 
 
 ly limited, to give mankind the fairest opportunity of 
 showing what they can themselves effect, in the 
 science of morals, in the rites of religious worship, in 
 the practice of every duty. These experiments, in 
 different ages and countries, have produced full proof 
 that the world by wisdom do not know God, that the 
 human mind, with all its mighty powers, even when 
 aided by all the effulgence of the arts and sciences, 
 obtains no adequate ideas of God, of a rational mode 
 of worship, of the doctrines to be believed, of the 
 duties to be performed. No fact is more firmly estab- 
 lished by the experience of ages, than the absolute 
 necessity of a'divine revelation. 
 
 Truths, familiar to our children, puzzled and per- 
 plexed the luminaries of the pagan world. Not only 
 
281 
 
 the sun, and stars, but beasts, and men, and vegeta- 
 bles, have been worshipped as gods. Men have every 
 where been offered on the bloody altar. Such foolish, 
 barbarous worship has not been confined to savage 
 nations ; whether you go back to the ancient Phoeni- 
 cians, Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans, or make your- 
 selves familiar with modern Asia, you find for sub- 
 stance the same idolatry, the same worship of the 
 same gods. While Babylon, and Memphis, Athens, 
 and Rome, have in succession been emporiums of the 
 arts, and mistresses of the world, they never emerged 
 from the darkness of idolatry, in religion they never 
 made any sensible improvement. In the words of 
 Bossuet, " Reasoning will not cure the delirium of 
 idolatry. What has learned antiquity gained by her 
 elaborate discourses ? her reasonings so artfully 
 framed ? Did Plato, with that eloquence which was 
 styled divine, overthrow one single altar, where those 
 monstrous divinities were worshipped ?" 
 
 It was reserved for revelation, for Jesus Christ, to 
 rouse the nations, to enlighten the world. He teaches 
 man to know himself, to know his God, to know his 
 Redeemer. He teaches a system of perfect morals, 
 and of pure worship. It was assigned him, to destroy 
 the gods, who have not made the heavens and the 
 earth. They shall perish from the earth, and from 
 under these heavens. Wherever the gospel has shone, 
 they have perished. Wherever Christianity prevails, 
 whether in the forests of Siberia, or in the voluptuous 
 bowers of the Society Islands, on the banks of the 
 Ganges, or amid the snows of New Britain, there you 
 see a purer worship and improved morals. There the 
 
>' . 
 
 pagan altars are overturned, the worshippers are dis- 
 persed, the god and the goddess are gone. 
 
 II. It is the work of Christ to convince men of sin, 
 to enlighten the conscience. Here is impressively 
 displayed the wisdom and the power of God. In this 
 work, Jesus Christ employs the Holy Spirit. How- 
 ever difficult it may be precisely to define the differ- 
 ence between knowledge and conviction, the distinc- 
 tion is very generally admitted. Conviction of sin is 
 necessary. Those, who imagine themselves whole. 
 will never apply to the great physician. Without con- 
 viction of sin, no escape, no effort to escape from guilt 
 and danger, will be made. 
 
 The pagans have their lofty temples, their numer- 
 ous altars, their costly sacrifices, their long prayers, 
 but they make no confession of sin. We hear them 
 cry, we see them cut themselves, but we do not hear 
 them anxiously inquire, "Who shall deliver us from 
 this body of death." 
 
 It is Jesus Christ who teaches us to bow down 
 under the weight of our sins. He sends the Holy 
 Spirit to convince us of sin, of righteousness, and of 
 judgment. 
 
 See a convinced sinner, sometimes a whole people, 
 coming up to the temple, ready like the poor publi- 
 can, to smite on their breasts, and to cry, " God be 
 merciful to us sinners." This is the work of God, 
 the work of Jesus Christ. He has sent the Holy 
 Spirit to convince these lost men. 
 
 In all the public assemblies of Greece and Rome, 
 such an appearance was never witnessed. In the 
 august court of the Areopagus, the most celebrated 
 
283 
 
 tribunal in the world, such a convinced sinner was 
 never seen, until Paul of Tarsus proclaimed the holi- 
 ness of the unknown God ; then Dyonisius was con- 
 vinced, and trembled. 
 
 III. Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God, 
 to subdue the hearts of men to himself. 
 
 At his name every knee shall bow. All his disci- 
 ples shall yield him their voluntary homage. He will 
 make his people willing in the day of his power. 
 They shall be willing that he should reign, that his 
 counsel should stand, that he should do all his pleas- 
 ure. He will make them willing to be in his hands, 
 as clay in the hands of the potter. 
 
 His word is quick and powerful, sharper than a 
 two edged sword. He lays the victim at his feet. 
 Prostrate in the dust, he cries, " Lord what wilt thou 
 have me to do." I am entirely at thy disposal. Any 
 thing which thou requirest I will do. I am not my 
 own. I am bought with a price. I will submit to my 
 trial, I will bear my cross.' 
 
 Now travel beyond the limits of Christianity. Go 
 beyond the sound of the gospel, and see if you can 
 discover such a temper. Listen. Do you hear such 
 language. Visit the great, and the learned. Behold 
 Belshazzar. He is pale, he trembles, his joints shake 
 with terrour. A luxurious banquet is before him, but 
 he cannot eat ; the wine sparkles, but he cannot 
 drink. He hears not the music of the song. He calls 
 for his wise men, but he does not submit to God. 
 
 Repair to the palace of Pharaoh, enter his splendid 
 apartment, observe the anguish of his spirit. He 
 speaks. What does he say ? Does he submit to God. 
 
284 
 
 under the terrours of his judgments r His language 
 is, " I know not the Lord, neither will I obey his 
 
 voice." 
 
 Mingle in the throng around the throne of Herod. 
 Witness the sparkling rapture of his countenance, 
 while the mob shout, " It is the voice of a God and 
 not of a man." Had he been educated in the school 
 of Christ, he would have taught the impious rabble 
 another lesson. Like Paul and Silas, he would have 
 cried, " I am a man of like passions," I am a miser- 
 able sinner. 
 
 It is only by the gospel that men are brought to 
 bow and submit to the authority of God. 
 
 IV. Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God, 
 in sanctifying his people, and preparing them for 
 glory. 
 
 Here revelation stands alone. Here Christianity 
 triumphs without a competitor. She accomplishes 
 what no other religion attempts. In pagan worship, 
 it was no part of the design to reform the worshipper. 
 Their temples glittered on the mountains, their 
 priests prepared the sacrifice, the victim bled, the 
 altars smoked, the people bowed, but no contrition 
 suffused their eyes with tears, no sighs of repentance 
 burst from their hearts, no raptures of gratitude burst 
 from their lips. Religious worship among pagans, is 
 not considered a means to produce an effect on the 
 worshippers, but when the rite is performed, the end 
 is accomplished. It is merely a religion of ceremo- 
 nies. 
 
 But Jesus Christ is like the refiner's fire, to purge 
 his people from their sins. The law of the Lord is 
 
pure, converting the soul. He hath sanctified his 
 people with his own blood. They are a holy priest- 
 hood. He sometimes elevates his people with such 
 energy of character, that they can do all things. 
 
 Is a temple to be built ? A church to be organized ? 
 A city to be raised from rubbish and ruins ? Ezra, 
 and Nehemiah shall by the Spirit of God be awaken- 
 ed, and strengthened, for the work. 
 
 Is a world to be enlightened and saved ? The in- 
 
 o 
 
 spiration of the Almighty, the voice of Jesus Christ, 
 shall summon Paul of Tarsus, and Luther, and 
 Buchanan, and a thousand faithful missionaries, who 
 shall go forth with more than mere mortal power. 
 
 Are the sons of Canaan, the children of Africa, to 
 be delivered from the miseries of slavery ? Is the land 
 of Ham to burst her chains ? The Spirit of God shall 
 come on a Clarkson, a Wilberforce, and a holy broth- 
 erhood of worthies, who shall move the British nation, 
 who shall move all the nations of Christendom, who 
 shall persuade the world, to unite in the benevolent 
 design of suppressing the traffic in human blood. 
 
 Are wars to cease ? Will the lion and the lamb lie 
 down together ? Will swords be turned to plough- 
 shares ? Is this glorious era rolling on ? Is the star of 
 Bethlehem again rising ? Are the angels again rais- 
 ing the song, ' Peace on earth ?' 
 
 Then, moved by the Spirit of God, men from the 
 east, and the west, will unite in Peace societies. 
 Ministers of the gospel will recollect that they are 
 ministers of the Prince of peace. The pulpit and the 
 press will resound with strains of peace. 
 
Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God, to 
 prepare his people for more severe trials, than any of 
 these arduous enterprises. He prepares them for 
 affliction, for death. In these circumstances, his 
 friends are often not only supported, but comforted. 
 They rejoice. They triumph. What a blessing is 
 this, in a world where all suffer, where all die. Here 
 paganism is miserable. Her philosophers have some 
 brilliant thoughts, some sublime conceptions, some 
 exalted hopes, but in the moment of affliction and 
 death, they vanish, as meteors of the night. In their 
 personal and domestic troubles, you hear not a word 
 of divine providence, not a word of their dependance, 
 not a word of God. In such scenes, miserable com- 
 forters were they all. 
 
 How different was the language of St. Paul, going 
 to his martyrdom. " I know in whom I have believed. 
 I am ready to depart. I desire to depart to be with 
 Christ." ' 
 
 Is not Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God, 
 to prepare his people for affliction, for death, and for 
 glory ? 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 From the subject we are able to account, for the 
 immense moral improvement, which is visible in all 
 those countries where Christianity has prevailed. 
 
 That those countries have made conspicuous im- 
 provements, since they have received the gospel, none 
 acquainted with their history will doubt. That there 
 
287 
 
 is now a marked difference in point of moral elevation, 
 between Christian, and Pagan or Mahometan coun- 
 tries, is unquestionably certain. 
 
 The increasing intercourse of nations, their friend- 
 ly commerce, the cultivation of the arts, the ex- 
 tending empire of knowledge, are not the cause of 
 this moral improvement. These advantages have been 
 attained in an eminent degree, in ancient Egypt, 
 Greece, and Rome, as they have in modern India, and 
 China, without any material improvements in morals, 
 without banishing one idol from their temples, one 
 vice from private life. 
 
 Christianity therefore is the mighty agent, in this 
 work of reformation. Increasing civilization, and the 
 arts themselves, have been extensively the effect of 
 Christianity. These benign friends of human felicity 
 have generally followed the steps of the gospel, taken 
 up their abode with her, and become her humble 
 handmaids, in consummating the improvements which 
 she had commenced. 
 
 As the gospel advances over the world, she expels 
 some of the greatest miseries, some of the vilest pas- 
 sions, some of the most odious vices. She displays 
 the sublimest virtues, and introduces the richest conso- 
 lations, of the human heart. Before the gentle voice 
 of the Redeemer had been heard, revenge was thought 
 a virtue, and humility a vice. The gods were wor- 
 shipped by intemperance and crimes. Where he is 
 now unknown, the ambitious do not conceal their 
 treachery and assassinations. The tribunals of jus- 
 tice openly practice bribery, extortion, and rapine. 
 
288 
 
 This is true of those countries once blest with the 
 gospel, who have banished it from their coasts, Egypt, 
 Palestine and Greece. 
 
 In the beginning of the Roman commonwealth, 
 creditors might sell their debtors, or put them to 
 death. They might divide the body into as many 
 parts as there were creditors, and each take his share 
 according to the sum demanded. 
 
 Persecution has been considered the right of the 
 partj; in power. The time has been, when the ques- 
 tion was not whether persecution was proper, but 
 who should have the power to persecute. 
 
 Whenever the government have had the power of 
 enforcing universal conformity in faith or worship, or 
 have given this power to the priesthood, they have 
 universally persecuted the minority. By gradual, by 
 slow degrees, the people have learned not to commit 
 this power to their rulers, temporal, or spiritual, and 
 the day of persecution, of prisons, and fires, has gone 
 by. If any party feud, or polemic asperity remain, it 
 is only as the harmless ripples of the ocean, after a 
 night of shipwreck and storm. The reformation of 
 Martin Luther gave persecution her deadly blow. He 
 fixed the great principle that " the bible is the religion 
 of Protestants," that creeds and confessions have no 
 authority, but for those who voluntarily subscribe them, 
 that they are of no use, but as systematic views of 
 revelation. 
 
 Now, men of different communions greet each other 
 as brethren. Bible societies, and other Christian 
 associations, are conveying the news of salvation to 
 
289 
 
 the remotest tribes of men. The gospel is becoming 
 the bond of union between kings and their subjects of 
 all denominations. 
 
 Slavery was once universal among the nations. 
 Now the principal governments of Christendom have 
 united in treaties and laws to suppress this mis- 
 chief. 
 
 Before Christianity had enlightened and softened 
 the hearts of men, war, terrible as it now is, was far 
 more terrible. Prisoners were made slaves, or sacri- 
 ficed, or eaten, as a banquet of victory. But now, 
 efforts are making, to extinguish the fires of war. We 
 have such faith in the divine promise, as to believe 
 that these efforts will be successful. Though the 
 Holy Alliance should prove to be an unholy combina- 
 tion, though the carnage of war should again cover 
 the earth, still the work of peace will proceed. The 
 Peace societies in Europe and America, are gradually 
 enlightening the world. They are reforming the pop- 
 ular Christianity which permits war, and calling her 
 back to the doctrine of her divine Author, who taught 
 that his kingdom was not of this world, and that his 
 disciples would not fight. 
 
 Christianity shall be purified from the gross corrup- 
 tion which has almost universally prevailed, that 
 Christians may engage in war. The noise of battle 
 shall cease, the Saviour will not forfeit his character 
 as Prince of peace. Would the ministers of Jesus 
 only put forth their influence, not another peal of 
 artillery would ever in this country be heard from the 
 ramparts of war, 
 f57 
 
To what powerful influence shall we ascribe the 
 present wonderful impulse of benevolence given to 
 mankind ? 
 
 No electric flash has passed from pole to pole, no 
 earthquake has overturned the cities or mountains of 
 the world, no comet has sailed through the heavens, 
 proclaiming famine or pestilence, jet the world is 
 roused. As the Spirit of God moved on chaos, pro- 
 ducing order and beauty, so the Spirit of Christ is 
 moving the minds of men. The heralds of peace, like 
 good angels, are visiting every nation under the sun. 
 The object is vast and sublime, to enlighten, and sanc- 
 tify, and save the world. Is not this eminently the 
 work of Christ " travelling in the greatness of his 
 strength," having the wisdom and the power of God ? 
 Kings and conquerors mingle in his train. His church 
 is looking forth clear as the sun, fair as the moon, the 
 Gentiles are coming to her light, and kings to the 
 brightness of her rising. 
 
 The work will prosper, until every nation, as trees 
 of the forest, shall bow at the name of Jesus, until 
 every village of the world shall resound with hosannas 
 to the Son of David. 
 
 It is the gospel which makes man maw, which 
 raises him to his highest glory. Under the influence of 
 Christian principles, the judgment is the most correct, 
 the power of reason the most vigorous, the capacity 
 for improvement the most enlarged, the imagination 
 the most lofty, the motives the most sublime. The 
 most perfect husbandmen and artizans have been 
 Christians, the most profound philosophers have been 
 
JiH 
 
 Christians, the most powerful orators have been Chris- 
 tians, the most sublime poets have been Christians, 
 The greatest benefactors of the human race, the 
 founders of hospitals and seminaries of science, the 
 founders of Missionary societies, of Bible and Peace 
 societies, have been the humble disciples of Jesus 
 Christ. Therefore hold fast what ye hear, and be 
 Christians, not only in name, but in life and character. 
 
 You believe the gospel. Is it possible then that 
 you should neglect this great salvation ? You have no 
 time to be wasted. While you are hearing, the sea- 
 son of your probation is passing away. Transient and 
 momentary may be your future opportunities. Soon, 
 soon, you must go the way of all the earth. Soon 
 you will hear the voice of the archangel and the 
 trump of God, the heavens passing away with a great 
 noise. Whose heart can endure, whose hand be 
 strong, in this day of the Lord ? Who will be able to 
 stand ? The humble Christian will even then lift up 
 his head and rejoice. His redemption draweth nigh. 
 He approaches mount Zion, and the city of the living 
 God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and an innumerable 
 company of angels, and God the Judge of all. 
 
 " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, they 
 rest from their labours, aud their works do follow 
 them." Amen. 
 
JOB xviii, 14. 
 
 And it shall bring him to the king of terrours. 
 
 i 
 
 DEATH is the king of terrours. To all classes of 
 men, death is a melancholy theme ; yet in this theme, 
 all have a deep concern. Certain subjects are more 
 appropriately addressed to particular classes of per- 
 sons, but death addresses itself to all. The fell 
 tyrant enters the lofty mansion, and the humble cot- 
 tage ; the cell of the hermit, the seminary of science, 
 the temple of religion, and the castle of the murder- 
 ous warriour. With the same stern visage, he arrests 
 the sickle of the husbandman, the hammer of the 
 artizan, and dashes crowns and sceptres in the dust. 
 
 At the approach of death, tottering age trembles 
 with new weakness ; proud ambition is appalled in its 
 splendid career ; youthful gaiety forgets her trans- 
 ports ; the votaries of riot loathe the festal board ; the 
 vsplendour of wealth loses its charm. We have seen 
 no other world : we have formed no other connexions ; 
 
294 
 
 we have enjoyed no other felicities ; here our desires 
 centre ; our affections are strong ; and life is dear to 
 the soul. Reasons for this love of life, this dread and 
 horrour of falling into the grave ; of going we know 
 not where, of being we know not what, are numerous. 
 I proceed to state some of them. 
 
 I. The pleasant circumstances of life sometimes 
 render death terrible. 
 
 Though some men seem to be born to trouble ; yet 
 this is not the condition of all. Most men have many 
 pleasant days ; many have, on the whole, prosperous 
 and happy lives. The vine of mortality, although it 
 bear sour grapes, has some pleasant branches, some 
 delicious clusters. With only a moderate share of 
 general success, life is valuable. 
 
 In cheerful youth, parents, brethren, and compan- 
 ions, are dear to the heart. The possessions and 
 comforts of life are embraced with intense ardour and 
 delight. They have not manifested their emptiness 
 and uncertainty. In the freshness of enjoyment, the 
 mind magnifies these objects, and throws around them 
 a drapery of gaudy colours, promising rich felicity. 
 
 In advanced life, the prospect is extended ; friends 
 are more numerous ; reputation and property in- 
 crease ; wife, and children, and children's children, 
 enliven every scene, and give a charm to the domes- 
 tic circle ; attachments are multiplied ; the cords 
 which bind us to life, become stronger and stronger ; 
 habits are confirmed ; enjoyments are more substan- 
 tial and satisfactory, the world more valuable, life 
 more precious, death a greater evil. Whatever en- 
 dears life, renders the grave more dismal. 
 
295 
 
 When a man is prosperous and contented ; when 
 his employment furnishes, not only the necessaries, 
 but the comforts, and some of the luxuries of life ; 
 when his dwelling is convenient, his land fertile, his 
 table loaded, and his cup is full ; when his creditors 
 know not the way to his house, and the physician is 
 a stranger ; when his friends resort to him, and his 
 apartments echo the voice of kindness, is not his life 
 precious ? His good name, like the perfume of pre- 
 cious ointment, extends around him. When he 
 appears in public, every honest eye views him with 
 respect, every tongue, on which dwells the law of 
 kindness, speaks his praise ; he labours, he reads, 
 he travels, or executes business, as most promotes 
 his comfort, his profit, or his usefulness. What is 
 more, he executes his purposes, he accomplishes his 
 labours. Happy is such a father ; happy are his chil- 
 dren ; happy the wife, devoted to his welfare ; happy 
 are his friends ; but, oh, how terrible the hour of his 
 dissolution ! He is torn from friends, torn from pos- 
 sessions, from all the delights of life. What sorrow, 
 what anguish, can be compared with this ? 
 
 II. Death is the king of terrours, in destroying 
 all the plans and future hopes of this world. 
 
 The schemes and hopes of men are numerous ; they 
 are, generally, full of life, and vigour, and zeal. Their 
 projects are various, their toils persevering. With 
 more than a painter's skill, they clothe future scenes 
 in the colours of delight, and admiration. Death 
 ruins all. 
 
 In the grave, is no work, nor device, nor knowledge. 
 It is the dull mansion of forgetfulness and slumbor. 
 
296 
 
 To the enterprising parent, how dismal the prospect, 
 He is labouring to render his family happy and pros- 
 perous. For this he watches, and plants, and builds, 
 and trades, and adds field to field. But while he is 
 laying the foundation of their hopes, while the work 
 is his toil by day, his dream by night, his strength 
 fails, his expectations perish ; he leaves his family in 
 a stormy world, without a patron, without a guide. 
 
 In the death of the husband, or the wife, the worldly 
 hopes of both are blasted. Their day of joy is fol- 
 lowed by a night of distress. Their children and 
 their secular affairs occupied their thoughts, and too 
 far banished God, and eternal things, from their re- 
 membrance. The olive plants, about their tables, 
 were more pleasant to them, than the rose of Sharon, 
 than the blossoms of Paradise. But instead of social 
 bliss, and increasing domestic pleasures, one sinks in 
 the cold waters of death, the other is shipwrecked on 
 a desolate coast, to weep and grieve alone. 
 
 In the sprightliness of youth, we form towering 
 schemes of worldly felicity-. We expect to exercise 
 sound discretion, to form the wisest plans, and per- 
 severance to execute them with success. We 
 expect faithful friends, a pure reputation, unmixed 
 pleasure, and abundant wealth. At such a flat- 
 tering period, how terrible to be torn from life, from 
 felicities, which in imagination are "so certainly to be 
 acquired, so easily enjoyed. Such a youth, so 
 strong is the illusion, hardly believes that he is in 
 danger ; still less that his danger is imminent ; that 
 his complaints are fatal. He is surprised at the admo- 
 nitions of his friends, he neglects their advice, he ban- 
 
297 
 
 ishes fear, till it is too late to hope. Then, perhaps, 
 he awakes as from a dream ; he inquires if nothing 
 can be done ; he looks, he wishes, he sighs, he 
 despairs, he dies ! 
 
 The votary of appetite, and sensual indulgence, 
 meets, in death, the king of terrours. He expected a 
 long course of pleasure ; he resolved to balance his 
 secret fears with new scenes of jollity ; to throw off 
 the weary yoke of self-denial, to refuse no delight, to 
 riot in all the luxuries of sense. While he is smiling 
 at the fears of those, who dare not indulge like him ; 
 while every thought is pleasure, every sound music, 
 and every hope transport, death, like a sturdy offi- 
 cer comes to murder his pleasures, to hasten him to the 
 awful silence of the grave. Where now are his gay 
 schemes, his transient hopes, his momentary delights, 
 his noisy revels, his mirthful songs ? They are 
 exchanged for the dreary horrours of death, the terrific 
 darkness of the grave, the unknown terrours of the 
 spiritual world. 
 
 Who has not seen death arrayed in terrour to the 
 man toiling for wealth ? To him, property appears in 
 all its importance, and generally it is very important. 
 For this he exerts all his powers. At present he con- 
 ceives his possessions are too limited to be enjoyed. 
 When they have risen to a certain measure, he proposes 
 to indulge in pleasure, to exhibit his affluence in the 
 splendour of his living. But ere this day of joyful 
 anticipation arrives, his strength fails, fever kindles in 
 his veins, and he hears a voice, " This night thy soul 
 is required." To him, is not death the king of ter- 
 rours ? 
 
 38 
 
98 
 
 Behold the man of science. His education, his tal- 
 ents, and his friends, flatter his hopes. His exertions 
 are roused, his zeal is kindled, his ambition is inflamed ; 
 he anticipates, he claims, he assumes, a conspicuous 
 place in society. He sacrifices rest and ease ; he 
 denies himself all amusement ; he refuses no labour. 
 Feeble with confinement, pale with study, he is an 
 easy prey of disease. Death knocks at his door. 
 His extensive science, his splendid hopes, vanish for 
 ever ; his worldly schemes are lost in the grave. 
 Death is the king of terrours. 
 
