{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_60915/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_60915","id":"gutenberg_60915","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60915","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Episcopal Church -- Sermons","Sermons, American"],"text":"[Illustration: Frontispiece.]\n\n                     DISCOURSES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS\n\n\n\n\n                    DISCOURSES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,\n\n                                   By\n\n                           JACOB DUCH\u00c9, M. A.\n\n\n       Rector of Christ-Church and St. Peter's, in Philadelphia;\n\n                            AND FORMERLY OF\n\n                         CLARE-HALL, CAMBRIDGE.\n\n\n                          The SECOND EDITION.\n\n\n                                 VOL I.\n\n\n                                LONDON;\n\n                  Printed by J. Phillips, George-Yard,\n                            Lombard-Street.\n\n            And Sold by T. Cadell, in the Strand; H. Payne,\n         Pall-Mall; C. Dilly, in the Poultry; and J. Phillips.\n                              M.DCC.LXXX.\n\n[Illustration: Pelham Pinx.]\n\n\n\n\nTO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE\n\nLADY JULIANA PENN.\n\n\nMadam,\n\nI have ever deemed it one of the most favourable circumstances of my\nlife, that your Ladyship condescended to honour my early youth with your\nkind countenance and protection. Your amiable character, and exemplary\nvirtues, have always thrown such a lustre around you, as could not but\nenlighten and improve those, who came within their influence. This\ntestimony from me, is no more than the just tribute of a grateful heart.\n\nI am, therefore, happy, in having your Ladyship's permission to inscribe\nto you the following discourses. You are no stranger to the sentiments\nthey contain: you love and honour the doctrines they inculcate.\n\nThe author intreats to be indulged with a continuance of that regard,\nwhich your Ladyship hath hitherto shewn him; and which he hath always\nheld more desirable, in proportion as he hath been better qualified to\njudge of what is truly honourable and estimable in the intercourses of\nsocial life.\n\nWith this sentiment deeply impressed upon his mind, he cannot but\nrejoice in the opportunity your Ladyship hath granted him, of thus\npublickly subscribing himself,\n\nMadam,\n\nYour Ladyship's\n\nMost obliged and\n\nMost faithful Servant,\n\nJ. DUCH\u00c9.\n\n\n\n\n                                PREFACE.\n\n\nThe following discourses were preached in the united Churches of Christ\nChurch and St. Peter, in the City of Philadelphia, of which the author\nwas appointed assistant minister in the year 1759, and to the rectorship\nof which he was elected in the year 1775.\n\nThe reader will find in them no display of genius or of erudition. To\nthe former, the author hath no claim: of the latter, he contents himself\nwith as much as is competent to the discharge of his pastoral duty. His\ndivinity, he trusts, is that of the BIBLE: to no other Standard of Truth\ncan he venture to appeal. Sensible, however, of his own fallibility, he\nwishes not to obtrude his peculiar sentiments; nor to have them received\nany further, than they carry with them that only fair title to\nreception, a conviction of their truth and usefulness. From his own\nHeart he hath written to the Hearts of others; and if any of his readers\nfind not THERE the Ground of his doctrines, they are, surely, at liberty\nto pass them by, if they do it with Christian Candour, and to leave it\nto time and their own reflections, to discover that Ground or not.\n\nUNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE he considers as the SUBLIME of religion; the true\nTASTE for which, can only be derived from the Fountain of INFINITE LOVE,\nby inward and spiritual communications. The mind, that is possessed of\nthis true Taste, whatever its peculiarity of opinion may be, cannot be\nvery \"far from the Kingdom of God.\"--\"GOD is LOVE; and he that dwelleth\nin LOVE, dwelleth in GOD, and GOD in him.\" One transgression of the\ngreat Law of Love, even in the minutest instance, must appear more\nheinous in the Sight of the GOD OF LOVE, than a thousand errors in\nmatters of doctrine or opinion.\n\nIf the reader peruses these volumes under the influence of such\nsentiments, it is not likely, that he will be offended with any\nsingularities of diction, or any inelegant and colloquial expressions he\nmay now and then meet with. Much less will his censure be incurred by\nthe constant use of SCRIPTURAL Ideas, and SCRIPTURAL Language, in\npreference to what are called MORAL and PHILOSOPHICAL. Deviations from\nthe Simplicity of EVANGELICAL TRUTH, have too often been occasioned by\ndeviations from the Simplicity of EVANGELICAL LANGUAGE. A Christian\nought never to be \"ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST which is the Power of\nGOD unto Salvation,\" but should always speak of Christian Truths by\nChristian Names.\n\nThe revisal and correction of these discourses have relieved the\nauthor's mind from much of that anxiety and dejection, which a long\nabsence from his family and his churches had occasioned. And he is now\nhappy in the thought, that these volumes will ere long reach his native\ncountry, and revive the memory of his labours of love among a people,\nwith whom he enjoyed a reciprocation of kindness and affection, which\nfor eighteen years had known no abatement or interruption.\n\nHe most gratefully acknowledges the kind and honourable reception he\nhath met with since his arrival in England; the chearfulness and\ngenerosity with which persons of all ranks have honoured his\npublication; and the affectionate zeal of his friends, relations, and\nconnexions, in undertaking and completing his subscription, without\ngiving him the trouble of soliciting a single name.\n\nTo his most ingenious and worthy Friend and Countryman, BENJAMIN WEST,\nEsq. History Painter to his Majesty, he is happy to acknowledge himself\nindebted for the elegant designs, taken from two of his most capital\npaintings, which are placed as frontispieces to these volumes.\n\nTo his dear and valuable friend, the Author of the late accurate and\nelegant Translation of THOMAS \u00e0 KEMPIS, he is sincerely thankful for his\nkind and chearful advice and assistance, in conducting the whole\npublication, to which the author's inexperience in printing, as well as\nhis frequent and necessary absence from the press, would have rendered\nhim altogether unequal.\n\nHe hath only to add, that the revisal and publishing of these discourses\nwas undertaken at the instance of some of the most respectable names in\nthe list of his subscribers to the first edition, under whose kind\npatronage, and in hopes of every indulgence from the candour of the\npublick, he hath ventured to send them abroad.\n\nHampstead, 1st March, 1780.\n\n\n\n\n                       CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST.\n\n\nDISCOURSE I.\n\nTHE CHARACTER OF WISDOM'S CHILDREN.\n\nSt. LUKE, CHAP. vii. VER. 35.\n\n\"But Wisdom is justified of all her Children.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE II.\n\nEVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.\n\nJEREM. CHAP. xxiii. Part of VER. 6.\n\n\"And this is his Name, whereby he shall be called, The LORD our\nRighteousness.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSES III. and IV.\n\nTHE RELIGION OF JESUS, THE ONLY SOURCE OF HAPPINESS.\n\nSt. JOHN, CHAP. vi. VER. 66, 67, 68.\n\n\"From that Time many of his Disciples went back, and walked no more with\nhim. Then said JESUS unto the Twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon\nPeter answered, LORD, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of\nEternal Life.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE V.\n\nTRUE RELIGION, A COSTLY AND CONTINUAL SACRIFICE.\n\n2 SAMUEL, CHAP. xxiv. VER. 24.\n\n\"And the King said unto Araunah, Nay, but I will surely buy it of thee\nat a Price: neither will I offer Burnt-Offerings unto the LORD my GOD,\nof that which doth cost me nothing.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE VI.\n\nTRUTH, THE ONLY FRIEND OF MAN.\n\nGALATIANS, CHAP. iv. VER. 16.\n\n\"Am I therefore become your Enemy, because I tell you the Truth?\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE VII.\n\nTHE STRENGTH AND VICTORY OF FAITH.\n\n1 JOHN, CHAP. v. VER. 4.\n\n\"Whatsoever is born of GOD overcometh the World: and this is the Victory\nthat overcometh the World, even our Faith.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE VIII.\n\nFAITH TRIUMPHANT OVER THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.\n\nSt. MARK, CHAP. ix. Part of VER. 24.\n\n\"LORD, I believe: Help thou mine Unbelief!\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE IX.\n\nTHE FLOURISHING STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n\nPSALM i. VER. 3.\n\n\"He shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water, that bringeth\nforth his Fruit in his Season: His Leaf also shall not wither, and\nwhatsoever he doth shall prosper.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE X.\n\nTHE CAUSE AND CURE OF THE DISORDERS OF HUMAN NATURE.\n\nSt. MARK, CHAP. vii. VER. 34.\n\n\"And looking up to Heaven, he sighed; and saith unto him, Ephphatha!\nthat is, Be opened.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSES XI, XII, XIII.\n\nTHE RICHES, PRIVILEGES, AND HONOURS OF THE CHRISTIAN.\n\n1 COR. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.\n\n\"Therefore let no Man glory in Men: for all Things are yours; whether\nPaul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or Things\npresent, or Things to come; all are yours: and ye are CHRIST'S, and\nCHRIST is GOD'S.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE XIV.\n\nCHRIST, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, THE UNIVERSAL SAVIOUR.\n\nSt. JOHN, CHAP. xiv. Part of VER. 9.\n\n\"Have I been so long Time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,\nPhilip?\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE XV.\n\nHUMAN LIFE, A PILGRIMAGE.\n\nPSALM xxxix. Part of VER. 12.\n\n\"For I am a Stranger with thee, and a Sojourner, as all my Fathers\nwere.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE XVI, XVII.\n\nTHE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD INTERNAL AND PRACTICAL.\n\nJOB, CHAP. xlii. VER. 5, 6.\n\n\"I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear; but now hath mine Eye\nseen thee: therefore I abhor myself, and repent in Dust and Ashes.\"\n\n\nDISCOURSE XVIII.\n\nON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST.\n\nSt. LUKE, CHAP. ii. from VER. 6, to 20.\n\n\"And so it was, that while they were there, the Days were accomplished,\nthat she should be delivered,\" &c.\n\n\n\n\n            SUBSCRIBERS NAMES OMITTED IN THE FIRST EDITION.\n\n\n    Rev. Dr. Allanson, Rector of Rippon, Yorkshire\n    Mrs. Ambler, of Queen-Square\n    Mr. George Adams\n    Lady Boynton, Burton Agnes, Yorkshire\n    Rev. Mr. Bull, Rector of Sarensfield, Herefordsh.\n    Rev. Mr. Baker\n    Miss F. Baker\n    Robert Burton, Esq.\n    Rich. Wilbraham Bootle, Esq.\n    Francis Bernard, Esq.\n    Charles Barker, Esq.\n    Rev. Mr. Cook, Rector of Semer, Suffolk\n    Richard Combe, Esq. Harley-street\n    Mrs. Cotin, Upper Grosvenor-street\n    Mrs. Festing, Weymouth\n    Mr. George Fletcher\n    Mr. Francis Freshfield, Colchester\n    James Gordon, Esq. Glasgow\n    William Grover, Esq.\n    Mr. Robert Grimditch\n    Mrs. Garnett\n    Capt. Grindall\n    T. Grosley, Esq.\n    Mr. Greenwood\n    E. Gurney\n    Hon. and Rev. Mr. Hamilton\n    Mrs. Hyde, Bedford-row\n    Mr. James Hingeston\n    Mr. Handcock, of Bath\n    Rev. Mr. Harris\n    Mrs. Hall, of Tottenham\n    Mr. Healy, of Cambridge\n    Tho. Johnson, Esq. Bradford\n    Rev. Jonathan Judson, Essex\n    Rev. Mr. Lantley, Prebendary of Hereford\n    Dr. Lysons, of Bath\n    Mrs. Levison\n    Rev. Mr. Myddleton, Fellow of Clare-Hall\n    W. Middleton, Esq.  Bath\n    Robert M'Kerrel, Esq.\n    Rt. Hon. Countess Dowager of Northampton\n    Mr. Nairne\n    Henry O'Carroll, Esq.\n    J. Palmer, Esq. of Bath\n    Rev. Thomas Pryse, Norwich\n    Mrs. Puget, Red Lionsquare\n    Tho. Rogers, Esq. Bradford\n    Robert Rasleigh, Esq.\n    Mr. Thomas Smith\n    Rich. Statham, Esq. Leverpool\n    Mrs. Schaak, of York\n    William Tompkins, Esq. Abingdon\n    Mrs. Tuson, Bath\n    William Taylor, Esq. of Worcester-Park, Surry\n    Mr. Wm. Taylor, London\n    Hon. Charles Vane, of Mount Ida, Norfolk\n    Mr. Vickary\n    Mr. Joseph Wrightman\n    Rev. Dr. Watkins, Preb. of Hereford\n    Rev. Dr. Wharton, of Barbadoes\n    George Wilson, Esq. of Bedford Row\n    Mr. Thomas Weston, jun.\n    Mr. Joseph Woods\n    Mrs. Wilding, Red Lionsquare\n    Mrs. Wright, Thunder-Hall, Herts\n    Miss Witts, Bath\n    Witham Book Society\n\n\n\n\n                              DISCOURSE I.\n                  The Character of Wisdom's Children.\n\n\nSt. LUKE, CHAP. vii, VER. 35.\n\n    \"BUT WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF ALL HER CHILDREN.\"\n\n\nIf we take an impartial view of the sentiments and conduct of mankind\nwith respect to religion, we shall find, that their errors in\nspeculation, as well as in practice, originate, for the most part, in\nthe will; that their understandings are blinded by their passions, and\nthat their ignorance of truth too often proceeds from their aversion to\ngoodness.\n\nTo combat this prevailing depravity of human nature, and to strike at\nthat root of evil which we bring with us into the world, was the grand\nand principal design of all those different dispensations, by which\nHeaven hath condescended, from time to time, to speak to the sons of\nmen. Instead, however, of yielding a grateful attention to this\nbenevolent purpose, they have, in some instances, wholly rejected, and,\nin others, perversly misconstrued, the dispensations themselves. Whether\n\"GOD spake at sundry times, and in divers manners, in times past, unto\nthe fathers by the prophets;\" or, whether he spake, as in these latter\ndays, to the children, by his own INCARNATE SON; the generality of men\nhave either been deaf to the salutary message, or have availed\nthemselves of some idle pretexts to elude a compliance with its most\nserious and solemn contents. Hence arose the inattention and opposition\nof ancient unbelievers, to the missions of patriarchs and prophets; and\nhence it is, that infidels of later ages have called in question the\ntruth and authority of that most full and complete Revelation of the\nDivine Will, with which mankind have been favoured by the ministration\nof the BLESSED JESUS. Far, however, from resenting their obstinacy, or\nindignantly with-holding from them any further communications of Divine\nLight, the great GOD AND FATHER OF SPIRITS hath still persevered in\ncarrying on the purposes of his Love; and, \"whether they will hear, or\nwhether they will forbear,\" still seeks, by a variety of dispensations,\nto gain possession of the hearts of his creatures. Notwithstanding,\ntherefore, the general indifference and obstinacy that have prevailed,\nthere have not been wanting, in every age and nation, some docile\nvirtuous minds, who have listened to the Heavenly Voice, and received\nwith gratitude the instructions of that \"Wisdom which is from above;\"\nand who, as her true children, have vindicated her ways to man, and\nadmired and justified the different methods by which she manifests\nherself to different souls.\n\nThe truth of these observations we find remarkably exemplified in that\nconduct and behaviour of the Jews, and particularly of the sect of the\nPharisees, which is mentioned in the verses preceding my text, and which\nindeed gave rise to the pertinent and beautiful maxim there expressed.\n\nIgnorant of the spirit of that dispensation under which they lived, and\nperversely attached to those externals of their religion, that most\ngratified their pride and selfishness, they seem to have been equally\noffended with the doctrines and manners of John the Baptist, and those\nof the BLESSED JESUS. And though the grand object of the Master and his\nForerunner was one and the same, even the reformation of the heart and\nlife; and though the outward means, however inconsistent they might\nappear, were but different parts of the same spiritual and redeeming\nprocess; yet these degenerate Israelites sought to stifle the power of\nconviction in their breasts, by childishly objecting to the abstracted,\nsevere, and rigorous life of the Baptist on the one hand, and the easy,\nopen, and condescending behaviour of JESUS on the other; insinuating,\nthat the former was only the effect of a gloomy, dark, and diabolical\nspirit; and that the latter shewed a familiarity and levity, unworthy\nthe character of a prophet sent from GOD.\n\nOur BLESSED LORD exposes the weakness and inconsistency of these\nobjections, by the following apt and lively similitude: \"Whereunto shall\nI liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are\nlike unto children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to\nanother, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we\nhave mourned unto you, and ye have not wept.\" That is to say: We have\ntaken every method we could devise to engage your attention, and to\nprevail upon you to bear a part in our recreations; but you have\nunkindly and sullenly refused to come. We have endeavoured to adapt our\nlittle sports and exercises to what we conceived might be your\nparticular taste and humour; but still we have failed of success.\n\nIn application of this allusion, our LORD proceeds--\"For John the\nBaptist came neither eating bread, nor drinking wine; and ye say, He\nhath a devil.\" The austerity of the Baptist's life, which was meant to\ninculcate a lesson of self-denial, and abstraction from the follies and\nvanities of a worldly life, as well as a solemn preparation for the\nhappiness of an heavenly one, ye maliciously declare to have proceeded\nfrom the melancholy suggestion of some dark and evil spirit, that\nhurried him into the desart, and secluded him from all affectionate\nintercourse with men. On the other hand, because \"the Son of man is come\neating and drinking, ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber,\na friend of publicans and sinners!\" To answer the great purposes of\nDivine Love, I have, with condescending freedom, mingled with all ranks\nof people; put myself in the way of the giddy and the profligate, and\neven accepted the invitations of publicans and sinners. For this,\nwithout knowing the motives of my conduct, you have vilified me with the\nopprobrious names of glutton and drunkard; and insinuated, that the\nfriendly attention I shewed to men of their character, proceeded not\nfrom a regard to their souls, but from a fondness for their vices. But\nnotwithstanding your blindness and obduracy, notwithstanding your weak\nand wicked misconstructions, be assured, there are those, who can do\njustice to these dispensations of Heaven, whose minds, illuminated from\nabove, can discern the beauty, propriety, and uniformity of design,\nwhich Wisdom manifests in these various methods of addressing herself to\nthe sons of men. Such children of Wisdom are abundantly convinced, that\nthe self-denying life of the Baptist was necessarily preparative to that\nmeek, gentle, condescending Life of Love, which I have inculcated in my\nprecepts, and recommended and enforced by my example; and that both\nthese are the happy effects of that Redeeming Power, which I manifest in\nthe hearts of those, who, with simplicity and self-abasement, receive\nand gratefully acknowledge my spiritual salutary visits. \"But Wisdom is\njustified of all her children.\"\n\nThe truth was this: the Pharisees considered the severe exercises of\nJohn, his contempt of the world, and total disregard of the pleasures\nand honours of life, as a personal censure of their hypocritical\npretensions to religion, by which, under the appearance of great zeal\nfor the external and ceremonial parts of the law, they \"sought the\npraises of men, more than the praises of God.\" In like manner, the\nhumility and condescension of CHRIST, his free and affectionate\nintercourse with all ranks of people, even with those, whom (on account\nof their ignorance of some minute traditionary precepts of their\nRabbins) they held accursed, were a perpetual impeachment of their\nintolerable pride and arrogance, and most effectually tended to lessen\ntheir credit and reputation with those whom they wished and earnestly\nsought to engage for their pupils and admirers. No wonder, then, that\nwhilst they continued thus attached to favourite passions and\nprejudices, they should wilfully misconstrue the purest intentions, and\nvilify the fairest actions of those, who attempted to combat and expose\nthem. Their objections to the person and doctrines of CHRIST, as well as\nto those of his illustrious Harbinger, came rather from their wills than\ntheir understandings: nor would they ever have called in question the\nDivine authority of their missions, had not the design and spirit of\nthem militated against their own evil tempers and dispositions: \"Light\nwas come unto them; but they chose darkness rather than light, because\ntheir deeds were evil.\"\n\nIn every age of the world, and under every dispensation of religion,\nhuman nature, in itself, has always been the same. The serpentine\nsubtilty of human reason, when engaged in the service, and acting under\nthe influence of vice and error, will never be at a loss for arguments\nto support their cause against the voice of truth and virtue. Hence the\nspecious objections, which modern infidelity hath thrown out against the\nnecessity of Divine Revelation; and hence the weak and idle censures,\nwhich libertinism on the one hand, and false enthusiasm on the other, so\nilliberally denounce against the sincere, honest, and cordial votaries\nof true Christianity.\n\nSincerely to be pitied is the poor unbeliever, whose short-sighted\nreason, incapable of seeing further than the externals of Christianity,\nfurnishes him with some plausible objections, that seem to weaken its\noutward evidence, but cannot reach the spirit and power by which it is\nanimated and supported. \"Christianity was instituted for the common\nsalvation of all men: its essential truths, therefore, are plain and\nobvious, level to every capacity, and stand in no need of learned labour\nto inculcate and explain them; they are rather matter of feeling, than\nof reasoning.\n\n\"Whatever is within, whatever is without us, calls aloud for a SAVIOUR.\nChange, corruption, distemperature and death, have, by the sin of fallen\nangels, and of fallen man, been unhappily introduced into this system of\nthings which we inhabit. The whole creation groaneth; and animals and\nvegetables, and even the Immortal Image of GOD himself in man, are all\nin bondage to their malign influences; so that every thing cries out,\nwith the apostle Paul, \"Who shall deliver me from this body of death?\"\nso that every thing cries out, with the apostle Peter, \"Lord, save me,\nor I perish!\"\n\n\"What kind of a Saviour then is it, for whom all nature thus cries\naloud, through all her works? Not a dry moralist, a legislator of bare\nexternal precepts, such as some would represent CHRIST to be: no, the\nexistence and influence of the REDEEMER OF NATURE, must, at least, be as\nextensive as Nature herself. Things are defiled and corrupted\nthroughout; they are distempered and devoted to death, from the inmost\nessence of their being; and none, but HE alone, \"in whom they live, and\nmove, and have their being,\" can possibly redeem and restore them.\"\n\nThese are inevitable truths, which all men, at some time or other, must\nfeel, and feel deeply too, whether they attend to them now or not. The\nredemption and restoration of every sinner can be accomplished in no\nother way, than by CHRIST'S spiritual entrance into his heart, awakening\nin him an abhorrence of evil, and a love of goodness.