 III. A conviction that we have not done what we 
 might to prepare for death, may render it the king of 
 terrours. 
 
 I speak not of those persons, whose crimes some- 
 times alarm the spirit, and harrow up the soul, and ter- 
 rify the conscience, making life miserable, and death 
 terrible ; but I refer to that worldly temper, that indif- 
 ference to divine things, with which even good men, in 
 some degree, are chargeable, which leave the heart 
 unprepared for a better world. Most men, and indeed, 
 all men of any moral sensibility, have a serious con- 
 viction, of not having feared God, or loved God, as 
 they ought. They have not, fled to the mercy of 
 God, or the atonement of the Saviour, as they ought ; 
 but have remained deaf to his calls, when knocking at 
 their door, " his head wet with the dew, arid his locks 
 with the drops of the night." They know that they 
 have not cherished, but resisted, the strivings of the 
 Holy Spirit. Most men have a distinct remembrance, 
 that they have been worldly in their affections, selfish 
 in their views, forgetting God, and forgetting their 
 
899 
 
 u\v n souls. They remember that in a thousand in- 
 stances, they have forsaken their own mercies, been 
 intemperate in their passions, wicked in their indul- 
 gences. They know that they have neglected prayer, 
 and faith, humility, and that holy walk with God, 
 which give hope, and courage, in death, and dispel 
 the darkness of the grave. This conviction of guilt, 
 makes the soul shrink back from death, and recoil 
 from the presence of God. A violated law, a neg- 
 lected gospel, an abused Saviour, shroud the grave 
 in hideous darkness, render death the king of terrours. 
 In such an hour, the heart exclaims, " Had I been as 
 devout, and faithful, and obedient, as I ought, I might 
 now look up to God, with unmixed confidence, as my 
 Father, and Saviour ; but, alas, my sins make me 
 tremble with a fearful expectation of a judgment to 
 
 come." 
 
 IV. The mere uncertainty of what may be the 
 consequences may render death very terrible. 
 
 The person, it may be, has had some feeble faith or 
 hope of the divine favour, and immortal felicity. Still 
 he has not " peace and assurance." Apprehending 
 the approach of the last enemy, he looks into his 
 heart, and finds much to condemn ; he does not 
 know but the moment of his dissolution may reveal 
 him to the world of spirits, as a graceless hypocrite ; 
 he does not know but in that moment, he may open 
 his eyes among lost spirits, hear Judas cursing the 
 day in which he was born, and the rich man crying 
 for a drop of water to cool his tongue. He does not 
 know, but he himself may manifest their temper, and 
 imitate their example, and, in the day of judgment. 
 
300 
 
 be cast into everlasting fire. The mere uncertainty 
 of this vast concern may fill the mind with anxiety 
 and distress, and render death the king of terrours. 
 
 V. That nothing more can be done for the salva- 
 tion of the soul after death, is enough to fill the mind 
 with anxiety, and render the event dreadful. 
 
 It is, I think, evidently taught in Scripture, that in 
 the day of judgment, men will be examined only 
 respecting the conduct of this life ; they will be re- 
 warded or punished according to the deeds done in 
 the body. This life, then, is the only period of pro- 
 bation, the only time to make our calling and elec- 
 tion sure. During life, the gospel and its ordinances 
 are of immense value ; in death, they are forever lost. 
 The value of those instructions, which convey light, 
 and grace, and comfort to the soul, cannot be esti- 
 mated. The word of the Lord is a pearl of great 
 price, more precious than rubies. The gospel is glad 
 tidings of great joy to all people. The hour is dread- 
 ful, which takes these means of salvation from the 
 departing soul. When this moment arrives, mercy will 
 no longer be offered, the volumes of life will no longer 
 be open, the gospel will be heard no more, the Holy 
 Spirit will no longer strive, the day of mercy is past. 
 When this moment arrives, the hopes of the soul 
 perish, the very thought of salvation is gone, secret 
 religion, public worship, acts of charity, faith, and 
 hope, all come to an end. In death the man loses 
 the instructions of parents and friends, the admoni- 
 tions of neighbours, the exhortations of ministers. 
 He will never hear another sermon, he will never 
 attend another sacrament, never read another passage 
 
301 
 
 in the book of life. The means of salvation air 
 lost. 
 
 Could he return from death, to feed the poor, to 
 visit the sick, to devote himself to God, death might 
 be less terrible. Could he rise from the grave, to be 
 more constant and devout in his prayers, to be more 
 attentive, and teachable, in hearing the gospel, more 
 diligent in obeying, more zealous in supporting it, 
 death might not be the king of terrours. Could he 
 awake from the cold sleep of death, only one hour, 
 for prayer, for repentance, and faith in Jesus,, death 
 might not be the king of terrours. But in death, the 
 sweet, the mediatorial hour is past. 
 
 VI. The pains and natural evils of death often 
 render it most terrible. 
 
 Here I need say nothing of the widow's anguish, or 
 the orphan's woes, of the parent's blasted hopes, or 
 the tears and lamentations of the brothers and sisters, 
 when those, who are bone of their bone, and flesh of 
 their flesh, are taken from them. The loss of the 
 survivors is often irreparable, their affliction inconso- 
 lable and overwhelming. 
 
 I say nothing of the afflicting sickness, which gen- 
 erally precedes dissolution, of the burning, restless 
 fever, of the chilling, wasting consumption, of the 
 aches, and pains, and distresses, which wear away 
 the strength, and exhaust life. I say nothing of the 
 irksome, loathsome remedies, nothing of the anxious 
 days, and wakeful nights, of the heart-rending dis- 
 couragements, of the alternate hopes and terrours, and 
 final despair of life, so full of anguish and agony as 
 often to render death itself desirable, death itself a 
 
relief to the best friends. Their sympathetic distress 
 and terrour are, frequently, undescribably affecting. 
 The dying man often sees and feels their anguish, as 
 well as his own. The tears of neighbours, the sighs 
 and lamentations of the family, wife, children, and 
 friends, often increase the misery of the departing 
 spirit. While his heart is breaking with his own 
 sufferings, while his agony is insupportable, and soul 
 and body are parting, he is oppressed and agitated, 
 and terrified, with the consternation which fills the 
 room. Who has not witnessed scenes like this ? 
 Who will not witness them again, when the last sum- 
 mons shall reach some beloved friend ? Restless, 
 speechless, his sufferings and wants cannot be known. 
 To moisten his lip, to wait the dread issue in awful 
 silence, or with tears and sighs of anguish, is the sad 
 office of the family. The breathing difficult and 
 laborious, the sound gives warning, that the last hour 
 has come. The powers of nature, sometimes, roused 
 to their last effort, prolong the struggle ; the contest 
 is only lengthened agony and despair, till death 
 reaches the vital powers, and the victim yields to the 
 all-conquering tyrant The last, last effort, of a dying 
 friend, dissolves the heart. If disciplined in wo, if 
 inured to suffering, a heart-moving silence seals the 
 lips of the survivors ; but if unaccustomed to such 
 scenes, if not familiar with anguish and misery, a 
 burst of tears, and loud lamentations, proclaim the 
 greatness of their loss, and their heart-rending grief. 
 They look at those eyes, once sparkling with delight, 
 or melting with tenderness, which never will open 
 again ; at those lips, which never again will charm 
 
303 
 
 the soul with the accents of love and benevolence, 
 at the visage, which was lighted up with a thousand 
 beauties, diffusing cheerfulness and pleasure around, 
 now pale and ghastly. That lovely frame, those 
 beautiful limbs, which moved with grace, gladdening 
 every beholder, must now be wrapt in the attire of 
 the grave, be buried in the earth, food for worms. 
 Oh death, thou art the king of terrours ; a hideous 
 tyrant, crushing the race of man ! May God hasten 
 the time, when thou shalt die, and man shall triumph. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. The subject teaches us the dreadful evil of sin. 
 
 Sin is the source of all our wo. By one man sin 
 entered the world, and death by sin, and so death 
 passes upon all, because all have sinned. Sin com- 
 missions the pestilence to assail the human family. 
 The fell tyrant renders cities and countries desolate. 
 Sin loads the fields of battle with the dead, crimsons 
 it with blood, and destroys the hope of man. Sin 
 arms disease and death with irresistible power. All 
 the pain and misery in the universe is the fruit of sin. 
 While the pair of Eden were pure and sinless, while 
 entire obedience marked their conduct, neither pain, 
 nor grief, nor fear, nor anxiety, was ever known. 
 For them the heavens smiled without a threatening 
 cloud; for them the rivers of God, refreshed the 
 bowers of paradise ; for them each plant and flower 
 perfumed the air. The whole universe joined in con- 
 cert to gladden their hearts, and satisfy their wishes. 
 The beauties of earth, and glories of heaven, directed 
 
304 
 
 their minds to God, and bade them rejoice. Entirely 
 innocent, every thought was joy. In this scene of 
 holy obedience and ravishing delight, they saw, they 
 desired, they seized, the forbidden fruit. As they 
 tore it from the tree, the world was wrapped in gloom ; 
 the heavens were astonished ; the angels forsook the 
 walks of Eden, disease and death received commis- 
 sion to destroy every living creature ; God drove the 
 sinners from the tree of life. Sin scatters sickness in 
 all our families ; sin fills the grave yard with the 
 dead ; and hell, with the waitings of despair. 
 
 II. Is it not a heavenly employment, to aid others 
 in their preparation for death? 
 
 Probably, more in this way may be done than is 
 generally supposed. Human minds have vast influ- 
 ence over one another. Children commonly think 
 their parents wise and good. This gives them an 
 almost irresistible sway over their minds. As the 
 tender twig is bent, so their minds are directed. 
 
 Not only then devote your children to God, give 
 them to him in solemn covenant ; but let them enjoy 
 thy pious examples, thy serious advice, thy fervent 
 prayers. Not only give them an early education, 
 according to your circumstances and their capacities ; 
 but guard them against the contagion of vicious soci- 
 ety, put suitable books into their hands, which may 
 enlighten their minds, and affect their hearts, and in- 
 fluence their lives. Secure to them sound instruction 
 in the school, and the house of God. 
 
 Those who are teachers in schools and seminaries 
 are generally believed by their pupils to be great and 
 learned. This gives importance to what you recom- 
 
305 
 
 mend, renders your religious instructions impressive, 
 your good examples almost irresistible. Lovers, 
 friends, and neighbours, often possess unknown influ- 
 ence over each other's minds. Were all this influence 
 combined, and exerted to aid each other in prepara- 
 tion for death, what a harvest of felicity might follow. 
 
 You love your child, your pupil, your friend ; you 
 are afraid he will be lost ; his terrours of conscience, 
 in a dying hour, may wring your heart with anguish ; 
 his despairing cries to rocks and mountains, in the day 
 of judgment, may overwhelm your spirit with commis- 
 eration. Now then, in health prove your love, exert 
 your influence to prepare him for his last, last hour, 
 that he may die in peace, that holy angels may hover 
 round his dying pillow, to bear his spirit to the bosom 
 of his God. They who turn others to righteousness, 
 shall shine as stars of glory forever and ever. 
 
 III. We learn the value and excellence of Chris- 
 tian faith. 
 
 Death is a great evil, a terrible foe ; but Christian 
 faith triumphs over his power. Though guilty, though 
 dying, the Christian may hope and rejoice. Jesus 
 Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all those 
 who obey him. His promise to them is, " I will 
 ransom you from the power of the grave, I will re- 
 deem you from death. Oh death, I will be thy 
 plagues ; Oh grave, I will be thy destruction. ' I 
 am the resurrection and the life.' ' 
 
 If the Christian knows himself, he knows in whom 
 he has believed, and that he is well able to keep what 
 he has committed to him, till the day of judgment, 
 
 He may well say, " Though he slay me, I will 
 39 
 
306 
 
 trust in him. I am ready to depart. 1 would not 
 live always." Are not such persons blest and happy ? 
 Only a little lower than angels, they aspire to 
 their glory. A kind parent calls the believer, and 
 often he is willing to go. He knows that God is the 
 most suitable judge of the time and circumstances of 
 his departure ; he submits, and is composed. He 
 gives up his schemes of worldly prosperity, and the 
 numerous pleasures around him ; he forgets the dark- 
 ness of the grave, and the agonies of dissolution, in 
 view of approaching glory. 
 
 By an eye of faith, he sees heaven open, and Jesus 
 standing on the right hand of the father. Devoutly 
 he cries, " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." " Come 
 Lord Jesus, come quickly." " Oh death, where is thy 
 sting ; Oh grave, where is thy victory." " When shall 
 I die ; when shall I live forever." 
 
 IV. The subject admonishes us very seriously to 
 prepare for the severe, overwhelming trial of a dying 
 hour. 
 
 Recollect the vanity of worldly hopes. Often, your 
 success only disappoints your expectation. Our very 
 wishes give us not our wish. In prosperity, man 
 sometimes wakes, and finds himself undone. From 
 death none are excused. Where are David, and Sol- 
 omon, and Paul, and Jesus ? Where are many of your 
 best friends ? Let death be familiar to your thoughts ; 
 this may prevent surprise in a dying hour. Let the 
 rest of your pillow remind you of the long slumber of 
 the grave. Let the morning light remind you of the 
 resurrection, and the day of judgment. Life is a 
 garden, in which grows the tree of life ; we- may reach 
 
307 
 
 the branches ; we may gather the fruit. Life is a 
 short period, in which we may acquire the inheritance 
 of saints, the crown of glory, the felicity of angels, 
 mansions in heaven. Would it not be wise to take 
 death into all your calculations ? When you plant, 
 when you build, when you buy, or sell, or labour, or 
 amuse yourselves, would it not be wise, to ask your 
 heart what probable influence this may have on your 
 last moments, and your future hopes ? Would not this 
 temper your wishes, moderate your passions ? \Vould 
 it not be wise to become more particular, more fer- 
 vent, more frequent in your devotion ? Is it not a duty 
 of self-preservation, to be more broken hearted in your 
 repentance, more devout, more humble, more teach- 
 able, more intimate with God, more engaged in his 
 cause, and your own salvation ? 
 
 Is it not wise, more seriously to consider the rapid 
 flight of your days, the uncertainty of a moment ? 
 Death is the king of terrours. But exercising Chris- 
 tian faith and hope, to die is gain. We escape from 
 sin, and remorse, and distress, from disappointment 
 and danger. We pass from the bed of death, to min- 
 gle with the righteous, to unite with angels, in the 
 presence of God. Blessed are the dead, who die in 
 the Lord, they rest from their labours, and their works 
 do follow them. Amen. 
 
LIB7 
 
 OF TUK 
 
 *"k C '? 
 
 
 PSALM cxix, 18. 
 
 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
 things out of thy law. 
 
 THE prayers of a man are a good index of his relig- 
 ious character. As a man prayeth, so is he ; such is 
 the moral state of his heart. He spontaneously prays 
 for what he desires and loves. If he asks for wisdom, 
 it is evidence that he is a lover of wisdom. 
 
 This most excellent psalm is a wonderful strain of 
 devotion. The Greek Fathers consider it " an abridg- 
 ment of David's life, in which he expresses all the 
 states through which he had passed, the trials, perse- 
 cutions, succours, and encouragements, he had receiv- 
 ed." The Latin Fathers perceive in it, "all the 
 morality of the gospel, and rules of conduct for every 
 situation in life." Cassiodorus asserts " that it con- 
 tains the sentiments of the prophets, apostles, martyrs, 
 and saints, of every age." 
 
 The text is a prayer, expressing an humble heart, 
 a love of truth, a sense of dependence. " Open thou 
 
310 
 
 mine eyes, that I may discover wondrous things out 
 of thy law." Law, in this place, means the word of 
 God, or the whole volume of revelation. 
 
 DOCTRINE. In ascertaining the truths of revelation, 
 we ought to pray for divine assistance. 
 
 The plainest truths, which are universally believed, 
 require the authority of revelation, to command our 
 faith. " Through faith in the divine oracles, we un- 
 derstand that the worlds were framed by the word of 
 God." How much more do we need divine illumina- 
 tion, to believe the doctrine of the apostacy, of a Re- 
 deemer, of an atonement, of a new birth, of a resur- 
 rection to immortal life ? But I proceed to show how 
 reasonable is the petition of the text, or to enforce the 
 duty of praying for divine assistance in ascertaining 
 the truths of the Bible. 
 
 I. In the scriptures are wonderful truths ; there- 
 fore, should we repeat the prayer of the text. 
 
 If things wonderful were not in the word of God, 
 such a prayer would be useless ; but they are more 
 than can be reckoned up in order. In revelation, we 
 see the glorious system of the universe rising from 
 nothing, the sea and dry land separated, the sun ruling 
 the day, the moon the night. We see man, the off- 
 spring of God, holding the sceptre of this world. 
 
 " Here we behold how infant time began, 
 
 " How the dust moved, and quickened into man, 
 
 " Eternal bliss thro' pleasing pages trace, 
 
 " And find salvation in the paths of grace." 
 
 We hear the law announced in the bowers of Eden. 
 " In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely 
 die." In rebellion against his Maker, we see man 
 
311 
 
 put forth his hand and eat. We see him driven from 
 his paradise of joy ; briars and thorns start up before 
 him ; he is compelled to glean his subsistence by the 
 sweat of his brow, disease, and death, and a thousand 
 woes, following in the train. 
 
 From Jehovah we hear a voice, " The seed of the 
 woman shall bruise the serpent's head." In the ful- 
 ness of time he appears, made of a woman. He makes 
 propitiation for sin, is a sacrifice for a lost world ; the 
 author of eternal life to all who believe. His spirit he 
 pours out, and blesses the labours of his ministers ; 
 myriads of sons and daughters are born for glory ; 
 those who were dead in trespasses and sins become 
 kings and priests of God ; Heaven receives an acces- 
 sion of inhabitants from our dying world. 
 
 These, and many more, are wonderful things of 
 revelation. They deserve our regard, our most pro- 
 found inquiry ; they are subjects, which angels exam- 
 ine with deep attention. Here is a field, which may 
 give ample scope to the most extensive science, to the 
 most powerful intellects. Contemplating such a pros- 
 pect, we may well pray, " Open thou our eyes, that we 
 may discover w r onderful things in thy law." Enlighten 
 us, that we may understand these glorious themes. 
 
 II. The prayer of the text is our duty, because it 
 is immensely important for us to understand the 
 things of the law. 
 
 If the subjects of revelation were uninteresting, or 
 of trivial consequence, to neglect such an application 
 to heaven, 'might be more excusable. But the truths 
 of revelation are more important than any worldly 
 good, fame, wealth, or power. They are the onlv 
 
312 
 
 charter of our immortal hopes, the only lights ' to 
 guide us to heavenly bliss. But unless they are under- 
 stood, they are useless, as though they were in their 
 original tongues. 
 
 What is the compass to the man, who understands 
 not the pointing of the needle. What is a guide-board 
 to a traveller, who cannot read the words and figures 
 inscribed. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, 
 who will prepare himself for battle ? 
 
 Bibles, sabbaths, sermons, sacraments, are all use- 
 less, unless they are understood. If then God has 
 made prayer one means of illumination, we ought to 
 pray for divine assistance to understand the sacred 
 oracles. 
 
 The truths of revelation involve all that is impor- 
 tant, all that is glorious, or terrible to man. The best 
 hopes of this life ; consolation or agony in a dying 
 hour ; immortal blessedness or eternal misery in the 
 world to come, are all suspended on our understand- 
 ing the truths of the gospel. Shall we not then pray, 
 that we may understand their wondrous glories ? They 
 preserve us from idolatry, guilt, and death ; they 
 make us wise unto salvation. 
 
 III. The natural indifference or sluggishness of the 
 human mind is a reason, why we should pray for 
 divine assistance in our religious inquiries. 
 
 A celebrated writer has pronounced sloth to be the 
 constitutional sin of human nature. Men love to idle 
 away life in sensual indulgence. Necessity excites 
 them to labour, or to meditation. They need some 
 powerful agent, to excite, to awaken, to animate and 
 engage, their spirits. They love to slumber ; they 
 
313 
 
 are habitually pleading for a little more sleep, a little 
 more slumber. Of spiritual sleep, this is more em- 
 phatically true. How many bibles are read, how 
 many sermons are heard, how many peals of elo- 
 quence arrest the senses and chain the attention, 
 while the wicked hearts of the hearers are unmoved, 
 while their purposes are not changed, while their evil 
 consciences are not awakened, while the still slumbers 
 of spiritual death are not disturbed. 
 
 What can alarm, what can awaken, what can rouse 
 them to read, to search, and understand the oracles of 
 truth? Not the kind advice of friends, not the sage 
 maxims of philosophy, not the orthodox opinions of 
 theology, not the loudest tones of fiery zeal. The 
 Spirit of God, and nothing but the Spirit of God, will 
 rouse and engage the heart, to seek for religious wis- 
 dom, as for hidden treasure. The Spirit of God is a 
 rushing wind, a penetrating fire, to enlighten the 
 mind, to melt the heart. Shall we not then cry for 
 his gracious influence, that we may behold wondrous 
 things in the law of the Lord. 
 
 IV. Some have misunderstood the truths of the 
 bible ; this is a strong reason why you should offer 
 the prayer of the text. 
 
 If others have fatally mistaken the doctrines of the 
 bible, it certainlyis possible that you may. If others 
 have been lost for want of caution and prayer, have 
 you not reason to be considerate, and concerned for 
 yourself? You are exposed to the same temptations ; 
 you are liable to the same prejudices ; you possess 
 the same mental imbecility with other men ; therefore, 
 vou may be in danger of adopting the same or similar 
 40 
 
314 
 
 errours. Who then will presume to say, " I am secure 
 from dangerous errours." May I not ask without any 
 just reason of offence, whether some persons of as 
 much native genius, of as liberal an education, of 
 more distinguished privileges, and apparently, of equal 
 integrity, have not fatally, or dangerously, mistaken 
 the truths of revelation ? Is not this a reason for you 
 to be careful, and circumspect, and anxious, to know 
 the truth ? Not only ignorant and weak men, but men 
 of understanding, great and learned men, have adopt- 
 ed gross errours, mistaking the grand design of the 
 gospel. To confirm this, I need only mention what 
 you all very well know, that some great and learned 
 men have understood and believed in direct opposition 
 to other great and learned men. Che class must be 
 materially wrong. 
 
 If two men adopt opposite creeds, it is not possible 
 that both should agree with the bible. You cannot 
 explain away the difference. One man believes human 
 nature is debased and depraved ; another says, no. 
 One believes that all men must be born again ; 
 another limits such a change to pagans. One believes 
 that the impenitent will suffer the vengeance of eternal 
 fire ; his neighbour believes that all men will be finally 
 happy. One bows before Jesus Christ as the mighty 
 God ; his fellow worshipper views him only as an ex- 
 cellent man. Who can unite these opposite creeds ? 
 Who can harmonize these jarring opinions ? One class 
 is infallibly wrong ; their faith is the baseless fabric 
 of a vision, they believe with the multitude, or adopt 
 the phantoms of their own imaginations. Yet both 
 enrol the names of men, prudent, discreet, learned, 
 
315 
 
 and wise. Does not this illustrate and confirm the 
 importance, and the necessity of divine assistance in 
 forming our opinions of gospel doctrines ? Where 
 great men and mighty have stumbled and fallen, shall 
 we not humbly feel, and devoutly acknowledge our 
 danger, crying, " Lord, open our eyes, that we may 
 behold wondrous things out of thy law." 
 
 V. The dislike, which men feel towards truths of 
 the bible, renders it needful for them to pray for 
 divine assistance. 
 
 I could easily, to my own satisfaction, make out a 
 catalogue of truths, with abundant proof that they are 
 unwelcome to irreligious men. Respecting some of 
 them, I think all reflecting men would be agreed ; but 
 I have time only to refer you to the general declar- 
 ation of Jesus Christ, which is amply sufficient for 
 my purpose. " Light has come into the world, and 
 men love darkness rather than light." They love 
 errour ; they are averse to the truth. Will such per- 
 sons spontaneously perceive the evidence, and believe 
 the truths, of divine revelation ; or must they be con- 
 vinced and compelled by the Spirit of God ? 
 
 This aversion to truth must give the heart a strong 
 bias towards errour and delusion, and shows the pro- 
 priety of the psalmist's prayer. Men readily believe 
 what they love to hear. Evidence of what is unpleas- 
 ant, if it be not invincible, they are wont to resist and 
 reject. No dream of night is more fallacious, than the 
 opinion, that no praise or blame is attached to belief 
 or faith. It is built on the groundless notion, that all 
 men necessarily believe according to evidence. Why 
 then do men so often think more highly of themselves. 
 
316 
 
 and of their children, and of their possessions, than do 
 their neighbours ? Why do men more readily believe 
 ill reports of their enemies, than of their friends ? He 
 is yet far from knowing what is in man, he has yet to 
 learn one of the most common operations of the 
 human mind, who does not ascribe moral worth to a 
 sound faith, who does not perceive that aversion to 
 gospel truth is a dangerous cause of errour and delu- 
 sion. Where is the man, so teachable, so pure, so 
 good, as to say, " I have always loved the truth, 
 believed and obeyed the truth. The law of the Lord 
 has always been my delight ?" 
 
 VI. Facts have proved that divine assistance is 
 necessary, and should therefore be sought, that even 
 good men may understand the revelation of God. 
 Who then will excuse himself from this prayer of 
 David. Some real difficulties lie in the way of clearly 
 understanding revealed truth. We are conversant 
 with objects of sense. Through them we receive our 
 knowledge. The law of God embraces abstract sub- 
 jects ; it has reference to a spiritual world, and to 
 spiritual duties, to the soul, and to God. A doctrine 
 is to be collected from various texts, written in differ- 
 ent languages and ages, while other texts have fc a dif- 
 ferent aspect. 
 