\n\nThis is the spirit of the GOSPEL OF JESUS; this the grand purpose of\nHeaven, under every dispensation of Revealed Truth, from Adam down to\nthis day. The modes of communication, the outward forms of worship and\nof doctrine, may vary; but the same spirit runs through the whole, and\nthe enlightened eye of \"Wisdom's children\" can see and adore her radiant\nfootsteps, in paths that appear dark and dreary to the eyes of others.\nHowever her outward garb may change; whatever different appearances she\nmay put on, under the patriarchal, legal, and evangelical dispensations;\nher real features, her whole person and employment, have ever been\ninvariably the same. These different appearances were only adapted to\nthe different circumstances of men, and calculated to direct their\nattention to the one great and principal object she has always had in\nview, even the Redemption of immortal spirits from the tyranny of earth\nand hell, and the full restoration of them to their primeval innocence\nand bliss.\n\nTurn then, ye advocates of infidelity! O turn back from those delusive\ndangerous paths, into which the false light of fallen reason hath led\nyour wayward steps. Wisdom herself, and all her true and Heaven-born\nchildren, lift up their sweet and instructive voices, and press you to\nreturn; to recognize your illustrious origin; to spurn the transitory\nand polluting joys of earth, and to aspire after the pure and permanent\npleasures of Heaven! From the Throne of the Most-High, the center of her\nenlightened kingdom, she speaks, she illuminates, she warms every\nintelligent being that turns to her benignant ray: the darkness of\nnature kindles, at her approach, into the Light and Life of Heaven;\nevery evil principle, every evil passion, shrinks from before her, and\nretires to its native hell; whilst the spirits of her redeemed children\nissue forth from their long captivity, and triumphantly re-enter the\nrealms of purity and peace.\n\nWho would not wish, then, to become a votary, a pupil, a child of\nWisdom? But how is this privilege to be obtained? what path must we\npursue, that will lead us to her delightful mansion? what conduct must\nwe observe, that will entitle us to be members of her illustrious\nhousehold? Must we put on the raiment of camel's hair, and the leathern\ngirdle; follow the mortified Baptist into the desert, and feed upon\nlocusts and wild honey? Or must we not rather adopt the gentler manners\nof the HOLY JESUS, mix with the world as he did, and chearfully employ\nourselves in acts of kindness and brotherly love?\n\nIt is evident from the whole passage of Scripture, of which my text is\npart, that our Lord blames the Jews no less for their disregard of the\nministry of John, than for the contempt with which they treated himself;\nand plainly intimates, that, by the Children of Wisdom, we are to\nunderstand all those who see the Baptist's ministry in its true point of\nview, viz. as introductory and preparatory to his own; and in\nconsequence of this are fully convinced, that the chearfulness of Faith,\nand the sweetness and condescension of Love, must naturally be preceded\nby the severity of Repentance, and the salutary bitterness of sorrow and\ncontrition.\n\n\"Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,\" said the Harbinger of\nthe SON of GOD: \"The Kingdom of GOD is come; he that believeth shall be\nsaved;\" said the SON of GOD himself. \"Repentance, therefore, and Faith\nworking by Love,\" are the sure characteristics of Wisdom's Children.\n\nIt is not, therefore, any distinguishing peculiarity of the Baptist's\ncharacter, the outward garb, or the outward deportment, that we are to\nassume, but an inward temper and frame of mind corresponding to both. A\ndeep sensibility of the evils and infirmities of our fallen nature, an\nheart-felt conviction of the guilt and misery of sin, and a penitential\nsorrow for our own numberless lapses and deviations from the path of\nvirtue, are the true Harbingers of CHRIST in our hearts. When, under\ntheir powerful ministration, we find ourselves called, not perhaps to a\nlife of outward solitude and mortification, but of inward retirement and\nabstraction from the world; in the language of Scripture, \"we repent, we\nare converted:\" we turn our backs upon every gay and glittering scene,\nwhich worldly honour, wealth, or pleasure, can exhibit; we find nothing\nin any of them, that can give a moment's real peace or rest to our\n\"weary heavy laden\" souls; we are humbled to the dust; we feel\nourselves, as \"worms, and not men,\" as \"less than the least of GOD'S\nmercies.\"\n\nIn this mortified, penitent, and afflicted state, which is mercifully\nintended to bring us to a proper sense of our helplessness by nature,\nand of the indispensable necessity of Divine Supernatural assistance, we\nmust remain, till the happy effect is produced, and till GOD is\ngraciously pleased to call us out of the wilderness. The Harbinger then\nhath fulfilled his office; \"The Lamb of GOD\" appears \"to take away the\nsins of the world;\" \"The kingdom of heaven is come\" into our hearts. To\nsorrow and disquietude, succeed sweet peace and heavenly composure of\nmind: the understanding is enlightened; the will receives a new and\nhappy direction; a new principle animates our whole frame, a new conduct\nappears in our whole life and conversation: the Spirit of Love breathes\nand acts in every duty we are called to perform, in every little office,\nwhich common civility and politeness requires us to do, even to those,\nwho have yet no taste or desire for the sublime comforts of religion.\n\nThus it is, that Wisdom is justified of all her Children; and thus it\nappears, that the Religion of the Gospel, which is the only True Wisdom,\nis a RELIGION OF LOVE. A LIFE OF LOVE, therefore, is the best, the only\nevidence, which its disciples can give, of the sincerity of their\nprofession; and the surest method they can take of recommending it to\nothers. \"Let your light, then, so shine before men, that they may see\nyour good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE II.\n                       Evangelical Righteousness.\n\n\nJEREMIAH, CHAP. xxiii. VERSE 6.\n\n    \"AND THIS IS HIS NAME, WHEREBY HE SHALL BE CALLED, THE LORD OUR\n    RIGHTEOUSNESS.\"\n\nThe great and essential distinction betwixt the legal and evangelical\ndispensation, is accurately pointed out by the Apostle, where he tells\nus, that \"the law is but the shadow of good things to come, and not the\nvery image of the things.\" Its types, ceremonies, and outward\nordinances, are taken from the objects of temporal nature, which are, at\nbest, but shadowy representations of Eternal Truth. \"The comers\nthereunto could never be perfected,\" by the most minute observation of\nits external rites. The pious, spiritual Jews, therefore, must have\nlooked further than these, and considered every outward purification, as\nfiguratively expressive of an inward cleansing to be performed in their\nhearts.\n\nMoses, their inspired Legislator, and the prophets that succeeded him,\ndid not fail to acquaint them with the immediate and necessary reference\nof these temporal symbols to Spiritual and Eternal Truths. Nevertheless,\nit appears but too evident, from the whole Jewish history, that the\ngenerality rested their hopes of salvation, merely upon their outward\nlaw: \"They went about to establish a righteousness of their own,\"\nfounded upon a strict observance of the Levitical ceremonies, which were\nonly adapted to their present circumstances, without paying the least\nattention to that Inward Law of Righteousness, to which these ceremonies\nreferred.\n\nHence it was, that their prophets were directed by the Most High, to\nexpress, in the strongest terms, his disapprobation of those very\nordinances, which he himself had originally instituted for their good;\nand to tell them, that \"he had no pleasure in their burnt-offerings and\nsacrifices, that their oblations were vain, and that incense was an\nabomination in his sight.\" His displeasure was not with the ordinances\nthemselves; for, if considered and observed with proper views and\ndispositions, they would have been subservient to the most glorious\npurposes: but he was offended with the gross and flagrant abuses of\nthem, which the people were daily committing.\n\nHence also it was, that the same inspired prophets, when the hand of the\nHIGHEST drew aside the curtain of futurity, and exhibited to their\nastonished view the successive displays of Gospel Light and Truth, with\nall that variety of heavenly scenery, which his INCARNATE SON was to\nopen upon our benighted world; hence it was, I say, that the same\ninspired prophets were particularly careful to distinguish the new\ndispensation, by every figure and mode of expression, that might lead\nthe most dark and ignorant Jew to consider it as internal and spiritual.\n\nThe righteousness of the new covenant is widely different from what the\ncarnal Israelite apprehended to be the righteousness of the old. With\nrespect to their essence, their foundation, their motives and ends, both\ncovenants are the same, differing only in the external mode of\nrevelation; the old being \"the shadow,\" the new \"the image of good\nthings to come;\" the old, pointing to CHRIST; the new, revealing him in\nall his fulness to the faithful.\n\nCHRIST JESUS, therefore, is and must be, \"the end of the law to those\nthat believe;\" that is, he is and must be, in himself, that very\nRighteousness to which the law pointed, but which it could not attain.\n\"As a school-master,\" it served to instruct its ignorant, dark, and\nfallen pupils, in the outward rudiments of Divine Truth; but could never\ncommunicate to them the Light, Life, and Spirit of that real Evangelical\nRighteousness, which is only to be found in the INCARNATE WORD OF GOD.\n\nIt is for this reason, that the prophet, speaking of the approaching\nkingdom of the MESSIAH, in whom all the law and the prophets were to\ncenter, represents him as \"a righteous branch springing forth from the\nroot of David; as a king, reigning, prospering, and executing judgment\nand justice on the earth;\" in consequence of whose mild and equitable\nadministration, \"Judah should be saved, and Israel should dwell safely:\"\nand, as the most characteristical designation of his nature and office,\ntells us, that \"This is his NAME, whereby he shall be called, THE LORD\nOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.\"\n\nLet us then enquire, in the first place, why our BLESSED REDEEMER has\nthe name of RIGHTEOUSNESS ascribed to him by the prophet; and secondly,\nwhat we are to understand by his being called \"OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.\"\n\nI. A name in Scripture is generally put to express the intrinsic nature\nand qualities of the object named. When, therefore, the name of the\nMESSIAH is here said to be \"Righteousness,\" we must necessarily\nconclude, that Righteousness is his very nature, his essence, the\nsubstance of all his attributes and perfections. He is not called\nrighteous, but RIGHTEOUSNESS itself; the source and fountain, from\nwhence all that is really and truly righteous, throughout the universe,\nperpetually proceeds.\n\nJESUS CHRIST is \"the Brightness of the Father's Glory, and the Express\nImage of his Person.\" All the beauties, excellencies, powers, and\nvirtues, which are essentially hidden in the invisible GODHEAD, are\nsubstantially, vitally, inwardly, as well as outwardly, opened,\nrevealed, and illustriously displayed, in the person of the INCARNATE\nJESUS. \"All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing\nmade, that was made:\" all the \"thrones, dominions, principalities and\npowers,\" possessed by angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim, are\nderived from him; for, \"in, and through him, did the Father create all\nthings.\" The highest degree of Righteousness which the highest Seraph\ncan attain, is but a beam or efflux from this Eternal Sun. With glory\nundiminished he perpetually imparts spiritual life and vigour to all\nthose countless myriads of intelligences, which inhabit the whole\ncompass of universal nature. He is himself the living law, the eternal\nrule of order and rectitude. GOD THE FATHER hath \"set this his King of\nRighteousness on his holy hill of Sion.\" Every outward institute,\nrevealed and written, which GOD hath \"at sundry times and in divers\nmanners,\" delivered to the sons of men, was but a transcript of that\noriginal law, which lives for ever in the heart of CHRIST. \"I am the\nway, the truth, and the life;\" \"no man cometh unto the Father, but by\nme; ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life; without me, ye can\ndo nothing--\" are his own blessed words.\n\nNature, without this CHRIST OF GOD, is impurity, emptiness, poverty,\nwant, and wretchedness extreme: nature illuminated, enriched, refreshed,\nglorified by him, is holy, righteous, lovely, supremely happy. Known or\nunknown to our fallen race, it is HE alone, who inspires every good\nthought, every righteous deed, every sentiment and action that is\namiable and endearing.\n\nIn the acts of the apostles we read of an altar with this inscription,\n\"To the unknown GOD!\" St. Paul, taking occasion from this circumstance,\ntells the Athenians, \"Him whom ye ignorantly worship, preach I unto\nyou.\" In the whole frame of nature, says a truly sublime writer, every\nheart, every creature, every affection, every action, is an altar with\nthe same kind of inscription, \"To the unknown Beauty!--To the unknown\nRighteousness!--To the unknown Jesus!\" This is the eternal standard of\ntruth, order, righteousness and perfection, to which every being in\nnature ignorantly moveth; this is that which all understandings, all\nhearts, cannot but admire and adore. But blessed above all beings are\nthose, whose hearts are spiritual altars, with the righteous person of\nCHRIST engraven upon them by the finger of GOD, flaming with the fire of\nHeavenly Love, and bearing this radiant inscription, \"To the known and\nexperienced Beauty and Righteousness of that JESUS, whom we know; that\nWord of Life, which our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, our hands\nhave handled, and spiritually embraced!\" And this leads me, in the\nsecond place, to inquire what we are to understand by CHRIST'S being\ncalled \"OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.\"\n\nII. Under my first head, I observed to you from Scripture, that GOD\ncreated all things \"in and by JESUS CHRIST;\" and that \"without him, was\nnot any thing made that was made.\" Man, in particular, was \"created in\nthe Image of GOD:\" CHRIST is \"the Brightness of the Father's Glory, and\nthe Express Image of his Person:\" and, therefore, man was created in\nCHRIST.\n\nMan in himself, in his outward nature, was but an empty vessel, till the\nCHRIST OF GOD became his fulness and perfection. His outward form was\nfrom the dust of the earth; but his inward spirit was the breath of the\nMOST HIGH. The Image of GOD, even CHRIST himself, was his first, his\nsole Righteousness and perfection; the infallible instructor and\nenlightener of his understanding, the unerring guide and director of his\nwill. The Name by which the SON of GOD was known to him, was \"The Lord\nhis Righteousness.\" Angels themselves know no other Righteousness, than\nthe Righteousness of GOD in CHRIST.\n\nThe fall of man, or \"Original sin,\" (as our church article with great\ntruth and propriety expresses it) \"is the fault and corruption of the\nnature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of\nAdam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is\nof his own nature inclined to evil.\" We have already seen what this\noriginal righteousness was, which man possessed in a state of innocence,\nviz. that it was CHRIST, \"the Lord his Righteousness,\" in him. This is\nwhat Adam lost--This is what CHRIST alone can restore.\n\nMan in his present fallen state, without CHRIST, must be naturally\ninclined to evil; he has no righteousness of his own. And he can no more\nbe saved by any exertion of his own natural powers, than he can see by\nthe utmost stretch of his organs of sight, without the light of the sun.\n\nHere then a serious and inquiring mind may be ready to ask--How is this\nBLESSED REDEEMER to become my Righteousness? I feel the force of these\nScripture truths you have mentioned, and experience in my soul the\ndreadful consequences of an original apostasy--But I know not, whether\nCHRIST is my Righteousness, or not. I know not, whether I have the least\ntraces of his Righteous Image in my soul.\n\n\"Hath CHRIST, then, been so long time with thee, and yet hast thou not\nknown him?\" Every little rebuke of conscience; every emotion of\nkindness, tenderness, and love; every sympathetic feeling of the\nprosperity or distress of thy neighbour; every sensibility of\nadmiration, esteem, and joy, from contemplating a truly wise and\nvirtuous character; every fervent desire of imitating what is good and\nexcellent in others; every weak aspiration after holiness and\nperfection; nay, every little feeling of the restless cravings of thine\nown nature, every little longing after happiness unpossessed; all, all\nis CHRIST, speaking within thee, and waiting and watching to reveal\nhimself in Righteousness to thy soul. Nothing, therefore, is wanting, on\nthy part, but a calm and quiet resignation of thyself, and all that is\nwithin thee, to his sovereign disposal, to redeem, purify, and restore,\nto do every thing that is necessary to be done, and which he alone can\ndo, for thy salvation.\n\nThus have I endeavoured to give the plain and obvious meaning of the\ntext. Distinctions upon distinctions have been multiplied; books upon\nbooks have been published, to tell us that we are to be justified by the\nPersonal Righteousness of CHRIST outwardly imputed, and sanctified by\nthe inherent graces of the HOLY SPIRIT; that one must necessarily\nprecede the other; and that we must be perfect in CHRIST by\nJustification, before we can have the least spark of Holiness by\nSanctification. This is, indeed, travelling in the broad and popular\nroad; and such kind of preaching might be to the \"praise of men.\" Let\nsystems be written upon systems, and comments upon comments; let\npreachers oppose preachers, and hearers wander after this or that form\nof godliness; but may Heaven in mercy preserve us from taking up our\nrest, or placing our dependence upon any thing less than an intimate and\nexperimental knowledge of \"The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS\" revealing\nhimself, with all his holy heavenly tempers, virtues, and dispositions,\nin our hearts! May we never rest satisfied with a nominal profession of\nChristianity, a nominal acquaintance with CHRIST, or a nominal remission\nof sins; for, surely, we are not warranted, by Scripture, to look upon\nourselves as redeemed by CHRIST, and born again of him, till by a total\npurification, a complete deliverance from all the evil tempers and\npassions of our fallen life, he hath obtained a full and peaceable\npossession of our whole nature, erected his Throne of Righteousness in\nour hearts, and by the effectual working of his HOLY SPIRIT brought us\nto the \"measure of the stature of that FULNESS, which is in HIMSELF.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE III.\n          The Religion of Jesus, the only Source of Happiness.\n\n\nSt. JOHN, CHAP. vi. VER. 66, 67, 68.\n\n    \"FROM THAT TIME, MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES WENT BACK, AND WALKED NO MORE\n    WITH HIM. THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THE TWELVE, WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY?\n    THEN SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, LORD! TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? THOU HAST\n    THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.\"\n\nHappiness is the great end and aim of all those restless pursuits in\nwhich mankind are perpetually engaged. The laborious peasant, and the\ncontemplative philosopher; the man that wisheth for wealth, and the man\nthat possesseth it; the gay votary of worldly pleasure, and the gloomy\ntenant of the solitary cell, are alike industrious in exploring this\nhidden treasure. Their imaginations are ever upon the stretch after this\nsomething yet unknown. Their ideas of happiness indeed, as well as the\nmeans which they make use of to attain it, are as different as their\nprevailing tempers and inclinations. Whatever objects coincide with\ntheir present conceptions, those they esteem, and those they pursue,\nwith all the eagerness of newly awakened desire. Deluded, however, by\nspecious appearances, mistaken again and again in their choice of\nobjects, loathing to-day what they pursued yesterday with ardour,\nchearful and confident in prospect, disappointed and melancholy in\npossession, they fondly rove from one scene of imaginary bliss to\nanother, unable to rest on any with permanent satisfaction. They never\nonce consider, that no finite objects can fill up the immense void of an\nimmortal soul, no temporal enjoyments satisfy its boundless desires; and\nthat nothing less than \"life eternal\" can afford an happiness\ncommensurate to its eternal nature.\n\nThis is not mere theory, or empty speculation. There is not one in this\nassembly, but could bear witness from experience to the melancholy fact.\nWas each of us to be asked, in a serious and solemn manner, Are you\nreally happy? very few, I am afraid, if they would speak ingenuously,\ncould answer in the affirmative. And yet, perhaps, most of us have\nattained, from time to time, what we once deemed the height of our\nwishes; and what we were then sure, if attained, would make us\ncompletely happy.\n\nThe child wishes for the employments and pleasures of youth; the youth\nlongs to arrive at what he calls the freedom and independence of\nmanhood; the man anxiously schemes and plots, and contrives, and labours\nand toils, and then wishes to see the success of his schemes, the\naccomplishment of his labours. His schemes turn out to his satisfaction;\nthe end is obtained; the object is enjoyed: his bliss is consummate, to\nbe sure; he cannot be happier--No such thing--New wants succeed; new\nschemes are formed; new pursuits, new labours, new anxieties and wishes,\ntread close upon each other's heels. But where is his happiness all the\nwhile? Why he loses sight, at last, of the grand and principal object,\nin the pursuit of which he had set out: failing of success in this, he\nfoolishly adopts the means for the end; and perpetual care, toil, and\nvexation, are the wretched effects of his mistaken choice.\n\nThus, for instance, the covetous man grasps, and saves, and fills his\ncoffers--for what? Not to make himself, his family, or his poor\nneighbours round him, happy with the fruits of his penurious efforts.\nNo--he not only turns a deaf ear to the piercing cries of indigence, but\ngrudges even his family the common necessaries of life, and never parts\nwith a farthing, without uttering some ridiculous complaint of the\nhardness of the times, and their want of economy. He saves therefore for\nthe sake of saving; his heart is shut up in his chest with his beloved\nmammon, both alike inaccessible to the mild and soft approaches of\nkindness and liberality.\n\nWe cannot but shrink back with horror, from a character so odious and\ndetestable as this. But the observation with which I set out, will hold\nequally true, when applied to any of those false paths, which men pursue\nin quest of happiness.\n\nPleasure and ambition will deceive them, as surely as avarice. Enjoyment\nin every instance may pall, but cannot satisfy the restless desire. Nor\nwill it ever be satisfied, till the soul gets sight of the only true\nbeatifying object in the universe, to which she can rise, and upon which\nshe can rest, with the whole strength and energy of her immortal nature.\n\nThe light of another world, however, must open and irradiate her\nspiritual senses, before she can have the least glimpse of this supreme\nsource of bliss. The vanity and deception of all creaturely happiness\nmust in some measure be unfolded to her view, before she can stretch one\nfeeble thought towards Heaven; and she must be intimately convinced of\nthe bondage of her fallen life, and the misery of her condition in this\nfallen world, before she can feel the force, or discern the spiritual\ndepth of these expressions of St. Peter, \"Lord! to whom shall we go?\nThou hast the words of eternal life.