 Where no real difficulty exists, the natural imbecil- 
 ity of the mind, or some prejudice, or some temporary 
 aberration of thought, may prevent the perception of 
 the most plain and palpable truth. Jesus Christ ex- 
 plicitly told his disciples, that he should go to Jerusa- 
 lem, that he should there be delivered to the Gentiles, 
 that they would kill him, and that he would rise again 
 
317 
 
 the third day. What could be more plain ? Yet they 
 understood him not. When all these things took 
 place, a short time after, they were surprized, they 
 were alarmed. They despaired ; they fled ; they 
 abandoned his cause. When he arose, this was equal- 
 ly incredible. Yet, a few days after, when the Holy 
 Spirit enlightened their minds, they clearly understood 
 these things, and Peter and the other apostles explain- 
 ed them to the congregations of Jerusalem, with so 
 much perspicuity, and energy, and pathos, that thou- 
 sands were added to the church. Is it strange then, 
 that all humble men offer the petition of the psalmist ? 
 Very few persons will flatter themselves that they 
 have mote vigourous minds, more intellectual attain- 
 ments, more elevated piety, more talents for gaining 
 religious truth. If he found such a prayer needful 
 for him, is it not then more needful for you ? If he 
 was deeply affected with the danger of errour and de- 
 lusion, if his mind laboured with many things hard to 
 be understood, if he was humbled with the profound 
 mysteries of godliness, and in the oppression of his 
 heart exclaimed, " Open thou mine eyes," how much 
 more need you to pray for the Holy Spirit to lead 
 your mind into all truth. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. From the subject I infer, that a man is as really 
 bound to adopt a correct faith, as to live an upright 
 life. 
 
 In whatever light you view the subject, you will 
 never be able to see that opinions are neutral in their 
 
318 
 
 moral character. They have a most powerful influ- 
 ence on our conduct. They are generally the parents 
 of action. Let a man adopt the opinion, that you 
 have no right to believe any thing, which is not con- 
 tained in his creed, and he will not only be uncharitable 
 and censorious, but he will persecute you if he can, 
 if he dare. If you plead for the importance of actions, 
 then I say, that thoughts, and opinions are equally 
 important; for when a man thinks, he as truly per- 
 forms an act, as when he visits the sick. When a 
 man believes, it is his act, which has a moral charac- 
 ter, as really as any other act. 
 
 The moral character of a man, whether it be good, 
 or bad, as truly rests on his thoughts, as his actions^ 
 He exercises his fidelity, his candour, his regard to 
 truth, his obedience, as much as in a life of pure 
 morals. A man is as really wicked to think wrong, 
 as to act wrong. His erroneous faith is as really 
 wrong, as his immoral life. In the text, David does 
 not pray God to direct his course of actions, but to 
 enlighten his mind, that he may understand the truths 
 of revelation. Teach me what to believe of God, 
 and his Son, of man, of heaven, and hell. "As a man 
 thinketh, so is he." As the complexion of his 
 thoughts, and opinions, such is his real character. 
 
 II. If just views of truth, and divine influences, 
 are so important, I infer the danger of party spirit. 
 
 The spirit of party diverts the mind from the only 
 standard of divine truth. Party views erect another 
 standard, the opinion of their founder. He is the 
 oracle of their faith. If they can acquire his sup- 
 posed luminous views, his elevated sentiments, his 
 
319 
 
 Spiritual consolations, they feel secure of the divine 
 favour. When a man will not, or dare not, think for 
 himself, nor decide, and believe, independently of a 
 party, he is merely the satellite of a greater body, 
 doomed to move as he moves, and change as he 
 changes. Then the place where he happens to reside, 
 the company with whom he may associate, the books 
 he may read, or some other fortuitous circumstance, 
 will decide the nature of his faith, and his character, 
 and perhaps his future existence. If you once imbibe 
 the infatuation of party zeal, no doctrine will be too 
 foolish to gain your belief, no practice too absurd for 
 your approbation, no leader too visionary for you to 
 follow. Neglecting to pray for divine influences, 
 giving yourself up to the direction of your party, you 
 lose your individuality of character ; you are a cypher 
 added to the sum total of your party. 
 
 III. If we need divine influences, to understand 
 speculative truth, do we not still more to perform the 
 practical duties of life ? 
 
 If we need divine light, to understand the doc- 
 trines of religion, who will not pray for spiritual 
 strength to execute the self-denying and arduous 
 duties of a religious life ? Where is the man so re- 
 plenished with heavenly grace, so fortified with holy 
 resolutions, that he is sure of being always deaf to 
 the songs of sensual delight, always blind to the 
 enchantment of alluring temptation ? In view of such 
 practical difficulties, David prays God to " keep him 
 in a perfect way, to direct his steps, to hold him 
 up, to preserve him from presumptuous sins; 
 nnlcr my steps in thy word." 
 
320 
 
 If in the scriptures are some doctrines hard to be 
 understood, are there not commands hard to be 
 obeyed ? Thousands lead wicked lives, who have 
 an orthodox faith. In some instances, the obedient 
 man must renounce his favourite pleasure, crucify his 
 strongest passion, abandon the dearest object of his 
 heart. Will not the good man, then, pray for grace, 
 to do the will of God ? 
 
 IV. From the subject, I infer that those do not 
 behold the wondrous things of the law, who, passing 
 by its precise meaning, adopt only such opinions, as 
 appear to them to be just and reasonable. 
 
 Some persons admit the divine authority of reve- 
 lation, yet adopt only such articles of faith, as seem 
 to them most suitable. Instead of searching the 
 scriptures, to learn their precise meaning, they form a 
 creed themselves ; perhaps borrowing some insulated 
 passages to give it authority. Such do not behold 
 wondrous things in the law of the Lord ; they are 
 delighted with their own inventions. Had they never 
 heard of revelation, they might have formed a creed, 
 as much to their satisfaction, the pagans may now do 
 this. If we believe only what appears plain, and 
 desirable, and just, we disarm revelation of all author- 
 ity, our faith is on the sand, to be swept away by 
 every wind, to be whirled about by every breath of 
 air. What was orthodox, becomes erroneous, when 
 we have changed our place and society. What was 
 rational in youth, may seem absurd in mature life ; 
 what we believed in prosperity, is rejected in adver- 
 sity. We may have as many creeds, as changes in 
 our lives. On this principle, every individual may be 
 
321 
 
 expected to have a faith different from his neighbour, 
 according to his different education, pursuit, and tone 
 of mind. Hence every sect has a different system. 
 Instead of copying the law of the Lord, they adopt 
 what seems to them, with their peculiar habits, to be 
 reasonable and just. Hence, the poor and ignorant 
 have their creed ; the rich and the great their creed ; 
 the learned theirs, producing moral confusion and 
 ruin. Do those merit the name of Christian, merely 
 because they acknowledge the authority of revelation, 
 and have adopted a religious faith of their own ? 
 
 If, in a fleet of a hundred ships, each commander, 
 instead of being directed by his compass, follow his 
 own opinion, when neither sun nor stars appear, 
 what will be the result ? Would not their destruc- 
 tion be as various as their opinions, or the fatalities of 
 a stormy sea ? So in the voyage of life, men neglect 
 the compass of truth, and, in devious courses, follow 
 the pictures of their own fancy. Can they reach the 
 same coast, hail the spires of the same temple, land 
 in the New Jerusalem ? 
 
 Why should we pray for divine assistance, if we 
 may understand the word with different meanings ? 
 If Socinus, and Calvin, and Swedenbourg, acknowl- 
 edge the inspiration of the scriptures, will this render 
 all their jarring opinions sound, Christian doctrines ? 
 Truth is fixed, as the needle to the pole. One man 
 may have acuteness of vision to see the pointing and 
 vibrations of the needle more than another ; one may 
 understand doctrines more clearly, more exactly, than 
 another ; but as the keenest vision cannot see the 
 needle point to the west, when it is really to the 
 41 
 
322 
 
 north, so the profound genius cannot discover one 
 class of doctrines, when an opposite class is actually 
 revealed. You may as well imagine that you see a 
 slumbering lake, where a lofty mountain rises to the 
 clouds, or that you behold a storgiy sea of angry- 
 billows, where is solid land, hills and dales, glittering 
 spires, and cheerful villages. Men lose the excel- 
 lence of truth; they see not the wonders of the 
 divine law, if they forget its high authority, and frame 
 their own creed, delighted with their own opinions, 
 and satisfied with the inventions of their own wisdom. 
 
 V. If it be our duty to pray for wisdom, that we 
 may understand the word of God, then we ought to 
 use other means. 
 
 Not only prayer, but meditation and reading, com- 
 paring one passage with another, are - serious duties. 
 In this connexion, I should be criminal, not to mention 
 scripture commentaries. Men of learning, who were 
 men of God, have devoted their lives to the study of 
 the scriptures. They have left us the fruit of their 
 labours. The writings of Poole, and Henry, and 
 Burkit, of Doddridge, and Clark, and Scott, to name 
 no more, deserve the gratitude of the Christian world. 
 
 Still more useful, more necessary, is the preached 
 gospel. This is the grand luminary, which guides 
 men through the dark and dangerous wilderness of 
 this world, to the heavenly Canaan. This is the 
 glorious pillar of fire, to lead them through the sea of 
 worldly troubles, and the cold Jordan of death, to 
 mount Zion, and the city of the living God. Faith 
 conieth by hearing the gospel. Those, who irrelig- 
 iously neglect to attend on a preached gospel, in <i 
 
teachable, and humble manner, from sabbath to 
 sabbath, manifest a daring contempt of divine mercy, 
 practically bid defiance to almighty wrath, and render 
 their destruction nearly certain. Those, who are 
 destitute of the gospel, and neglect any reasonable 
 sacrifice to ensure the invaluable blessing, treat them- 
 selves as* unworthy of eternal life. They prove that 
 they love darkness rather than light, falsehood rather 
 than truth, that the love of God is not in their hearts, 
 nor the fear of God before their eyes. They seek 
 the ways of death. They reject the grace of God, 
 to their own destruction. They build the walls of 
 their own prison, whence they will not be released, 
 till they have paid the uttermost farthing. 
 
JAMES v, 17, 18. 
 
 * 
 
 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, 
 and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain : and 
 it rained not on the earth by the space of three years 
 and six months. And he prayed again, and the 
 heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her 
 
 MAN is the most useful study of man. To ascertain 
 his moral character, his capacity for obedience, the 
 limits of his power, or extent of his attainments, is a 
 duty of high importance. As in the glass, face 
 answers to face, so, in some measure, do the minds 
 of men correspond to each other. Particularly is this 
 the case with those in the same degree of improvement, 
 whether saint, savage, or sage. By analyzing the 
 conduct and motives of other men, you may learn 
 more of your own. By observing what they accom- 
 plish, you may discover your own powers, the latent 
 resources of your own minds. No study, no science, 
 is more interesting. Should a wise man land on a 
 
326 
 
 newly discovered island, he might, perhaps, readily 
 remark some peculiarities in the soil, the animals, the 
 plants and minerals ; but before he fully investigated 
 them, unless his profession directed him to a particu- 
 lar pursuit, he would examine the character of the 
 inhabitants. Their descent, their language, their 
 customs, their laws, their government, their religion, 
 and the state of the arts, would be objects of his dili- 
 gent inquiry. What is the colour of a flower, com- 
 pared with the morals of an accountable being? 
 What is the texture of a shell, or the height of a 
 mountain, compared with the attainments of immortal 
 man ? 
 
 Of all men, Elias, or Elijah, is one of the most 
 remarkable. He rises eminent among the sons of 
 Adam, and well deserves particular attention. Of 
 other prophets, something is said respecting their 
 parentage or early life ; but this man is abruptly in- 
 troduced; he seems to drop from the clouds, a 
 prophet in mature life, with the message of God on 
 his lips. Hence the Jews and some Christian com- 
 mentators have supposed him an angel. This, the 
 text seems to contradict, asserting that he had our 
 passions; was a man like us. 
 
 Will you accompany me, the moments before us, in 
 contemplating his character ? 
 
 I. He was a man of remarkable faith. He be- 
 lieved in God. In what God revealed, he put unlim- 
 ited confidence. He said to Ahab, " As the Lord 
 God of Israel liveth, there shall not be dew nor rain 
 these years ; but according to my word." Here was 
 unmixed, unwavering faith. Had he not enjoyed thr 
 
327 
 
 u faith, which is a demonstration of things not seen," 
 his self-respect, his vanity, would have preserved him 
 from such a daring declaration. Had one doubt 
 chilled his heart, he would not have presumed to 
 express himself in such unqualified terms. The next 
 evening dew might have detected his rashness, and 
 rendered him the sport of the king and country. But 
 believing in God, he is not afraid to proclaim what 
 God has revealed. Afterwards, God commanded him 
 to retire to one of the branches of the Jordan, assur- 
 ing him that the ravens should supply his wants. 
 What could be more improbable, or a more severe 
 trial of his faith ? What could be more dismal, than 
 to dwell in this solitary spot, ravenous birds his 
 companions and stewards ? Feeding on carrion 
 themselves, whence could they procure wholesome 
 food ? From whose table or oven could they obtain 
 bread ? 
 
 Here, I should not do justice to you or myself, did 
 I not remark, that some difference of opinion has pre- 
 vailed on this subject. The word orebim, translated 
 ravens, is by some of the learned thought to signify 
 merchants. They suppose that travelling traders, con- 
 stantly passing by the retreat of Elijah, sold him pro- 
 vision. Others suppose the word signifies Arabians, and 
 that these wandering people supplied the prophet's 
 table. The Jewish Rabbis say, that a town in the 
 vicinity was called Orbo, which is nearly the same 
 word, rendered ravens ; and St. Jerome says the inhab- 
 itants of this place supplied Elijah with bread and meat. 
 Jerome had lived in that country, and taken great pains 
 
to ascertain facts, to prepare himself to translate the 
 scriptures. His opinion has great weight with the 
 learned. His brook becoming dry, God sends Elijah 
 to Zarephath, a town of Zidon, beyond the limits of 
 Israel, a pagan neighbourhood, whence Jezebel 
 brought her idolatry. He was not sent to Obadiah, 
 who was then supporting a hundred prophets of the 
 Lord ; he was not sent to the rich men of Zidon ; 
 but to a widow, a poor widow, who had been com- 
 manded to support him. What means had she, in 
 the famine, to support such a boarder ? As he came 
 to the gate of the city, he found her gathering sticks, 
 and he said to her, " Fetch me, I pray thee, a little 
 water, and a morsel of bread." She said, "As the 
 Lord God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of 
 meal, and a little oil, and I am gathering two sticks, 
 that I may dress it for me, and my son, that we may 
 eat it, and die." Here the prophet's faith breaks 
 forth. " Fear not ; first make me a little cake ; the 
 barrel of meal shall not waste nor the cruise of oil 
 fail." Had not his faith been triumphant, he would 
 have trembled, making such a declaration, lest the 
 provision failing, his name would be blazoned abroad, 
 as a false, fraudulent deceiver. But witness the 
 power of faith ; it renders her barrel a store-house of 
 flour ; her cruise a fountain of oil. 
 
 Does not this lovely Zidonian rival the daughters 
 of Israel in the strength of her faith ? Might she not 
 have been the ancestor of her, who, in the same 
 region, a thousand years after, brought her daughter 
 to Jesus Christ? In the midst of a famine, a poor 
 widow, with a dependant child, makes bread and 
 
329 
 
 supplies a stranger from her miserable pittance. She 
 believes God, and casts herself on his bounty. 
 
 Another more wonderful display of the prophet's 
 faith is seen, when different military commanders are 
 sent to arrest him. " If I be a man of God, let fire 
 come down from heaven, and destroy thee, and thy 
 fifty." Fire did come and destroy him and his fifty. 
 But for his faith, he might have been branded with 
 infamy, as a boasting son of malice and murder. The 
 whole life of this remarkable man was a display of 
 faith. His very attempt to raise the child of the 
 widow, his venturing into the presence of Ahab, who 
 had searched the world for him, his contest with the 
 prophets of Baal, and, above all, his stepping into the 
 chariot of fire, and calmly ascending from the world, 
 were triumphant exhibitions of faith in God. 
 
 By faith Noah, warned of God, and moved with 
 fear, built an ark, and saved himself and family. 
 This was natural, and not to be compared with the 
 exploits of Elijah. By faith Abram went out, not 
 knowing whither he went ; but this was an ordinary 
 enterprize, compared with the wonders of the proph- 
 et's faith. Abram went among strangers, visited 
 Palestine, before the wild Arabs of his house had made 
 it so dangerous a country as it now is. Elijah, vol- 
 untarily, ventures to ride in the whirlwind, to traverse 
 the starry skies, to visit worlds unseen, unknown. 
 
 II. A remarkable influence over the minds of 
 others, a wonderful talent of persuasion, was a distin- 
 guished trait of Elijah's character. 
 
 A stranger, a traveller, he asks charity at the door 
 of a widow in the village of Zarephatn. VVita reJig- 
 
330 
 
 ious emphasis, she tells him, that she has only a 
 handful of meal, and a little oil. Will she shorten 
 her own life, and the life of her little son, to gratify a 
 passing beggar ? Ought not her charity to begin at 
 home ? Who can be in greater need ? Say not, this 
 was the providence of God, and therefore reflected 
 no honour on the prophet's talents. This was 
 no more the providence of God, than it always is 
 when pious women are persuaded to perform their 
 duty. She must have been convinced, and persuaded, 
 or she would never have given him a single crumb, 
 from her morsel of bread. No ordinary means could 
 have accomplished this. Doubtless he urged not 
 merely his own necessities, but the command and 
 promise of God. He spoke with that air of sincerity, 
 earnestness, and irresistible power, which convinces 
 the judgment, and satisfies the heart. The things 
 asserted were too remarkable, too improbable, to gain 
 belief, uttered by an ordinary man or in an ordinary 
 manner This would never wring the last morsel of 
 bread from a perishing family, a helpless widow and 
 orphan. 
 
 His influence over the mind of Obadiah was not 
 less remarkable. " Go tell Ahab that Elijah is here." 
 Obadiah knew the wrath of the king, but did not 
 believe he would be suffered to destroy the prophet. 
 He supposed God would again convey him to some 
 place of safety, and that the king would sacrifice him, 
 for not making Elijah his prisoner. He, therefore, 
 pleads for his own life, arguing his cause most affect- 
 ingly. He reminds the prophet that he had himself 
 supported a hundred prophets. It was hard now to 
 
331 
 
 be made a sacrifice. Still he takes his life in his hand, 
 and informs Ahab where Elijah is, expecting his own 
 immediate destruction to follow. 
 
 Was not here a triumph of intellect, of mind over 
 mind ? If you doubt, make the experiment. Go, 
 and persuade your friend, to undertake some service, 
 which he believes will be fatal to his life. A few 
 such master spirits, who persuade others to second 
 their measures, to be the instruments of their pur- 
 poses, guide the community, and govern the world. 
 This mental power triumphs, more strikingly, over 
 Ahab himself. For a moment recollect their relative 
 situation. Ahab was an absolute despot, checked by 
 no parliament or council. Enraged with Elijah, he 
 had searched for him in all the neighbouring states. 
 Elijah had fled, yet, by Obadiah, now proposes an 
 interview. Ahab is instantly on his march, traversing 
 hill and dale, like a blood hound, hastening to his 
 prey. Soon his roving eye catches the object of his 
 revenge. In fancy, he sees him hung in air, to 
 feed the ravens. He cries, " Art thou he who trou- 
 blest Israel?" But the prophet's voice I hear. Is it 
 supplication, or terrour, or despair ? " I have not 
 troubled Israel but thou, and thy father's house ; 
 gather all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets 
 of Baal, four hundred and fifty. He said no more. He 
 humbled, he subdued the impious Ahab, who sent to 
 all the children of Israel, to assemble at mount Car- 
 mel Who ever witnessed such a change in a haughty 
 despot, covered with crimes, and thirsting for blood ? 
 The voice of the prophet operates like the electric 
 flash. His eye sparkling with holy zeal : his brow 
 
332 
 
 marked with the decision of the heart, his words, more 
 powerful than those, which commanded the sun to 
 stand still, have tamed the madness of the king. The 
 lion, roaring for his prey, has become harmless as a 
 lamb ; a little child may lead him. 
 
 Excepting in one instance, w r e have not heard 
 Elijah address a public assembly ; then his power of 
 persuasion surpassed all example. Nothing equals^this 
 in the history of eloquence. In imagination pass to 
 the land of Canaan ; lift your eye to the hill of Car- 
 mel, covered with the thousands, and the ten thousand 
 times ten thousand of Israel, an impious race of har- 
 dened idolaters. Behold the prophet of God rising 
 in the midst of this boundless multitude. His person 
 is uncouth ; he seems more like a hermit, than a pow- 
 erful orator ; he is a hairy man, and has a leathern 
 girdle round his loins. Surveying the immense 
 throng, his eyes affect his heart. He exclaims, 
 " How long halt ye between two opinions ? If the 
 Lord be God, follow him ; but if Baal, follow him." 
 His words are armed with power; they produce 
 conviction ; the people are silent ; they answer him 
 not a word ; the doctrine appeared reasonable. 
 
 Having made such progress, he pursues his advan- 
 tage, and proposes an experiment to settle the dispute. 
 " The God who answers by fire, let him be God." 
 ' If Baal answers by fire, I will join you in his wor- 
 ship. If Jehovah answers by fire, then you will unite 
 with me, and worship Him.' Never did orator suc- 
 ceed better. The people, all the people, answered 
 and said, " It is well spoken." Their confidence is 
 gained. With anxiety they now wait the trial by 
 
tire. The prophets of Baal proceed to the experi- 
 ment, and utterly fail. Elijah then erects an altar, 
 calls upon God, and he answers by fire. The people 
 are satisfied ; they are overcome with the force of 
 truth ; they fall on their faces, and cry, " The Lord 
 he is God ; Jehovah, he is the God ;" they abandon 
 idolatry. Was not this the triumph of human elo- 
 quence? What was the trembling of Caesar, ad- 
 dressed by Cicero, in behalf of Ligarius ? What 
 were the shouts of the Athenian rabble, when Demos- 
 thenes spoke ? How feeble and trivial was the speech 
 of St. Paul before the Areopagus, compared with this 
 overwhelming address of Elijah to the tribes of 
 Israel ? Those orators influenced an individual, or a 
 few persons, or a common assembly at most ; but the 
 millions of Israel are swayed by the voice of Elijah, 
 as a field of wheat bows before the gale, or a forest 
 before the wide spreading conflagration. 
 
 III. Elijah was singular for a vein of bold humour 
 and sarcasm. 
 
 This may be a useful gift, under the direction of 
 prudence. From this bow, a wise man may shoot 
 deadly arrows. Few are sharper than those of Elijah. 
 After the prophets of Baal had prayed, and cried, and 
 cut and mangled themselves a long time, and had 
 become weary, and mortified, and desperate, Elijah 
 vexed them still more. He mocked them, crying as 
 they cried, " Oh Baal, hear us." Then sarcastically 
 tells them to cry louder. Verily your god is a god ; he 
 could hear you, if he were not so busy or careless. 
 Perhaps he is talking with his foolish companions. 
 The noise of his company drowns your feeble voices : 
 
.334 
 
 cry louder, louder still, if you would be heard. He 
 inay be on a journey; the prancing of his horses, or 
 the rattling of his wheels, prevents his hearing. He 
 may be asleep. Rouse him up. He is a dull and 
 drowsy god, and requires noisy worshippers. " 
 
 All this may seem to us, not only extravagant, but 
 unnatural ; but it perfectly agrees with the notions, 
 which the pagans entertained of their gods. 
 
 IV. Our prophet was somewhat variable in his 
 temper, and subject to melancholy depressions of 
 spirit. 
 
 It seems to surpass the strength which is given to 
 man, to maintain a constant tone of excitement. The 
 strongest minds, possessing the most refined sensibility, 
 and most elastic powers, are peculiarly liable to depres- 
 sion, melancholy, and sadness. Some writers, therefore, 
 have considered melancholy as an attendant of genius. 
 However this may be, I need not prove, that minds 
 of the highest order, especially after remarkable exer- 
 tions, are frequently crushed with distressing melan- 
 choly ; the most trivial inconvenience is magnified 
 to an alarming danger. If a friend treat him with 
 neglect, he imagines the world are leagued against 
 him. A slight indisposition is, in his view, a danger- 
 ous malady. Ingratitude, or impiety, in the circle 
 around him, convinces his mind that the whole world 
 is deluged in wickedness. 
 