\"\n\nThere are many people, indeed, who though they are walking on in those\nvery paths of error and delusion which I have just mentioned, would fain\nhave their conduct hallowed by some religious appearances. They begin\nwith deceiving themselves, and then go on to deceive others. But, do\nwhat they will, they cannot wholly divest themselves of the feelings of\ntruth and virtue. For they have within them a Spiritual Nature, that is\ncontinually striving, under the influences of its native Heaven, to get\ndisengaged from the servitude of its corrupt companion. Call it by what\nname we please, conscience, the light of nature, common sense, common or\npreventing grace; or, as the Scripture denominates it, \"the Light that\nlighteth every man that cometh into the world, Christ in us the hope of\nglory, the Incorruptible Seed of the WORD OF GOD,\" (for, as Christians,\nI think we ought to prefer scriptural to philosophical terms;) I say,\ncall it by which ever of these names we like best, certain it is, that\nevery man at times feels this Divine Power stirring within him, and\nendeavouring to awaken, reprove, inform, illuminate, and govern his life\nand actions.\n\nNow it always happens, that the counsels of this Heavenly Monitor clash\nwith and oppose the dictates of corrupt nature. At this contradiction,\nthe passions are alarmed; they demand immediate gratification, and the\ntrembling mortal dares not at once yield to their solicitations. A\nstrong sensibility of the falsehood of their claim, is felt in his\nbreast. Something must first be done, to stifle or quiet this uneasy\nsensation.\n\nAvarice, he will say to himself, is criminal, it is true; but a\nwell-timed parsimony is virtuous and commendable; and a good and prudent\nman will think himself in duty bound to provide for the future support\nof his children.\n\nSensual pleasure, vain mirth, and jovial company, are not quite\nconsistent with the precepts of the Gospel of CHRIST: but a few innocent\namusements can do no harm; and it is but in character for a Christian to\nbe chearful.\n\nThe pursuits of ambition are diametrically opposite to that meekness and\nhumility, which should characterize the disciple of the lowly JESUS: but\nposts of honour, and exalted stations, may enable a man to be of\nconsiderable service to his neighbours, and enlarge his sphere of\nusefulness.\n\nThus, every evil temper and inclination, wrath, hatred, revenge, envy,\njealousy, &c. may cloath themselves in the garb of virtue. Men may first\ndeceive themselves, by endeavouring to reconcile their criminal pursuits\nwith the dictates of conscience; and then employ the same infernal arts,\nto deceive and impose upon others. It is with such masks as these, that\nhypocrites, pharisees, and all pretenders to true religion, step forth\nupon the stage of life, dare to enlist themselves under the standard of\nvirtue, and even sometimes assume the rank and authority of commanders.\nBut when they are summoned to the field of battle; when they are called\nupon, from within, or from without, to exert themselves against their\nspiritual adversaries, to assert the rights of Heaven, as well in\nthemselves as in the world around them, to subdue the evil lusts and\npassions that tyrannize in their own breasts, or to engage with that\nbitter and malevolent spirit, who opposes the advancement of their\nMaster's kingdom in the life and conduct of others; then it is, that the\ntraitors drop their masks; they meanly desert the banner of the cross,\nopenly disavow their pretensions to religion, and \"deny the LORD that\nbought them.\" They shrink from the combat, honourable as it would have\nbeen for them to engage, and happy as they would have found themselves\nin the issue; and meanly barter away their salvation for a false peace,\nshort in its continuance, and ending in woe and misery extreme. Like the\ncowardly disciples mentioned in my text, \"they go back, and walk no more\nwith their Master.\"\n\nDoubtless these timid Israelites were alarmed at that heavenly discourse\nof the BLESSED JESUS, which we read in the preceding part of this\nchapter. The mysteries of his kingdom there delivered, were too refined\nfor their gross conception. The nature, nourishment, and growth of the\nInward and Spiritual Man, which is there indispensably required,\nmilitated too powerfully against their favourite passions and\nprejudices. Their high-blown hopes of future preferment in a temporal\nkingdom, were, by this spiritual address, entirely dissipated; and they\nwere taught to seek and expect nothing from their Master, but what was\nopposite to the life, and spirit, and maxims of this world.\n\nAlas, how many apostates from the religion of JESUS, have imitated the\nconduct of these unworthy disciples! Past, as well as present times,\nafford too many melancholy examples of this kind. A temporizing spirit\nhath prevailed in almost all ages; and ecclesiastical history abounds\nwith examples of its venomous influence upon the minds of men. The\ntemporal prosperity of the church, hath, in many instances, proved its\nruin; and accessions of wealth and power have only served to increase\nits corruptions. Under the profession of a religion, which breathes\nnothing but purity, meekness, and benevolence, men have been actuated by\nall the diabolical passions that ever inflamed the breasts of the most\nignorant and unenlightened Pagans.\n\nWherever the external profession of Christianity hath been attended with\nany outward emoluments, its disciples have increased, and an outward\nshew of zeal for its advancement, hath not been wanting. This outward\nshew gives them but little trouble; and the hypocrite's garb, though\ncumbersome at first, is not only made light and convenient by custom,\nbut even desirable for the profits and advantages it brings.\n\nWhilst the BLESSED JESUS is distributing his bounty, and loaves and\nfishes multiply under his creating hand, he will never be without crouds\nof followers to partake of his royal munificence. Whilst he is riding in\ntriumph through the streets of Jerusalem, nothing is heard from every\nquarter, but \"Hosannahs to the Son of David;\" every one is ambitious of\njoining his train, and of being in the number of his adherents. But when\nthe powers of this world confederate against him; when Herod and Pontius\nPilate, and the whole nation of the Jews, rise up in arms, seize upon\nthe innocent victim, and drag him to condemnation, torture and death;\nthen, indeed, his false friends appear in their proper colours; and, O\nmelancholy truth! even his disciples \"go back, and walk no more with\nhim;\" some of them deny him, and all fly and forsake him.\n\nLet us not deceive ourselves, my brethren. It is not an outward\nprofession of Christianity, or an outward zeal against its adversaries,\nthat will stand us in any stead: all this may well enough consist with\ninward impurity, a worldly spirit, and an heart devoted to the service\nof sin. The great trial of our faith, the sure proof of the sincerity of\nour conversion, must be sought for in deeper exercises than these.\n\nWhen storms arise, when dangers threaten, when inward and outward\nenemies attack our peace; when we cannot maintain our discipleship\nwithout the sacrifice of some darling passion of almost irresistible\npower; when we can walk no longer with our Master, without the loss of\nsome considerable temporal advantages; when we are summoned by him to\nfly from the soft allurements of pleasure, to burst the bonds of avarice\nor ambition, to disclaim all dependence upon the world, ourselves, or\nany created being; in a word, \"to forsake all, take up our cross, and\nfollow him;\" then, indeed, is our hour of trial! then the sincerity of\nour attachment to CHRIST, will be made manifest to ourselves, and to the\nworld; and we shall learn to know assuredly, whether we are, or are not,\nof the number of those disciples, \"who go back, and walk no more with\nhim.\"\n\nTherefore, O Christian, thy Beloved is then only thine, and thou art\nthen only his, when thou canst abide with him in the darkness of the\nvale, as well as in the splendors of the mount; when thou canst walk\nwith him in the wilderness, as well as on the plain; and when \"neither\ntribulation, nor distress, nor trial, nor persecution, can separate thee\nfrom the LOVE OF GOD, which is in CHRIST JESUS our Lord.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE IV.\n          The Religion of Jesus, the only Source of Happiness.\n\n\nSt. JOHN, CHAP. vi. VER. 66, 67, 68.\n\n    \"FROM THAT TIME MANY OF DISCIPLES WENT BACK, AND WALKED NO MORE WITH\n    HIM. THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THE TWELVE, WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY? THEN\n    SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, LORD! TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? THOU HAST THE\n    WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.\"\n\n\nThe motives which induced many of our Lord's first followers to withdraw\nthemselves from his person, and wholly relinquish the connection they\nhad formed with him and his disciples, I have explained in the preceding\ndiscourse. The erroneous conduct of mankind in general, their mistaken\nnotions of happiness, the false and dangerous paths in which they pursue\nit, their delusive hopes and real disappointments; the palliative arts\nthey make use of to reconcile their duty with their passions, and the\nvarious methods by which they deceive themselves as well as others;\ntheir hypocritical pretensions to religion, and the ways in which their\ndeceptions are discovered, and their pharisaical professions unveiled;\nin a word, the genuine sources of that error and apostasy, into which\nthe unworthy disciples mentioned in the text, as well as others who have\nsince imitated their example, have sadly degenerated; all these\nparticulars were suggested to my mind, from the consideration of these\nwords of the Evangelist, \"From that time many of his disciples went\nback, and walked no more with him.\"\n\nThe tender and pathetic expostulation which this ungenerous conduct\nproduced from the blessed lips of the common Friend and Saviour of Man,\nbreathes such a spirit of love, kindness, and compassion, towards the\nsouls of those whom he came to redeem, as cannot but claim our most\nserious and grateful attention. The deep concern he must have felt for\nsuch an instance of apostasy, added to his apprehensions of the fatal\ninfluence it might have upon his beloved Apostles, awakened in him all\nthose innocent and delicate sensibilities, which, even in his human\nnature, were the genuine offspring of that ETERNAL LOVE to which he was\nessentially united.\n\nFriendship, true friendship, is the HEAVEN-BORN OFFSPRING of Divine\nCharity. Heaven is her native country. In that pure and gentle element\nshe lives and moves without constraint, free, chearful, delighting and\ndelighted. If ever she deigns to associate with the sons of men, it is\namong the truly virtuous alone she can be found. She visits none but\nthose, whose \"conversation is in heaven,\" who have within them a birth\ncongenial with her own, whose hearts and affections are governed by the\nSpirit of Love, and can only be wooed and won by correspondent tempers\nand characters. Her sacred name, indeed, is often prostituted to venal,\nbase, and corrupt purposes. Her fair and beauteous garb is often worn by\nthe votaries of avarice, pleasure, and ambition. Her sweet aspect, her\nmild and winning graces, her obliging and disinterested disposition,\nyea, even her peculiar warmth of affection, and glowing sensibility of\nheart, are all profanely counterfeited by the selfish and sensual, the\nvain and the aspiring.\n\nTake it for granted, however, that man, whether gay, dissolute,\ncovetous, or ambitious, is incapable of real friendship: all his designs\nand prospects center in himself, and every seeming act of kindness,\nevery splendid appearance of courtesy and generosity, is calculated to\npromote some selfish purpose, to procure some temporal emolument.\n\nFar different is the friendship of those who are \"born of God;\" who,\nfrom a vital union with the Source of Love, derive such pure and\nunadulterated streams of Charity into their breasts, as manifest\nthemselves in a life of general beneficence towards all men, and a warm,\naffectionate, spiritual attachment towards \"those especially, who are of\nthe houshold of faith.\" Such, but in the purest highest degree, were\nthose heavenly feelings of true friendship, with which the heart of\nJESUS glowed, when he uttered this sweet and endearing expostulation,\n\"Will ye also go away?\"\n\nThe words are few, but the sentiments are manifold, gracious, and\nanimating; and they cannot but appear so to those, who attend, with nice\ndiscernment, to the common feelings of human nature. It is to these\ncommon feelings that our Lord makes his appeal, in all his heavenly\ndiscourses.\n\nThough, from the general corruption, it is a case that has but seldom\noccurred in the page of history, yet let us suppose a good and virtuous\nman, associated with a set of good and virtuous companions, bound to him\nby the strong and endearing ties of private friendship, in the defence\nof some good and virtuous cause. Novelty, the love of fame, a desire of\nappearing to the world in some conspicuous point of view, the prospect\nof some great temporal advantages, and a variety of other motives of a\nselfish nature, might suddenly prompt a considerable number of persons\nto join these champions of virtue, and follow them in the glorious\nenterprize. Enemies appear, dangers threaten; yea, death, perhaps, in\nall its horrors, presents itself to their view. Personal security is to\nbe preferred before the general interest of virtue; and where virtue\ncannot be supported without personal losses, her cause must be\nabandoned. Upon these principles, the weak and timid multitude forsake\ntheir gallant leader. Attached to him by no bonds, but those of interest\nor ambition, when these fail, they think themselves at liberty to\nabandon his person and his cause. The noble chieftain, not so much\naffected with the prospect of danger to himself and his cause, as with a\nreal concern for the baseness of his followers, and an apprehension,\nthat their flight might perhaps intimidate those, whom he knew to be\nattached, from principle, to virtue and himself; the noble chieftain, I\nsay, might with great propriety, and without the least tincture of fear\nor despondency, but rather as a trial of their fidelity, and a most\npowerful incentive to new and more vigorous efforts, address himself in\nsuch words to the chosen few, as those, which the great Captain of our\nSalvation delivered upon this occasion: \"Will ye, also go away?\" In this\naddress, there is not implied the least unkind suspicion of their\nintegrity. It is no more than an affectionate appeal to the warm and\ntender sensations of true and genuine friendship.\n\nO, my beloved Apostles! ye see the weakness, timidity, and\nworldly-mindedness, of those pretended friends, who have hitherto\nassociated with us. So violent hath been their attachment to earthly\npursuits, that they would not suffer truths of the highest importance to\ninterfere with them for a moment. My last spiritual address was too deep\nand powerful a stroke at their corruptions. Could they have continued in\nfellowship with us upon their own terms, and made their connexion\nsubservient to their own views of temporal interest, they would not have\nso suddenly forsaken us. But shall their conduct have the least\ninfluence upon yours? Will ye be intimidated by their flight? Will ye\nsuffer your fidelity and perseverance to be shaken by their evil\nexample? Will ye unkindly abandon a Master, into whose service ye\nentered upon the most disinterested principles, and who knows and feels\nyou to be attached to him by the heavenly ties of religion and love?\nAfter having seen so many indubitable testimonies of that almighty power\nwherewith he is invested, will ye doubt his ability to protect and\ndeliver you? After so many kind and instructive conversations, in the\ncourse of which he hath gradually, and as he found you \"could bear\nthem,\" opened to you the great truths of his spiritual kingdom; will ye\nbe such enemies to yourselves, and your real happiness, as to forsake\nyour best of friends, your kindest and most powerful protector? \"Will ye\nalso go away?\"\n\nThese sentiments, and more than these, are expressed in this pathetic\nexpostulation: and for our comfort, my brethren, may we ever recollect,\nthat, though ascended into the highest heavens, and seated at the right\nhand of his Father, he continues the same loving conduct towards all his\nfaithful friends and followers, that he observed towards his disciples\nwhilst he was upon earth. The same gentle and affectionate modes of\nspeech, the same tender, but awakening expostulations, to which his\nApostles were accustomed, he still applies to the heart of every\nbeliever.\n\nIf we look back to past experience, we shall be convinced, that this\nvery expostulation of our compassionate Master, hath frequently sounded\nin our ears. When the infectious influence of evil example, the sudden\nattack of some powerful temptation, some severe stroke of adversity, or\nsome smiling prospect of temporal felicity; when these, or any of these,\nhave secretly solicited our frail nature, to relinquish our religious\npursuits, to surrender ourselves to the dominion of sin, and renounce\nthe favour and protection of our Master; hath he not frequently, and\nwith ineffable tenderness, whispered this gentle reprehension to our\nhearts, \"Will ye also go away?\" Happy, indeed, if, with Peter's\naffectionate warmth, and honest faithful adherence to our Lord, amidst\nthe severest trials, we have been enabled to reply, from a full\nconviction of our own weakness, and of his all-sufficiency, \"Lord! to\nwhom shall we go? Thou hast the words of Eternal Life.\"\n\nPeter generally spoke in the name of all his brethren. His answer here,\ntherefore, is to be considered as a solemn declaration on the part of\nthe Apostles, of their firm trust and confidence in their Master,\nfounded on the full evidence they had received of his Divinity. As if he\nhad said:\n\nThink not, dearest Master, that thy faithful disciples are actuated by\nsuch unworthy motives as have prompted some of their weak and carnal\nbrethren to forsake thee. No--we are intimately convinced of the folly\nof depending upon any creaturely strength, or seeking for happiness in\nany sublunary prospect. Thou hast opened upon our wondering souls such\nscenes of heavenly bliss, thou hast manifested to our outward senses\nsuch astonishing displays of thy absolute power over all temporal\nnature, thou hast revived our hearts with such sweet draughts of those\nrivers of pleasure that surround thy Father's throne, thou hast\nenlightened our understandings with such piercing beams of truth, thou\nhast placed such endearing objects before our will and affections, and\nhast so enamoured our souls with the beauty and excellency of thy\nGospel; that we are perfectly satisfied to remain with thee for ever,\nimplicitly to follow thy blessed footsteps, to accompany thee through\nall the difficulties and dangers of life, and even to meet death\nundaunted at thy side. Indeed, \"to whom shall we go?\" Every creature\naround us, bears the stamp of its own imperfection. Whatever they\npossess of beauty or of bliss, it is all from thee, thou Lord of life,\nand source of all perfection! They are in themselves, as poor and\nindigent as we are. If we make the experiment, and go to them in quest\nof happiness, our fond hopes are suddenly overthrown, and vexation\nsucceeds to disappointment. The life we are now in, is fallen, temporal,\nand transient. The words of this life are as vain as the life itself:\nfor it can only speak what it knows and feels, and the sum and substance\nof this is want and woe. But as thou hast in thyself the very source of\neternal life, by virtue of thy eternal union with the Father; as the\npowers, sensibilities, virtues, and perfections of this life, are\ncompletely opened in thee; as the \"fulness of the GODHEAD dwells bodily\"\nin thee, so thy words must be the \"words of eternal life:\" for thou\n\"speakest that thou dost know, and testifiest that thou hast seen.\" Thy\noutward words are, indeed, but the outward signs of this life eternal;\nthe real participation of it can be nothing less than an inward and\nvital union of our wills with thine, effectually co-operating, and\ngradually \"transforming us into thine own image, from glory to glory.\"\n\nSuch was the import of the Apostle's reply; and such must be the real\nheart-felt language of every sinner, that expects peace and pardon at\nthe hands of the Almighty. Pardon of sin, is not, as some vainly\nimagine, like the cancelling of a bond, the remitting of a debt, or the\nforgiveness of an injury betwixt man and man. No--It is a \"dying unto\nsin, and a rising again unto righteousness.\" It is life eternal opening\nitself in the fallen soul, and extinguishing the life of sin, or at\nleast keeping it in due subjection, till the dissolution of the body\nputs an end to its connection with this fallen world; it is, according\nto the Apostle's language, \"the law of the spirit of life making us free\nfrom the law of sin and death.\"\n\nThat eternal life, which we have, and can have only from JESUS CHRIST,\nthe second Adam, can alone pardon, remit, atone, cover, extinguish, (for\nall these are words of the same spiritual import) that earthly life,\nwhich we have received from the first Adam. The very first motion of\nthis eternal life within us, is a conviction of the vanity, sin, and\nfolly of our earthly life. \"They that are whole need not a physician,\nbut they that are sick.\" A sensibility of want and weakness must\nnecessarily precede a desire of relief: and the soul must be \"weary and\nheavy laden,\" oppressed beneath the burden of her fallen nature, and\nconvinced of its inability to yield her a moment's real peace, before\nshe will think of making this solemn inquiry, \"what shall I do to be\nsaved? to whom shall I go?\" Yea, even after she is come thus far, many a\nweary step must be taken, many doubts and difficulties must be\nencountered, before she will be able, from her own experience, to adopt\nthis declaration of the Apostle, \"Thou hast the words of eternal life.\"\n\nThose doubts and difficulties, with which men are frequently embarrassed\nin their spiritual researches, do in a great measure proceed from that\ngeneral deviation from the primitive simplicity of Gospel Truth and\nGospel Language, which so sadly prevails among the various denominations\nof Christians; in consequence of which, a multitude of useless and\nunscriptural distinctions have been introduced into catechisms, systems\nof divinity, and even books of practical devotion, which serve only to\nperplex and confound the mind of anxious and well-disposed inquirers.\n\n\"To whom shall I go?\" cries the poor penitent sinner, whom CHRIST, by\nthe Power of his Grace, hath brought to a sensibility of his fallen\nlife. Why, go to the priest, says one; confess, and get absolution, and\nyou will come away as innocent as a new-born babe. Go, and study the\nAugsburg confession, says another, and you will soon have every doubt\nand difficulty removed. Go, says a third, and read Calvin's system with\ngreat attention, and you will soon find your soul at rest. Some advise\nhim to join himself to one sect of Christians, and some to another; each\nmaintaining, in his turn, that the life and power of religion is only to\nbe found among those of his own particular society.\n\nThe poor misguided seeker eagerly catches at every thing that looks like\nspiritual advice; runs from one book to another, from one church and\nconventicle to another, \"seeking rest, but finding none,\" or at most, a\ntemporary peace, a partial truce from extreme distress; whereas after\nall, a few plain words of Scripture, properly applied and attended to,\nwill go further towards setting him right in his researches, than all\nthe popes and priests, and Luthers, and Calvins, and sects and\ndenominations, in the world.\n\nWhat then hath a minister of CHRIST, or indeed any private Christian, to\nsay or do, when a true penitent under such circumstances applies to him\nfor advice, and asks him with the utmost anxiety, \"To whom shall I go?