 Elijah had just manifested the most astonishing 
 force of character ; he had assumed the direction of 
 the king ; he had superseded the royal authority, and 
 ordered four hundred and fifty prophets to execution. 
 At the close of this wonderful scene, he learns that 
 
335 
 
 Jezebel was angry, and threatened him with a woman's 
 revenge. A sudden panic strikes his spirit ; his res- 
 olution is gone ; his heart dies within him ; he flies 
 for his life, to Beersheba, in the kingdom of Judah. 
 Here he was perfectly safe, beyond the jurisdiction of 
 Ahab, and under the protection of the pious king 
 Jehoshaphat. Indeed, it is not probable that any 
 danger was near him. All Israel had just raised their 
 voices in his favour. Would the queen have dared 
 to touch a hair of his head ? She was afraid of 
 Elijah, and wished to frighten him from the great 
 work of reformation, which he had so triumphantly 
 commenced. Therefore, she sends him word, that 
 she would slay him. Her plot succeeded. The 
 melancholy prophet fled from Beersheba alone, a 
 day's journey into the howling wilderness. His 
 terrours seem to have deprived him of his reason. 
 He sits down under a juniper tree, and prays that he 
 may die. Men are seldom in the best state of mind, 
 when they are forward to die. From the wilderness, 
 he travels a hundred and fifty miles, to mount Nebo. 
 This occupied him forty days, going through by-ways, 
 and hiding himself in secret corners ; his progress was 
 less than four miles a day. Is this my lord Elijah, 
 who just now swayed the hearts of Israel with the 
 breath of his divine eloquence ? Lord, what is man ! 
 V. Elijah was remarkably ardent and successful 
 in his devotions. 
 
 The instances of his successful prayer deserve 
 our particular recollection. God is no respecter of 
 persons. In the answers of his prayers, we have 
 not only a proof of divine faithfulness, but a 
 
336 
 
 pattern and example for ourselves. The grace of 
 supplication, exercised by one good man, may be 
 exercised by another, and by all. We may be as 
 devout as Elijah. God giveth liberally to all who 
 ask him in a certain manner. We are straitened and 
 limited not in God, but by our own cold and 
 contracted desires. The scene is inexpressibly dis- 
 tressing, when the child of the prophet's hostess falls 
 sick, and dies ; famine abroad, and disease and 
 death at home. The afflictions of her neighbours do 
 not permit them to visit, and comfort her, as they 
 would wish. Personal distress often hardens the 
 heart, and increases its selfishness. The person is 
 too much absorbed in his own distress, to feel strong 
 sympathy for others. He is more disposed to expect 
 sympathy and consolation, than to yield comfort or 
 relief. He is often too much occupied in relieving 
 himself, to afford assistance to others. The neigh- 
 bourhood of this widow were borne down with their 
 own miseries ; her cup of suffering runs over. The 
 husband of her youth is gone ; her darling boy is 
 gone ; and, somehow, she conceives, by the influence 
 or agency of Elijah. She had saved his life ; and he 
 has slain her son. Her disturbed passions burst 
 forth in the language of distress and crimination. 
 " What have I to do with thee, thou man of God. 
 Art thou come to slay my son ? Was this thy design, 
 so to punish my sins ?" 
 
 Elijah perceived the deadly jealousy of her heart; 
 such an opinion might destroy his reputation ; he might 
 become infamous, as the cause of this calamity. The 
 honour of Jehovah was concerned ; his prophets 
 
 
 
33? 
 
 might become odious, as the ministers of wrath. He 
 resolves to plead this cause before his God. He says 
 to the woman, "Give me thy child." The child is 
 dead ; nothing worse can happen ; she complies. 
 He retires to his chamber, his heart labouring with 
 the most intense desires, the most impassioned sup- 
 plications. He pours out his soul as water, before 
 his God. He presses his petitions ; he multiplies and 
 repeats them ; he perseveres. 
 
 God heard and answered, as he always hears such 
 supplications. With raptures of joy, the mother re- 
 ceives her child restored to life. Other remarkable 
 instances of his successful prayer, you all recollect. 
 Standing by the altar of sacrifice, he raises his voice 
 to heaven ; fire falls and consumes the offering, the 
 wood, and the altar itself. At the sound of his 
 prayer, the clouds retire, the brooks and springs are 
 dry, the plants wither and perish. 
 
 While the land is thus scorched, he ascends mount 
 Carmel ; looking around, not a speck of a cloud is 
 visible. He puts himself in the posture of prayer. 
 He resolves to pray till the clouds rise ; till the rain 
 falls. He sends his servant to look westward, whence 
 he expected the shower. He returns once and again, 
 having discovered nothing. Again and again, he 
 sends him, resolving to continue his devotions, till 
 the rain comes. The cloud rises, the heavens are 
 dark, the floods are poured on the fields of Israel. 
 Who can justly estimate the privilege of prayer, limit 
 its efficacy, or duly commend the excellent character 
 of the prophet ? 
 
338 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. In the history of Elijah, you obtain a glance at 
 one principle of the divine government. The provi- 
 dence and council of God rest on the faith and prayer 
 of his people. Whether 6od govern in an arbitrary 
 manner, or by physical laws, or in some other mode, 
 men have long disputed. In this biographic sketch of 
 the prophet, you discover the guiding star of provi- 
 dence, the channel in which events are directed, the 
 golden pivot on which turn the mighty interests of the 
 world. 
 
 The prayers of Elijah had respect to eminent indi- 
 viduals, to the nation of Israel, and the church of God. 
 They involved events of the highest importance, to 
 kings and people, to church and state. These events 
 were measured, directed, and controlled by his prayers. 
 As the river bears along the cheerful bark; as the gale 
 moves the mighty billows of the deep, so the holy 
 prayers of God's people produce and control the 
 events of his providence. He gives a spirit of prayer ; 
 he kindles intense, devotional ardour in the soul, then 
 seconds and consummates those desires, in the events 
 of his providence. 
 
 Prayer is the offspring of that mind, which directs 
 all events. It is impossible, that prayer should not 
 influence God, because it is excited by his Spirit. 
 Prayer moves the hand, which moves the world, 
 touches the spring, which directs the machinery of the 
 nniverse. 
 
While clouds and darkness are round about him, 
 while his footsteps are in deep waters ; while he does 
 not allow us to enter his council chamber, nor to 
 know the secret mysteries of his kingdom ; he does 
 indulge us with the wonders of revelation, to enter the 
 darkness round his throne, to wade in the waters of 
 the sanctuary, to the ankles and to the loins, to listen 
 at the door of his council house. The secret of the 
 Lord is with those, who fear him ; and this is one, most 
 wonderful, that the prayers of his people " command" 
 his measures, control his government, are the instru- 
 ments of his purposes, the medium of his agency, the 
 organs of his power, in this province of his boundless 
 empire. 
 
 II. From the story of this good man ? s life, you 
 may learn the important lesson, that the path of duty 
 is the path of safety. 
 
 A more striking proof of this important doctrine is 
 not easily found. To a selfish, calculating mind, he 
 seems to be a rash man, perpetually rushing into dan- 
 ger ; yet, if you observe, you always find him safe and 
 unhurt. The wrath of enemies, the threats of power, 
 famine and sword, do not injure him. His fidelity 
 takes away their terrour, despoils them of their power. 
 He boldly tells Ahab that no rain shall fall for years, 
 but when he pleases. To king Ahaziah, who v/as sick, 
 he says, " Thou shalt not come down from that bed 
 on which thou art gone up ; but shalt surely die." 
 When duty calls him, to teach them their folly and 
 their sins, kings and prophets are no more in his view 
 than worms and insects. At his word they die upon 
 their beds, or their blood reddens the waters of Kishon 
 
While his whole life seems to be a succession of fear- 
 less darings, not a hair of his head is hurt. 
 
 His life is a volume of practical proof, that the path 
 of duty is the path of safety. Who can read or hear 
 his story, and not resolve to go where duty calls, to 
 do what duty requires, leaving the consequences with 
 God. God is now as much disposed to save his 
 friends from evil, as when he bid the ravens feed 
 Elijah, or shut the mouths of lions, while Daniel was 
 a lodger in their dwelling. Nothing can harm you, 
 while you are followers of that which is good. You 
 may, like Elijah, think it prudent to retreat into the 
 wilderness ; like Joseph, you may be charged with 
 crimes ; like Jacob, you may quit your father's house, 
 and be cheated by your best friends ; but these shall 
 prove to be the occasion of success, of peace, and 
 hope, and gladness. Go then, my dear friends, pur- 
 sue the path of duty, diligently, faithfully, and God 
 will pour you out a blessing. He will crown your 
 days with his goodness and tender mercy. 
 
 III. From this subject we discover, that the best 
 men have some imperfections and sins. 
 
 No doubt Elijah was one of the best men, who 
 ever lived. He was eminent in faith, and prayer, and 
 every virtue. His courage had a firmness and moral 
 strength, which bid defiance to danger. He did more 
 than to chase a thousand, and put ten thousand to 
 flight. Rising in his intellectual and moral greatness, 
 the nation, with its kings and prophets, submit to his 
 orders ; yet some spots of the first Adam appear. So 
 unequal was his temper, that when a woman threat- 
 ened him, he fled to the desert. Having reached the 
 
341 
 
 summit of mount Nebo, his peevishness and petulance 
 are worse than childish. He wishes to die, for fear of 
 dying, or of being killed. He who denounced death 
 to kings, who changed the clouds to brass, and cover- 
 ed the land with famine and desolation, who snatched 
 a victim from death, and disappointed the grave ; who 
 brought rain and fire from heaven, like a frighted child, 
 now cries, " A lion is at the door ; I shall be slain in 
 the street." 
 
 Observe, also, how uncharitable and censorious he 
 is. "What dost thou here Elijah," is the voice of 
 God. " Is this a place for a prophet ? What is thy 
 work, on this desolate mountain ? Where are thy peo- 
 ple, the flock of God ?" Hear his miserable answer. 
 " The people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, 
 thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets, and I 
 only, I alone am left." " Not one man in the nation 
 has faith or true religion ; all have denied the essential 
 doctrines of revelation, but myself." Such are the 
 opinions of Christians, when they view their brethren 
 with an evil eye, when they make the Shibboleth of a 
 party, the essence of piety. Instead of approving this 
 temper and conduct, God commands him to leave this 
 hiding place, and return to his important duties, 
 assuring him that instead of his being the only faithful 
 man, there were seven thousand, sound in the faith. 
 Instead of these railing accusations, he ought to have 
 given thanks, that all Israel had recently, in a most 
 wonderful manner, professed their faith in Jehovah. 
 Let us learn from the gospel of Christ, to esteem 
 others better than ourselves. 
 
i<? A 6) 
 O-K.& 
 
 \\. We learn from the subject that God rewards 
 eminent goodness with eminent blessings. What a 
 man sows, that will he reap. No axiom in science is 
 more true. He receives his own measure, pressed 
 down and running over. With the merciful, God 
 shows himself merciful. He abases the proud ; he 
 exalts the humble. Elijah boldly proclaims approach- 
 ing judgments to wicked kings ; God rewards his 
 fidelity by abundant supply in the desert, by the 
 mansion of hospitality, by the voice of kindness. He 
 prays devoutly, sincerely, perseveringly ; the clouds 
 dissolve in rain ; the votaries of Baal are confounded ; 
 the gates of death are unbarred. He is eminent in the 
 graces of the saint, his reward is undescribable ; in 
 this mortal state, he is prepared for celestial glory, 
 without passing through the dark, dismal, dreadful 
 regions of the dead ; without the terrour, the distress, 
 the anguish, and horrour, of severing soul and body. 
 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, his mortal 
 puts on immortality, is incorruptible and glorious, like 
 the Son of God. Without waiting like others, till the 
 day of judgment, to be openly acknowledged, and 
 acquitted, and rewarded, he is, soul and body, immedi- 
 ately admitted to heaven, to the vision of God and the 
 Iamb. He enjoys now, what other saints will, after the 
 day of judgment. He is honoured as no other man, 
 except Enoch, ever was. Instead of the pains, and 
 fears, and distress, and agonies, of sickness and 
 death, as the last hour approaches, he travels in his 
 strength from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel to 
 Jericho, from Jericho to Jordan, whose waters, awed 
 
343 
 
 by his presence, stop in their course, and he passes the 
 channel on dry ground. While he and Elisha are in 
 religious converse, they are parted, not by the sudden 
 effects of a fatal disorder, not by the pangs of dissolv- 
 ing nature, not by the last struggle of mortal strength, 
 not by the silence, the pallid visage, and the dreadful 
 attendants of death ; but by a burst of heavenly splen- 
 dour ; a chariot of light and flame, a band of angels, 
 separate these friends of God ; and Elijah is borne to 
 the New Jerusalem, to Mount Zion, the city of the 
 living God. He sits down with Abram, and Isaac, 
 and Jacob, and Moses, with all the spirits of just men 
 made perfect, with all the angels of light, in the king- 
 dom of glory. There he now rejoices with the elect, 
 blessing and adoring God, that he was enabled to 
 deny himself, to stand fast in the faith, to be valiant 
 for God, to be faithful in his calling. No harp is 
 louder, no song is more joyful among the children of 
 Adam. They yet suffer from the effects of sin ; their 
 bliss is not complete, their state is unnatural ; their 
 bodies are in their graves, food for worms, or the sport 
 of all the winds of heaven. They are waiting, and 
 waiting for the resurrection of their bodies, clothed in 
 immortal splendour, when they will receive the full 
 reward of their labours, and like the angels, be free 
 from every mark of human apostacy. Such the 
 prophet Elijah already is. Accordingly Dr. Watts 
 says, " When Enoch and Elijah carried their bodies 
 with them to heaven, it was certainly a sublime honour, 
 and a peculiar privilege, which they enjoyed, to have 
 so early a happiness both in flesh and spirit conferred 
 on them, so many ages before the* rest of mankind 
 
344 
 
 For though the soul can act without the body ; yet as 
 the body is a part of the compounded nature of man, 
 our happiness is not designed to be complete, till the 
 soul and body are united in a state of perfection and 
 glory. This happiness was conferred early on those 
 two favourites of heaven."* 
 
 God gives to eminent zeal and fidelity, a reward as 
 eminent. God rendered the blessings of Elijah as re- 
 markable as his virtues. Blest prophet, I see him 
 rise from the plain of Jordan, escaping the king of 
 terrours, and the dark valley. I hear him exclaim, 
 " Oh death where is thy sting, where are thy terrours ; 
 Oh grave I shall never enter thy dark mansion." 
 
 Blest man, I follow thy course, as far as the eye 
 can see, or the fancy soar. Thou hast entered the 
 heavenly gate ; thy reward is immediate glory. We, 
 also, shall put on immortality, when the Judge shall 
 appear, when the trump shall sound, and the dead 
 rise. Amen. 
 
 * World to come, p. 63. 
 
ECCLESIASTES vi, 12. 
 
 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all 
 the days of his vain life, which he spendeth as a 
 shadow ? 
 
 A RASH boldness of opinion is frequently the ruin of 
 man. Unreasonable confidence that we do ' know 
 what is good for man in this life,' destroys its thou- 
 sands, its multitudes, which no man can number. A 
 presumption that we know what things would make 
 us happy, and a violent pursuit of those things, often 
 destroy the peace, the innocence, the hope of man. 
 So conclusive are the evidences of these facts, that 
 most men of observation acknowledge they have but 
 little foresight, but feeble assurance, of what is best 
 for them. They lament the errours of human judg- 
 ment, and the scantiness of human knowledge ; they 
 confess that they grope in darkness, and wander in 
 paths of delusion ; yet if we notice their conduct, we 
 may suspect their sincerity, or believe that their hearts 
 protest against the assent of their understandings. 
 44 
 
346 
 
 Those, who may think the confidence of others delu- 
 sive and improper, generally show, by the ardour of 
 their desires, and the activity of their pursuits, that 
 they have very little concern for their own sagacity. 
 Their unwavering hope, and their inconsolable grief 
 of disappointment, show their sanguine confidence in 
 their own schemes. The testimony of the wise, and 
 the precepts of revelation, teach caution in practice, 
 and moderation of desire ; yet they presume an excep- 
 tion may be made in their case ; therefore, as deaf 
 men, they hear not ; as blind men, they see not. They 
 as rashly seize the rose of delight, as if no thorn gave 
 life to the flower ; they as boldly riot on the honey of 
 voluptuousness, as if no poisonous things clustered 
 round ; they as wantonly regale themselves under the 
 tree of forbidden pleasure, as if death were not in the 
 indulgence. Ambition will suppose that happiness is 
 to be found in the honours of society, the applause of 
 the world. Avarice will suppose that riches can pro- 
 duce contentment. Sensuality seeks only the pleas- 
 ures of sense. The text teaches us that all these are 
 the calculations of folly ; in a strong manner, it asserts 
 that no one can tell what is good for him in this 
 world. 
 
 DOCTRINE. No one knows what circumstances are 
 best for him in this life. 
 
 I. No man knows what is best for him in this life, 
 because he does not know the moral influence of any 
 event on his heart or life. 
 
 This world is a vapour, a shadow ; immortality is 
 the invaluable property of man. As is the moral 
 influence of any event, such is its benefit or injury. 
 
347 
 
 Though the event be painful, yet if its moral influence 
 be salutary ; if it produce humility, a heavenly tem- 
 per, and aspirations for holiness, it is profitable, it is 
 good. 
 
 If the indulgence of desire, if transports of pleasure, 
 harden our hearts or sear our consciences, these pleas- 
 ures are the judgments of God, the greatest evils of 
 life. We cannot anticipate with certainty, the moral 
 effects of different events on ourselves ; therefore, we 
 cannot tell what is best for us. Afflictions may bring 
 our sins to remembrance, break our hearts with con- 
 trition, awaken our ardent prayers, and new obedience. 
 Afflictions may vex our spirits, excite our complaints, 
 and multiply our murmurs. Afflictions hardened 
 Pharaoh, confirmed his impiety, kindled the blaze of 
 his furious resentment. Afflictions humbled David in 
 the dust, filled his heart with every grace, elevated 
 him above the common standard of human goodness. 
 
 Prosperity may enlarge benevolence, put the law of 
 kindness in our lips, and warm our hearts with grati- 
 tude. Prosperity may inflame our pride, rouse our 
 anger and revenge, banish from our practice the ap- 
 pearance of piety and goodness. The success of 
 Hazael unloosed all the abominations of his heart. 
 The young men of the nation he slew ; the babes ho 
 dashed in pieces, and slaughtered their mothers. 
 David and Solomon committed their worst crimes in 
 the days of their prosperity. 
 
 Art thou, oh man, more determined than was 
 Hazael? Art thou, more holy than David, or wiser 
 than Solomon ? Were thy desires gratified, thy pas- 
 sions indulged, art thou sure the moral influence 
 
348 
 
 would be happy on thy heart and life ? While any 
 uncertainty remains on this point, no person can tell 
 what circumstances are best for him in this life. 
 
 II. No person can tell what is best for him in this 
 life, because he cannot foresee what natural evils may 
 be connected with prosperous circumstances. 
 
 Our best comforts are mixed with evil. Our pros- 
 perity excites envy, incomparably more malignant, 
 than the indifference or contempt endured in low cir- 
 cumstances. The moment our heads are seen rising 
 above our fellows, the air is darkened with a cloud of 
 arrows ; our sensibility, and perhaps our reputation, 
 bleeds with a thousand wounds. If we become richer 
 than our neighbours ; if \ve have more honour or suc- 
 cess ; they pretend that, not our merit, but our cun- 
 ning, or our dishonesty, or our powerful friends, have 
 given us this elevation. Prosperity produces more 
 flatterers than friends, often prevents the social en- 
 dearments of real kindness, and the delights of mutual 
 confidence. Nor is this all ; we ourselves often em- 
 ploy our success as the means of our injury and ruin. 
 Prosperity is generally followed by luxury ; luxury 
 produces idleness ; this produces disease and death. 
 Every year, myriads are hurried to the grave, by the 
 indulgence of their desires. That night in which 
 Belshazzer was slain, had passed in riot, wine, and 
 song. David was not so safe on the throne of Israel, 
 as in the pastures of Bethlehem. Here he enjoyed 
 his lambs and his harp, and bid defiance to the roar- 
 ing inhabitants of the woods. But when a king, his 
 throne was too alluring, his crown too splendid for 
 his own safety. A rebellion of his own son drives 
 
349 
 
 him from his palace and his capital. Never did he 
 endure such anguish, while attending his father's 
 flocks. Had not Saul been anointed with oil, and 
 raised to royal dignity, he might not have fallen on 
 mount Gilboa. Had not the monarchs of Mexico and 
 Peru* possessed countries of silver and gold, their 
 descendants possibly might till this day have in- 
 herited the crowns of their ancestors. But allured by 
 the splendour of their wealth, fierce invaders cross the 
 Atlantic, arrest those sovereigns in their palaces, rob 
 them of empire and of life, slaughter their people, and 
 blot their names from the catalogue of nations. The 
 fair page of historic truth has recorded, for the instruc- 
 tion of future ages, that nobles, princes, and monarchs, 
 have bled under the hands of savage executioners, not 
 for their crimes, but because of their elevation in soci- 
 ety, the weight of their influence, and the glory of 
 their names. Who then knoweth what is best for him 
 in this life ? 
 
 III. No person knows what is best for him in this 
 life, for he knows not what good may result from 
 afflicting circumstances. 
 
 Perhaps we may all remember disappointments and 
 troubles, which terminated in our advantage. Individ- 
 uals and nations have experienced the greatest benefits 
 from their most dreadful sufferings. The apostasy of 
 Judas, and the blood of the cross, were the salvation 
 of the world. The lawless depravity of Henry VIII. 
 was overruled to introduce the reformation into the 
 British empire. By appropriating their estate to the 
 building of the ark, Noah and his family receive a 
 
 * Montezuma and Atahualpa. 
 
350 
 
 world as their reward. Had not Abraham made a 
 great sacrifice, and given up to Lot the plain of Jordan, 
 fertile as the garden of the Lord, he might have con- 
 tinued with him, and like him have lost his house and 
 property in the fires of Sodom. Happy for Moses 
 was the bloody decree of Pharaoh for destroying all 
 the male children of the Hebrews. The river resigns 
 her victim, and death is disappointed of his prey. 
 Moses is carried to the palace, and to the seminaries 
 of science ; he becomes learned in all the wisdom of 
 Egypt ; he is prepared to be the legislator of Israel, 
 and the instructor of nations. Though sad the day to 
 his native country, Daniel experienced great benefit 
 from being a captive in Babylon. No longer confined 
 to the science or offices of the petty tribes in Palestine, 
 he receives a liberal education in Babylon, is taught 
 " all the learning of the Chaldeans ;" viceroy of a 
 hundred and twenty-seven provinces, his influence is 
 felt through the empire extending " to the end of the 
 earth." Joseph, from being envied and haled by his 
 brethren, from being cast into a pit, and sold as a 
 slave, from being accused of a most infamous crime, 
 and from being chained in a dungeon, experienced the 
 most splendid elevation ; he rose to honour, wealth and 
 grandeur. 
 
 Had not Mcrdecai and Esther been themselves 
 included in the sentence of death against the Jews, 
 had they not felt the sword piercing their own souls, 
 they had perhaps never been the saviours of their 
 nation. Their prayers broke their oppressor's chains, 
 shivered their weapons of destruction. They might 
 sing of judgment. Driven from his father's house, 
 
351 
 
 defrauded by his uncle, Jacob is compelled to depend 
 on himself. His dangers call forth every resource of 
 his mind, rouse every secret energy of the man, 
 the cunning of his heart, and the strength of his hands. 
 Prosperity, wealth and independence follow. Did he 
 know, did he imagine, that those things were for his 
 benefit ? Does any man know what good may result 
 from the most afflicting circumstances ? Does he know 
 what is best for him in this life ? 
 
 IV. We know not the things, which are best for us 
 in this life, for we cannot foresee what change will be 
 made in our feelings and opinions. 
 
 In early life the ambitious man pants for riches. 
 By diligence and economy he gains his object ; his 
 house is splendid, his lands are fertile, his servants 
 are numerous, and his company cheerful ; but he has 
 lost his relish for gaiety and parade. He is unhappy. 
 His former habits are necessary for his comfort, and 
 he gladly returns to his former style of life. The 
 man, fatigued with the cares and toils of business, 
 longs for rest and retirement. In retirement he finds 
 an insupportable gloom, a melancholy, dismal as the 
 grave ; he longs for the bustle and noise of business. 
 
 The child pants for the pleasures of youth. The. 
 youth is restless for the reputation of mature age, and 
 the comforts of settled life. Settled in the world be- 
 fore he has adjusted his affairs to his mind, he becomes 
 alarmed ; he starts, and finds himself undone. Rolling 
 years have silvered his locks ; pains and diseases are 
 creeping upon him ; many of his dearest friends are in 
 the grave ; and his last sands are rapidly falling. He 
 
352 
 
 looks back with regret, and envies the cheerfulness 
 and hopes of life, enjoyed by those, who are young. 
 
 We frequently find a wilderness of thorns, where 
 we expected a paradise of flowers. The object most 
 captivating in the pursuit, when obtained, generally 
 loses its brightest charms. The object is the same, 
 but our feelings or opinions are changed. This is 
 true of riches, and honours, and all the pleasures of 
 life. Solomon made a more fair experiment than any 
 of us can. Orchards and vineyards presented him 
 their richest fruits. Servants and maidens waited 
 his pleasure, and anticipated his wishes ; silver and 
 gold were as stones, in Jerusalem ; gardens bloomed, 
 and palaces rose at his command ; the blood of the 
 grape, the harp and song, cheered his spirits, love and 
 beauty mingled enchantment with his delights. Did 
 these things answer his expectations, or was he dis- 
 appointed by the change in his opinions or feelings ? 
 He answers, " Then I looked on all the works 
 of my hands ; and all was vanity and vexation 
 of spirit. I hated life, and all the labour I had taken." 
 Who then, my friends, knoweth what is good for him 
 in this life ? 
 
 V. No man can tell what is best for him in this life, 
 because he knows not the determinations of God re- 
 specting him. 
 
 No man knows what God has determined shall be 
 the effect of any particular event, or of all events, 
 which concern him in this life ; therefore no man is 
 certain what circumstances, all things considered, are 
 for his greatest good. Appearances often disappoint 
 
353 
 
 us. If God intend our ruin, he may employ sensual 
 pleasure, as a wily serpent, to charm, and then to sting 
 us to death. If God intend our felicity, he may send 
 adversity, as a painful medicine, to heal our spiritual 
 maladies. Prosperity may destroy us, and adversity 
 may save us. With a smiling sky, and a fair wind, 
 a vessel may founder in the middle of the ocean. 
 From external circumstances, we cannot infer what 
 are the designs of God respecting us. Why has God 
 placed us in our present situation ? Was it in anger ? 
 Was it in tender mercy ? What Haman supposed 
 his glory, became his ruin. His influence with the 
 king, his invitations from the queen, his treasures 
 of wealth, were so many events, designed by God 
 to accomplish his destruction, so many swords to 
 pierce his heart, so many steps of elevation, to raise 
 him to the stars, that his fall might be like that of 
 Lucifer, from heaven to hell. 
 
 In every thing, which God does, every providence, 
 and every event, he has an established design. " Known 
 unto God are all his works, from the beginning." In 
 the beginning, before the earth was, God knew all his 
 works, that ever he should perform. He had fixed every 
 circumstance, which should take place, he did not im- 
 agine, he did not conjecture, what would take place ; 
 but he knew what would take place ; the things were 
 certain. God does nothing, therefore, without know- 
 ing all the consequences. He is never disappointed ; 
 every thing answers the purposes intended. " His 
 word prospers in the things for which he sends it." 
 Every situation and circumstance in life is a unit of an 
 eternal series, is a part of an immense, unchangeable 
 
354 
 
 plan. He worketh all things after the counsel, or de- 
 cision, of his own will. The most terrible deed of 
 guilt, the deed, which made the sun cover his face 
 with darkness, the rocks burst, the dead rise, was 
 accomplished according to the determinate counsel of 
 God ; the Redeemer of the world was led to the 
 cross, precisely as it had been determined of God, 
 before the foundation of the world. 
 
 On this principle of divine purposes the prophets 
 foretold things to come. Not a single event could be 
 foretold with certainty, unless all things were fixed by 
 the purpose of God ; for not a single event can be 
 named, which is not dependent on ten thousand other 
 events. It is absolutely impossible to enumerate all 
 the circumstances, which must take place to produce 
 any event; that a single rose may bloom in your 
 garden, or an ear of corn ripen in your field ; that one 
 of our sons may be as a golden pillar, or one of our 
 daughters, as a polished stone, in the temple of our 
 God. 
 
 Not to suppose God a being of immutable designs, 
 is to suppose him less perfect than are prudent rational 
 men. Does the carpenter cut down and collect 
 timber for a house, without regard to its size and desti- 
 nation ? Does he not determine the size of the building, 
 and the length, and breadth, and quality of every 
 piece of timber, and the exact number of the whole ? 
 Are not the posts and beams of a precise length, and 
 species of wood ? As far as he fails in any of these 
 particulars, is he not imperfect in his art ? Does not 
 the owner of a ship, before he sends her abroad, deter- 
 mine what shall be her cargo, how many her hands, 
 
355 
 
 
 and what the port of her destination ? Will not God 
 
 then, as exactly adjust the works of his hands, as 
 precisely determine the effects of his arrangements, 
 and as minutely fix the consequences of every situa- 
 tion in our lives ? To us these determinations are as 
 unknown, as the secrets of the grave, therefore we 
 know not what things are best for us in this life. 
 Sometimes God determines that events, most desirable 
 in themselves, should ruin a man. Sometimes God 
 determines that events, most distressing, should raise 
 a man to felicity and glory. We cannot, merely from 
 the event, ascertain what will be the effects. When 
 God wraps himself in the terrours of darkness, the 
 morning of joy may be rising. When the sun of 
 prosperity shines with dazzling splendour, the abyss 
 of destruction may open under our feet. When the 
 wicked imagine that God is smiling, as a father, he 
 may be ready to tear them, as the lion of Judah. 
 It was the unalterable purpose of God to destroy 
 Pharaoh. For this purpose he raised him up,* and 
 placed him on a throne of honour, made him ruler of 
 i fertile country, gave him a nation of slaves to gratify 
 his ambition, and sent Moses and Aaron to deliver 
 his message in a faithful manner. 
 
 This closes the scene ; this hardens his heart : this 
 completes his ruin. Were such effects, however, to 
 be expected from such means? Did those, who saw 
 
 Arminians to evade the force of this text have sometimes followed the Vul- 
 gate, and Aldas's Venice edition of the Septuagint, printed in 1518, which instead 
 of saying as in our Bibles, " And in very deed for this cause hare I raided thee up," 
 &,c. says thus, " And in very deed for this cause have / kept thee alive," &c. lJut 
 we think it requires a microscopic eye to discern any real difference of sentiments 
 In these different version, 1 ?. 
 
356 
 
 the rising glory of Egypt's king, imagine this was 
 the course of destruction ? Who then knoweth what 
 is best for him ? 
 
 The determination of God was, that David should 
 be a valiant warriour, a great king, and a good man. 
 To make him a warriour, God sends him not to a 
 military academy, nor to the tented field, a pupil of 
 some celebrated commander ; but he is employed as 
 a shepherd in the fields of Bethlehem ; he cultivates 
 his courage in slaying bears and lions. Then during 
 a friendly visit to the camp, he meets the champion of 
 Gath in single combat, and brings his head to his royal 
 master, a trophy of his valour. The war songs of his: 
 tribe fan the sparks of his patriotism, and he burns with 
 a hero's flame. He is envied by his prince, he is perse- 
 cuted, he is hunted through the forests of Canaan, from 
 hill to hill, from cavern to cavern. Here he learns pa- 
 tience, and caution, and fortitude, and courage, and all 
 the stratagems of war, and is prepared for the throne of 
 Israel. God had determined what should be the 
 effect of every circumstance in these distressing events, 
 but what mortal mind could anticipate those effects ? 
 So it is with us. God has an immutable design con- 
 cerning us ; every hair of our heads has its destina- 
 tion, and falls only to accomplish the plan of his prov- 
 idence. He has not made us without knowing how 
 to dispose of us. Infinitely better, than the carpenter 
 knows how to place each piece of timber in the build- 
 ing, does God know how to dispose of us. He knows 
 the very points for which we are best adapted. Nor 
 is he for a moment undetermined, whether to dispose 
 of us in the best manner. This would suppose him 
 
357 
 
 to be deficient in wisdom and goodness. Nothing can 
 baffle his design. If our ruin be fixed, the desire of 
 our hearts, the delight of our eyes, the balm of life, 
 the gospel of grace, shall be a savour of death. If 
 we be predestinated to eternal life, if our names be 
 written in heaven, then our sighs and tears shall work 
 for our good, shall add new raptures to our approach- 
 ing bliss. But who can decipher these secret designs ? 
 Who can reveal the determination of God concerning 
 each single event ? Who then can tell what is good for 
 him in this life ? 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. We see the extreme folly of pursuing our happi- 
 ness, by means unlawful or wicked. 
 
 Ha man expected pleasure in his revenge ; in his 
 revenge he met his ruin. Such persons sacrifice the 
 divine favour, which is a certain good, for earthly 
 advantages, which are always uncertain in their influ- 
 ence. Esau bartered his birth-right, typical of spirit- 
 ual privileges, for a momentary indulgence. Pleasure 
 and wealth, when honestly acquired, are uncertain in 
 their influence ; how much more uncertain, if wickedly 
 acquired. Cain expected felicity, when his brother 
 was removed ; he found himself a wretched vagabond. 
 Sampson promised himself criminal pleasure with his 
 (air Philistine ; he paid the price with his liberty, his 
 character, his eyes, and his life. Judas expected to 
 enjoy the silver, which was the price of his friend, 
 his Saviour, and his God. How fatal the disappoint- 
 ment. Hear his melancholy confession ; see his 
 
358 
 
 anguish and desperation ; see him suspended by the 
 mortal cord ; see him falling headlong and dashed in 
 pieces. Such is the fruit of seeking pleasure by un- 
 lawful means. If we knew what would certainly 
 promote our felicity, some excuse might be made for 
 the means adopted ; but as we are entirely ignorant 
 of what is best for us, it is stupidity and madness to 
 employ criminal means to gain imaginary good. 
 
 II. If we do not know what is good for us in this 
 world, let us be humble in our prosperity. 
 
 God has prospered your industry, and made you 
 more wealthy than your neighbours ; God has given 
 you wisdom and prudence, and you enjoy more in- 
 fluence and respect, than many others. Then the 
 words of many will be smoother than oil, while dag- 
 gers are in their hearts. Is the mariner more safe on 
 the mast, than his fellows below ? Is a man more 
 secure on the fiery summit of a volcano, than on the 
 lowly plain ? God lifts up some men by wealth and 
 honour, and friends, to dash them in pieces as a pot- 
 ter's vessel. Which is destroyed by the whirlwind 
 and the storm, the oak on the hills, or the willow of 
 the vales ? 
 
 God raised up Demas and Simon among the friends 
 of Christ, to teach all professors of religion, by their 
 fall, to take heed, lest they fall. God elevated Judas 
 among the apostles, to warn all against trusting in 
 their privileges. Nabal was ruined by his riches, and 
 Hazael by his high station in society. While we are 
 prosperous, let us remember we know not the things 
 best for us, and be humble in our daily walk. 
 
359 
 
 III. We are taught by the subject to be patient and 
 submissive in our trctables. 
 
 We are unqualified to devise for ourselves ; there- 
 fore should we say, " The will of the Lord be done." 
 Nothing could render our destruction more certain, 
 than the indulgence of all our wishes. It is wrong, 
 it is presuming, it is daring, to murmur in our sorrows ; 
 we do not know but they are best for us. If we knew 
 what would be best, and knew we were suffering 
 things which were not best, our murmurs would seem 
 more plausible ; but as we are no judges of what is 
 best, every complaint is rash impiety. It is impos- 
 sible for us to ascertain which are best for us, the 
 perils of Paul, or the luxuries of Solomon ; the woes 
 of Lazarus, or the sumptuous fare of Dives ; it there- 
 fore becomes us to be patient under the troubles of 
 life. 
 
 IV. The subject teaches us moderation in our de- 
 sires. Is it not absurd to be zealous for objects, 
 while it is uncertain, whether they will produce com- 
 fort or misery ? When we know not whether death 
 be in the cup, can we greedily swallow the draught ? 
 Was Ahab wise, in rushing so violently to battle ? 
 Was Rachel wise, in her importunity for children ? 
 Were Hamor and Shechem wise, in pressing for an 
 alliance with Jacob ? All these met death in the grat- 
 ification of their desires. Thousands have found 
 misery and death, in the objects they sought with 
 violence. Not knowing what is best for us, we 
 are taught moderation of desires. A pious and holy 
 temper is necessary, to moderate the desires, and ren- 
 der the heart submissive, in view of such uncertainty 
 
360 
 
 and dependence. Retaining his native pride and 
 thirst for independence, man leans on his own wis- 
 dom, trusts to his own arm, and pants for pleasures 
 not his own. Passionately he rushes to indulgence 
 and ruin, exclaiming, " My will be done ; my king- 
 dom come." But gospel repentance breaks the heart, 
 humbles the spirit, and moderates the desires. 
 
 V. We are taught by the subject that many of our 
 troubles are foolish and wicked. 
 
 If we explore the dwellings of sorrow ; if we 
 inquire the cause of many sighs and tears, we shall 
 learn they are the sighs and tears of anxious desire. 
 Ahab was sick on his bed, sick with desire for the 
 vineyard of Naboth. Absalom mournfully exclaims, 
 " Oh that I were judge." Such worldly desires and 
 anxieties constitute a large portion of human troubles. 
 Such afflicting desires are unreasonable, because their 
 indulgence might not produce any enjoyment. They 
 are wicked, because they are not consistent with that 
 humility and self-denial required in the gospel. The 
 world therefore will be punished for a great part of 
 their troubles, because they are wicked troubles. 
 
 VI. Let us learn from the subject, not to envy, or 
 despise those, who appear more happy, or miserable, 
 than we are. 
 
 Is any one of your acquaintance more an object of 
 envy, than was the rich man to Lazarus, at his gate ? 
 He saw the lofty mansion and the purple robes ; the 
 cold crumbs informed him how sumptuous was the 
 table. Although distressed with disease, the ground 
 his couch, the clouds his curtains, and the dogs his 
 companions, would his envy have been rational ? 
 
OFTH* "*> V 
 
 361 
 
 Where is the person, who would not prefer being 
 Lazarus at the gate, to the rich man at the luxurious 
 board ? 
 
 Can a man appear more contemptible than Joseph 
 did to Potiphar ? He saw him a slave, a supposed 
 criminal, confined in a dungeon, loaded with fetters 
 of iron. Soon he sees him rise as a star of glory 
 You do not know what is best for any person 
 Whom then will you envy ? You do not know what 
 is best ; whom then will you despise ? 
 
 VII. If we know not what is good, let us rejoice 
 that God reigns. 
 
 He knows what is best, and will do all things with 
 wisdom. We slumber in idleness ; we grope in dark- 
 ness ; we labour in vain ; we call evil good, and good 
 evil ; we destroy ourselves. God can never mistake ; 
 he directs all beings ; he governs all events ; his 
 providence is the safety of individuals, the safety of 
 the world. 
 
 Ruth knew not which was the best field ; God led 
 her to the reapers of Boaz. Esther did not seek her 
 elevated situation. God sent her to the capital, the 
 palace, and throne of her king, " at such a time," as 
 to save the nation of the Jews. The rain falls, the 
 windows of heaven are opened ; the fountains of the 
 deep are broken up ; the world is drowned. Noah 
 has built a stupendous vessel ; he and his family are 
 shut in ; not one remains on deck to guide her course. 
 What is her probable fate ? Driven by the fury of 
 angry winds, in the midst of the storm, must she not 
 be dashed in pieces among the hills ? Or, as the 
 greatest part of the earth is water, will she not prob- 
 46 
 
362 
 
 ably be driven to the Mediterranean, or the Red Sea, 
 the Indian, or Atlantic ocean, and never again reach 
 land ? The vessel floats, but traverses not the plains 
 of Babylon, nor the level countries of the East ; this 
 would have almost doubled the duration and dangers 
 of the voyage. She does not, as would seem unavoid- 
 able, drop down the vale of the Euphrates. She 
 proceeds neither westerly nor southerly ; this would 
 have led her to the mighty waters, or to perish by 
 famine, before she would find the channel of a har- 
 bour. 
 
 Though such fatalities appear inevitable, the prov- 
 idence of God prevents these fatalities. As if con- 
 scious of the divine will, as if animated with a spirit 
 of wisdom, the lordly ark of Noah, bearing the 
 church of God, without rudder, sail, or oar, without 
 compass or pilot, lays her course, northwardly for the 
 lofty mountains of Armenia ; profound skill measures 
 her progress, and as the water falls, he reaches the 
 summit of Ararat. There, safely resting in her bed, 
 she calmly contemplates the awful prospect ; sees the 
 wandering whirlwinds sport on the boundless deep, 
 and on the mountain's side, hears the surrounding 
 billows dash and roar. Let the earth rejoice ; let the 
 islands be glad ; the Lord reigns. 
 
 VIII. As we are not judges of what is best, let 
 us not be distressingly anxious for our friends, or 
 country, or ourselves. 
 
 A proper regard and sympathy in their troubles, 
 and congratulation on their prosperity, are indispensa- 
 ble duties ; are demanded by the law of benevolence. 
 But our subject teaches the folly and guilt of unavailing 
 
363 
 
 and intemperate grief for the sorrows of friends, or our- 
 selves. Nothing is more common than anxiety on ac- 
 count of parents, children, and friends. Your friends, 
 it may be, are poor, or sick, or exposed to enemies. 
 What then ? Are you sure these circumstances are not 
 the most safe and happy, that could possibly befal them ? 
 Are you sure the change, you so much desire, would 
 not endanger their peace, their innocence, and their 
 salvation ? Are you sure the change would not ruin 
 them in time and eternity ? Why, then, will you not 
 cheerfully leave them where they are ? Why will you 
 not gratefully leave them in the hands of God ? He 
 knows what is best. He is good. He placed them 
 where they are. Art thou wiser, or better, than God ? 
 For the same reason, we ought not to be anxious 
 for ourselves. The world teems with sorrows ; nei- 
 ther can we hope long to escape. Poverty, shame, 
 sickness, and death, are lurking with envenomed 
 arrows, to pierce our hearts, to murder our earthly 
 felicity, to tear away our last hope. When the night 
 of affliction arrives, let us accept the punishment of 
 our sins, receive chastisement, as humble, teachable 
 children. We know not what is good for us. David 
 has told us, it was good for him to be afflicted. 
 Thousands of others have said the same thing: it 
 may be good for us. When that dread, dismal hour- 
 comes, which will come, which may soon come, 
 when disease shall wither thy strength, baffle the 
 skill of thy physician, and tear away the fond 
 hopes of thy relatives, then be not appalled, be not 
 terrified, be not alarmed. If ye have ever walked 
 with God, he is still thy Father, and will not forsake 
 
364 
 
 thee. Thou knowest not what is best for thee ; God 
 does. This event was intended by God, when you 
 were nursed in thy mother's arms ; when you were 
 smiling in the lap of prosperity ; when he visited you 
 with his love and grace. 
 
 You have, through life, suffered afflictions with 
 others ; the bed of disease you find a scene of dis- 
 tress and anxiety. A thousand considerations torture 
 thy heart, and perhaps rend thy bosom with agony. 
 The disappointment of all thy hopes, the ruin of all 
 thy plans, the anguish of thy friends, thy honoured 
 parents, or lovely children, losing their last support, 
 their silent tears, their heart-breaking sighs, swell the 
 tide of thy miseries. What is infinitely more dread- 
 ful, the uncertainty of thy prospects, the weakness 
 of thy hope, thy fears of divine wrath, thy awful 
 apprehensions, respecting a dying moment, and a 
 boundless eternity ; the fire that for ever burns ; these 
 are considerations, which might shake a Christian's 
 peace of mind. Still cast thy burden on the Lord. 
 He careth for thee. All these things may be for 
 thy good. In a few moments your fears may vanish. 
 God may be present. Eternity may burst on thy 
 sight ; angels may bear thee to the gate of glory, to 
 the throne of the Redeemer. God may wipe the 
 tears from thy eyes. You may walk the golden 
 streets ; you may hear the hosannas of angels, and 
 be enraptured with the strains of celestial harmony, 
 and join in the song of Moses and the Lamb, " Great 
 and marvellous are thy works, O thou king of saints." 
 Death is the gate of glory. Let us then cultivate 
 that faith, by which we may sing, "When shall I 
 
365 
 
 die, when shall I live for ever. Come, -Lord Jesus, 
 come quickly." 
 
 IX. Let us from the subject learn the excellence 
 of true religion. 
 
 As to worldly circumstances, no mortal can ascer- 
 tain what is best. What is absolutely good or evil, 
 he knows not by all that passes before him, We 
 know not whether riches are a blessing, or poverty a 
 curse ; but we know that the blessed God is a sure 
 guide, a safe protector, a good portion, a glorious 
 friend. We know that his favour is present peace, 
 and future blessedness. We know that true religion 
 is a fair inheritance. In the field of wisdom, " the 
 rose of sharon" blooms, and " the pearl of great 
 price" is found ; here waves the tree of- life, whose 
 leaves are for the healing of the nations," whose 
 fruit is richer than were those of Paradise. " Let 
 mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be 
 glad. How goodly are thy tents, oh Jacob, and thy 
 tabernacles, oh Israel. Beautiful for situation, the 
 joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion ; God is in the 
 midst of her ; the God of Jacob is her refuge. 
 Blessed is he, who blesseth thee ; and cursed is he, 
 who curseth thee." 
 
 We know the moral effect of religion on our char- 
 acters. It will enlighten the mind, sanctify the 
 desires, purify the taste, calm the passions, and rule 
 the actions. Grace changes hatred to love, elevates 
 the soul from the bondage of a slave to the dignity of 
 a child; unites a worm of dust, with God, with 
 angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect. 
 
366 
 
 We know the design of God in giving grace to the 
 soul. It is, by his goodness, his mercy, and com- 
 passion, to excite the admiration of the universe ; it 
 is to save the soul from guilt, remorse, and death ; to 
 save the soul, that in thy dying moments, thou mayest 
 say, " Oh death, where is thy sting ; oh grave, where 
 is thy victory ;" that in the day of judgment, amid 
 falling stars, and burning worlds, thou mayest rejoice 
 in transport, hearing thy Redeemer say, " Come, ye 
 blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 
 for you before the foundation of the world." 
 
 True ^religion is an unceasing and eternal good. 
 Wouldst thou no longer hazard the loss of thy soul ; 
 no longer tremble in the darkness of uncertainty, 
 respecting thy salvation ; no longer challenge eternal 
 misery, tossed on the surges of passion and tempta- 
 tion ; wouldst thou, resting on the rock of ages, enjoy 
 the comforts of the Spirit, the assurance of hope, and 
 the presence of thy God ; wouldst thou, safe in the 
 haven of rest, hear the tempest roar, and see the 
 billows rise, while others sink, and are lost; then 
 acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace with him. 
 While others reject the great Physician, dash the 
 cup of salvation from his hand, and trample in the 
 blood of the cross, receive ye the balm of life, and 
 live for ever. Behold the Lamb of God ; look to 
 him, who bled on Calvary ; look, and live for ever. 
 He that believeth shall never die. All things shall 
 work together for good, to them who love God. 
 
JOHN xvi, 8. 
 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin. 
 
 THAT man is a free agent, is a self-evident propo- 
 sition, an intuitive truth. I am not more certain that 
 I exist, than that I will, that I act, and that I choose, 
 according to my pleasure. But while man is free, he 
 is influenced by a divine power. While he chooses, 
 and acts according to his choice, he is dependant on 
 God for every thought. While he works out his own 
 salvation himself, God works in him to will and to- 
 do. While exerting the most astonishing powers of 
 mind, he is only more effectually moved by an unseen 
 power. 
 
 Man acts, and God acts, in the same operation of 
 body and mind. In the most sublime flights of 
 genius and science, when man numbers the stars, and 
 weighs the planets, he is borne on the strong wing of 
 divine power. " By the inspiration of the Almighty," 
 man displays all the wonderful energy of his intellec- 
 tual powers. Were the constant agency of God 
 
368 
 
 withdrawn, darkness and death would close the light 
 of the Universe. How this divine operation is con- 
 sistent with human choice, and human exertion, I 
 do not know ; how God constantly acts on the mind, 
 and yet leaves man free and active, I do not know. 
 Still I do know, that the facts are not the less certain. 
 The Holy Spirit, saith the Saviour, will reprove, or 
 rather convince,* the world of sin, that they are 
 guilty, and exposed to the anger of God. This is 
 his work. From the text, and other passages, it is 
 evident, that conviction of sin is one office of the 
 Holy Spirit. The maxims of natural religion, and 
 the exercise of reason, may teach a man that he has 
 sinned. The same reasoning powers, which satisfy 
 him respecting other facts, may instruct him here. 
 But this superficial, indefinite impression of evil, will 
 not effectually excite him to believe in the Saviour, and 
 lead a life of humility and repentance. A man, who 
 has enjoyed a life of perpetual health and gaiety of 
 spirits, may believe that he is a frail, mortal, dying 
 creature ; but his convictions are slight, he will 
 rarely submit to the cautious habits of his neighbour, 
 who is pining under painful chronic disorders, and 
 tortured with all the fears of a valetudinarian. So 
 great is the difference between the acknowledgments 
 of reason, and the convictions of conscience, between 
 human teaching, and that of the gospel, enforced 
 by the Holy Spirit. Reason leaves the mind quiet 
 and secure ; the Spirit of God awakens the conscience 
 to a deep sense of its sin, and guilt, and danger. 
 The man sees his sin to be rebellion against God, 
 
 * See the translations of Thompson ami Poddridge, and note of Wal<efield. 
 
an odious and abominable work, idolatry of self, 
 putting self in the place of God. He discovers his 
 danger ; a dreadful sound is in his ears ; Sinai thun- 
 ders ; his sentence is death ; in the anguish of his 
 spirit he cries, " What shall I do." 
 