\"\nWhat can he do, what can he say, that will have a more immediate\ntendency to fix his attention, and compose his distracted mind, than to\nanswer him in the words of the text? \"To whom shouldst thou go, but to\nJESUS CHRIST? it is he alone who hath the words of Eternal Life.\"\n\nI know no other end of preaching but this; and I am sure, that we are\nwarranted by Scripture to declare to every such humbled, penitent, and\nafflicted sinner, that if he thus seeks CHRIST, he shall not seek in\nvain. By faithfully directing his will and affections towards his\nREDEEMER, thus inwardly unfolding his graces and virtues in his heart,\nhe will become more and more acquainted, and more and more comforted,\nwith that \"Life Eternal, which is the gift of GOD in CHRIST JESUS.\"\n\n\n\n\n                              DISCOURSE V.\n            True Religion, a costly and continual Sacrifice.\n\n\n2 SAMUEL, CHAP. xxiv, VERSE 24.\n\n    \"AND THE KING SAID UNTO ARAUNAH, NAY, BUT I WILL SURELY BUY IT OF\n    THEE AT A PRICE; NEITHER WILL I OFFER BURNT-OFFERINGS UNTO THE LORD\n    MY GOD, OF THAT WHICH DOTH COST ME NOTHING.\"\n\n\nThe preceding part of this chapter presents us with an awful and\ninstructive example of the fatal consequences which result from an\nunbelief or distrust of the providential power and goodness of GOD.\nContrary to the express command of the Almighty, contrary to the spirit\nof that dispensation, which inculcated an absolute and implicit reliance\nupon Heaven in all dangers and difficulties, yea, contrary to an happy\nexperience of the most signal interpositions of Omnipotence; David had\nrashly issued a commission to the general and officers of his host, to\ngo through all the tribes of Israel, and take a particular and exact\naccount of the numbers of his people. Such a flagrant instance of\nunfaithfulness to his GOD, after so many merciful deliverances received,\ndrew upon him a most severe chastisement. To humble the haughtiness of\nhis spirit, and convince him of the folly of depending upon the arm of\nflesh, instead of taking the most HIGH GOD for his shield and defence, a\nmessenger of vengeance was immediately sent forth. From Dan even to\nBeersheba, he marked his progress with carnage and desolation: seventy\nthousand men, within the space of a few hours, fell a sacrifice to the\ndevouring pestilence. He soon reached the beloved city, and was\npreparing to pour his phial of wrath upon the mount of GOD. The eyes of\nthe unhappy monarch were now opened: he saw the destroying angel,\nhumbled himself in the dust, acknowledged his guilt, and deprecated the\nfurther progress of the contagion. \"Lo, I have sinned, and I have done\nwickedly: but these sheep, what have they done?\" Omnipotence arrested\nthe Angel in his progress: \"It is enough--stay now thine hand.\" And\nDavid was directed by the prophet Gad, to rear an altar unto the LORD,\non the very spot where the pestilence had ceased. This spot was the\nthreshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.\n\nDeeply sensible of the greatness of his deliverance, the king\nimmediately proceeded to execute the divine command. Araunah discovered\nhim at a distance; and with all the submission of a conquered and\ntributary prince, hastened to meet him, and \"bowed himself before the\nking on his face to the ground.\" \"And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord\nthe king come unto his servant?\" And David said, \"To buy the\nthreshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the\nplague may be stayed from the people.\" Araunah, as a king, with a\nprincely generosity of spirit, immediately offered him, not only the\nthreshing-floor, but also his oxen for the sacrifice, and his threshing\ninstruments for wood. \"And the king said unto Araunah, Nay, but I will\nsurely buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings\nunto the LORD my GOD, of that which doth cost me nothing.\" The plain and\nobvious meaning of which is undoubtedly this:\n\nHath GOD favoured me with such an astonishing deliverance? Hath he\nmanifested his goodness and loving-kindness in withdrawing his\nchastising hand, pardoning my guilt, and sparing me and my people from\nutter destruction? Surely, then, I will not grudge, the trifling expence\nof erecting, upon this spot, a monument of his love. Surely I will not\naccept of the labours of another, or testify my gratitude by\nburnt-offerings and sacrifices at another's expence. The least I can do\nis, to make such an acknowledgment, and in such a manner, as will best\nevidence my sense of the obligation, and the honour that is due to my\nAlmighty Deliverer.\n\nThose who look beyond the letter and the outward history, will readily\ndiscern the state of David's mind. They will readily discern this\noutward action of his, though adapted to the outward dispensation under\nwhich he lived, to be highly expressive of that great and fundamental\nprinciple, which every dispensation of Truth, from the fall of man down\nto this very day, hath strongly inculcated, viz. that true religion is\nan inward life, that cannot rest in external appearances, but manifests\nitself in an absolute unlimited surrender of the whole man to his\nCreator. This can never be accomplished without considerable cost and\nexpence on the part of the creature, inasmuch as his will and affections\nmust first be drawn off from all that variety of imaginations, desires\nand enjoyments, to which his fallen nature strongly allures, and deeply\nenslaves him.\n\nHence it is, that our BLESSED LORD makes the very first duty of\ndiscipleship to consist in \"denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and\nfollowing him:\" that is to say, in bearing, with meekness, the necessary\nevils of our fallen life, resisting and overcoming its sinful\nsuggestions, and humbly waiting for and co-operating with his Spirit\nrevealed in our hearts.\n\nThis is the spiritual warfare, the struggle betwixt the \"law in the\nmembers,\" and the \"law of the mind;\" the fighting \"not only against\nflesh and blood, but against principalities and powers,\" in which we are\nall summoned to engage. The whole burnt-offering and sacrifice, the\nwhole price which this must cost us, is nothing less than the turning\nour wills, with the whole tide of our affections, from the evil to the\ngood principle within us. And that GOD through CHRIST hath given us\nability to do this, will appear from the following considerations:\n\nThe will of man, as coming forth from the Eternal Will of GOD, must be\neternally and essentially free. The will of the fallen angels in hell,\nwas as free as that of the highest archangel now in heaven:\n\n    Freely they stood, who stood; and fell, who fell.\n\nThe whole difference betwixt them consists in this, that the will of\nthose who fell, is freely turned to evil; the will of those who stood,\nis freely turned to GOD and Goodness.\n\nMan stands in an intermediate state, betwixt light and darkness, betwixt\nlife and death, betwixt heaven and hell. The whole tenor of Scripture,\nfrom beginning to end, represents him in this critical situation;\nrepresents his Heavenly Father, as calling to him and inviting him to\n\"eschew evil, and to do good;\" to \"love light rather than darkness;\" to\n\"come to him, that he may have life.\" All which certainly implies, that\nGOD, by his Grace, hath given him a power of choosing, and has made his\nsalvation or destruction to proceed from himself, and not from any\npredetermining divine decree.\n\nJESUS CHRIST is always spoken of, as a freely given Saviour; but\nsalvation, as \"a treasure to be purchased, as a race to be run, as a\nbattle to be fought, as a work to be accomplished, even with fear and\ntrembling.\" The power or capacity of being saved, the whole merit of\nsalvation, comes from CHRIST; the using of this power, the availing\nourselves of this merit, from ourselves. \"Why WILL YE die, O house of\nIsrael? TURN YOURSELVES, and live ye. Ye WILL NOT come to me, that ye\nmight have life. How often would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth\nher chickens under her wings, and ye WOULD NOT!\"\n\nUpon this principle of forsaking sin, and turning our will to Goodness,\nare founded all those Gospel precepts, which speak of \"crucifying the\nflesh with its affections and lusts, destroying the old man, dying to\nsin, suffering with CHRIST, cutting off a right hand, plucking out a\nright eye, passing through much tribulation;\" all which plainly shews,\nthat True Religion is a perpetual sacrifice; and that this sacrifice\ncannot be \"offered to the LORD our GOD, of that which doth cost us\nnothing;\" that the price will be far more, than \"fifty shekels of\nsilver,\" the purchase of Araunah's threshing-floor and implements; yea,\nthat it will be no less than the \"whole body of sin,\" which we carry\nabout us, with all its affections and lusts; which we must, with\nmeekness and humility, surrender to our BLESSED REDEEMER, to be burnt up\nand consumed upon the fire of his altar.\n\nHaving thus endeavoured to establish this fundamental principle, that\n\"true religion is a costly and a perpetual sacrifice;\" let us now, to\nprevent any dangerous deception, turn our eyes to those false\nappearances of it, which we frequently meet with in the world, which are\nvery easily assumed, and which cost nothing.\n\nThe man of moral honesty first steps forth, and puts in his claim to the\ncharacter of religious. He looks upon any Revelation from Heaven to be\nquite unnecessary; and, with all the forwardness and presumption of his\nown blind reason, pronounces those books, which Christians believe to be\nof Divine Authority, to be idle and chimerical. His religion, he will\ntell you, is, \"to do as he would be done by.\" Poor man! it were well, if\nhe even practised this golden rule; it might lead him to something\nfurther: for, by endeavouring to fulfil this, he might be brought to a\nview and feeling of his own natural inability; of the evil tempers and\npassions of his soul, which, in innumerable instances, hurry him on to\ndo to others, what he would, by no means, have them to do to him. His\nreligion, therefore, is properly visionary. Every thing to him is just\nand right, that comes within those bounds of honesty, which have been\nfixed by the laws of the land. A right life is not, with him, a right\nprinciple in the heart; but only a set of outward actions, that in the\neyes of the world give him the character of an honest man.\n\nThe religion of such a person \"costs him nothing.\" He has nothing to\nsacrifice, but much to gain by the practice of it; at least, much of\nworldly happiness; for he can have no idea of any other. Being wholly\ndestitute of all sensibility with respect to the evil of his fallen\nlife, he is not in the least desirous of purchasing a better, at the\nprice it will cost. Before he can form any conception of the necessity\nof religion, as a real inward change and renewal of heart, he must first\nbe made sensible of his present error and misery: \"for they that are\nwhole need not a physician, but they that are sick.\"\n\nNext comes the nominal Christian, who hath been baptized, and professes\nto believe the great truths of the Gospel, and joins with some publick\nassembly of Christians in outward worship. Surely his claim to the\nreligious character, hath a better foundation than the preceding one: he\npurchases it at an higher price; it costs him more to support it. He\nneglects no outward duty, either moral or instituted; you never miss him\nat church, or at the sacrament: he hath been strictly educated from his\ninfancy; he is sober, virtuous, kind, and charitable. In a word, he\nappears to be, what it were to be wished every man in the world really\nwas. Thus far he is undoubtedly right: a strict observance of all the\noutward duties of religion, a minute attention to things in themselves\nindifferent, and a prudent abstaining from every appearance of evil, are\ndoubtless incumbent, even upon those who have made the greatest progress\nin the Divine Life.\n\nLet us, however, remember, that this outward strictness will avail\nlittle, without a conformity of our inward man to the temper and\ndisposition of CHRIST; without being \"born again,\" and commencing a new\nlife, even a life of Heaven upon earth. The nominal Christian is a\nstranger to this blessed process. Talk to him of the necessity of\nregeneration, of doing all that he does from a principle of Divine Love,\nand with a view to God's glory, and not to any self-satisfaction, and he\nwill not understand you. His round of duties seems to be the God whom he\nworships; at least, he makes them the _opus operatum_. He is never\ntormented with spiritual doubts and temptations; he knows nothing of the\nsevere conflicts which real Christians sustain, and the dreadful pangs\nthey must suffer, before their purification is accomplished; before they\ncan \"bow their heads,\" with the great Captain of their Salvation, and\nsay with him, \"It is finished.\" He is willing to go to Heaven by an\neasier and less thorny path, and to purchase glory at a cheaper rate.\n\nThe last I shall mention, but the most specious appearances of religion,\nare those which are exhibited by the pharisaical professors of\nChristianity. And here I would willingly throw a veil over those follies\nand extravagancies, to which false enthusiasm frequently gives the name\nof spiritual exercises and experiences. But my duty calls upon me to put\nyou on your guard against these delusive appearances; as I cannot but\nthink, that spiritual pride, or an over-weening conceit and forward\nexhibition of our own fancied spiritual attainments, is the most fatal\nrock, upon which the Christian can make \"shipwreck of his faith.\"\n\nIn an age, wherein every appearance of religion ought to be encouraged\nand promoted, it is melancholy to think, that we should be under a\nnecessity of speaking even against some appearances. But that you may\nform a right notion of what I mean by a pharisaical profession of\nreligion, I will endeavour to draw the character of a modern Pharisee.\n\nIn the first place, he is one, who talks much in a religious strain, but\ntakes care to make himself the chief subject of conversation. His own\nilluminations and experiences, his conviction and conversion, with all\nthe particular circumstances attending them, he never fails to\ncommunicate, without distinction, to all those who will give him an\nhearing; and to communicate in such a manner, as to let them know, that\nhe considers his own experiences as the infallible standard by which he\nmeasures the experiences of others.\n\nIn the next place, you will generally find him insisting upon points of\ncontroversy, rather than those of practice; urging your assent to such\nand such articles of his faith, calling upon you to apply for\ninstruction to some favourite Rabbi of his own sect, or some favourite\nsystem which himself has adopted, instead of sending you immediately to\nhim, who is the Fountain of all Wisdom, and \"who giveth it liberally\" to\nthose that ask it of him.\n\nYou will find him careful to \"pay tithes of mint, and annise, and\ncummin;\" to go to what he calls a gospel-sermon, though he should\nneglect the necessary duties of his occupation; and to spend hours in\ntalking about religion, whilst he passes by \"the weightier matters of\nthe law, judgment, and mercy, and faith.\" Tell him of the necessity \"of\ndying daily to sin, of suffering with CHRIST, of mortifying the flesh,\ndenying himself, cutting off a right hand, &c.\" he will answer you, that\nhis peace is made, that his sins are pardoned, that he has a full\nassurance of everlasting life. Tell him of the necessity of being \"born\nagain,\" of having the righteous nature, temper, and disposition of the\nHOLY JESUS in his heart; he will reply, that he knows of no\nrighteousness but that of CHRIST imputed, and that his Saviour's\npersonal obedience is accepted by GOD instead of his own; and though he\nmay not go so far as to deny the great doctrine of sanctification, but\nwill even allow and insist upon it, yet it is such sanctification, as\nwill turn to very little account. For, who that looks upon his work as\nalready done, will chuse to labour any longer? Who that believes his\nsins to be already pardoned, will think it necessary to implore the\nforgiveness of God, or to obtain the healing influences of the Spirit of\nGrace?\n\nIn a word, if we may judge from his conversation, he thinks himself\nperfect--if we may judge from his actions, he is indeed very far from\nit. He shews the utmost bitterness against every one that happens to\ndissent from his opinion; and looks upon all those as carnal and\nunregenerate, who do not walk in his footsteps. Meekness, humility,\nbenevolence and charity, the most characteristical graces of the true\ndisciples of JESUS, are not to be found in any part of his conduct. His\nlife, therefore, is not in CHRIST, but in a set of doctrines and\nopinions, supported by a \"zeal that is not according to knowledge.\" Till\nhe is taught to see his own pride and presumption; till he discovers,\nand strives to eradicate, the selfish principle that lurks at the centre\nof his heart; he cannot be said to offer any other sacrifices to GOD,\nthan such as \"cost him nothing.\"\n\nTo conclude: Having seen what those real sacrifices of religion are,\nwhich will be acceptable to GOD, and in how many instances men deceive\nthemselves, and others, by false appearances; let us determine to judge\nof our acquaintance with and progress in True Religion, not merely by\noutward observances, nor yet by any transient fits or lively and\npleasant frames of devotion; but rather by the discovery which GOD is\npleased to make to us of our weakness and misery, by our sincere desire\nof being united to CHRIST, and in heart and spirit assimilated to his\nnature. Thus having followed a Suffering Master, \"travelling in the\ngreatness of his strength,\" through the ensanguined paths of a spiritual\nwarfare, we shall at length \"come forth out of great tribulation;\" and,\nhaving \"washed our robes in the Blood of the Lamb,\" shall be partakers\nof his triumphs; and receive the accomplishment of his great and\nglorious promise: \"To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me\nin my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in\nhis throne.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE VI.\n                     Truth, the only Friend of Man.\n\n\nGALATIANS, CHAP. iv. VER. 16.\n\n    \"AM I THEREFORE BECOME YOUR ENEMY, BECAUSE I TELL YOU THE TRUTH?\"\n\n\nMen are generally too apt to consider religion as unfriendly to their\nhappiness, and incapable of yielding them any satisfactions, equal to\nthose which they derive from the pursuit of worldly objects. Hence, the\naversion to exercises of piety, and the society and conversation of the\ngood and virtuous. Hence, the listlessness and unconcern about the state\nof their souls, whilst the whole attention of their minds, their\nthoughts, their desires and affections, their hands and their hearts,\nare all busily and constantly employed, in making provision for the\nsupport, ornament, and gratification, of a perishing body. Surely, such\na strange conduct as this, must proceed from a secret persuasion, that\nreligion will interrupt their pursuit of some present favourite objects,\nand damp and deaden all the sprightliness of enjoyment. Were they,\nindeed, charged with holding such principles as these, they would\ndoubtless take it exceedingly amiss; and look upon that man as their\nenemy, who should presume thus to arraign their conduct, and ascribe it\nto motives, which they would blush to own.\n\nThe tender and affectionate expostulation in my text, is evidently\nfounded upon an intimate knowledge of human nature. The sagacious\nApostle readily discovered the secret workings of pride and disgust, in\nthe hearts of his Galatian converts. After having expressed his\nastonishment, that \"they were so soon removed from him, that called them\ninto the Grace of CHRIST, unto another Gospel;\" after having charged\nthem with folly, for suffering themselves to be \"bewitched,\" as he\nexpresses it, by the artifices of deceivers; after having declared his\nfears and apprehensions lest he should have bestowed upon them labour in\nvain; and, after having enumerated some former testimonies of their\nreciprocal regard and affection for each other; he, at length, addresses\nhimself to their consciences, and solemnly calls upon them to declare,\nwhether they could, with the least justice or propriety, change their\nformer sentiments of him, or deem him unfriendly to their best\ninterests, \"because he told them the Truth;\" because, by his Christian\nand apostolical reprehensions, he sought to rescue them from the\ndominion of passion and prejudice: \"Am I therefore become your enemy,\nbecause I tell you the Truth?\"\n\nOne would think, that such well-meant remonstrances, from the ministers\nof Truth and friends of Virtue, would be kindly received, and have a\nsalutary influence upon the hearts of sinners; but experience, alas!\ntells us the contrary. There have been many instances, and some,\nperhaps, within our own personal knowledge, in which resentment, rather\nthan gratitude, hath been awakened by such expostulations; and where,\ninstead of humbling the spirit, they have produced a reply that bore the\nmarks of passion, checked and disappointed in its favourite pursuits.\n\nConsidered with respect to the real state of his soul, every man, who\nlives under the dominion of any evil passion, or suffers himself to be\ndrawn aside from the paths of virtue by the delusive arts of vice, is\ndoubtless in a situation similar to that of these Galatians. For though\nhis passions and prejudices may not be exactly the same, yet they\nproceed from the same source, and enmity to GOD and Goodness is at the\nbottom.\n\nBut, blessed be GOD! there are no Galatians without an Apostle; no\nsinner without an higher messenger of GOD than St. Paul; a greater\nwitness, and more awful reprover of his evil ways; a friend that speaks\nto him at all times and seasons, in the hurry of the day, and the\nsilence of the night, amidst the anxiety of expectation, and the ardour\nof possession; vigorously remonstrating against every sinful suggestion,\nand sharply censuring and reproving the mind for every sinful act.\n\nThe fallen spirit of man, it is true, brooks not the frequent appearance\nof this Heavenly Messenger; but, as the Apostle says of the Galatians,\ntreats him as an enemy, and replies to all his friendly remonstrances\nand affectionate warnings, with indignation and disdain.\n\n\"Go thy way for this time,\" was the language of voluptuous greatness to\nthe same blessed Apostle. \"Go thy way for this time,\" is still the\nlanguage of every unconverted heart, when it is checked or interrupted\nin its vicious and lawless pursuits, by the voice of this Inward\nMonitor--why art thou perpetually intruding upon my hours of business,\npleasure, or repose, and teizing and disquieting me with thine ill-timed\nadmonitions or rebukes?\n\nWho amongst us, let me ask, hath not, in innumerable instances, given\nsuch a rash and impatient answer to the Servant of GOD within us? When\nsome darling passion hath importunately solicited for immediate\nindulgence; some pretty fantastical object presented itself to our\ndesires; some impetuous call of pride, envy, covetuousness, or\nresentment, demanded an immediate answer; have we not, though we were,\nat the very instant, warned against the artifice and delusion, by this\nconstant and inseparable Friend, have we not petulantly rejected his\ncounsel, bid him \"away for that time\" at least, and treated him with\nmore contempt than we would dare to shew to an earthly enemy?\n\nHis meekness, however, is not discomposed by our rising wrath; his\nfortitude is not daunted by our repeated insults; his persevering love\nis not in the least abated by the stubbornness and obduracy of our\nhearts. He still keeps close to our side, accompanies us whithersoever\nwe go, and, \"whether we will hear, or whether we will forbear,\" ceases\nnot, at one time, to whisper to us in the soft language of heavenly\ninstruction; and, at another, to thunder in our ears the most alarming\nreproofs and menaces.