 But I ought to be more particular in enforcing the 
 doctrine, that it is the office of the Holy Spirit to 
 convince men of their wickedness. 
 
 This he does, not by a miracle, not by a new reve- 
 lation, not by dreams or visions ; but by the preach- 
 ing of the gospel. This is the great engine of con- 
 viction, and even of conversion. " Faith cometh by 
 hearing." But to proceed. Of what sins does the 
 Spirit of God convince men ? 
 
 I. He convinces them of the sinfulness of their im- 
 moral actions. Though 'all men allow that immoral 
 actions are wrong, and perhaps have some slight impres- 
 sions, that they are themselves guilty ; yet if gospel truth 
 be not impressed on the conscience, if the Holy Spirit 
 have not reproved or convinced the mind, its sense of 
 guilt is inconstant, indefinite, and superficial. Though 
 the man has trampled on the laws of society ; though 
 he has broken the law of God ; though he has injured 
 his neighbour, violated his promise, betrayed the con- 
 fidence of his friend, and disturbed the peace of the 
 community, he often feels but little remorse, little 
 self-reproach, little sense of guilt or shame. Notwith- 
 standing his violations of law, human and divine, he 
 often congratulates himself for his virtues, boasts of 
 his goodness, and thanks God that he is so much more 
 religious than his neighbours. 
 47 
 
310 
 
 But when the Spirit of God comes, when the Spirit 
 reproves, or convinces him of sin, he perceives that 
 his guilt is great, bold, and daring. He is ashamed 
 and confounded ; the plague of his heart, the sins of 
 his life, are an overflowing fountain of moral poison. 
 The streams have polluted the neighbourhood ; his 
 example is abroad ; he has encouraged others in their 
 wickedness ; he has grieved and afflicted others, 
 better than himself; he has made dangerous impres- 
 sions, which he cannot efface, inflicted wounds in 
 society, which he cannot heal ; done a damage, which 
 he cannot repair. His iniquities are as a pestilence 
 walking in darkness. He is ready to exclaim, 
 " I perish ; Father, I have sinned." 
 
 II. The Holy Spirit convinces the conscience of 
 the guilt of those actions which are apparently moral 
 and good. 
 
 With all his sins, the man had, probably, done many 
 things apparently right and good ; the worst man 
 performs a multitude of such actions. He had been 
 industrious. He had not been an angel of discord, a 
 nuisance in society, the shame of his family ; he had 
 not blasphemed his God, nor slandered his friend. 
 Temperate and sober, he had read his bible, and come 
 to the house of God. In all these things did he man- 
 ifest any spiritual life, any love to God, any holy 
 aspirations for the divine favour, any contrition of 
 heart for sin ? He came to the house of God, and so 
 did the useful animal, which drew him in his carriage. 
 But as neither of them had any pious motives, any 
 faith in Christ, any principle of obedience, any regard 
 
.571 
 
 lo the glory of God, any holy desires for sanctifying 
 mercy, they have no claim to the divine blessing, no 
 title to the smallest reward. The morality and relig- 
 ion of the man had been his pride, his hope, his confi- 
 dence ; but the Spirit of God has come and convinced 
 him that these services rested on no proper basis, 
 that they were excited by no religious motives, that 
 they were heartless, cold, and dead. He had been 
 moral ; but this was constitutional indifference, or the 
 habit of education, or the slavish fear of punishment. 
 He had been, apparently, religious ; but this was to be 
 seen of men, or to purchase heaven at the price of his 
 prayers and sacrifices. The fear of God was not 
 before his eyes, nor the love of God in his heart. 
 In coming to the place of public worship, his heart 
 was not in the duties contemplated. True, he brought 
 his body ; but his heart was not here. So he might 
 have sent his coat or cloak ; but would this have 
 made his garments religious, or given them a claim 
 to the divine favour ? In all these plausible services, 
 he was governed by his own interest, his reputation, 
 or his safety* The Spirit of God comes, and con- 
 vinces him of this truth. He therefore renounces his 
 confidence in his own righteousness, his opinion of 
 his own goodness, his flattering expectation of future 
 reward. As he had no regard for God, he has no 
 claim to his favour. He laboured, not for God, but 
 himself, and has received his reward. Instead of 
 pride, he feels remorse ; % instead of self-complacency, 
 he is smitten with terrour ; instead of delusive hope, his 
 heart is sinking in despair. He is confounded, in view 
 of his best services, that he so disregarded his Maker. 
 
iiis law, and his gospel. The wisdom of the flesh, the 
 best services of the selfish heart, are enmity against 
 God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. 
 
 Design or intention is essential to every moral 
 action. As the moral character of the intention is, 
 such is the action. When the intention is worldly or 
 selfish, nothing morally good can be predicated of the 
 action. The stream may as well rise above the 
 fountain, or a bad tree bear good fruit, as an action 
 sustain a character superiour to the motive. When 
 the conscience is enlightened and convinced by the 
 Spirit of God, this is clearly and impressively seen. 
 How miserable is the man. He had thought himself 
 wise and good ; that he had kept his garden, and 
 that the fruit was rich and abundant ; but the shining 
 of truth has scorched every flower, and blasted every 
 plant. His gold has become dross ; he is poor 
 indeed. 
 
 III. The Holy Spirit enlightens the conscience, 
 to see the sin of unbelief, the guilt of rejecting the 
 Saviour. " He shall convince the world of sin, 
 because they believe not on me." No man can give 
 proof of love tor obedience to Christ, unless he cheer- 
 fully accept his favour. He, who disregards a 
 proffered favour, grossly abuses the kindness of his 
 benefactor. Not only the cheerful giver, but the 
 cheerful receiver, is beloved of God ; " to enjoy is to 
 obey." Assistance in distress is precious, in propor- 
 tion to the distress ; the wickedness of rejecting such 
 assistance is correspondingly great. 
 
 Finding ourselves guilty, and judged, and con- 
 demned, and ruined, the salvation of the gospel ought 
 
to be welcomed by us, with joy, thanksgiving, and 
 praise ; its abundant grace and goodness ought to 
 swell the heart with love, and faith, and admiration ; 
 to satisfy, delight, and ravish the soul. 
 
 Yet obstinate unbelief, unmoved, rejects the pardon 
 and redemption offered, disregards the gift of eternal 
 blessedness, hardens the heart against the terrours of 
 everlasting punishment, adds sin to transgression, till 
 she wearies herself in committing iniquity. Unbelief 
 denies the fact of our sinful and lost state ; denies 
 that we are dependant on the sovereign grace of God ; 
 that we have no help in ourselves ; that we are for 
 ever destroyed, without an interest in the atonement. 
 Unbelief denies^ the necessity of the Saviour's blood, 
 with all the wonderful circumstances of redeeming 
 love. She denies the insufficiency of her own right- 
 eousness, and the vanity of her worldly hopes. She 
 refuses to make any preparation for a better world, 
 for the departure of the soul from friends, from 
 the means of salvation, for the day of judgment, or 
 the unknown wonders of immortality. She sleeps 
 away the summer of life, and in the winter of death 
 awakes to misery and ruin. 
 
 This is the prominent sin, which the Holy Spirit 
 impresses on the conscience. He reproves men, 
 because they believe not on Jesus Christ ; because 
 they neglect a Saviour so excellent and meritorious. 
 Is not this a sin of a crimson dye ? Does it not argue 
 an entire want of gratitude, and of every Christian 
 grace ? Does it not show that the heart has no sense 
 of divine goodness or mercy, no value for the redemp- 
 tion, which has been wrought, for the atonement 
 
374 
 
 which has been made? Hard must be the heart, 
 dark must be the mind, seared must be the conscience, 
 which remains unmoved, unaffected, on hearing the 
 gracious offers of redeeming love. This conviction 
 the Holy Spirit fastens on the conscience, pierces the 
 soul with the anguish of guilt. Unbelief is a sin of 
 presumption for soon it may be too late to believe ; 
 in a moment it may be too late to ask for mercy. 
 Still, unbelief presumes to make light of heavenly 
 glory, to trifle with immortal happiness, to treat God 
 himself as false to his word, defying the thunders of 
 his wrath, sporting with the torments of the damned. 
 Is not unbelief a sin of desperation? It rejects the 
 only remedy. There remaineth no other sacrifice 
 for sin. Another foundation can no man lay. It is 
 a refusal to perform the only act, which can save the 
 soul ; it is extinguishing the only light, which can 
 guide us to glory ; it is- pouring on the ground the 
 last drop from the cup of life ; it is shivering the only 
 plank, which will waft us over the Jordan of death. 
 No wonder then, that when the Holy Spirit con- 
 vinces the conscience of such desperate wickedness 
 and danger, it should wring the heart, and the soul 
 should cry, " What shall I do ?" 
 
 IV. The Holy Spirit convinces the man of his 
 opposition to the divine law. 
 
 In his previous superficial manner of contemplating 
 religious subjects, he might consent, that the law was 
 holy, just, and good. Though he had sometimes, 
 knowingly, violated its commands, still it was an 
 object of his dread and veneration. He now learns, 
 that he had not known himself, that respect and affec- 
 
376 
 
 tion are not the feelings of his heart. His heart 
 resists, his heart recoils from the law, as too strict in 
 its commands, too dreadful in its sanctions. The 
 lamp of divine truth has enlightened his mind ; his 
 disobedience and rebellion are made manifest. His 
 professions of respect for the law vanish. Like Cain, 
 he cries, " My punishment is greater than I can 
 bear." Like Adam, he wishes to hide himself from 
 God. The harp, and the viol are no longer pleasant; 
 a merry song in such a solemn scene only heightens 
 his distress ; his heart trembles ; sometimes his limbs 
 shake with terrour, while the law thunders "cursed 
 is every one who continues not in all things written 
 in the law to do them." He has learned that the 
 law is not obeyed by external observance, without 
 the heart. He has not kept the law 7 . It condemns 
 him in every sentence. He can echo the words of 
 the psalmist, " Behold thou desirest truth in the 
 inward parts. My heart is smitten and withered like 
 grass, so that I forget to eat my bread." Sometimes 
 the intellect is distracted, and he may again repeat 
 the words of David, " While I suffer thy terrours, 
 I am disturbed" Say, my friends, have you not seen 
 this picture ? Have not your minds been agitated 
 like the troubled sea ? Often, such are the effects by 
 the divine Spirit. 
 
 V. The Spirit of God convinces man of his oppo- 
 sition to divine sovereignty, to providence, and the 
 government of God. 
 
 By the sovereignty of God, I do not mean any sup- 
 posed arbitrary proceedings, which do not rest on rea- 
 son and wisdom for their basis. By the sovereignty of 
 
God, I intend that independence of wisdom, by which 
 he does all his pleasure, and gives not account of any 
 of his matters. Nothing more is, or can be intended, 
 by any rational Christian, than that wisdom of power, 
 by which God made and governs the world. He 
 made one star to differ from another in glory. One 
 is beautiful to the naked eye ; another can be seen 
 only by a powerful telescope. Angels are more glo- 
 rious than men. Men differ in genius, in science, in 
 felicity, and honour. One is enlightened, and sanc- 
 tified, and seems to walk with angels, on the thresh- 
 hold of heaven. One is rich, and riots in pleasure. 
 Another is poor, and ignorant, and vicious, a brother 
 of dragons, and a child of wrath. One is a savage ; 
 another is a saint. The kingdom of God ruleth over 
 all, and of the same lump forms one vessel to honour, 
 and another to dishonour. " Not scr," exclaims the 
 aspiring heart of man. " Why doth he yet find fault ? 
 I know thee to be a hard master. Thy ways are 
 not equal." 
 
 In the days of Naaman many lepers were in Israel ; 
 yet none were selected by God to be healed but this 
 great man. In the time of Elijah, many widows 
 were in Israel, the holy land, inhabited by the people 
 of God ; yet to none of these was the prophet sent to 
 supply with provision, and to relieve from distress ; 
 but he was sent to a widow of Zarephath, a pagan 
 region, north from the confines of Israel. When 
 Jesus Christ exhibited these facts, to illustrate the 
 sovereignty of God, and to' justify himself, for not 
 performing his usual miracles at Nazareth, the people 
 were provoked to madness, drove him from the syn- 
 
377 
 
 agogue, and would have hurled him from the precipice 
 which was near their city. 
 
 In his sovereign wisdom, God chose Jacob, and 
 rejected Esau. Nor am I unwilling to gratify the 
 opponents of the doctrine, by extending this choice to 
 the descendants of Jacob and Esau, for this, instead 
 of confining it to one solitary instance, is multiplying 
 the displays of divine sovereignty to myriads, and 
 millions, and millions of examples. Their wisdom 
 and prudence in such a construction of the history, I 
 could never divine. With whom did God take coun- 
 sel, when he passed by all the sages of the law, all 
 the military chieftains, and from the pastures of Beth- 
 lehem, elevated David to the throne of Israel ? 
 
 While living in pleasure, and regardless of religious 
 truth, a man supposes himself friendly to the divine 
 government, and reconciled to the sovereignty of God ; 
 but when the Spirit of God comes, sin revives ; for 
 by the law is the knowledge of sin. When the 
 Holy Spirit strives, man for the first time perhaps 
 discovers his alienation from God. He finds himself 
 unwilling that the purpose of God should be executed, 
 that he should do all his pleasure, that his counsel 
 should stand, He knows that he does not cordially 
 say, " Not my will but thine be done." He does not 
 rejoice that God reigns, that he is himself dependant, 
 as the staff in the hand of him who walketh with it. 
 He is not willing that God should make rich, and 
 make poor, that he should choose some to life, and 
 leave others in the shadow of death. He complains, 
 he resists, he struggles, like a prisoner in chains ; like 
 him, he is dependant, 
 
 is 
 
,378 
 
 VI. The Spirit of God convinces men of their 
 opposition to the gospel. 
 
 The gospel is glad tidings. It is so received by all, 
 who feel rightly, or act well. The gospel presents a 
 redemption already accomplished. " Propitiation" 
 for sin has been made. The blood of atonement has 
 been accepted ; yet wicked men, bent on establishing 
 a righteousness of their own, refuse this invaluable 
 favour. From such immense obligations ; from such 
 entire and absolute dependance, the heart revolts. 
 " What shall I do to inherit eternal life ; how shall 
 I render myself worthy the favour of God ; how shall 
 I claim the glory of heaven," is the inquiry of the 
 heart. 
 
 That the gospel is not acceptable to the wicked 
 is evident from the incontrovertible fact, that a great 
 portion of the world have rejected the gospel, and 
 where it is most clearly unfolded, only a small por- 
 tion cordially embrace its doctrines, or obey its pre- 
 cepts. The lowest condition of gospel mercy is 
 repentance. All the self-love, all the pride, all the 
 obstinacy, of the depraved heart, rise up against this 
 duty. To repent is to be humble. In repenting, the 
 man judges and condemns himself. What can be 
 more abhorrent to the heart? Enlightened by the 
 Spirit of God, the man discovers this self-compla- 
 cency, and self-dependance, this reluctance to repent 
 and trust in the mercy of God, this unwillingness to 
 be indebted to God himself, for pardon and salvation. 
 
 With all the grace which it reveals, the gospel 
 requires men to be holy themselves* To be saved, 
 they must be conformed to the Saviour. Like him 
 
379 
 
 they must deny themselves, be humble, and meek, 
 devout, and charitable; yet all this will not be 
 admitted as the meritorious cause of their salvation. 
 However profitable as servants they have been, they 
 have done no more than their duty, they have confer- 
 red no favour. Here again the heart complains. " It 
 is a vain thing to call upon God." The conscience, 
 enlightened by the divine Spirit, perceives this restless, 
 complaining temper. The gospel requires obedience ; 
 yet demands acceptance as a free gift ; it rejects mere 
 external services, requiring faith, and holiness of 
 heart; it offers reward of grace, and not of debt. 
 This seems hard to the aspiring heart ; the gracious 
 gospel seems not a gospel of grace ; but a system of 
 hard sayings. Hence so many labourers in the vine- 
 yard of the Lord find their message rejected, and 
 utter the melancholy complaint, " Who hath believed 
 our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord 
 revealed ?" 
 
 VII. The Spirit of God convinces men of their 
 aversion to the glories of heaven. 
 
 No doubt men generally believe that they desire 
 and long for the joys of heaven ; that they take 
 delight in the goodness of God ; that they love him 
 as a father, and cordially obey him as a master. 
 Many are shocked at the suggestion, that they are 
 the enemies of God, but when the Spirit of God 
 enlightens the conscience, their opinion is changed. 
 Contemplating the divine being, his holiness, and 
 justice, and power, the man discovers the contrariety 
 of character, the opposition of moral feelings, and 
 that he could not be happy in his immediate presence. 
 
380 
 
 Carefully considering the employments of heaven, 
 he is conscious they would be irksome and tedious. 
 Distinctly recollecting who constitute the society of 
 heaven, saints and angels, he is sure they would 
 not be the companions of his choice. From such 
 friends he turns away, having no sympathy in the 
 topics of their converse, no harmony with their dispo- 
 sitions. Mingling in such society, engaging in such 
 employment, under the eye of the holy God, would 
 never rouse his active powers, never awaken the rap- 
 tures of his heart, never swell the highest notes of his 
 song. 
 
 He flies from such a place. Whither shall he go ? 
 Whither turn himself for help and comfort ? What 
 shall he do ? Gladly would he remain in this world ; 
 gladly would he enjoy his immortality in this vale of 
 tears ; but here, he cannot stay. The sentence has 
 been pronounced ; the wages of sin is death ; his mo- 
 ments are flying, his sands are falling ; the king of 
 terrours is approaching ; his grave is opening. Look- 
 ing forward, he exclaims, " Who can dwell with de- 
 vouring fire, with everlasting burnings !" He clings 
 to life ; his cup of anguish is full ; no sorrow is like 
 his sorrow. Now, if ever, he bows, he yields himself 
 a willing captive of divine mercy. Sin revives, and 
 he dies. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. We see why men prefer false doctrines to true, 
 a system of errour to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
 The first process in the influence of truth is painful. 
 The first effect of truth is to turn the attention of man 
 
381 
 
 ro himself, to his own heart, his own moral char- 
 acter. 
 
 Truth draws the curtain from the naked heart. 
 The lamp of divine truth illumines the dark caverns 
 of the mind, makes manifest its wicked dispositions. 
 The man is disappointed concerning himself ; he sinks 
 in his own estimation ; he is not so good, so secure, as 
 he had believed himself to be. This is painful, humb- 
 ling, distressing ; he turns away ; he recoils from 
 such a view, he wishes for "another gospel " The 
 gospel of Christ requires holiness ; it does not accom- 
 modate itself to our wishes or passions ; but errour 
 is indefinitely various, assumes every hue, may be 
 adapted to every taste, to every complexion of human 
 character. God may be represented as all mercy, and 
 a holy life a course of pleasant indulgences. Heaven 
 may be described as a mahometan paradise, a region 
 of perpetual spring, of flowery gardens, and melodious 
 song. The burning lake, whose fires will never be 
 quenched, may be represented as a transient disci- 
 pline, or its name and existence* may be denied, as 
 the dismal creations, the unreal phantoms, of a dis- 
 turbed imagination. With such pictures, what eye, 
 never suffused with the tears of repentance, would not 
 be pleased ? Who, that yet rolls sin as a sweet morsel 
 under his tongue, would not be better pleased with the 
 imaginary gospel, than the real ; with the opinions of 
 men, than with the revelation from God ? Where then 
 is the wonder, that the teacher of false principles 
 should be more popular, more caressed, more admired, 
 
 * See Balfour's Inquiry. 
 
382 
 
 and better rewarded, than he who announces the 
 humbling gospel of Jesus, and calls on men to repent, 
 and trust in a crucified Saviour for eternal life. Men 
 prefer what gives them present pleasure. False relig- 
 ion has this effect ; it produces a spirit of repose and 
 slumber, though in the end, it will be more terrible 
 than the fiery serpents of the Arabian desert. Still, 
 would they submit to the convictions of the Holy 
 Spirit, though alarmed and distressed for a moment, 
 they might be enlightened, and sanctified, comforted, 
 and delighted ; the very gospel of Christ would become 
 their support, their hope, their joy, their glory. 
 
 II. The subject leads us to distinguish between 
 mere terrours of conscience, and conviction of sin by 
 the Spirit of God. This is an errour not uncommon. 
 Men imagine they have experienced the influences of 
 the Holy Spirit in a remarkable manner, because they 
 have been alarmed, and their affections powerfully 
 moved. For a time they were concerned ; they were 
 distressed ; they wept, and refused to be comforted. 
 It may reasonably be expected, that where the doc- 
 trine of future punishment is believed, that pathetic 
 and terrible descriptions of its miseries, that terrible 
 events of providence, or even the self-reproach of dar- 
 ing sin, will produce such effects on a feeling heart 
 and a tender conscience ; but here may be nothing 
 spiritual, nothing religious, any more than in the tears 
 of a tragedy, or the terrours of an earthquake. Yet 
 many individuals, and perhaps some whole sects, on 
 account of such animal affections, believe that they 
 have in a remarkable degree the influences of the Holy 
 Spirit. Hence are adopted all the modes of excite- 
 
383 
 
 ment, which art or enthusiasm can invent, alarming 
 the fears, rousing the terrours, inflaming the passions, 
 and bewildering the imagination, by affecting tones, 
 by violent vociferation, by terrific descriptions of the 
 moving scene round a dying bed, or the pomp and 
 splendours of the great day, the descending Judge, the 
 sounding trump, the rising dead, and all the honours 
 of everlasting burnings. By such addresses, anxiety 
 and fear are awakened, but is the judgment informed ? 
 The passions are moved ; but is the conscience con- 
 vinced ? The heart is palsied with terrour ; but is the 
 understanding enlightened ? The winds blow and the 
 rocks are rent ; but do you hear one whisper of the 
 Holy Spirit ? 
 
 Truth is the medium of divine operations ; the Holy 
 Spirit breathes in the gentle voice of gospel doctrine, 
 convincing the soul of sin ; because the Saviour is re- 
 jected, his laws disobeyed. Hence may we learn to 
 distinguish between the disturbance of the passions, 
 and the convictions of the conscience by the Holy 
 Spirit. Mere excitement passes away, like the brook 
 of a summer's shower, having produced only a tem- 
 porary reformation, resulting from agitation and dis- 
 tress. The divine Spirit is permanent in his effects, 
 as the shining of the sun, increasing like the river of 
 the distant mountains, conveying comfort, cheerful- 
 ness, joy, and glory. 
 
 III. We learn from the subject, why so many per- 
 sons deny the doctrine of man's depravity ; why so 
 many never view themselves so wicked, as this sub- 
 ject represents them to bo. 
 
384 
 
 The Spirit of God has not convinced them ; his 
 light has not illumined their minds. Having some 
 information from various other sources, they confess 
 they are not precisely what they ought to be, that they 
 are not what they wish to be, that they are very im- 
 perfect. But they have no belief, nor conception of 
 such dark depravity, of being altogether in sin, of 
 being the enemies of God, of his law, his gospel, and 
 government. Probably, this arises from a want of 
 perfect self-knowledge, from not being enlightened 
 and convinced by the Holy Spirit ; for sometimes, 
 these very persons, without having fallen into any new 
 course of sin, and without being guilty of any glaring 
 immorality, change their opinions respecting them- 
 selves, and make as humble, as abasing confessions of 
 sin and guilt, as any men in the world. Such was 
 Saul of Tarsus. As to the law blameless, he lived in 
 all good conscience. But when the commandment 
 came, when the Spirit of God enlightened his con- 
 science, he found himself the chief of sinners. In the 
 extreme guilt, and remorse, and self-reproach of his 
 heart, he cries out, " Oh wretched man that I 
 am, who shall deliver me from the body of this 
 death?" Had not the Holy Spirit enlightened his 
 mind, he might have continued to justify himself, 
 denying that depravity of heart, which myriads feel, 
 and confess. When those, who reject this doctrine, 
 shall experience as deep and powerful convictions as 
 St. Paul, then may they like him bemoan their guilt 
 and danger. Till then they may feel themselves as 
 as the young man, who came to Jesus Christ to 
 
385 
 
 be directed in the way to heaven. He had not openly 
 violated the commands of God, and therefore conclud 
 ed, that he had obeyed them, according to their spirit 
 and design. So do they. He, in consequence of his 
 supposed goodness, considered himself prepared for 
 the kingdom of heaven. So do they. But when the 
 Spirit of God comes, when the torch of divine truth 
 enlightens the dark recesses of their minds, when they 
 discover the spirituality and extent of the divine law ; 
 when they see it extending to their secret thoughts, 
 their wishes, their inclinations, and motives, then will 
 they learn the plague of their own hearts, the crimson 
 depravity of their lives. 
 
 IV. If the Spirit of God produces such sense of 
 guilt, is it strange if they seek relief and comfort from 
 every means, which may flatter their hopes ? 
 
 The pressure of great distress is ever unfavourable 
 to correct judgment, and sound discretion. Too 
 much weight or pressure on a machine impedes its 
 wonted operations ; so the burdened mind does not 
 turn and examine evidence with its usual prudence and 
 sagacity. As frost stops the current of a river, so 
 intense anguish obstructs the course of thought, the 
 proper movements of the mind. 
 
 When the Spirit of God comes with efficacy and 
 power, the anxiety and distress are often violent and 
 terrible. The person sees a naked human heart ; he 
 sees himself. No wonder then that he reads, and hears, 
 and prays, and inquires the way of every man he 
 meets ; that he explores every avenue of hope, and 
 knocks at every door of escape. The pressure of his 
 
 anxious fears and terrours racks and disorders the 
 49 
 
386 
 
 understanding, and relief is sometimes sought without 
 much discretion or judgment. Like the psalmist he 
 may almost say, " While I suffer thy terrours I am 
 distracted." 
 
 A conviction of guilt, a sense of danger, a fear of 
 divine wrath, an overwhelming apprehension of ever- 
 lasting misery, produces probably the most insupport- 
 able agony the mind of man ever endures in this 
 world. No terrour is like this terrour ; no misery is 
 like this misery. Is it very strange then, that such 
 persons should seek relief by every means, which 
 accident may present, or fancy conceive ? Is it very 
 strange if sometimes, they " heap to themselves teach- 
 ers," and listen to bold declaimers, boasting of visions 
 
 : i i . . . r i i_ 
 
 and revelations ; is it strange if sometimes they em- 
 brace the opiate of errour and delusion, to quiet the 
 anguish of a troubled conscience ? 
 
 JLet all such afflicted souls share in your Christian 
 sympathy, your faithful advice, and your fervent 
 prayers. 
 
 V. If such be the terrours of conviction, no wonder 
 the soul is joyful, when first delivered, when first she 
 experiences the consolation of hope, and the spirit of 
 adoption. 
 
 When the soul, shut up to the faith, first bends and 
 bows to the authority of God, when the heart 
 embraces him as her father, her saviour, and her 
 portion, slavish terrours vanish, faith lifts her eye* 
 hope kindles delight, peace and joy enliven the heart. 
 Instead of resistance and rebellion, the heart yields 
 itself resigned to the will of God ; instead of striving 
 jmd struggling against Omnipotence, she casts her 
 
387 
 
 burden upon the Lord, and looks to him for all she 
 desires. 
 
 The dark cloud is gone from Sinai ; the Sun of 
 righteousness shines ; the thunders are silent ; the 
 lightnings cease to blaze ; the earth no longer trem- 
 bles ; the heart no longer quakes with terrour. A 
 feeble hope that God is reconciled, a weak faith in 
 Jesus Christ, faint evidence of salvation, shed tran- 
 quillity and peace on the soul. " Blessed is the man 
 whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is cover- 
 ed." Well may such a soul say, " The Lord hath 
 done great things, for which I am glad. Come all 
 ye, who fear God, and I will declare what he hath 
 done for my soul. I sought the Lord, and he heard 
 me, and has not put my soul to shame. I have sown 
 in tears, I reap in joy." Is this reality, or am I like 
 them, who dream ? What shall I render to the Lord, 
 for all his benefits ? Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and 
 all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the 
 Lord forever and ever. Amen. 
 
PSALM xviii, 30. 
 
 As for God, his way is perfect. 
 
 PSALM xix, 7. 
 
 The law of the Lord is perfect. 
 
 THE " way" of God refers to his providence. To 
 say that his way is perfect, is to justify his govern- 
 ment, his providential dispensations. 
 
 The " law" of the Lord includes the system of rev- 
 elation, the scheme of mercy, exhibited in the sacred 
 oracles. This revelation is perfect. Nothing can be 
 added, nothing taken away, without evident injury. 
 Revelation and providence being perfect, they must 
 harmonize, they must speak the same language. Doc- 
 trines and events must accord, else both would not be 
 perfect. Both emanate from divine wisdom ; both 
 are salutary in their influence on mankind ; both are 
 plain and evident, for all necessary or useful purposes. 
 Yet both, in some respects, are deep, are mysterious, 
 are inexplicable. The same incomprehensible wisdom 
 
390 
 
 of God is manifest in the volume of providence and 
 revelation. 
 
 The mystery of facts is less noticeable ; because the 
 facts are certain and familiar. The most luminous 
 deductions of reason, and even the records of inspira- 
 tion, do not generally make so decisive impressions on 
 the mind, as the observation of facts. Facts, which 
 strike the senses, we are compelled to admit, how- 
 ever mysterious and unaccountable, while speculative 
 truths, which are not more mysterious, are met with 
 doubt, with resistance, with disbelief. The most 
 unlearned believe that the sun and moon are eclipsed, 
 though they know not how. The learned believe 
 that showers of stones, and sometimes huge masses of 
 stone, have fallen from the clouds, though this is to 
 them an impenetrable mystery. So do the word and 
 providence of God harmonize. 
 
 I proceed to show that some of the most important 
 and difficult doctrines of revelation, are supported by 
 the events of providence. 
 
 I. Revelation teaches the being of God ; so do the 
 events of providence. " I, I am God, and there ia 
 none else." " God created the heavens and the earth." 
 Now look at the events of providence. Do they not, 
 with ten thousand tongues, proclaim the existence of 
 God ? Do not the exact rising and setting of the sun, 
 the regular return of summer and winter, demonstrate 
 the existence of Deity? In one word, look at the 
 marks of .design, and wisdom, on the open face of cre- 
 ation, marks visible in every object, from the smallest 
 atom, to the greatest globe of heaven, and then say if 
 these are not preserved and directed by an almighty. 
 
intelligent being. Here then the word and provi- 
 dence of God unite and support each other. 
 
 II. Revelation declares that man has rebelled against 
 God, and is a sinful creature. " All have gone out of 
 the 'way none doeth good, no not one." If all had 
 not sinned, why should Christ make propitiation for 
 the sins of the world ? Why should the gospel of 
 mercy be addressed to all, if all had not sinned ? Is 
 not this doctrine supported by providence ? Look at 
 the events of providence. Are you not confirmed in the 
 doctrine of human depravity ? Whether you contem- 
 plate the treatment which man receives from his 
 Maker, or the conduct of men towards one another, 
 you are equally convinced that sin universally prevails. 
 Would the God of goodness let loose tempest, and 
 earthquakes, pestilence, and death, on a race of inno- 
 cent and holy beings ? Do angels, and the spirits of 
 just men made perfect, encounter these calamitous 
 events ? Why are the best disciplined countries fur- 
 nished With jails and dungeons, terrified with penal 
 laws, and punished by judges ? Why do men delight 
 in war, and cheerfully endure military burdens, and 
 fight, and murder, till " the mountains are melted with 
 blood ?" The base lusts of men are the only solution 
 of these terrible phenomena. So do the gospel and 
 providence of God harmonize, and support each 
 other. 
 
 But some may reply, " we object not to the doc- 
 trine of depravity; but to the doctrine of native 
 depravity." 
 
 To some, possibly, this may seem an unreasonable, 
 if not an impossible doctrine. But unless we adopt 
 
392 
 
 this, how are we to account for that universal wicked- 
 ness, which abounds through the world ? Why is it 
 that none are entirely good, no not one ? " By one 
 man sin entered the world and death by sin, and so 
 death has passed upon all, because all have sinned" 
 " Adam begat a son in his own likeness," like himself, 
 a dying, sinful creature. Do not such texts seem to 
 teach, that there was a connexion between the sin of 
 Adam, and the wickedness of his posterity ? By the 
 disobedience of that one man, " many were made sin- 
 ners." He sinned, and his posterity are not innocent. 
 Though his sin was not their sin ; for this would be 
 an absolute impossibility ; though his sin was not 
 imputed to them ; for this would be merciless injustice ; 
 yet might not his sin be the occasion of their wicked- 
 ness ? Does not this accord with daily facts, in the 
 course of providence ? Is it not a familiar fact, that 
 wicked men are made wicked by the vicious examples 
 of others ? Is it not proverbial, " Like father, like 
 son ?" What vicious character is more common, than 
 a profane, idle, intemperate son, of a profane, idle, 
 intemperate father ? Have not the sons of Ishmael, 
 retained the character of their father, through all the 
 changes of place and education, for three thousand 
 years ? On this principle, have not those men, who 
 associate together, generally a great likeness of moral 
 character ? Hence soldiers, and sailors, and other pro- 
 fessions, have strong features of moral resemblance. 
 On this principle whole neighbourhoods, and whole 
 nations, have a similar complexion of morals. Why 
 then should it be thought a thing incredible, for the 
 posterity of Adam to be constituted sinners by his sin 
 
393 
 
 and rebellion ? If the two cases be not exactly similar, 
 as they confessedly are not, still may not their strong 
 resemblance prevent surprise, and reconcile us to the 
 luminous evidence of revelation ? Why might not the 
 sin of Adam be as fatal to his posterity, as the sins of 
 other fathers generally are to their children ? If the 
 scriptures do teach the inseparable connexion between 
 the disobedience of Adam and the wickedness of his 
 posterity ; if this does not contravene what we wit- 
 ness every day in the malignant contagion of vice ; if 
 providence coincides with revelation ; if familiar facts, 
 from generation to generation, support and confirm 
 the texts which record the doctrine, why should we 
 doubt, why should we not believe the doctrine ? The 
 mode of its being effected, or the wisdom of such an 
 arrangement, is no concern of ours. To ascertain the 
 fact from scripture and providence, is our duty ; its 
 righteousness and wisdom God will justify. 
 
 Ill: Revelation teaches that sinful man, to enjoy his 
 Maker's love, must have a new heart, a new spirit and 
 character. Unless a man be born again, he cannot see 
 the kingdom of God. Does not providence confirm 
 this ? Does not the wicked man sometimes " forsake his 
 ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ?" Phari- 
 sees and sanctimonious hypocrites, prating of their 
 own goodness, may weaken the evidence of experi- 
 mental religion, but they have not weight of character, 
 to disprove its reality. Many men abandon their 
 infidelity, and believe the son of Mary to be the 
 Saviour of the world ; many forsake their vices and 
 crimes, and become penitent and holy. All such are 
 
 witnesses for revelation. All such, from Adam to the 
 50 
 
394 
 
 present day, present so many events of providence, 
 which harmonize with the gospel, and sustain the doc- 
 trine of regeneration. 
 
 IV. The gospel is believed to reveal the doctrine of 
 future punishment for sin. Do not events of provi- 
 dence in this world confirm the doctrine ? 
 
 " The wicked shall be turned into hell these shall 
 go away into everlasting fire. Their worm shall not 
 die ; their fire shall not be quenched." 
 
 Objections have been made to this doctrine ; but 
 they come from a very interested quarter. The judge 
 seldom finds the prisoner very impartial in his view of 
 the law. Can we not then appeal to a more impartial 
 authority ? May we not consult the legislator himself ? 
 May we not learn the intent and meaning of the sen- 
 tence, by observing whether he, in any degree, ever 
 puts it in execution before our eyes ? Let us then for 
 a moment survey the treatment, which wicked men, 
 in this world, often receive from God. If any suffer 
 the anger of God in this world, though others escape, 
 this will greatly confirm revelation. If any escape, it 
 may only prove that they are reserved for that punish- 
 ment, which has already commenced with others. 
 That portion of the Divine conduct, which you are 
 permitted to witness in this life, what you see and 
 hear, may instruct you in your faith respecting future 
 punishment. Glance your eye then far and wide. 
 Alas, you need not, generally, look beyond your own 
 neighbourhood. Look, and say whether God punishes 
 sin in this world. Does the intemperate man often 
 suffer pain, and disease, and death, in consequence of 
 his sins ? Does the idle and dissolute man, often ex- 
 
395 
 
 perience poverty and shame on this side the grave ? 
 Are not here powerful presumptions of a future and 
 more complete retribution ? If God begin to punish 
 sin in this life, will not the work proceed in the next ? 
 What is there more strange in future punishment, 
 than in what daily passes before our eyes ? 
 
 Had we never known pain, and disease, and death, 
 and had a volume come down to us from remote 
 antiquity, announcing that in the year of our Lord 
 1826, our heavenly father would let loose famine, and 
 war, and pestilence ; that tempests, and floods, and 
 shipwrecks, would blast the hopes of man ; that ten 
 thousand infants would expire in agony every day, 
 would not such a book have encountered as many ob- 
 jections, as the doctrine of future punishment now 
 does ? Would not men have inquired, and inquired 
 with overwhelming pathos, " Will our heavenly 
 Father cause our tender harmless babes to languish, 
 and expire in agony ? Will the God of love suffer the 
 helpless mariner to sink in the ocean, while his hands 
 are raised in prayer ? Will he water the world with 
 the tears of the widow and orphan ?" Yet such things 
 are. They are daily events before our eyes. 
 
 We are miserable judges of what Deity ought to do. 
 " We can argue but .from what we know." The 
 plan of God is wide as the universe, and lasting as 
 eternity. We see only a point, and for a moment. 
 We have no compass to guide us, but the word of 
 God, and our own observation. We then return to 
 the fact. Has God said that he would punish the 
 wicked forever, and is this powerfully confirmed by 
 
396 
 
 daily events ? The word and providence of God are 
 perfect, and are in unison. 
 
 V. The doctrine of atonement or vicarious sacri- 
 fice for sin, seems to be taught in scripture. Do any 
 events, in the course of Divine government, support 
 such a doctrine ? 
 
 " Without the shedding of blood is no remission of 
 sin." " He hath borne our sins, and by his stripes 
 we are healed." "He was made a sin offering 
 for us. 5 ' 
 
 Similar language, in every part of the bible, ren- 
 ders the doctrine unquestionable. Do not unnumber- 
 ed events and transactions of men accord with this 
 doctrine ? God required his people to offer a multi- 
 tude of sacrifices. These had no efficacy in them- 
 selves. The blood of bulls and goats could not take 
 away sin. Unless they had reference to a real and 
 meritorious sacrifice, of which they were types and 
 emblems, who can discover wisdom or humanity in 
 these bloody rights ? Yet they constituted a great part 
 of the external religion, not only of the Jews, but of 
 all mankind. In what quarter of the globe, have not 
 the stones been piled into altars, what hill has not 
 been wrapt in the smoke of burnt offerings ? The 
 blood of innocent victims has streamed from the line 
 to the poles. Referring to such a state of things, the 
 apostle says, " But now, in the end of the world, 
 Christ hath appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice 
 of himself '." Can words make the doctrine of atone- 
 ment more evident ? 
 
 Not only in the great concerns of religion, but in 
 the ordinary events of life, the same style of provi- 
 
397 
 
 deuce is manifest ; daily transactions accord with the 
 strain of scripture, respecting the suffering of one 
 man for another. The substitution of one man's 
 sufferings, for the benefit of another man, is one of 
 the most common events of this world. Why then 
 might not Jesus Christ suffer for the sins of the 
 world ? Do not parents constantly suffer anxiety, 
 and self denial, and distress, to support and educate 
 their children ? Do not children often suffer from 
 the prodigality or the vicious examples of their 
 parents? Faithful rulers suffer abuse and anxiety 
 for the public welfare. " Uneasy lies the head which 
 wears a crown." Go with the officer collecting the 
 tax to support the alms-house. He receives a great 
 portion of the money from families, who labour 
 harder, and who endure more privations, than those 
 persons, whom they support, ever did for themselves. 
 They are made to suffer for those, who would never 
 suffer for themselves. Do not the healthy suffer for 
 the sick ; the living for the dying ? Do not these 
 events strongly resemble atonement for sin ? Why 
 then will any object to the sufferings of Jesus Christ 
 for lost man ; why might he not redeem a lost world ? 
 He suffered willingly ; he gave himself a ransom for 
 many. Here then the providence of God agrees 
 with the word of God: both are perfect, and the 
 word receives support from the course of providence. 
 VI. A considerable portion of the Christian world 
 believe that they have discovered the doctrine of 
 election to eternal life on the sacred page. Is this 
 supported by the course of providence ? 
 
398 
 
 They do not doubt whether the scripture speaks of 
 those who are chosen to eternal life " through the 
 sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." 
 That some are chosen vessels they cannot disprove. 
 That some are forechosen, and predestinated to eter- 
 nal life, seems to them the evident import of the 
 sacred page. It is also believed that common events 
 of providence are in unison with this doctrine of the 
 gospel ; that in this point also, revelation receives sup- 
 port from divine government. An appeal to facts 
 may readily solve the question. Does God then 
 daily, in his providence, make distinctions among 
 men ? Are some * chosen ' ' few ' more rich, more 
 learned, more happy, than their neighbour ? May it 
 be replied, that this is generally the effect of more 
 diligence, more study, more virtue ? So are those, 
 who are ' elected ' and ' saved,' generally more vir- 
 tuous, more faithful in their lives. But we will not 
 avail ourselves of this advantage. I might ask who 
 made all these individuals to excel their neighbours. 
 But if I can adduce only one instance, and especially 
 if I can adduce innumerable instances of eminent 
 divine favours, without any special merit or exertions, 
 these will be so many unisons with election to eter- 
 nal life. 
 
 Does not God in his providence, in ten thousand 
 instances, highly distinguish persons by his favours, 
 who have no peculiar excellence, and without any 
 regard to their merit ? Doubtless he has some wise 
 
 o 
 
 reasons, though they are unknown to us. This is 
 placing the doctrine in its most obnoxious form ; and 
 
399 
 
 in this form, we presume to say, it receives counte- 
 nance from the general course of providence. 
 
 Probably no person in this country attaches the 
 least personal merit to the circumstances of a man's 
 birth. No child is better or worse, born in a palace 
 or a shed. No matter whether he be " below the 
 dome, or above the hut." Yet on this single circum- 
 stance of birth, commonly depend, in a great measure, 
 the knowledge, the religion, and happiness of the 
 person. One is born in the cottage of vice, and 
 endures hunger and cold, and generally, though not 
 always, exhibits the vice and ignorance of his father. 
 Another is born in the sober mansion of piety and 
 knowledge, and often, though not always, acquires 
 the knowledge, the virtue, and happiness of his 
 parents. One poor babe, without any fault of his 
 own, is born in Africa, and is a slave. Another, 
 receives existence in the wilds of America, and of 
 course is a pagan, and a savage. Another first sees 
 the light in Arabia, and spends his life following his 
 flocks from one spring and pasture to another, often 
 scorched with the burning winds of the desert, often 
 mad with hunger and thirst, his hand against every 
 man, and every man's hand against him, a robber on 
 the land, and a pirate on the sea, Mahomet his 
 prophet, and the koran his bible. 
 
 You are born in a Christian land, of Christian 
 parents, who are faithful and kind, who instruct you 
 by precept and example, to be a disciple of Jesus. 
 What an immense difference is here made, by the 
 providence of God, between man and man. Is not 
 here a display of divine sovereignty, disregarding all 
 
400 
 
 personal merit, as evident, as in election to eternal life ? 
 Indeed, where can you look, and not witness a mani- 
 festation of this divine attribute ? Who gave to 
 Buchanan his spirit of sacred enterprise, to the apos- 
 tolic Elliot his willingness to labour for the sal- 
 vation of savages, to Whitefield his overwhelm- 
 ing eloquence, to Edwards his fervent piety and 
 wonderful energy of mind ? Does not God in his 
 providence, as well as his word, say, " I will do all 
 my pleasure, and my counsel, it shall stand ?" His 
 word and his providence agree, and are perfect. He 
 is of one mind in the kingdom of grace and provi- 
 dence, in the events which we witness, in the doc- 
 trines which we read. 
 
 With a single reflection or two, we close the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 I. We obtain no relief by rejecting the deep and 
 difficult doctrines of revelation. 
 
 Though you blot them from your creed, providence 
 spreads them before your eyes, sounds them in your 
 ears, reveals them from every quarter. Though you 
 erase them from your bibles, they are written in cap- 
 itals on every page of providence. 
 
 Many doctrines, as matters of speculation, are 
 difficult and hard to be understood in all their con- 
 nexions ; yet as matters of fact revealed, which is 
 enough for us, they are as easily believed as other 
 matters of fact. In many respects, facts are as inex- 
 plicable as the most abstruse doctrines. The doctrine 
 presents no more difficulty, than the fact, wjiich 
 accords with the doctrine. No more difficulty attends 
 the doctrine of atonement, than the familiar event, 
 
401 
 
 that the son suffers misery from the depravity of his 
 father. With their incomprehensibility, we have no 
 concern. This belongs to God. What then is 
 gained by rejecting the most mysterious doctrines ? 
 They are written not only in the sacred oracles, but 
 on your fields and walls, on your garments, on your 
 foreheads, and the doors of your houses. Providence 
 and revelation are two sacred volumes, which give 
 the same account of God, and of his dealings with 
 men. Though w r e reject the doctrines of one volume, 
 the other, in a voice louder than all the winds of 
 heaven, proclaims the same divine truths. 
 
 II. I infer that a careful observation of providence 
 may confirm our belief in the doctrines of revelation. 
 Do you ever doubt whether the sufferings of the 
 Saviour could be the redemption of sinners ? Then 
 recollect how often the cares and peaceful sentiments 
 of a sovereign, might save his subjects from the misery 
 and horrours of blood and war. See hospitals and 
 seminaries rise ; see nations and countries enlightened 
 and sanctified, by the sacrifices of benevolence. It 
 seems to be a principle of the divine government, 
 which keeps the machinery of the world in motion, 
 that a part of mankind should endure sufferings in 
 behalf of their brethren. 
 
 Do you doubt whether God will punish the 
 wicked ? See how many do not live out half their 
 days. Do you question whether God chooses sorr?o 
 to be vessels of mercy ? Behold Joseph, and David, 
 and Daniel, in sacred story. In civil and ecclesias- 
 tical history, read the lives of Alfred, of Edward VI. 
 of Wickliff, of Luther, and Knox. Who selected 
 51 
 
402 
 
 these luminaries of the world ? Who appointed them 
 their high stations, in the kingdoms and churches of 
 the world ? Who gave them their astonishing powers 
 of mind, their grace, and their intellectual empire 
 over the hearts of men ? Such is the accordance of 
 divine truth, collected from different sources. Who 
 then will not believe ? With the mystery of divine 
 truth, again I say, you need not perplex your minds. 
 With explanations and solutions of profound doctrines, 
 you need nor try the strength of your intellectual 
 powers. Your duty is prayerfully and teachably to 
 inquire, " What doth the Lord God say in his word ?" 
 Having discovered this, believe and embrace it with 
 all thine heart. Then shall ye know, if ye follow on 
 to know, the truths of revelation. Take, then, fast 
 hold of instruction ; keep her, for she is thy life. 
 She will bring thee to honour ; she will give thee an 
 ornament of grace, and a crown of glory. 
 
PSALM cxxxviii, 2. 
 For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 
 
 MANY things are lowered in our estimation, from 
 being constantly enjoyed, or easily acquired. The 
 water of the fountain, and the salubrious atmosphere, 
 though essential to life, are received with feeble emo- 
 tions of gratitude. 
 
 The word of God, as far back as our minds can 
 remember, has been open before us, its precepts are 
 familiar, its doctrines are believed ; and we hardly 
 recollect that this knowledge was not born with us, or 
 that all the human race have not the same instruction. 
 
 To estimate the value of revelation, we must, in idea 
 at least, visit the benighted pagans, witness the moral 
 blindness of their minds, the dismal scenes of their 
 polluted worship, their ignorance of God, and of 
 divine truth. Go, hear the savage hold frantic con- 
 verse with invisible spirits; or listen to the shrieks of 
 the innocent babe, from the altar of Moloch* Now. 
 tell us the value of revelation. 
 
404 
 
 What then are some of the advantages of revela- 
 tion ? 
 
 To answer this inquiry, attending to such reflec- 
 tions as may occur, is our present design. 
 
 I. One great and decisive advantage of a revela- 
 tion from God, over every other method of moral in- 
 struction, is its high authority. Here, revelation 
 stands unrivalled. Much instruction may be com- 
 municated from man to man. From the resources of 
 his own mind, from his own experience, from his 
 observation abroad, man has often been a luminary of 
 instruction. Poets and philosophers have reasoned 
 well, respecting the rewards of virtue, the punish- 
 ments of vice, the being, and attributes of God. But 
 what practical influence followed ? Who were made 
 wiser or better ? These, and other truths, were like 
 a splendid palace, rising on a hill of moving sand. 
 No confidence could be placed in their permanency. 
 They were only the opinions of men. They might 
 be true, they might be false. They allured the fancy, 
 but they gave no pledge to the understanding. Like 
 the brilliant meteor of midnight, they roused admira- 
 tion ; but afforded the pilgrim no safe guidance, in 
 the journey of life. 
 