\n\nBut who is this Apostle, this Messenger of GOD, this Inward Witness and\nMonitor, whom deluded mortals are so apt to consider as an enemy to\ntheir peace?--Hear, O sinner, and let thy face be covered with\nconfusion! let thine hard heart break with deep compunction for its past\nobduracy, whilst thou art told, that this enemy, as thou hast hitherto\ndeemed and treated him, is no other than the ETERNAL SPIRIT OF THY GOD\nAND THY REDEEMER, who, by continually opposing the language of truth to\nthe suggestions of error, hath been endeavouring to emancipate thy soul\nfrom its grievous bondage, and to bring it forth into light and liberty.\n\nThou hast mistaken death for life, misery for happiness, time for\neternity! Thy will and affections have been fixed upon objects of unreal\nbliss; turned from thy GOD, the true and only source of Goodness and\nHappiness, and working evil in the element of sin and darkness! Spirits\nthus employed, must mingle with congenial spirits: there is \"no\ncommunion of CHRIST with Belial;\" no fellowship or likeness betwixt thy\nspirit in such a state as this, and the Spirit of thy REDEEMER. He\nappears, and cannot but appear to thee, as thine enemy, because the\ntruth he tells thee militates against thy darling lusts, and shews thee\nthose dark destructive purposes, which, because thou canst hide them\nfrom others, thou wishest also to hide from thyself.\n\nBut this seeming enemy is, indeed, thy real friend. He is only pursuing\nthee with his internal counsels and reproofs, that he may snatch thee\nout of the hands of the destroyer; that he may call thee out of thy\npresent \"darkness, into his own marvellous light.\" When thou hast\nexperienced this blessed change, reconciliation will soon take place; an\nunion of spirits will commence betwixt thy SAVIOUR and thee; and thou\nwilt gradually grow into his Image and Likeness, till thou art made\nperfect in his Love.\n\nBelieve me, my brethren, till this great change hath passed upon our\nsouls, till we begin to feel, and admire, and love the communications of\nthis Inward Friend and Comforter, we must be strangers to true peace of\nmind, and totally ignorant of the proper enjoyment of ourselves, and the\nproper use of the world in which we now sojourn.\n\nIn our natural state, all is darkness, disorder, and disquietude. We see\nevery thing through a false medium. We are under a spiritual delirium.\nOur heavenly physician is endeavouring, by the methods I have just\nmentioned, to restore our health of mind, to open our spiritual senses,\nto give us a clear and distinct view of \"the things that belong to our\npeace.\" We must, therefore, co-operate with his \"labours of love.\" Even\nthe severity of his applications proves him to be our friend; for he\nknows that, without them, we can never come to a \"right mind.\" Let us,\nthen, recollect, how often these applications have been made; how often,\nthrough inattention and neglect, they have failed of success; how often\nwe have slighted his counsels, despised his prescriptions, and cast his\nmedicines from us. But let us also remember, that there is a time at\nhand, when, light as we may think of such a blessing now, we shall most\nardently long for his support and consolation. When languishing with\nsickness, and oppressed with pain, it is he alone who can soften our\npillow, and supply us with inward strength; when tottering with age, and\nbowed down with infirmities, it is he alone who can be our rod and\nstaff; and when the lamp of life is so near expiring, that we can\nscarcely see our passage to the verge of time, it is he alone that can\nlight up the Lamp of GOD in our hearts, and conduct us through the dark\nvalley of the shadow of death, to the bright confines of a celestial\nworld.\n\nIn a word, if the enmity is not destroyed in our souls in this life, we\nmust necessarily carry it with us into the next. And to those who die\nunder the dominion of a fallen life and sinful nature, \"our God must be\na consuming fire.\"\n\nLet us lay these things seriously to heart. Let us earnestly seek\nReconciliation with GOD THROUGH CHRIST, and endeavour to perfect\nourselves in the great work of Peace and Love, \"whilst it is day;\nbecause the night cometh, when no man can work.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE VII.\n                   The Strength and Victory of Faith.\n\n\n1 JOHN, CHAP. v. VER. 4.\n\n    \"WHATSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD, OVERCOMETH THE WORLD; AND THIS IS THE\n    VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH.\"\n\n\nAll the doctrines of our most Holy Religion conspire to inform us, that\nthe supreme happiness of man is not to be attained without unnumbered\nlabours and conflicts; and all its precepts are calculated to inforce a\nperpetual activity, and unwearied perseverance, in the \"pursuit of the\nthings that belong to our peace.\"\n\n\"The Devil, the world, and the flesh,\" are the great adversaries, who\nare continually plotting our ruin. The flesh, by which is meant that\ncorrupt nature which we bring with us into the world, is ever harrassing\nus with its impure suggestions: \"the Devil walks about as a roaring\nlion, seeking whom he may devour:\" and the world, by which we are to\nunderstand that fallen state of things, in which we at present dwell,\nnever fails of opposing our progress toward Heaven, with its specious,\nbut delusive scenes of happiness. Against the united efforts of such\nformidable enemies, where shall we find armour of sufficient proof? In a\nconflict so long and arduous, where shall we meet with such supplies of\nstrength, as will enable us to contend and finally to overcome? The\npower of contending, and the means of obtaining the victory, are clearly\npointed out by the Apostle in my text. \"Whatsoever is born of GOD,\novercometh the world: and this is the Victory that overcometh the world,\neven our Faith.\"\n\nFrom these words it appears, that those who engage in this heavenly\nwarfare, are persons of the highest dignity, and most illustrious birth:\nthey are the offspring of him whose \"kingdom is not of this world;\" they\nare \"heirs of GOD, and joint-heirs with JESUS CHRIST;\" they are \"born,\nnot of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD.\"\n\nTo be \"born of GOD,\" is to rise out of the ruins of a fallen nature into\nthe glory of a redeemed one. It is to die to Adam, and to live to\nCHRIST; it is to see, and feel, and to forsake our own weakness and\nvanity and sin, and adhere to the strength and sufficiency and\nrighteousness of CHRIST. The first great work of the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, as\nour LORD assures us, is to \"convince the world of sin.\" The foundation\nof that spiritual edifice which Heaven erects in the souls of men, must\nbe laid in humility: \"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the\nkingdom of Heaven!\" He that is \"born of GOD,\" lives and acts in direct\nopposition to him who is \"born of the flesh:\" meekness and love are the\nprevailing dispositions of the former; pride and selfishness the ruling\ntempers of the latter. A discerning mind, spiritually enlightened, and\nviewing mankind as they really are, and not through the false medium of\nworldly philosophy, will readily discover the manifest contrariety with\nwhich their characters are marked by these two principles. Look round\nyou, my brethren; look into your own hearts; judge for yourselves: your\nown experience of what is continually passing within and about you, will\nafford you ample demonstration of these great truths.\n\nWherever we discover in ourselves, or in others, the corrupt passions of\npride, envy, ill-nature, avarice, anger, jealousy, malice, prevailing,\nthere we may be as certain of the marks of unregenerate nature, as we\nare of a disorder in the elements, when we see the heavens overcast with\nclouds, and thunders and lightnings issuing from every quarter of the\nsky. On the other hand, where meekness and gentleness, self-abasement, a\nforgetfulness of our own interest, and a chearful attention to the\nhappiness of others, an heart-felt sympathy in their joys and sorrows,\nan universal love of GOD and man, testified by a life of uninterrupted\npiety and charity; wherever we find these amiable graces and virtues,\nthere are the sure marks of Regeneration; there is the true disciple of\nJESUS, \"born of GOD, and overcoming the world.\"\n\nThe state of such a soul, with respect to its GOD, may be expressed in\nwords to this effect: \"LORD, what is man, that thou hast such respect\nunto him; or the Son of man, that thou visitest him?\" \"Behold, LORD, I\nam less than the least of all thy mercies!\" And yet thou hast had\nrespect even unto me; and yet thou hast visited even me, with the\ngreatest of thy mercies! Thou hast caused thy light to shine into the\ndarkness of my nature; thou hast laid open every secret recess of my\nheart, and shewn me those roots of evil, from whence the innumerable\nsins of my past life have sprung forth, and diffused their venom\nthroughout my whole frame. Yea, thou hast not only discovered to me the\ndepth and malignity of sin, but, with thy Light, thou hast also imparted\nthy Life to my soul; thou hast supplied me with strength from above;\nthou hast furnished me with armour of heavenly proof to encounter the\nenemies of my peace. Thou hast taught me to despair of my own strength,\nand to trust in thine arm alone for salvation; thou hast taught me to\ndespise my own righteousness, and to seek thy righteousness in CHRIST\nJESUS. Though the world should present to me her most alluring charms;\nthough she should give, to her visionary forms, the fairest features\nthat fancy's pencil can delineate; though she should court me to accept\nher proffered pleasures, in all that false tenderness of language, which\nartful vice so frequently assumes; yet, armed with thy celestial\npanoply, I shall be enabled to contend with the enchantress, and\novercome her magic power; I shall nobly triumph over all her devices,\nassert the dignity of my heavenly birth, and preserve my heart unspotted\nfrom her impurities. For sure I am; that whilst united in spirit with\nthee, my GOD and SAVIOUR, I breathe the air of Heaven, I feed upon the\nbread of angels; the strength of Omnipotence is exerted amid the\nweakness of nature, and I shall go on, under thine auspicious guidance,\n\"conquering and to conquer.\"\n\nSuch is the state of the virtuous and regenerated Christian, with\nrespect to his GOD. With respect to man, his conduct flows from the same\nDivine and lovely principle. He deems every spiritual blessing, by which\nhe may be distinguished from the rest of his brethren, as the gift of\nGOD, to be accepted and enjoyed, not with an haughty, but an humble\nmind. He does not, therefore, stand aloof from them, as if he was holier\nthan they. He cannot, indeed, but shrink from their vices, and, by a\nprudent distance of behaviour, shew himself averse to, and even offended\nwith their levities. But he pities their blindness, and compassionates\nthe obduracy of their hearts. He is ever ready to exert himself for the\nreal service of wicked, as well as of good men; knowing, that his\n\"heavenly Father sendeth his rain, and causeth his sun to shine, upon\nthe unjust no less than the just.\"\n\nIf he is blessed with worldly affluence, he cheerfully administers to\nthe temporal necessities of his indigent neighbours. If he is poor, and\ncan give them no earthly aid, he will do all he can--he will pray for\nthem, and beg his GOD to shower down upon them his temporal, as well as\nspiritual comforts. He suffers no ill conduct on their part to excite\nhis indignation, or make him forget that they are his brethren, to be\nredeemed by that precious blood, whose salutary influences he has\nhimself experienced. He envies none their fortunes, honours, and\naccomplishments; neither does he repine, because he is not so rich, or\nlearned, or polite, or advanced to such an exalted rank in life, as\nothers are. He endeavours to be dead alike to the censure and applause\nof beings, mortal and fallible as himself; inasmuch as he is convinced,\nthat their good or ill opinion cannot make the least alteration in the\nreal state of his soul: he is, therefore, guilty of no mean compliances,\nor time-serving practices, to obtain the one, or to avoid the other. He\ngives \"honour to whom honour is due.\" He endeavours to \"owe no man any\nthing, but love:\" he is, therefore, careful, not only to pay every just\ndebt, but to avoid embarking in any worldly schemes or prospects of\nadvancing his own interest, to the injury of others. In a word, by piety\nto GOD, justice and charity to his neighbour, and chastity and\ntemperance in his own person, he seeks to maintain \"a conscience void of\noffence towards GOD, and towards man;\" to fill the station in which he\nis placed, and support the character in which he appears, in such a\nmanner, as will do honour to the Religion of his Master.\n\nThis is Evangelical Morality, not confined, as you may observe, to the\nexternal conduct of life; but reaching inward, even to the secret\nthoughts and inclinations of the heart. What is generally called\nmorality, I am afraid, is little more than an external decency, and\ncommon sobriety; and it is well, if, in every instance, it is carried\neven so far. But surely none, but the truly Regenerate Christian, acting\nunder the immediate influence of the DIVINE SPIRIT, can properly be\ncalled a moral man. For morality, without an inward principle, is but a\nname; and the Scriptures tell us of no other true principle, but \"the\nLOVE OF GOD shed abroad in the human heart by his HOLY SPIRIT.\"\n\nHaving thus given some of the marks or characteristicks by which the\nRegenerate Christian, or the \"Born of GOD,\" is to be known, let us now\nenquire what the Apostle means, by \"overcoming the world,\" and ascribing\n\"the victory to Faith:\" \"Whatsoever is born of GOD, overcometh the\nworld; and this is the Victory that overcometh the world, even our\nFaith.\"\n\n\"Overcometh the world!\" methinks I hear some say--\"that is\nimpossible--human nature has passions, and the world abounds with\nobjects suited to gratify them. Surely the GOD of nature hath not placed\nman in his present circumstances, to make him miserable. He created us\nfor happiness, and hath furnished us with the means of obtaining it.\nWhat a senseless doctrine this, that would shut us out from all the\njoys, which earth holds forth for our acceptance?\"\n\nAlas, vain man! who told thee, that GOD had given thee such corrupt\npassions, as now solicit for indulgence? Who told thee, that GOD created\nthee for this world; and that thou art to take up thy rest in that\nvisionary happiness, which thou findest here? These passions are the\nproofs of thy fall; for thou hast them in common with the beasts of the\nfield. This world is thy temporary prison, though thy disordered\nimagination may represent it as a palace. Thou art dreaming, though thou\nthinkest thyself wide awake. Thou art in darkness, and canst not\ndistinguish the true appearance of objects around thee. Let but the SUN\nOF RIGHTEOUSNESS dart one beam into thy benighted soul, and thou wilt\nsoon discover the deception, and long for the power of his Grace to\nenable thee to triumph over those passions, that have been leading thee\nblindfold to destruction; and to overcome that world, which hath been\ncheating thee with visionary gratifications.\n\n\"Overcome the world!\" says some faint-hearted Christian--\"Ah me! how\ninfinitely short do I fall of this glorious standard! I have been\nstriving for months, for years, to get the mastery of this powerful\nadversary, without being yet able to discover that I have gained the\nleast advantage; though I have exerted my utmost endeavours to disengage\nmyself from his subtil, but violent assaults.\" Hast thou so? But didst\nthou ever attend to the true and only means, by which the Scriptures\nhave assured thee this conquest may be obtained? \"This is the victory\nthat overcometh the world, even our Faith.\"\n\nNow, what is Faith? It is \"the substance of things hoped for, the\nevidence of things not seen:\" that is to say, it is a full and assured\ntrust and confidence in CHRIST, that the things hoped for will be\nfinally obtained, and the things not seen will be fully manifested to\nour senses. It is such a trust and confidence as realises the immediate\npossession of them to our minds, so that we regard not any pain or\ndifficulty we meet with in the pursuit, resting upon an OMNIPOTENT GOD,\nby whose strength in us every obstacle will be gradually removed, and a\ncomplete victory at length secured. Why then, O Christian, shouldst thou\ndespair of success? If thou hast hitherto been striving in thine own\nstrength, and depended upon the power of thine own weak resolution, it\nis no wonder thou hast made such small advances. \"Without me, ye can do\nnothing,\" says our BLESSED REDEEMER. \"I can do all things through CHRIST\nstrengthening me,\" says his experienced Apostle.\n\nWhen we repose so much confidence in a friend, as to entrust him with\nthe whole management of our temporal affairs, looking to him in every\ninstance, and upon the least appearance of difficulty or embarrassment,\nrunning to him for counsel, and implicitly following his directions,\nfrom a thorough conviction of our own ignorance, of his superior skill\nin business, and his known regard and attachment to us; we are then said\nto have faith in such a friend.\n\nAnd canst thou not, O Christian, have as much Faith in thy SAVIOUR, as\none frail mortal has in another? When temptations rise, when dangers\nthreaten, when enemies attack us from within and from without, so that\nour souls are hard beset, and we know not how to extricate ourselves\nfrom the perilous situation; can we not fly with confidence to our\nHeavenly Friend, ask his counsel, and entreat his powerful interposition\nin our behalf? He is ever ready and willing to come to our succour.\nNothing is wanting but Faith on our part; and \"according to our Faith,\nso shall it be done unto us.\"\n\nWe are not, however, to expect that this Victory will be easily or\nspeedily obtained. The Canaanites were suffered to keep possession of\nthe land of promise for a considerable time, lest the Children of\nIsrael, instead of ascribing the glory of the conquest solely to the\nLORD OF HOSTS, should vainly arrogate it to themselves, and, in\nconsequence of this, lose all sense of their dependence upon him. Many\nstrong and powerful temptations may be permitted to remain unsubdued, to\nexercise the Christian's Faith, to keep him humble, and duly sensible of\nhis own weakness and inability.\n\nBesides, there is a wonderful analogy betwixt natural and spiritual\nthings. The Child of Grace, as well as the Child of Nature, must have a\ngradual growth, during which many an anxious interval, many a severe\npang, many an arduous conflict, must be endured. For let this truth be\never present to our minds, that the Inward Man increases in strength, in\nproportion as the outward man weakens and decays; and the earthly nature\nmust be totally subdued, before \"the BORN OF GOD\" can attain the\n\"measure of the stature of the fulness, which is in CHRIST.\"\n\nNor let what hath been said discourage those sincere and upright minds,\nwho have but lately turned their backs upon the world, and entered into\nthe school of CHRIST. Our trials are always suited to our strength: \"GOD\nwill not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear.\" The\nChild, the Young Man, and the Father in CHRIST, have exercises proper to\ntheir different states; they are led on to glory by an unerring hand,\nwhich supports them by its invisible, but powerful influence, through\nthe most rugged thorny paths of the Christian course.\n\nThere is no spiritual adversary too strong for the Christian, that\nengages in the Strength of his REDEEMER. David, though a stripling,\nvanquished with ease the giant of Gath, because \"he went out against\nhim,\" not in his own strength, but in \"the Name of the LORD of Hosts,\nthe _God_ of the armies of Israel.\" The world, with all its temptations\nand allurements, will be as easily overcome by him, who is truly \"born\nof GOD,\" as the uncircumcised Philistine was by the hand of David.\n\nTo conclude: A worldly spirit is one of the greatest enemies we have to\nencounter, because it insinuates itself into our hearts under as many\ndifferent forms, as there are different earthly desires predominant. The\nman of business, according to the more common acceptation of the phrase,\nhath obtained the name of a worldly man. But the truth is, wherever a\nworldly temper prevails, whether it manifests itself in the pursuit of\nwealth, or honour, or pleasure, or literary applause, or indeed of any\nobject, interest, or end, that is confined merely to this transient\nstate of things; there is the Worldly Spirit, the foe to our real\nhappiness, the \"man of sin, the son of perdition;\" from which may GOD of\nhis infinite mercy deliver us, for the sake of the Son of his Love,\nCHRIST JESUS our Saviour!\n\n\n\n\n                            DISCOURSE VIII.\n             Faith triumphant over the Powers of Darkness.\n\n\nSt. MARK, CHAP. ix. Part of VER. 24.\n\n    \"LORD, I BELIEVE: HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF!\"\n\n\nThe false estimate of happiness, which is made by the generality of men,\nentirely proceeds from their not taking into the account the real,\nthough invisible, objects of another world, with which they are much\nmore intimately concerned than with the present temporary state of\nthings. Hence it is, that they judge of the seeming pleasures of this\nlife, not from a comparative view of them with the superior enjoyments\nof a better, but according to the proportion which they bear to one\nanother. It is upon this principle, coinciding with the peculiar\nconstitutional desires of different men, that their different worldly\npursuits are formed and regulated.\n\nThe penurious grasping miser declaims, with an eloquence which avarice\nalone inspires, against the rash and silly conduct of the gay and\nthoughtless spendthrift. The man of pleasure expresses his astonishment\nat the strange taste, and stupid employment of his neighbour, who can\nsit poring over his accounts from morning till night, and values himself\nupon the accuracy with which they are kept, and the strict economy with\nwhich all his expences are regulated. The votary of ambition considers\nhis taste and pursuits of a far more sublime nature than those of either\nof the former, and looks down with contempt upon the plodding dullness\nof the miser, and the short-lived pleasures of the sensualist. In the\nmean while, the sagacious enquirer after knowledge, who spends days and\nnights in the most laborious researches, perpetually seeking after Truth\nin the countless volumes of antiquity, congratulates himself upon the\nsuperiority of his genius, and wonders that all mankind are not so\ncaptivated with the charms of science, as immediately to forsake the\nfalse and fleeting joys of avarice, ambition, and voluptuousness.\n\nNow all these various desires, employments, and pursuits, however\nsuperior some of them may, on comparison, appear to be to others,\nterminate generally in the nourishment and growth of that fallen life,\nunder which man, in consequence of an original apostasy, is born into\nthis world; and it may truly be said, with respect to them all, that \"he\nis only making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof:\"\nfor when the seeming good of this world is the sole object of his\nattention and affections, he must necessarily be regardless of the real\ngood of another, and a better world. Whatever his desires center in,\nthat constitutes his life; and his own will may be said to create or\ncall forth, from surrounding nature, every thing that can feed and\nnourish those desires. He stands in the midst of three worlds,\nprinciples, or kingdoms, earth, hell, and heaven; and to which soever of\nthese he surrenders his heart, he becomes subject to its power and\ninfluence; so that the real state of every man's soul depends upon the\nexercise of his will: his will constitutes his faith; and \"according to\nthy faith,\" says the unerring Standard of Truth, \"so shall it be done\nunto thee.\"\n\nAn afflicted parent brings to our BLESSED LORD a favourite child, who\nwas sorely vexed and tormented by an evil spirit, and in the most\nearnest manner entreats his advice and assistance. The compassionate\nJESUS, after having enquired into the nature and circumstances of the\ndisorder, and observed the distress and solicitude of the father, tells\nhim, \"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that\nbelieveth.\"\n\nThis answer abundantly evinceth the truth of the observation\nabove-mentioned, that our state depends entirely upon the inward\nexercise of our will or desires. A sensibility of distress naturally\ndisposes us to seek for relief. Nature, without GOD, is nothing but\nrestless want and anguish: and though fallen man is possessed of the\npowers and principles, by which this want may be supplied, and this\nanguish effectually relieved, yet he too frequently seeks the remedy in\na wrong source; and cannot be convinced of his error, till the pangs of\ndisappointment succeed to the delusive assurances of worldly faith, and\nthe vain anticipations of worldly hope. Upon this view of human nature\nit was, that the BLESSED JESUS founded his reply; \"If thou canst\nbelieve, all things are possible to him that believeth.\" As if he had\nsaid:\n\nThou appearest to be under great concern and anxiety of mind, for the\npresent afflicting circumstances of thy child. Thou hast a clear and\nfull perception of the cruel agency of an evil spirit, and canst not\ndoubt, but that all his torments are the effects of diabolical\ninfluence. If thou desirest to see him rescued from this violent spirit,\nand restored to a sound state of mind and body, thou must believe in the\nmore powerful agency of a Superior Spirit, to whose unlimited controul,\nall the realms of nature, and its innumerable beings, are subjected,\nand, consequently, that none but This Spirit, or those to whom he\nimparts his healing powers, can possibly restore thy son. When this\nbelief rises in thine heart, by a living sensibility that carries its\nown evidence along with it, thou wilt not entertain a doubt of the will\nand ability of such a Divine Spirit to perform this miracle of Love,\nbut, in the full confidence of Faith, wilt apply to him, and to him\nalone, for relief. This very turning of thy will and desire to the\nFountain of Goodness, makes it unite with those emanations of spiritual\nhealth and vigour, which are perpetually flowing forth from his\nall-merciful and compassionate heart. \"All things are possible\" to a\nsoul thus disposed and attempered; and thy child's health, and thine own\npeace of mind, will be the sure and blessed consequence.\n\nThe affectionate parent, overjoyed at a declaration which was\naccompanied with such a Divine Power as awakened new sensations in his\nbreast, burst into a flood of tears, and cried out, \"LORD, I believe,\nhelp thou mine unbelief!\" I am sensible, deeply sensible of the absolute\nnecessity of a supernatural interposition; and the mild Majesty of Love,\nwhich shines so conspicuous in thy person and address, and whose\nefficacy hath already passed from thy lips to my poor heart, more than\nconvinces me, that this Supernatural Power of Goodness is lodged with\nthee. To thee, therefore, and thee alone, I apply! In thee I desire to\nplace my full confidence, earnestly entreating thee to remove from me\nall darkness, doubt, and uncertainty, by further and brighter\nmanifestations of thyself, and thy heavenly virtues, in my weak and\nunbelieving heart!\n\nWe are very apt, when we read this, or other such passages of Scripture,\nto consider them merely as historical facts, in which we are in no wise\nparticularly interested. What have we to do with evil spirits, or\npossessions, at this day? Such things might have been permitted, whilst\nour SAVIOUR was upon earth, to give him an opportunity of displaying the\nDivine Powers with which he was invested.\n\nAlas! my brethren, human nature is just the same now, that it was then:\n\"the prince of the power of the air,\" and his infernal associates, are\nas maliciously bent upon our destruction as ever they were; and the same\nmiraculous interposition of the same powerful and compassionate JESUS,\nis still equally necessary for our security and relief. These spirits of\ndarkness are continually \"walking about, seeking whom they may devour:\"\nthey enter into all our worldly schemes and views; nay, they are\nthemselves frequently the first projectors of them: they enter into our\nvery blood and spirits, strive to gain possession of the very essence of\nour souls, and to bring the whole man in subjection to their infernal\nsway. They have deceived the wise men of this world, whom they have\ntaught to call them by some honourable appellation. Philosophy itself\nseems, in some instances, to aid them in carrying on their dangerous\ndelusions. Pride, envy, covetousness, lust, malice, which are real\nspirits of darkness, operating by real, though invisible, influences in\nthe human frame, have made their appearance in a fashionable dress, and\nhave been suffered to keep what is called the best company, when\nintroduced by the names of honour, decency, taste, dignity of sentiment,\nvirtuous resentment, free-thinking, and free-acting: they are, however,\ndevils in disguise, and are secretly undermining the real felicity of\nman.\n\nHad we such a view of their cruel treatment of us, as the father just\nmentioned had of their treatment of his child, you may think, perhaps,\nthat we should take the same steps which he did, towards obtaining\nrelief. And what is it that hinders us from having such a view of our\nreal misery? What, but that fascinating charm, which these very spirits\nthrow before our eyes to deceive us? They surround every worldly object\nwith a false lustre, and thus dazzle, in order to ensnare. Yea, though\nwe frequently detect the imposture, a succeeding one blinds us again. A\nfuture world lessens to our view, in proportion as we become attached to\nthe present. Nor is the charm totally dissolved, till, by frequent\ndisappointment and vexation, we have learned to read and understand the\ntrue name and character of worldly bliss, even \"Vanity of vanities!\" As\nlong as we have Faith in this world, we can have no Faith in another; as\nlong as ever we \"think ourselves whole,\" we shall not apply to a\nphysician, or have the least confidence in his skill.\n\nBut, blessed be GOD, there is a time, when the evil spirit tears and\nwounds the child, and casts him into the fire, and into the water,\ninsomuch, that the affrighted parent is constrained to fly to JESUS for\naid. In pain, in sorrow, in distress, in temptation, or upon a sick and\ndying bed, the sad effects of every diabolical delusion frequently\nappear in their true colours. Though the infernal spirits themselves\nthen work within us with aggravated rage; though they seem to avail\nthemselves of our bodily indisposition, to storm the citadel of our\nhearts; yet they are, in these instances, often egregiously deceived\nthemselves. The trembling sinner, destitute of every outward comfort,\nwhich sun, and air, and animal spirits could give him, beholds every\nsublunary object in its genuine colours, stripped of its false glare,\nand emptied of its delusive treasure. He cries aloud for help?--\"What\nshall I do to be saved?\" The Child of GOD, the offspring of Heaven\nwithin me, will be torn to pieces and destroyed by the spirits of\ndarkness. LORD, if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on me and\nhelp me! \"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that\nbelieveth,\" is the soft answer whispered to his soul. A beam of Heavenly\nLight and Love accompanies it; sweet silence and stillness succeed; till\nat length the soul, overpowered by an inexpressible sensibility of\nmeekness and humility, breaks forth in the language of my text, \"Lord, I\nbelieve, help thou mine unbelief!\" The storm ceaseth; the evil spirits\nare cast out, and the Child of GOD is delivered from their oppressive\nbondage.\n\n\"Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief,\" should be the constant\nlanguage of every Christian's heart. No words can more emphatically\nexpress the weakness of man, and his absolute resignation to the will of\nGOD, than these: they take every thing from the creature, and give all\nto the Creator. Whenever the human will is thus effectually turned to\nGOD, it soon manifests its origin, as coming forth from the essentially\nand eternally Free Will of GOD. It brings down Heaven into the soul; it\ntriumphs over all opposition; and, through the greatest weakness of\nhuman nature, it evidences the all-conquering power of DIVINE LOVE.\n\nWhy then, O man! O Christian! Why shouldst thou despond in the hour of\ntrial? \"Faith is, indeed, the gift of GOD;\" but it is a gift, which he\nbestoweth liberally upon all that ask it. Light and darkness, life and\ndeath, heaven and hell, are set before us: freely to chuse, and freely\nto reject, belongs to that free particle of the Divine Essence, which\n\"stirs within us.\" It was, originally, before the fall of man, the gift\nof GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. It was the constitution of our nature in its\nunfallen state: it was, if I may so speak, the Great Charter of Heaven,\nfreely delivered by the King of Heaven, to all his sons and subjects;\nand though blotted, obliterated, lost by an original apostasy, it is now\nrestored, regained, and purchased by a REDEEMER'S blood.\n\nShall we then tamely suffer these Rights of Heaven to be invaded by the\npowers of darkness? Shall we suffer the Child of GOD, the Redeemed of\nthe HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, to be taken captive by the armies of aliens?\nShall the splendor of accumulated wealth, the gay circle of worldly\npleasure, the tinsel trappings of honour, or the fading breath of\npopular applause, make us forget our native home, forget that we are but\n\"strangers and pilgrims upon earth,\" and that we are \"fellow-citizens\nwith the saints, and of the houshold of GOD?\" Shall we continue the\nwilling slaves of the spirits of darkness, of pride, envy, covetousness\nand wrath, whilst Heaven is declared to be our inheritance, and our\nREDEEMER hath assured us, that we have \"mansions prepared for our\nreception in his Father's House.\"\n\nRegardless, however, as many of you, my brethren, may be of these\nillustrious privileges now, the time may come, when a proper sensibility\nof your present bondage, will make you cry aloud for deliverance; when\nthe service of earth and hell will appear base, dishonourable, and\nunworthy the free-born sons of Light.\n\nWhen the good Providence of GOD, in kind commiseration of your secure\nand thoughtless state, shall send sorrow and affliction to your houses\nand to your hearts; when the shaft of anguish shall wound you, either in\nyour own persons, or in the persons of those whom you love; when duty,\nwhen affection shall call you to some solemn death-bed scene, where you\nshall behold expiring life just quivering upon the lips of a dear\ndeparting friend or relative; or when your own frail tabernacles shall\nbe shaken by disease, and you shall feel death approaching to take\npossession of the throne of life; when the counsels of the wise, and the\nsorrows of the tender-hearted, can stand you in no stead; when the\nimmortal tenant of your earthly mansion is just ready to take his\nflight, and stands trembling on the confines of a world unknown; at\nthese, or such like awful seasons, those amongst you, who have not\nheretofore experienced the power of Divine Faith, will then, if ever, be\nmade sensible of your want of it. The visionary scene of earthly bliss\nwill vanish like a morning cloud, and deep heart-felt anguish will wring\nthe soul, and make it feel the full horrors of its bondage. But to\nthose, who have already tasted the comforts of religion, and who have\nlong been groaning for deliverance from the captivity of an evil nature,\nand an evil world, Faith will open the doors of their prison, let in the\nLight of Heaven as they are able to bear it, and sweetly sing this song\nof consolation to their departing spirits: \"I will ransom them from\ndeath; I will redeem them from the power of the grave. O death! I will\nbe thy plague; O grave! I will be thy destruction.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE IX.\n                The Flourishing State of the Regenerate.\n\n\nPSALM i. VER. 3.\n\n    \"HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER, THAT\n    BRINGETH FORTH HIS FRUIT IN HIS SEASON: HIS LEAF ALSO SHALL NOT\n    WITHER, AND WHATSOEVER HE DOTH SHALL PROSPER.\"\n\n\nWhatever seeming inequality there may be in the dispensations of the\nAlmighty, or however partial he may appear to the eye of human reason,\nin his distribution of spiritual or temporal blessings among the sons of\nmen; it will, nevertheless, be found, at the consummation of the great\nscheme of Providence; that he has done every thing \"in number, weight,\nand measure;\" and that every part and period of the Divine\nAdministration hath been planned by unerring Wisdom, and conducted by\nuniversal and impartial Love.\n\nMinute philosophers, and men who value themselves upon what they call a\nliberal and enlarged way of thinking, may imagine, that this is no more\nthan a religious dream; and argue, from present appearances, that \"all\nthings happen alike unto all men, and that there is but one event to the\nrighteous and to the wicked, to him that serveth GOD, and to him that\nserveth him not.\" But the Heaven-taught philosopher, whose inward eye is\nilluminated from above, can see into the secret springs, by which the\nvast machine is perpetually kept in motion, and by which all the\ninfinite variety of workings in intelligent and inanimate nature, are\nrendered subservient to the Glory of GOD, and the final consummation of\nhis eternal plan in the supreme felicity of his creatures. By virtue of\nthat heavenly euphrasy with which his visual ray is purged and cleansed,\nhe sees, and is intimately convinced, that notwithstanding the frequent\nvicissitudes with which the life of a good man is sadly checquered, he\nis nevertheless \"like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that\nbringeth forth his fruit in his season; that his leaf also doth not\nwither, and whatsoever he doth shall prosper.\"\n\nThere is a peculiar beauty and propriety in this similitude, and every\npart of it bears a wonderful analogy to that spiritual life, into which\nfallen man hath been reinstated by the MEDIATION OF THE SON OF GOD.\n\nMan, by turning his will from his Maker, lost that paradisiacal glory,\nin which he was originally created; and found nothing left, in its\nstead, but a wrathful spirit within, and a dark disordered world\nwithout. By this act of his own will, he transplanted his nature, if I\nmay so speak, from the delightful garden of Eden, in which the ALMIGHTY\nhad placed him, into the midst of a thorny barren desart. He deprived it\nof all that nourishment it received from those waters of life, which\nsurrounded the blissful spot; and, in consequence, it must have been\nparched up and have withered away, had not DIVINE LOVE affectionately\ninterposed, and put him once more into a capacity of recovering his lost\ninheritance, and regaining the vital streams, by which alone his\nheavenly nature could be preserved and cherished.\n\nIt is true, man still continues in the desart of fallen nature: the\nfirst Adam is still condemned to till the ground from whence he was\ntaken. But the second Adam, the LORD from Heaven, hath caused those\nrivers of water, which are solely at his disposal, to flow through the\ndry and comfortless waste, that \"the wilderness and solitary place might\nthereby be made glad, and the desart rejoice and blossom like the rose.\"\n\nWhen man, therefore, convinced of his dark and barren state by nature,\nand the sovereign efficacy of these waters of life to chear and restore\nhim, freely opens his heart for their reception, he is then, indeed,\nlike \"a tree planted by the rivers of water:\" his roots shoot deep, and\nhis branches spread fair and luxuriant in the heavenly element: the\nkindly moisture insinuates itself into every part, and leaves, and\nflowers, and fruits, manifest the internal operation of the life-giving\nstream.\n\n\"I am the vine, ye are the branches\"--says the LORD OF LIFE.--\"As the\nbranch cannot bear fruit, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,\nexcept ye abide in me.\" There must be an intimate union betwixt CHRIST\nand his redeemed offspring; an union not suddenly formed, and as\nsuddenly broken, but piously and constantly maintained; an abiding\nunion, without which there can be no communication of his Heavenly\nVirtues, and, consequently, no fruits of holiness. But wheresoever this\nblessed union effectually takes place, the regenerated nature soon\nsprings forth; the bud, the blossom, the leaves, the fruits, all appear\nin their proper season: the man of GOD stands forth content, and, like a\ntree nourished by a living stream, imparts his refreshing shade, and\npleasant wholesome fruits, to all around.\n\nWould you know what these fruits are? They are fully enumerated by the\nApostle, who tells us, that \"the fruits of the SPIRIT are love, joy,\npeace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,\ntemperance.\" These fruits, says my text, are \"brought forth in their\nseason.\" The sun must shine upon the tree, the air must breathe, the\ndews and rains must descend, and the rivers of water must rise through\nthe roots into the trunk and branches. All this process must be\nperformed, before the fruit will appear.\n\nIt is just so with that \"plant of celestial seed,\" which is sown in the\nhuman heart. Meekness, humility, resignation, love, &c. are not the\ngrowth of an hour: days, and months, and years, must pass, before they\nwill begin to appear. I well know, that the first faint manifestation of\nthese graces in an awakened soul, hath frequently been mistaken for the\nwhole of a sinner's conversion. It has been called the \"Witness of the\nSPIRIT,\" testifying to the sinner, that the act of his justification is\npast, and that his pardon is sealed in the courts of Heaven. The Witness\nof the SPIRIT it undoubtedly is, because it results from an union of the\nhuman spirit with the Divine. And as the DIVINE SPIRIT is meekness and\nlove supreme, so it is no wonder that such an union should produce such\na spiritual sensation. But we are not to conclude from hence, that a\nsudden, and seemingly instantaneous sensibility of Heavenly Peace and\nLove, can be the whole of our conversion. It is, doubtless, a sweet\ntoken of Divine Grace; an happy earnest of the residence of the DIVINE\nSPIRIT, who, perhaps, for years before, had been seeking to manifest\nhimself in our hearts, and now gives this present consolation, as the\nresult of previous and frequent operations. Our salvation is so far from\ndepending upon these momentary sensations, that our LORD expressly\nassures us, that though we are united to him by as intimate an union as\n\"the branches are to the vine;\" yet, except \"we abide in him, we shall\nbe cast as withered branches into the fire.\"\n\n\"Let him, then, that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.\" Let\nus not value ourselves upon past experiences, or think that we are GOD'S\nchildren, and that our names are indelibly written in his book of life,\nmerely because we were once under spiritual distress, and were once\nrescued from it by the consolations of his SPIRIT. Nothing can preserve\nus in a state of union with our Divine REDEEMER, but an inward, constant\nthirsting after those \"waters of life,\" which he alone can give us.\nWhilst we stand before him in such a frame of soul, meekly and humbly\nwaiting for such portions of his Grace, as he sees necessary and\nexpedient to impart, we may then be assured, that \"our leaf shall not\nwither, and that whatsoever we do shall prosper.\" For when the will of\nman coincides with the Divine Will, and is implicitly resigned thereto\nin every situation, circumstance, and event of life, he must necessarily\nprosper, because GOD wills nothing but Good, and Good Supreme is the aim\nand end of all his dispensations.\n\nWell, but say some, How can this be? Do we not daily see the best of\nmen, groaning under the most grievous calamities, pining away with\nsickness, worn out with pain, or afflicted with some sad reverses of\nfortune? On the other hand, do we not daily behold men, who shew not the\nleast regard to religion, who have no fear of GOD before their eyes, who\nneither in private nor in public testify the least sense of their\ndependance upon him, or their connexion with another world, who violate\nhis sabbaths, deride his Revelation, and scoff at every thing that bears\nthe appearance of seriousness or sobriety; do we not daily behold such\nmen advanced to the pinnacle of preferment, abounding in wealth,\nfavoured with health and strength, and surrounded with every good thing\nthis world can afford? Yes--we certainly do; and so did David many ages\nsince. But attend to David's reflections upon this subject, and you will\nfind them rational and satisfactory.\n\n\"I was grieved at the wicked: I do also see the ungodly in such\nprosperity. For they are in no peril of health, but are lusty and\nstrong. They come in no misfortune like other folk, neither are they\nplagued like other men. Lo, these are the ungodly; these prosper in the\nworld, and these have riches in possession: and I said, then have I\ncleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. Yea, I had\nalmost said even as they; but lo, then I should have condemned the\ngeneration of thy children. Then thought I to understand this, but it\nwas too hard for me, until I went into the sanctuary of GOD; then\nunderstood I the end of these men, namely, that thou dost set them in\nslippery places, and castest them down and destroyest them. O, how\nsuddenly do they consume, perish, and come to a fearful end!\"\n\nThese are David's reflections on the condition of wicked men in his day;\nand the experience of preceding, as well as of after-ages, does\nabundantly confirm them. Vice will, sooner or later, meet with its\nrecompence, even in this world. But supposing this should not be the\ncase, and that good and righteous men should have a much larger share of\ntemporal misery than the wicked; yet it may with truth be said, that by\nthis very misery they prosper; yea, that their inward prosperity keeps\npace with their outward sufferings.\n\nEvery thing that has a tendency to disengage the heart and affections\nfrom this transient scene of things, ought to be deemed a real blessing.\nNow, who can deny, that sickness, pain, sorrow and affliction, have in\ntheir very nature this tendency? and, when seen by the happy sufferer in\na true point of light, they never fail of producing this effect. Hence\nit is, that many a pious soul is enabled to rejoice in such visitations,\nand to thank GOD for them as the richer blessings: for, \"though no\nchastisement for the present is joyous, but rather grievous; yet it\nafterwards yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those that\nare exercised thereby.\" True it is, that the outward man suffers, and is\nsadly weakened and distressed; but the Inward Man, the Child of GOD,\nthrives and prospers. The riches of eternity appear more and more real,\nin proportion as he discovers the vanity of time; and his disappointment\nin any worldly concern, is sure to render him more prosperous and\nsuccessful in matters of eternal moment.\n\nAlas! methinks I hear some say, it would be well if it were always so.\nBut are not many good men afflicted inwardly, as well as outwardly? Are\nthey not often destitute of spiritual as well as of worldly comforts?\nAre not their souls as much bowed down by the weight of their sinful\nnature, as their bodies by temporal evils and infirmities? And can these\nmen be said to \"prosper in whatsoever they do?\" Surely, they are alike\nunfortunate with respect to the present and the future world.