 Though they were men of powerful intellects, of 
 splendid conceptions, of profound research ; yet they 
 did not satisfy or convince themselves. Cicero, and 
 Socrates, and Plato, repeatedly express themselves 
 in the greatest perplexity and doubt, respecting the 
 most important doerines of religion. Not so is it 
 with the heralds of revelation. Their first sentence 
 is, " Thus saith the Lord Jehovah." " I come to 
 
405 
 
 ihce in the name of the Lord of hosts." They not 
 only say this, but prove it. By their miracles, by the 
 fulfilment of their prophecies, by other convincing 
 circumstances, it is proved, that pious men of old 
 spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. They 
 proved that they were sent of God, that they were 
 his messengers, to instruct and reclaim a lost world. 
 Here is firm ground ; here is solid rock. We know, 
 blessed be God, in whom we believe. We know 
 that we are not following cunningly devised fables. 
 
 The common people of Palestine, in a moment, 
 perceived the difference between those teachers, who 
 uttered their own opinions and notions, arid the orac- 
 ular voice of Him, " who spake as never man spake." 
 He spoke as one having authority. This is the 
 safety and comfort of those, who receive the word of 
 God ; they have divine authority for what they be- 
 lieve. 
 
 II. Another advantage of revelation is its evident 
 import, its plain meaning. 
 
 Arguing from the cause to the effect, I boldly infer 
 that a revelation from God must be plain and evident. 
 A revelation, not intelligible is no revelation ; nothing 
 is revealed. Would God abuse his creatures with un- 
 intelligible propositions ? Would he speak to them 
 in an unknown tongue ? Religious truth is ever the 
 same, and ever distinct from falsehood. 
 
 To all this, will you oppose the incontrovertible 
 fact, that a multitude of opinions exist ? To this I 
 make as simple a reply. Elevate the moral feelings 
 of all men to a suitable and similar standard, and we 
 shall hear but few complaints respecting the obscuritv 
 
406 
 
 of revelation. But while men have such discordant 
 tones of moral feeling, and such different degrees of 
 intellectual improvement, we must expect jarring 
 opinions, and hostile creeds. The fault is not in the 
 standard, but in those, who estimate the standard. 
 Still, with all our ignorance, and prejudices, and 
 parties, and creeds, and systems, it requires an 
 effort of depravity, to explain away the great and 
 leading doctrines of the bible. While the responses 
 of the pagan oracles were generally ambiguous and 
 equivocal, what is more evident than this great 
 lesson of the sacred volume, Man has revolted from 
 his God ? 
 
 Will you say this is so evident on the face of soci- 
 ety, as to need no revelation to confirm the fact ? 
 However palpable the fact may be to us, however 
 irresistible the evidence, it is, after all, fully and dis- 
 tinctly learned only from the sacred oracles. The 
 nature and extent of this moral mischief is taught 
 nowhere but in the word of God. The heathen have 
 had some superficial and vague impressions that 
 human nature was in a disturbed and disordered state ; 
 but these obscure impressions were probably con- 
 veyed to them by tradition, from some ancient reve- 
 lation. 
 
 Men, who never heard, that the race was once in a 
 more pure and upright state, who have never heard 
 that they ought to be more moral and pious, who 
 have never heard an expectation of future improve- 
 ment, think little more of reproaching themselves or 
 others, for their moral obliquities, than of accusing the 
 stars for not being luminous, a the sun and moon. 
 
407 
 
 Because certain truths have been familiar from our 
 infancy, we are apt to imagine they might have been 
 known without a revelation. What truth is more 
 evident than that the world was created by God ? 
 Every Tyro in science can demonstrate this truth. 
 Yet man, with all his sagacity, did not originate this 
 belief. "By faith," faith in the word of God, " we 
 believe that the worlds Were made." Had not this 
 fact been revealed, it had never been known. Men 
 would never have supposed, that the sun had always 
 shone ; that the sea had always dashed its billows on 
 the shore ; the forests always spread their shade over 
 the land. From revelation alone we learn that " by 
 one man sin entered the world, and death by sin." 
 Though pagans have worshipped lords many, and 
 gods many, though the hills have echoed their cries 
 and prayers, and the heavens been darkened with 
 the smoke of their sacrifices ; yet no part of this 
 splendid worship was designed to mend or reform 
 the worshippers. In their numerous prayers, they do 
 not ask to be made better. They thanked the gods 
 for the common blessings of life ; but ascribed all 
 the praise to themselves for any progress in good 
 dispositions. 
 
 A sense of sin, a broken heart, are not among 
 their sacrifices. Our wickedness, a radical doctrine 
 of revelation, is fully learned only from the word 
 of God. Here it is announced with power and 
 authority. 
 
 Redemption from this sin and guilt, is another 
 undeniable doctrine of revelation. This is the key- 
 stone of the arch, the main pillar in the temple of rev- 
 
408 
 
 elation. The seed of the woman, the babe of Beth- 
 lehem, the cross of Calvary ; here is the hope of 
 man. When man first awakes to his guilt and dan- 
 ger, he discovers no other means of deliverance. The 
 light of philosophy shows him not the path of life. 
 Neither Mahomet, nor Confucius, nor Brahma, restore 
 peace to his mind. But in the first page of reve- 
 lation, the light of redemption dawns ; it kindles, and 
 sheds a radiant glory through the sacred volume. 
 The first sound is life from the dead. " The seed of 
 the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." The 
 light shines brighter and brighter, till we hear the 
 triumphant Redeemer say, " I have finished the work ; 
 I have made propitiation for the sins of the world." 
 No other religion makes such a claim, or is supported 
 by such evidence. 
 
 The means of securing this redemption is another 
 evident and essential lesson, which we learn from the 
 word of God. In vain are the most opulent treasures 
 opened before us, unless we are taught the mode of 
 securing them. In vain is the luxurious banquet 
 presented, unless we are taught the mode of access. 
 The path of life, the way of wisdom, is plainly drawn 
 on the sacred page. The real Christian must believe 
 the doctrines of his great Redeemer. To pretend 
 that you follow the light of the gospel, that you are 
 a disciple of Jesus, while you adopt the doctrines of 
 Mahomet, or the grand Lama, is absurd, as it is im- 
 pious. Yes, would you be benefited by the gospel, 
 would you inherit the salvation of the gospel, you must 
 believe the gospel, you must cordially embrace all its 
 doctrines, as far as you can understand them. Sorae 
 
409 
 
 may be hard to be understood ; some may require 
 more moral discipline, and culture of the mind, than 
 you can attain. Here, as in all other cases, it is 
 required of a man according to what he has, and not 
 according to what he has not. The commands of 
 God, and our abilities, are precisely parallel. What- 
 ever doctrines we discover, we must adopt. It is not 
 for us to imagine what doctrines ought to be revealed, 
 nor to enlist under any leader, whom we conceive wiser 
 than his fellows ; but to receive the doctrines just as 
 we find them in the word of God. 
 
 To secure the benefits of redemption, a man must 
 not only believe, but obey the instructions of the 
 gospel. As the legislator of his people, Jesus Christ 
 has given his people rules of conduct. The sum of 
 them is, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
 thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." Here a 
 demand is made of the heart, rendering it evident, 
 that no external action, separate from the motives and 
 affections of the mind, in any degree fulfils the law, 
 or answers the demands of the gospel. Indeed mere 
 actions, without the heart, have no moral character. 
 They can be neither good nor bad. We may as well 
 predicate morality on the motion of a planet, as on 
 any action of man, separate from his temper and 
 motives. The duties of piety, which the Saviour has 
 enjoined, are peculiarly incumbent on his disciples. 
 By these, they are distinguished from the professors 
 of other religions. Baptism, and the Lord's supper, 
 are exclusively the rites of Christianity. Every man 
 is defective in his claims to Christian character, what- 
 ever other excellencies he may possess, while he does 
 52 
 
410 
 
 not exhibit a practical regard to these ordinances. 
 All these are evident truths, and show that the word 
 of God is plain and intelligible. 
 
 III. Another eminent advantage of the bible is, it 
 has a more powerful and salutary effect on the human 
 character, than any other known system of religion. 
 The koran has raised up a race of warriours, who are 
 masters and slaves. The shasters have made a great 
 portion of mankind superstitious devotees. The bible 
 makes men good. Its light renders men wise unto 
 salvation. The book of Moses has survived all other 
 writings of men. The influence of his doctrines 
 has been more completely tested, than any other sys- 
 tem. No writings of equal antiquity have come down 
 to us. When you consider that they are not ad- 
 dressed to the fancy, nor designed to flatter the pas- 
 sions, like the poems of Moeonides, or the bard of 
 Mantua, but are powerful appeals to the conscience, 
 raising the voice of reproof against every sin, is it not 
 a wonder, if not a miracle of providence, that they 
 have been preserved and read so long ? Wonderful 
 have been the effects of the sacred volume. The 
 most barbarous nations have been civilized, their 
 ferocity has been softened, their morals improved, 
 their character elevated. 
 
 Where its influence is very partial, where many 
 vices continue, those vices assume a milder, and more 
 decorous aspect. 
 
 Draw a map of the globe, illumine those countries 
 where the human character is most pure, most exalt- 
 ed, and you will find those are the very countries 
 n'here the bible is most cordially received, and best 
 
411 
 
 understood. In the words of a late writer, " It is a 
 grand subject for meditation, to behold, in our modem 
 societies, the love of the holy doctrines of the gospel 
 advancing with the progress of philosophy, and of 
 political institutions ; so that the nations, which are 
 the most advanced in civilization and in liberty, are 
 also the most religious, the most truly Christian."' 
 
 So does God magnify his word above all other 
 men for perfecting the human character. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 I. If the word of God be given to mankind for such 
 important purposes, then his goodness is manifest in 
 reducing it to writing. 
 
 Our religion is not a tradition, though it has been 
 so considered by a celebrated infidel. f The annals 
 of our faith have more proofs of authenticity than the 
 exploits of Caesar or Alexander. While any species 
 of testimony is respected by mankind, the believers in 
 revelation will feel themselves standing on the rock of 
 eternal truth. 
 
 The oracles of God are now brought to the scrutiny 
 of our senses, subjected to our severest investigation, 
 our most elaborate research. Were divine truth con- 
 fined to the lips of prophets and priests, the sound 
 would strike our ears, and too often, pass away as a 
 tale or a song. We should have little time to consider, 
 to weigh and ponder its importance or meaning. Pre- 
 tenders would start up in every congregation, and we 
 
 * A. Stael. | Gibbon. 
 
412 
 
 should be daily called to examine and decide between 
 true and false prophets. Now, we have a standard, 
 " known and read of all men," to which an appeal 
 may be made, by the whole human family. 
 
 Instruction is not confined to the act of hearing. 
 Men may read, and understand, and become wise 
 unto salvation. We need not always wait for the holy 
 day, or the great congregation, to learn the will of 
 God. Although shut out from the house of God, you 
 need not remain ignorant of God, or the doctrine of re- 
 demption. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth. 
 The will of God is more readily communicated to the 
 whole family of man, in the form of a volume, than 
 orally, from the lips of a preacher. This sacred book 
 goes with every ship round the world, to the ends of 
 the earth. It is displayed not only in the mart of 
 traffic, and in the palace of the prince ; but as an 
 angel of mercy, it enters the cottage of the peasant, 
 the cabin of the savage, and the dungeon of the male- 
 factor. Silently it allures the eye, enlightens the 
 mind, quiets the conscience, soothes and cheers the 
 distress of melancholy, whispers peace and consola- 
 tion in the anguish of sickness and death. 
 
 The written word is a fixed and permanent stand- 
 ard of truth. Like its divine author, it has no essen- 
 tial change. Customs and modes of thinking change ; 
 theological opinions and doctrines change. Fanatics 
 and philosophers publish their rival systems, and the 
 world goes after them. But the word of the Lord, 
 like the radiant sun, which pursues the same course, 
 and sheds the same light, forever proclaims the same 
 doctrines, the same duties. 
 
413 
 
 As the luminous beacon, on the margin of the deep, 
 guides to the haven vessels of every name and nation, 
 lost in darkness and storm; so the written word of 
 God rises above the atmosphere of contending parties, 
 sheds her splendid glory abroad, allures, and guides, 
 and saves the contending sects, lost in the storms of 
 polemic controversy. 
 
 II. If the bible be a revelation from God, then it is 
 the only standard of religious truth. 
 
 To suppose there can be more than one standard, 
 is to suppose that divine truth is not every where and 
 always one and the same. To set up reason, as the 
 measure of divine truth, is to multiply its form and 
 character, beyond all calculation. The reason of man 
 often dictates one doctrine in the city, another in the 
 rural village. Reason dictates one doctrine at Rome, 
 and another at London. The change is more violent 
 at Canton and Constantinople. On this principle 
 truth is as various as the climates of the world, or the 
 colour of its clouds. 
 
 Will it be said all this takes place with the bible 
 open, the oracles of God sounding ? True. But this 
 arises from not understanding those oracles, or from 
 raising some authority above them. 
 
 All human systems of divinity, all the laboured 
 productions of human reason, all the creeds and con- 
 fessions of faith, in all the churches of Christendom, 
 have no authority, are sources of errour, unless they 
 accord with revelation. The bible, the bible alone is 
 not only the religion of protestants, but of all who 
 believe its divine inspiration. Every thing different 
 is the device of man, hay, wood, and stubble, which 
 
414 
 
 are to be burned. Other sources of light and instruc- 
 tion are useful ; reason herself searches the deep 
 things of God, and brings treasures new and old, from 
 the golden mines of providence and revelation. Still 
 the book of God remains the only standard of religious 
 truth. Sad will be the day, when any great sect 
 shall make their creed equally respected with the 
 scriptures ; then may be expected their explanations, 
 like the Mishnas, and Talmuds of the Jewish church, 
 one of which contains twelve volumes folio ; every 
 absurdity of which must be believed, or the poor Jew 
 must be branded as a heretic. These they prefer to 
 the scriptures, comparing their bible to water, their 
 talmud to wine. 
 
 III. If the scriptures are the only light to, guide 
 men to immortality, of what infinite value is religious 
 liberty, the liberty of adopting that faith and worship, 
 which we believe is revealed in the word of God. 
 
 If true religion were various and opposite in differ- 
 ent churches and countries, we might safely believe 
 with the multitude where we happened to sojourn, 
 worshipping Mahomet at Mecca, and the Lama at 
 Thibet. But if the word of God alone is the word of 
 life, how precious is this word ! Unless we may hear, 
 and examine, and believe, according to our own judg- 
 ment, of what avail is it that prophets have seen vis- 
 ions, and the Son of God announced life and immor- 
 tality to a dying world ? 
 
 The very idea of examining and considering a pro- 
 position, implies the right of adopting our own con- 
 struction, and even the right of rejecting it altogether. 
 Why else should we examine ? Again ; if every man 
 
415 
 
 may not put his own construction on the word of 
 God, who may ? Who are the privileged favourites ? 
 Those, who are right, and sound in the faith ? Who 
 are they ? The majority ? But these are different in 
 different countries, and in the same country, at differ- 
 ent periods. Who then shall decide? If one man 
 may not, another, by the same rule, may not. There- 
 fore, no one may adopt any construction of divine 
 truth. Such absurdity follows, from denying univer- 
 sal freedom of religious opinion. 
 
 Yet as we have always enjoyed entire freedom of 
 thought and opinion, the evils of religious intolerance 
 appear as airy dreams, to be recorded in the same 
 chapter with ghosts and witchcraft. 
 
 But our fathers have told us another tale. They 
 left their country and pleasant homes to ask the boon 
 of living among pagan savages, that they might enjoy 
 their own faith and worship. They were not allowed 
 to hear, nor their pastors to teach, what they devoutly 
 believed. 
 
 In the reign of good Edward VI, all preaching was 
 suspended through the kingdom, because the clergy 
 taught a variety of doctrines, that the bishops and 
 clergy might adopt a uniform order, and put an end 
 'to all controversies in religion. 
 
 We smile at this. To them, it was a sober concern. 
 In the previous reign, it had been enacted, " That all 
 matters of Christian faith, rules and ceremonies, shall 
 be published with the king's advice, and shall in every 
 point be believed and obeyed." Also, " that no per- 
 son should sing or rhyme, contrary to said doctrines. " 
 It was also ordered that the bible should not be read 
 
416 
 
 in English, in any church ; that no women, artificers, 
 apprentices, or journeymen, shall read the New 
 Testament in English. 55 
 
 Here is despotism, not over the body and property 
 of the subject ; but over his mind, his conscience and 
 thoughts. Blessed be God, our fathers burst these 
 chains, and emancipated themselves and us, from this 
 house of bondage. As we invade the religious rights 
 of no man, no man is allowed to invade ours. 
 
 In that period, the beams of light from the word of 
 God, dispelling the darkness and delusions of the 
 people, breaking up their violent prejudices, was like 
 the bursting forth of a vernal sun, after a winter of 
 storm, dissolving the frost, and covering the earth with 
 verdure, and blossoms. Now, men worship God in 
 the manner most edifying to their own minds, believ- 
 ing what seems most accordant with the sacred ora- 
 cles, and doing what seems most rational. 
 
 IV. If the word of God be so important, then it 
 will be preserved, while the race of man exists. 
 
 As the world was created for the support of man, 
 and will be continued while man exists ; so the word 
 of God, designed to enlighten and save man, will be 
 preserved, while man remains to read, and be saved. 
 While the world exists, the word of God is safe. 
 
 Persecution has often kindled her fires, to consume 
 the holy volume and its readers ; but they will survive, 
 as long as the sun and moon shall endure. 
 
 Infidelity may despair ; her last arrows are shivered ; 
 the sword of the Spirit is waved in triumph. As the 
 clouds will distil their showers, while hills and val- 
 leys remain to be watered: so will heavenly light 
 
beam from the word of God, while his church contin- 
 ues on the earth. Its sacred leaves are as lasting as 
 the hills ; its holy pages will be read, till Sinai shall 
 again be wrapt in flame, and Ararat and Lebanon 
 vanish in the fires of the great day. The word of God, 
 the great instrument of human redemption, will be 
 preserved, till the work of redemption is closed. The 
 fires of persecution have gone out ; infidelity is pass- 
 ing away ; but the word of the Lord endureth forever. 
 
 V. We learn why so great a portion of mankind 
 are still in a state of delusion and moral slumber. 
 
 If we traverse the globe, we shall find them gener- 
 ally in a state of moral death. They are strangers to 
 the love of God ; the wisdom, which is from above, 
 has never enlightened their minds. Although their 
 religious rites, and sacrifices may be numerous and 
 imposing ; yet all is show, and parade, and useless 
 pomp. Their religion does not affect the heart, does 
 not reform the life, does not enlighten the mind, does 
 not elevate the character. If in some instances, they 
 seem to be affected, and absorbed in religious contem- 
 plations ; if they are awakened and distressed with 
 moral fears, they seek relief, not by a rational worship 
 of God, not by any conformity to his moral excellen- 
 cies ; but by absurd superstitions, by abject penance 
 and self-torture. The numerous pagan rites of the 
 eastern church, and the frantic orgies of the western, 
 are alike removed from all rational religion. Nor 
 is this strange. The grand means for the illumination 
 of man, has not been applied to them. God has mag- 
 nified his word above every other name : he has made 
 it the great organ of light and goodness in the 
 53 
 
418 
 
 world, But this powerful agent is not yet operat- 
 ing on the great mass of mankind. They are not 
 yet enlightened with the great doctrines of revela- 
 tion, that God has created the world, that he gov- 
 erns the world, that he has redeemed the world. 
 Their minds have never been roused, and elevated, 
 and sanctified, by these sublime truths. Hence they 
 continue in moral slumber, and degrading superstition. 
 Among these, some sections have made laudable ad- 
 vances in civilization, and been eminent in the arts ; 
 still slow and grovelling has been their progress in 
 moral science and religious practice. 
 
 VI. If the word of God is so essential, then it is our 
 duty to read, and understand it for ourselves. 
 
 The book of God will not operate as an amulet or 
 charm. Mere possession will produce no advantage. 
 We must read, and believe, and obey its precepts. 
 We must imbibe its holy temper and spirit. We 
 must breathe the devotion of its saints and martyrs. 
 
 What will be the profit of believing what we do not 
 understand ; or of understanding what we do not 
 practise. 
 
 Implicit faith, without knowledge, is a blind im- 
 pulse, imbued with no excellence. Therefore, instead 
 of wading through tomes of controversial divinity, 
 read the word of God. Instead of inquiring what the 
 enlightened moderns believe, or what the pious 
 ancients believed, ascertain what the word of God 
 says. He, who attempts to settle his creed by the 
 faith of the present or past ages, will find himself 
 tossed on the billows of the ocean without a helm to 
 guide his bark, without a star to shape his course. 
 
419 
 
 fn the first ages of Christianity, it was deemed 
 good divinity to believe that none but a few martyrs 
 or confessors would enter heaven till the judgment. 
 In the fourth century, it was thought orthodox 
 to deny the divinity of the Saviour. In the fifteenth 
 century, the protestants generally believed that the 
 soul slept with the body, till the resurrection. In all 
 ages, and in all religions except the protestant, it has 
 been deemed a pious duty to pray for the dead. 
 
 Will such facts settle a man's creed ? , If not, they 
 may be useful, to show him the value of his bible. 
 Bless God, my friends, for your bibles ; press them to 
 your hearts ; read them, make them the light of your 
 feet, and the lamp of your path. 
 
 VII. If the bible be so important, is it not our 
 duty, and a high exercise of benevolence, to send it 
 to those, who are destitute ? 
 
 Has God in mercy sent us the oracles of heaven, a 
 revelation from the throne of his glory ? Do we see 
 the path of wisdom and find it pleasant ? Are the 
 lamps of others gone out, while ours are running 
 over ? Shall we not impart to their necessities ? While 
 our tables are covered, shall we not send portions to 
 those, who are perishing in the high-ways and 
 hedges ? 
 
 The word of the Lord is as an angel of mercy, 
 opening the prison to them who are bound, and bid- 
 ding the captive go free. 
 
 This, my friends, is our delightful labour. The 
 Lord loveth the cheerful giver. Our natures are 
 social; we proceed in duty, more pleasantly and 
 more easily, when others act in concert to assist us* 
 
420 
 
 Such is the situation of the bible. We are associated 
 with a great portion of the faithful in all Christendom. 
 We are moving in concert with the great and good 
 men of the age, with princes and nobles. Kings and 
 emperours are coming down from their thrones to pay 
 their offerings to the Bible Society. Shall not we 
 proceed with zeal and pleasure ? 
 
 The Bible Society rises like a column of pure light, 
 for the guidance of other benevolent associations. 
 Here they look for help and direction. Though they 
 may be abundantly useful in their appropriate sphere, 
 yet with them are heard all the babbling dialects of all 
 the sects and parties of the Christian world. 
 
 With us, and the Peace Societies, is but one lan- 
 guage, the language of peace, of paradise ; the lan- 
 guage of pure truth, unmixed with errour. Here 
 names and sects are for the moment all forgotten. 
 Here, the man, who shall say to his neighbour, 
 " Stand by, for I am holier than thou," would be 
 viewed as an apostate from the bible corporation. 
 
 As the aboriginals of our country have certain 
 places of refuge, which they call White Towns, where 
 no blood is ever shed, where warriours of contending 
 tribes meet in peace and amity; so are the Bible 
 Societies our White Towns. 
 
 Here the jarring sound of polemic discord is never 
 heard ; here we meet as brethren of the same human 
 family, as children of the same common parent, who 
 has made of one blood alj them, who dwell upon the 
 earth. Bible and Peace Societies rest on the broad 
 basis of universal philanthropy. 
 
421 
 
 The contribution proposed is not designed to build 
 up a sect or party, but to spread abroad the pure light 
 of God's word. We come not to you as Missionaries 
 from Rome, or Geneva, or England. We plead not 
 for the Episcopal, or Presbyterian, or Congregational 
 denominations ; but we plead for man ; we plead for 
 God. 
 
 Holding up the sacred page, we pray you to give it 
 wings, to fly to the ends of the earth ; to give it a 
 voice to be heard in the most distant cottage of the 
 human family. We pray you to commission the 
 prophets and apostles again to go forth from Pales- 
 tine, to all the nations, and tribes of men. Let the 
 song of angels echo from the fields of Bethlehem, to 
 the forests of America, to the deserts of Africa, 
 " Peace on earth, and good will among men." 
 
 What you^do in this work, you may be sure is done 
 for God ; you become an agent in the work of God. 
 
 If for a cup of cold water, you may expect the 
 reward of a disciple, what may you not hope, if you 
 give the word of eternal life, to perishing strangers ? 
 
 Go on, my friends, in this noble course. While 
 numbers, who commenced this work with us, have 
 gone to receive their reward, while my repeated ad- 
 dresses on these occasions remind me I can never 
 perform this office again, may you, my hearers, long 
 be preserved, long persevere in the cause of God and 
 human happiness, and finally shine as stars of lustre, 
 in the kingdom of heaven, forever and ever. Amen. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
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 1 176 < 23 < look ' book. 
 
 1 179 ' 26 ' relig- religion. 
 
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