\n\nSuspend thy judgment, poor partial observer! reason not from\nappearances. Inward darkness, and distress, and anguish, are the proper\ninlets through which the CHRIST OF GOD is received into the heavy-laden\nsoul. A sensibility of its burden makes it groan for relief: and the\nvery moment that \"patience hath done its perfect work,\" and the human\nwill is thereby brought to yield itself with implicit resignation to its\nGOD, the burden drops, and sweet peace and tranquillity of soul succeed.\nGOD never willingly afflicts his children; he deals with them as a most\nindulgent parent. Sin must be known and felt, before it can be shunned\nand conquered. And it is by repeated strokes, that the wayward child is\ntaught to avoid what may prove injurious and destructive to its\nhappiness.\n\nTo conclude with the apt similitude of my text: the real Christian is\n\"like a tree planted by the rivers of water;\" they afford it all the\nnourishment that is necessary. The stormy wind and the beating rain,\nwhile they try its strength, increase it; they make it cling closer to\nthe kindly soil, take deeper root, and bear fruit in greater abundance.\nThus, \"all things work together for good, to them that love GOD;\" and\n\"whatsoever they do,\" notwithstanding the many apparent disappointments\nand disquietudes they meet with, \"shall finally prosper,\" and terminate\nin never-fading bliss.\n\n\n\n\n                              DISCOURSE X.\n          The Cause and Cure of the Disorders of Human Nature.\n\n\nSt. MARK, CHAP. vii. VER. 34.\n\n    \"AND LOOKING UP TO HEAVEN, HE SIGHED; AND SAITH UNTO HIM, EPHPHATHA!\n    THAT IS, BE OPENED.\"\n\n\nA serious and philosophical mind, contemplating the innumerable evils,\nphysical and moral, to which men are exposed during their short\ncontinuance in this world, would very naturally conclude, that the\npresent state could not be that for which the ALMIGHTY originally\nintended them. Storms and tempests, sickness and pain, darkness and\ndisorder, in the natural world; and the various and destructive effects\nof pride, envy, covetousness, and wrath, in the moral world; are so\ncontrary to the Divine Nature, which is Life, Light, and Love, eternal\nand unchangeable, that it would be almost blasphemy to say, that such a\nsystem was the original finished workmanship of his adorable hand.\n\nTo such contemplations as these, philosophy might lead her sober\nvotary--But Divine Revelation alone can carry him back to the origin of\nthings, and give him the true information with respect to their present\nappearances. By this we learn, that the beautiful order and harmony of\ncreation were marred by the creature's transgression; who turning his\nwill from the source of infinite GOODNESS, lost that first gate in which\nhis Maker had placed him, and wherein all was light and joy; and found\nhimself in subjection to an evil nature within, and a world of darkness\nand distress without. By this Revelation also we are informed, that\nnothing less than a return to his Original Source, could reinstate him\nin his original bliss; that this return could be rendered possible in no\nother way, than by a ray, a spark, a seed, an earnest, a taste or touch\nof his first life, imparted or inspoken into his fallen nature by the\nGOD OF LOVE, to be gradually opened and unfolded by such a Redeeming\nProcess, as, with the co-operation of his own will, would effectually\nrestore him to his primeval felicity; and that this was undertaken, and\nonly could be undertaken and accomplished, by that ETERNAL SON OF THE\nFATHER, in and by whom man was originally created, and in and by whom\nalone he could be redeemed.\n\nAccordingly we find, that when this Express Image of the Hidden Deity\nappeared on earth, cloathed in our fallen flesh and blood, he was\ninvested with an absolute and uncontroulable power and authority over\nthe whole system of temporary nature. His wonder-working Fiat was\nsufficient to calm, in an instant, the most aggravated fury of the winds\nand seas; and, as proceeding from the same wrathful source, to assuage\nthe violence of raging fevers; to heal, by a mere touch, by a word, the\nmost inveterate diseases; and to restore every organ of sense, which had\nbeen injured or destroyed, to its true state, and proper use and\nfunction. And as all outward disorders primarily proceed from a wrong\nstate of the human spirit, his influence pervaded the inmost recesses of\nthe soul, and awakened and called forth that precious spark of his own\nHeavenly Fire, which had lain buried under the ashes of sin; and bade it\nenlighten, invigorate, and restore health and peace to, the whole man.\n\nThe gospel for the day presents us with a very remarkable instance of\nthe amazing effects of these redeeming powers--\"JESUS, departing from\nthe coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the sea of Galilee, through the\nmidst of the coasts of Decapolis: and they bring unto him one that was\ndeaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put\nhis hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his\nfingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his tongue: and looking\nup to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha! that is, Be\nopened!\"\n\nThere are three circumstances in this miraculous cure worthy of our\nserious attention, viz. the looking up to heaven, the sigh, and the\nEphphatha.\n\nI. The looking up to heaven, was beautifully expressive of the real\nsituation, in which this great Restorer of human nature stood before his\nHeavenly Father. It was intended, no doubt, to communicate to every\nattentive observer, this great lesson of instruction; that all the\npowers and virtues of which he was possessed, came down from above; that\nthey were communicated to him \"without measure;\" and that he could have\nno authority over the evils of human life, so as either to mitigate or\nremove them, but by standing continually in the Heavenly World,\ninspiring its air, receiving its beams of light and love, and sending\nthem forth into every human heart, that was truly desirous of their\nsalutary influence; and that it was by such a communication alone, that\nhe should be enabled to restore hearing and speech to the unhappy\npatient they had brought before him.\n\nII. This look was accompanied with a sigh. A sigh seems to indicate\ndistress. An anxious oppressed and afflicted heart is sometimes so full,\nas to deprive the tongue of the power of utterance; it vents itself,\ntherefore, in a sigh. But what could oppress or afflict the heart of the\nMeek and Innocent JESUS? His body, though a fallen one, does not seem to\nhave been sick or in pain; his soul was sweetly attempered to Divine\nLove, and could have felt nothing but inward peace and serenity--and\nyet, he sighs!--The poor deaf and dumb sinner, who stood before him, had\nreason enough to sigh: but he was insensible of his misery, and\ntherefore sought not for relief. The truth is this: The BLESSED JESUS,\nas the Second Adam, the Father and Regenerator of our whole lapsed race,\nvoluntarily assumed our nature, and became as intimately united to it,\nas the head to the members of the body. In consequence of this union,\n\"he knows whereof we are made, he remembers that we are but dust.\" His\nsympathetic heart is sensible of every want and distress of every son\nand daughter of Adam. He is persecuted with the church that Saul\npersecuteth; and who--\"so toucheth his children, toucheth the apple of\nhis eye.\" Yea, he feels for those, who feel not for themselves; and\nsighs over the sad state of those, who are blind to their true\nhappiness; \"who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for\nlight, and light for darkness.\"\n\nIt was from such a tender sensibility of human woe, that our Lord\nsighed; whilst he was preparing to perform this miracle of love. This\nlook, this sigh, seem to have uttered some such language as this: \"O\nHeavenly Father! I am come into this world to fulfil thy blessed will,\nin the restoration of fallen men to their primeval light and glory. My\ndesire of accomplishing this great work, which is continually called\nforth by a general view of their complicated misery, as well as by the\nparticular wants and distresses of individuals, now solicits, in favour\nof the poor mortal that stands before me, the application of those\nhealing powers, which I have received from thee!\" This expression of our\nLORD'S desire, coinciding with the Eternal Will to All Goodness,\nimmediately produced the Divine Ephphatha.\n\nIII. \"And he saith unto him, Ephphatha! that is, Be opened.\" Whatever\nsalutary efficacy there may be in medicine, it must proceed from that\nHeavenly virtue, which rises from the re-union of divided properties.\nThis re-union is the source of health, and the restoration of aught that\nmay be impaired in any of our outward organs, or inward faculties. To\nhim, who had all nature under his controul, who knew how to bring\ntogether and unite, in an instant, those properties which have been\nseparated, a single word, the mere motion of his will, was sufficient to\nproduce the desired effect. The same Majesty that said, \"Let there be\nlight!\" when \"darkness was upon the face of the deep,\" now uttered the\nauthoritative cure, \"Be opened!\" The injured organs were instantly\nrenewed; \"his ears were opened, the string of his tongue was loosed, and\nhe spake plain.\"\n\nThe same Supernatural Powers, which the BLESSED JESUS displayed upon\nthis occasion, he still continues to exercise in the hearts of his\nredeemed offspring. This look, this sigh, this Ephphatha, is spiritually\nfulfilled in the relief of every one, who is convinced of his spiritual\ndisorders, and applies to CHRIST for a cure.\n\nDeaf and dumb with respect to our inward and spiritual senses, we all\nare by nature. We can hear and speak, in deed, of worldly things, with a\nquickness and facility, which manifests, in innumerable instances, the\nstrong attraction by which they hold our attention and affections. The\ncalls of business and of pleasure, we are ever ready to answer: our\nearthly senses are continually open; but our heavenly faculties are\nclosed by a thousand obstructions, which we suffer the world, the flesh,\nand the devil, to form in our hearts.\n\nThe great Shepherd of Israel, who is perpetually employed in \"seeking\nand saving that which was lost,\" makes use of a variety of means and\nmethods to bring the soul to a conviction of its loss. The efficacy of\nthese depends, indeed, upon the concurrence of the human will; because\nnothing can come into the soul, but what itself wills or desires. The\ndifferent dispensations of Providence are wisely and affectionately\nadapted to the different circumstances of individuals: the end and\ndesign of them all is one and the same, viz. to bring the wandering\ncreature to a sense of his deviations, and \"to guide his feet into the\nways of peace.\"\n\nBy whatever means this conviction is wrought, the soul soon becomes\nsensible of its mistaken choice, and soon determines to withhold its\nattention from the calls of earthly objects. In vain does the Syren sing\nher delusive song; it ceases now to charm; for the finger of GOD stops\nthe outward ear, that the inward ear may be opened to a sweeter note.\nThe awakened sinner \"looks up and lifts up his head, for his redemption\ndraweth nigh\"--looks up to Heaven--For what? for the healing hand of his\nRedeemer to interpose, and remove every remaining obstruction--looks up,\nand sighs--No desire of deliverance, without a previous sensibility of\ndistress--a sigh is the true language of desire; it is more effectual\nthan long prayer; it is prayer itself, in its true spirit: words do\nfrequently render it less spiritual. The sigh of a contrite sinner\nbrings down Heaven into his heart. JESUS often sighed. He loves a sigh;\nit invites him into his own Temple; and \"Ephphatha, Be opened!\" is the\nblessed voice that precedes his salutary entrance.\n\nBe opened!--Opened, to what?--To the Harmony of Heaven; to the\nsymphonies of angels; to \"the Voice of the Bridegroom.\" \"The marriage of\nthe Lamb\" is come; the Bride is prepared; the silver chord is tried; the\nblessed union is completed! The soul is now all eye, all ear, all heart,\nall tongue; and eye, and ear, and heart, and tongue, are all employed in\nreceiving the gifts and graces, and celebrating the beauties and\nperfections of him, who is \"fairest among ten thousand, who is\naltogether lovely.\"\n\nO BLESSED JESUS! vouchsafe, we beseech thee, so to manifest thy power in\nopening our ears, and loosing our tongues, that we may henceforth hear\nno voice but thine, and offer up our sacrifice of praise and\nthanksgiving to none but thee, who, with the FATHER and the HOLY SPIRIT,\nart ONE GOD, blessed for evermore!\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE XI.\n                 The Riches and Glory of the Christian.\n\n\n1 COR. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.\n\n    \"THEREFORE, LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN. FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;\n    WHETHER PAUL, OR APOLLOS, OR CEPHAS, OR THE WORLD, OR LIFE, OR\n    DEATH, OR THINGS PRESENT, OR THINGS TO COME; ALL ARE YOURS, AND YE\n    ARE CHRIST'S, AND CHRIST IS GOD'S.\"\n\n\nThese words contain a complete and beautiful enumeration of those\ndistinguishing privileges to which human nature is exalted, by virtue of\nthat glorious plan of Redemption, which JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD hath\naccomplished for our whole fallen race. They were occasioned by some\nlittle jealousies and envyings, which had broken out among the\nCorinthians, in consequence of an undue attachment to particular\napostles and preachers of the gospel; some declaring themselves\npublickly in favour of one, and some of another; some saying they were\nof Paul, others of Apollos, and others of Cephas. Upon this occasion the\nblessed Apostle, in the true spirit of Christian Love, and free\ndisinterested impartial Charity, reminds them of this grand and\nimportant truth, \"that no man can lay any other foundation, than that is\nlaid, even JESUS CHRIST;\" that whatever difference there might be in the\nparticular gifts and talents of their different preachers, yet no\npreference was to be given on this account, but their attention was\nsolely to be directed to those fundamental principles, which all were\nlabouring to inculcate, though all were not equally agreeable and\ncaptivating in their modes of communication and address. These\ndifferences were to be considered as accidental and external, and by no\nmeans sufficient to warrant any partial personal distinctions. He makes\nuse of a variety of the most sensible and cogent arguments, to dissuade\nthem from a conduct so illiberal and unchristian; and in order most\neffectually to silence such a spirit of contention, he reminds them, in\nmy text, of the high and exalted privileges to which they themselves\nwere called in CHRIST JESUS--\"Therefore let no man glory in men.\" As if\nhe had said:\n\nLet none of you value yourselves upon your personal attachment to this\nor that favourite Apostle; let none of you boast of the superior\nspiritual excellencies of those particular teachers, to whom you have\nfondly surrendered your affections; or look upon the spiritual knowledge\nyou have acquired, as proceeding from any powers or virtues in them,\nsuperior to those of their brethren: for let me assure you, such vain\ndistinctions are beneath the character of those, who are themselves\nunited to that very Source and Fountain, from whence the living streams\nof real knowledge, holiness, and happiness, do alone proceed: \"For all\nthings are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or\nlife, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and\nye are CHRIST'S, and CHRIST is GOD'S.\"\n\nWhat a glorious inheritance is here! the whole universe of things\ndeclared to belong to the Redeemed Race of Adam! No prophecy is of\nprivate interpretation. From the beginning to the end of the Bible,\nevery prediction, every promise, every truth therein delivered, equally\nbelongs to every individual of the human race: they are addressed to all\nwithout exception. What a senseless distinction then is that, which some\nnarrow minds have adopted, and are fond of propagating, that the\npromises of Scripture are made to none but believers? Whereas, these\npromises are the very foundation of every one's faith, and the ground\nupon which every one's hope of Salvation rests.\n\nNo son of fallen Adam can apply for pardon upon any other ground, than\nthat the promises of Scripture, which are founded upon the Universal and\nImpartial Love of God, are made to him, and every other person in the\nlike circumstances. His faith in these promises makes a glorious change,\nwith respect to himself; but, on the part of GOD, who is \"the same\nyesterday, to-day, and for ever,\" they were made to him before he\nbelieved, or thought any thing about them: \"We love him, because he\nfirst loved us.\" He hath elected all mankind to salvation, in his Son\nJESUS CHRIST. An immortal inheritance is secured to all, by the Merits\nof this BLESSED MEDIATOR; and if any fall short of this salvation, or\nlose their inheritance, the blame must lie at their own door: \"They\nwould not come to CHRIST, that they might have life.\"\n\nShould an affectionate parent, with the utmost care and anxiety, make\nsuch an ample provision for the sober and virtuous education of his\nchildren, as, if accepted and improved by them, would secure to them\nknowledge, esteem, and happiness in this world; would not such a parent\nbe thought to have done all that love and tenderness could do in this\nrespect, for the future welfare of his offspring? The provision is\nequally secured to all; and yet, if any thoughtless, perverse,\ndisobedient child, should refuse to avail himself of these paternal\nblessings, and prefer an idle, dissolute, and abandoned life, to all the\nadvantages which the father had taken care he should be furnished with,\nhe might justly be told, as the Apostle tells the Corinthians--\"All\nthese things are yours.\" Your Father hath made you equal with the rest\nof his children--knowledge, esteem, and happiness, is as much in your\npower as in theirs; your falling short of them, therefore, is owing to\nnothing but your own perverse disposition--\"they are yours,\" but you\nwill not enjoy them.\n\nThe same might be said of a temporal inheritance equally divided among a\nfamily of children; each has an equal portion: and yet if any child\nshould be so weak and silly, as to chuse to forego the enjoyment of his\nshare, and prefer penury and contempt to opulence and honour, he might\nstill be told, that the portion was his, though he was so foolish as to\nneglect and forsake it.\n\nEven so, \"an inheritance incorruptible, immortal, and that fadeth not\naway,\" is secured, in CHRIST JESUS, to every individual of our fallen\nrace: \"All things are ours,\" by virtue of that Heavenly nature, which we\ninherit from JESUS CHRIST the second Adam. Upon the birth, growth, and\nmaturity of this Heavenly Nature, depends our possession of this Eternal\nInheritance; and this birth, growth, and maturity again depend upon the\nco-operation of our wills, which are eternally and essentially free,\nwith the Divine Will.\n\nWhat I have here asserted, is fully consonant to the very letter of\nScripture: \"GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all\nshould come to repentance.\" But if GOD is willing to save all, Why are\nnot all saved? Why do not all men come immediately to repentance?--The\nreason is obvious: it depends not, as some vainly assert, upon a Secret\nWill of GOD, distinct from his Revealed Will. Such an idea of the GOD OF\nTRUTH AND LOVE, is unscriptural, and even blasphemous--No, it depends\nwholly upon the co-operation of our wills, with the unchangeable Will of\nGOD. The promise is made to all; the inheritance is secured to all; but\nthe possession and enjoyment can never come, till the will of the\ncreature is united to the will of the Creator; till from a deep\nconviction of his own nothingness by nature, he freely opens his heart\nto the influences of Grace--and then he finds, by a blessed experience,\nthat, \"having nothing, he possesseth all things.\"\n\nWhen a minister of CHRIST, therefore, addresses himself to a sinner,\ninsensible of his fallen condition, and strongly attached to that\nearthly life, which he inherits from fallen Adam, he cannot use a more\neffectual argument, than that which the Apostle in my text presses upon\nthe divided and contentious Corinthians--For so far as these jealousies\nand disputes prevailed among them, they were doubtless under the evil\ninfluences of the same corrupt nature, to which the unregenerate are in\nbondage.\n\nWhy, vain mortal, why, alas! art thou so strangely blind to thy best\ninterests, so amazingly neglectful of thy real happiness? Thou fleest\nfrom the substance, and embracest a shadow; thou pursuest the vanity of\ntime, and despisest the riches of eternity; thou preferrest the life of\na beast to the life of an angel; thou art content to feed upon husks\namong swine, whilst in \"thy Father's house there is bread enough, and to\nspare.\"--Thou art in search of a false and delusive happiness in this\nworld, whilst, if thou wouldst but attend to and \"know the things that\nbelong to thy peace,\" thou wouldst soon discover, that \"all things are\nthine.\" For poor, wretched, sinful, polluted as thou art in thine\noutward nature, thou hast, within thee, a Seed of Eternal Life, a Birth\nof the TRIUNE GOD, a Son of the Second Adam, a Reconception of the Light\nand Love of GOD, an Angel near its birth. To this seed, this birth, this\nson, this reconception, this angel in thy breast, belongs the Kingdom of\nHeaven, the pure element of Life, and Light, and Love. JESUS CHRIST, thy\nEver Blessed Redeemer, hath sown in thy heart, and in the hearts of all\nthy fellow-sinners, this Seed of his own Heavenly Nature, by means of\nwhich, he affectionately purposes to redeem thee from the bondage of\ncorruption, and exalt thee to a glorious state of life and liberty. As\nhe is invested with \"all power both in heaven and in earth,\" so this\noffspring of his, which is within thee, will become a partaker of his\nPower, in proportion as it becomes a partaker of his Life and Spirit, in\nproportion as it increases in Heavenly Wisdom and Stature.\n\nIf thou shouldst ask, how this growth and increase is to be obtained,\nand how all things are thine?--I could answer thee, that as the\nearth-born babe could never grow and increase in bodily strength,\nwithout a perpetual supply of the light, and air, and food, which this\noutward world affords; so it is as really and physically true, that the\nHeaven-born offspring of the Second Adam, can never grow or increase in\nspiritual strength, without the light, and air, and food of the heavenly\nworld, imparted by its tender and affectionate parent, JESUS CHRIST: and\nas nothing disposes the earthly infant to receive that nourishment which\nis suited to its nature, but the hunger of that nature, earnestly crying\nfor a supply; so nothing can dispose the Heavenly babe within, to\nreceive the precious influences of Divine Life and Grace, which alone\ncan satisfy its nature, but an hunger and earnest desire of this\nHeavenly Food; or, in other words, the spirit of the will turning to\nCHRIST, loathing all other nourishment, and desiring only to be fed with\nhis Bread of Eternal Life.\n\nThus fed, supported, and strengthened, by a Vital Union with thine\nadorable REDEEMER, thou standest not in thine own strength, but in his;\nnot in thine own righteousness, but the Righteousness of CHRIST within\nthee; not in thine outward and perishing nature, but in thy inward,\nAngelical, and Divine Nature. In this nature, sweetly mingling with its\nown kindred element, thou art safe, firm and collected; all temporal\nobjects are beneath thy feet; like Adam in his paradisiacal state, the\nearth, and all that is therein, is subject to thy will. Health and\nsickness, prosperity and adversity, storms and calms, spiritual comforts\nor spiritual distresses, the vicissitudes of life, the horrors of death,\nthe vanity of time, and the riches of eternity, are all at thy command,\nand thou makest them all subservient to thy spiritual growth and\nconsolation.\n\nAll these powers, virtues, and enjoyments, are thine; thine by the Free\nGift of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, imparted to thee; and made thine, at the\nvery moment the \"Seed of the Woman\" was inspoken into Adam's fallen\nnature. It is true, they are in an hidden state, and require the\nstrongest exertion of thy will co-operating with thy Saviour, in calling\nthem forth. They can only appear and manifest themselves, in proportion\nas thy will is given up to CHRIST, in proportion as thou diest to thine\nearthly nature, and its earthly desires, and becomest one Desire, one\nWill, one Spirit with thy REDEEMER. This is not a sudden and\ninstantaneous work: the process is slow and painful. Many a right hand\nmust be cut off; many a right eye must be plucked out; many a favourite\npassion must be sacrificed, many a weary step taken, many a temptation\nbaffled, many a victory obtained against the devil, the world, and the\nflesh, before \"all things are thine\" by actual possession.\n\nThe combat is tedious, and the victory sometimes appears doubtful. But\nbe not discouraged at this--darkness as well as light, doubt as well as\nassurance, weakness as well as strength, will help thee on thy way. Thy\nREDEEMER is perpetually watching over his own offspring; he eyes thee\nwith ineffable compassion throughout thy whole progress, and renders all\nits vicissitudes subservient to thy real and eternal welfare.\n\nThink not, that it is necessary to thy spiritual growth, that thou\nshouldst walk in perpetual sun-shine, beneath a clear unclouded sky. The\nhowling winds, the beating rain, are equally necessary at times; and are\nas powerful and operative in spiritual, as in earthly vegetation.\nThrough these, and worse than these, even the gloomy vale of the shadow\nof death, the invisible hand of an Omnipotent REDEEMER shall conduct\nthee safe to a region of uncreated light and glory, where eternal\nnature, in its essential and unchangeable splendors, manifests the\nBeatifying Presence of FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST, in their full and\nundivided Trinity of Glory.\n\nWhat though pain of body, and inward anguish of soul, should assault\nthee; what though disease should blast the bloom of health, and\nconvulsion rack and rend thine earthly frame; what though death, with\nall his grim attendants, should knock at thy door, summon thee to\nrelinquish all thy temporal prospects, and to enter at once into the\nworld of spirits; this single reflection, that CHRIST has made \"all\nthings thine,\" will be sufficient to support thy sinking frame; nay,\nmore, thou wilt rejoice in thy deliverance from the captivity of the\nbody, look forward with transport into the Paradise to which thou art\nhastening, nor \"cast one longing lingering look behind.\"\n\nSuch an address as this, from a minister of CHRIST, to a poor\nthoughtless sinner, I cannot but think, by the blessing of GOD, would\nhave a more sure and certain effect upon his hardened heart, than all\nthe terrors of eternal damnation, thundered, as is too frequently the\ncase, with more than brutal violence and impetuosity against him. For\nsuch a method would open two things to his mind, which are equally\nnecessary to be revealed to him, neither of which he can attend to in\nhis present thoughtless condition, viz. the sin and vanity of his fallen\nlife, and the comfort, happiness, and glory of his redeemed nature--one\nshould never be opened without the other: it would only be probing the\nwound, without administring the restoring balsam. This method which I\nhave mentioned, was that which our dear REDEEMER and his blessed\nApostles always used; and if Christian ministers would more carefully\ntread in their footsteps, they might be sure of greater success: not\nperhaps in the way of extraordinary awakenings, violent convictions, and\ninstantaneous joys; but in the still, calm, and soothing ways of the\nGospel of Peace and Love.\n\nWe should never tell the sinner, that he is by nature under the bondage\nof the devil, the world, and the flesh, without acquainting him, that he\nhas in him an High and Heavenly Nature, to which he would do well to\nattend, as to a Light shining in the midst of his darkness: When we\npoint out the destructive consequences of sin, we should enlarge at the\nsame time upon the delights of holiness, and the exalted privileges of\nthose that follow it. Thus we should imitate the Apostle in my text,\nwho, upon giving this advice to his Corinthian brethren, \"Let no man\nglory in men,\" immediately adds this high and encouraging motive to\ntheir practice of it, \"For all things are yours.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE XII.\n                 The Riches and Glory of the Christian.\n\n\n1 CORINTH. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.\n\n    \"THEREFORE LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN: FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;\n    WHETHER PAUL, OR APOLLOS, OR CEPHAS, OR THE WORLD, OR LIFE, OR\n    DEATH, OR THINGS PRESENT, OR THINGS TO COME; ALL ARE YOURS, AND YE\n    ARE CHRIST'S, AND CHRIST IS GOD'S.\"\n\n\nMy former discourse from these words contained a general view of the\nApostle's reasoning in this chapter. I observed, that this part of his\nepistle was occasioned by some envyings and jealousies which had crept\ninto the Corinthian church, in consequence of an undue distinction and\npreference which different persons had shewn to different Apostles and\nPreachers of the Gospel; and that, in order to silence these\ncontroversies, the Apostle, after a variety of other excellent\narguments, concludes with enumerating the high and distinguishing\nPrivileges, to which the Corinthians themselves were called, in common\nwith those very teachers, whose excellencies they were so injudiciously\nmagnifying.\n\nHe tells them, that they ought not to \"glory in men;\" that is, to boast\nof the superior excellencies of this or that favourite Preacher, because\n\"all things were theirs;\" that by virtue of that Heavenly Nature, which\nthey, as well as their teachers, inherited from JESUS CHRIST, the Second\nAdam, they were provided with a glorious inheritance, and invested with\nhigh powers and privileges, whereby this world, and every thing in it,\nwas subject to their will, when in union and co-operation with the\nEternal and Unchangeable Will of their REDEEMER: so that all personal\ndistinctions among men, all personal admiration of their peculiar\ntalents and most shining endowments, were beneath the character of such\nhigh-born souls, and ought not to come into competition with the\nHeavenly Graces of love, meekness, humility, mutual forbearance,\ncondescension and peace, by which alone the dignity of their birth could\nbe asserted, and the actual possession of their spiritual privileges\nknown and ascertained.\n\nI endeavoured likewise to explain to you, the glorious and comfortable\nmeaning and import of this general proposition of the Apostle, \"All\nthings are yours:\" and shewed, by several similitudes and observations,\nthat this was not only applicable to the Corinthians, and the most\neffectual motive that the Apostle could make use of, to disengage them\nfrom their narrow and carnal notions and jealousies, but that it is\nequally applicable to all men, at all times, and in all places and\ncircumstances; and the most effectual method that a Minister of CHRIST\ncan make use of, to awaken thoughtless sinners, and engage them to\npursue the things that belong to their peace.\n\nLet me now, therefore, entreat your attention, whilst I enter upon the\nconsideration of those particular Privileges, which are enumerated under\nthis general head.\n\nAs the immediate design of the Apostle, upon this occasion, was to put\nan end to that strife and division, which subsisted among them from the\nattachment of different persons to different preachers, so the first\nPrivilege he mentions, is this, that in whatever light they might\nconfider the matter, these Apostles and Preachers were nothing in\nthemselves, but were furnished with peculiar talents and endowments for\nthe service of their brethren: they were \"theirs,\" because instruments\nin the hands of Heaven, to awaken their attention, and engage their\npursuit of real spiritual knowledge and happiness; and they were only to\nbe considered in this light, without any other personal respect and\nveneration, than that which their character, as instruments, might\nclaim: for \"all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas.\"\n\nThat this is a true and just representation of the Apostle's design, we\nmay learn from his reasoning in the preceding part of the chapter. He\ncharges them with acting under the immediate influence of earthly and\ncarnal motives; and though he had adapted his preaching to their slender\ncapacities, though he had fed them with milk, as being yet in the Rate\nof infants, and incapable of receiving or digesting the strong meat of\nthe great and glorious mysteries of the Gospel, yet they did not profit\neven by this; for they had acquired no new spiritual strength from\nthence; nay, they not only remained in their infant state, unable to\nbear a further revelation of Gospel Truth, but gave themselves up again\nto the principles and dictates of corrupt nature. \"Ye are yet carnal:\nfor whereas there is among you envyings, and strife, and divisions, are\nye not carnal, and walk as men?--For while one faith, I am of Paul, and\nanother I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is\nApollos, but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the LORD gave to\nevery man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but GOD gave the increase.\nSo then neither he that planteth is any thing, neither he that watereth,\nbut GOD who giveth the increase. Now he that planteth, and he that\nwatereth, are one.\" As if he had said:\n\nI am truly sorry, O Corinthians! to find that such unexpected\nanimosities have risen among you: they are too flagrant proofs of your\ndeviation from that path of Gospel Truth and Love, into which you had\nbut just entered. Certain, indeed, it is, that I have laboured among you\nwith unceasing vigilance and care; and \"by the Grace of GOD that was\ngiven me,\" have planted a Church of CHRIST in the midst of you. The glad\ntidings of the Gospel were sent from my lips to your awakened hearts:\nyou were taught to see, and feel, and relinquish the vanity and\ncorruption of your fallen life, and to look for and experience the birth\nand growth of an Heavenly Nature within you. To this Heavenly Nature, I\nadministered much mild and gentle food and nourishment, as I knew was\nbest suited to its tender opening state. In this situation I left you to\nthe Grace of CHRIST, and the affectionate labours of those other\nApostles and preachers; who seconded my ministry among you. The labours\nof Apollos and Cephas were as necessary to your growth in Grace, as\nmine: for as ye \"are GOD'S husbandry, as ye are GOD'S building,\" so GOD\nhath bestowed different talents and endowments on those several\nlabourers or workmen, whom he chooses to employ for the culture of his\nvineyard, and for the progress and completion of his great spiritual\nedifice. \"We are all, therefore, labourers together with GOD:\" We have\nall our different tasks allotted us by the great Husband-man and\nMaster-builder, under whom we labour, and from whom alone we receive\nstrength and wisdom to execute his will. My business was to plant,\nApollos's to water; but what could it avail to plant or to water, unless\nGOD gave the increase? The Sun of Righteousness must shed his genial\nlight and warmth, and the Divine Spirit must breathe its refreshing\ngales upon the tender plants, or they will wither and die. \"He that\nplanteth, and he that watereth, therefore, are one,\" united in the same\nblessed work. The culture, growth, and perfection of the plant, are\nequally the care and concern of both, though their business or\nemployment in this work be different. Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, are\nonly \"ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the LORD gave to every\nman,\" and prospered their several labours. Paul, and Apollos, and\nCephas, are yours: they are equally concerned, and equally laborious,\nfor your Growth in Grace, though their particular talents and exercises\nmay be different. Away then with your vain and unchristian distinctions!\nfor the planter, and the waterer, are equally necessary, and equally\nestimable. Consider them always in these characters; entertain an equal\nlove and respect for them all; and beg of your Heavenly Father to give\nincrease to their respective labours.\"\n\nI need not take up your time,--my brethren, in endeavouring to ascertain\nthe peculiar and characteristical gifts of these several Apostles: this\nwould neither augment, nor diminish the weight of the argument. Whatever\nthese gifts were, they were not their own, but only intrusted to them by\nJESUS CHRIST, for accomplishing his own wise and salutary purposes\ntowards the children of men. Some might be eminent for one kind of\nusefulness, and some for another. But it is probable, that those who\npossessed such talents, as most captivated the attention and affections\nof animal nature, were most followed; and this merely on account of the\ntalents themselves, without any respect to those spiritual salutary\ntruths, which, through them, were intended to be conveyed to the\nhearers.\n\nThis conduct, however, is not peculiar to the Corinthians. The same evil\ncarnal principle, that raised so many unchristian animosities in that\ninfant church, has ever since been working in every part of Christendom.\nIt is the fatal source of all that variety of sects, opinions, and\ndoctrines, into which the outward church has been, and is still, sadly\ndivided. But Truth is One--it has been so from the beginning, and will\ncontinue so for ever. The different sentiments and conceptions of\nmankind about Truth, can no more alter its nature, or make it cease to\nbe what it is, than the looking through a variety of glasses of\ndifferent colours, forms, and densities, can change the real colour,\nform, and proportion of objects. Every man admires and esteems his own\nglass most; and not content with this, quarrels with his neighbour,\nbecause he does not make use of it as well as himself. This is but too\ntrue a picture of the present state of Christianity--while its\nprofessors are disputing and differing about their own peculiar opinions\nand notions of Truth, which are no better than the glasses through which\nthey contemplate it, they lose sight of the fair and beauteous object\nitself.\n\nThe ministers of JESUS CHRIST ought to have but one end in view, and\nthat is, the conversion of hearts to his Redeeming Love. Their talents\nfor this great work may differ as much as their persons; but by this\ndiversity of gifts, they are better enabled to do the different kinds of\nwork that are necessary to be done in their master's vineyard. They\nshould be careful, however, not to run before they are sent, not to\nintrude upon the labours of their brethren, but be content to be\nemployed in a way suitable to their peculiar talents, and in the field\nwhich Heaven hath assigned them. He that planteth, should be sent out\nonly to plant; he that watereth, to water; he that giveth milk, should\ncontinue to give it till he has something stronger to give, and his\nhearers are better able to receive it. At the same time, neither he that\nplanteth, nor he that watereth, neither he that giveth milk, nor he that\ngiveth strong meat, should interfere with, depreciate, or counter-act\neach other's peculiar work; but rather should faithfully and lovingly\nco-operate, each in the use of his particular gifts and experiences, to\nedify and perfect the body of CHRIST.\n\nWere ministers thus tender, charitable, affectionate, and helpful to\neach other; were they truly fellow-labourers in CHRIST; it is more than\nprobable, that there would be less divisions and jealousies among the\npeople. Much depends, under GOD, upon their prudence and-forbearance\nwith respect to each other: and though such is the corruption and\nperverseness of human nature, that the closest union among themselves\nmay not entirely prevent disputes among their hearers (as was the case\nat Corinth, though the Apostles did, no doubt, affectionately harmonize\nin all their labours) yet such an union would have a great tendency to\nheal or disperse them.\n\nBut how dreadful must be the consequences, when any ambitious aspiring\npreachers do themselves raise and foment these divisions; when they\nlimit the Mercies of JESUS, and call upon men to join and associate\nthemselves to their particular sect or party; as if the streams of\nSpiritual Life had left every other channel which Providence had opened,\nand, by their direction, taken entirely to one of their own\nconstruction! If a preacher of this class happens to possess any popular\ntalents, he is capable of abusing them to great mischief--to impose his\nown doctrines and opinions upon the ignorant multitude, by first\ncaptivating their passions, and then leading their judgments and\nconsciences as he pleases. Many a soul has been awakened, indeed, under\nsuch preachers, but few have attained to any solid or substantial piety.\nTheir minds have been kept in bondage to certain peculiarities of\ndoctrine and practice, but their hearts and wills have never been\nsurrendered to their true and only Master JESUS CHRIST. They have\nblindly followed the commandments of men, of their clamorous and\nenflamed leaders; but have neglected the weightier matters of Love,\nPeace, and Spiritual Union with CHRIST and all true Christians. Paul,\nApollos, or Cephas, they are ready enough to magnify and extol: but the\nMaster of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, they too easily forget--their\nattention and affections are too much engaged by the instrument, to\nobserve and adore the Hand by which it is, or ought to be, directed.\n\nTo conclude this head: As the best of teachers, even the Apostles\nthemselves, found it so difficult to controul the passions and\nprejudices of men, and disengage them from partial distinctions and\npreferences among their ministers; how careful should all ministers be,\nto inculcate the Apostolical doctrine contained in this chapter, upon\ntheir hearers! to caution them against depending upon, or glorying in\nman; against trusting to the piety, zeal, or elocution, of the most\nliberal teachers, and much more against giving up their consciences to\nthose, whose views are partial and confined, and who publickly avow them\nto be such, by endeavouring to draw a deluded multitude into the narrow\nlimits of their own misguided sect. How often should they remind their\nhearers, that they are no more than their servants, men of like passions\nwith themselves, though selected by Divine Providence to convey the glad\ntidings of Salvation to their hearts: that they can, at most, but plant\nand water; nor even this, without the continuance of Divine assistance;\nbut that it is to GOD alone they must look for the increase!\n\nO my brethren! let these truths sink deep into your hearts. Without a\nthorough conviction of them, all the preaching in the world will be of\nno service to you. You may hear a sermon every day, and every hour in\nthe week, and be as far from CHRIST as ever, if you continue to depend\nupon preaching and preachers alone for your salvation. The utmost they\ncan do, is to direct you to CHRIST. Regard them only when they give you\nthis advice. Value them not for their natural or even spiritual\nendowments; you may be deceived in both. The surest and most profitable\nway you can take, is to consider them as mere planters and waterers; and\nto follow them, so far only as they follow CHRIST.\n\n\n\n\n                            DISCOURSE XIII.\n         The Riches, Privileges, and Honours of the Christian.\n\n\n1 COR. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.\n\n    \"THEREFORE LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN: FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;\n    WHETHER PAUL, OR APOLLOS, OR CEPHAS, OR THE WORLD, OR LIFE, OR\n    DEATH, OR THINGS PRESENT, OR THINGS TO COME; ALL ARE YOURS, AND YE\n    ARE CHRIST'S, AND CHRIST IS GOD'S.\"\n\n\nThe scope and design of the Blessed Apostle in this passage of his\nepistle, together with the true meaning and import of his general\nproposition, \"All things are yours,\" hath been already explained in my\nfirst discourse from these words. In my second discourse, I entered upon\nthe consideration of those particular privileges of the Christian, which\nare enumerated under this general head: And as the first of these\nprivileges had a more immediate and striking reference to the great end\nhe here had in view, which was to convince the Corinthians of the sin\nand folly of attaching themselves to particular and favourite preachers;\nI enlarged upon this head, and endeavoured to prove, that Paul, and\nApollos, and Cephas, and all other ministers of the Gospel, were no more\nthan the servants of their brethren; that they were \"theirs\" by a\nparticular privilege, inasmuch as their office, their labours, talents,\nand several endowments, were entrusted to them for no other purpose, but\nthat God, through them, might communicate \"the unspeakable riches of his\nGrace\" to the whole body of Christians. In this character, and in this\nalone, they were all equally entitled to their esteem and love, but not\nto any personal preference, or undue exaltation of one above another.\n\nNot content with this, however, the good Apostle, under the full\ninspiration of Divine Truth, and the glorious enlargement of Divine\nLove, breaks forth into a further declaration of those still higher\nprivileges, to which the meanest member of the church of CHRIST is\nequally and in common entitled, with the greatest and most advanced\nbelievers: not only \"Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, are yours; but the\nworld, and life and death, and things present, and things to come: all\nare yours, and ye are CHRIST'S, and CHRIST is GOD'S.\"\n\n\"The world is yours!\"--Is it so, thou Blessed Apostle? Alas! this\nstrange assertion seems not to be confirmed, either by thine own\nexperience, or the experience of thy fellow-labourers; or of any of\nthose, who have since trod in the footsteps of thy Suffering Master. If\nbonds and imprisonments, if stripes and persecutions of various kinds,\nif cruel mockings and insults, if outward and inward tribulations might\nbe admitted as proofs of their having the world in their power, these,\nalas, will not be found wanting. Sad privilege, indeed! Wretched\nconsolation! to be told that misery is our portion, and that distress\nand affliction are the Christian's birth-right!--Let us, however,\nendeavour to solve this seeming paradox, and reconcile the Apostle's\ndeclaration with the common experience of Christians.\n\nWhence was it, O Christian! (for I now appeal to the real sensibilities\nof every believing soul that has tasted of the Good Word of GOD) whence\nwas it, that thou hast acquired that power and dominion over the world,\nby which thou canst sustain its adversity and prosperity, its evil and\nits good, with equal calmness, fortitude, and complacency--for this is\nthat power and dominion, by which alone the world becomes thine! Was it\nnot by those very sufferings, which seem so diametrically opposite to\nthis triumphant state? Thy victory rose from thy defeat; thy\nconsolation, from the depth of thy distress; thy conquest of the world,\nfrom its conquest of thee.--Yea, the world furnished thee with arms\nagainst itself. Every new affliction gave thee some new acquisition;\nevery sigh, every tear, vanquished some mortal foe.\n\nBonds and imprisonments, scourging and insults, hunger and thirst, cold\nand nakedness, war, pestilence, and shipwreck, and all the dire\nvicissitudes which the world can bring upon us, serve no other purpose\nthan to subdue the pride, envy, covetousness, and wrath of our fallen\nlife; to open the eyes of our inward man, and teach us to look upon this\nworld in its proper light, to fly its visionary pleasures, and support\nwith patience its substantial miseries.\n\nTo suffer, therefore, is to triumph; to be distressed, is our glorious\nprivilege; to \"be weary and heavy-laden,\" is the only way to rest and\nhappiness! Sure I am, that there are many here, who can bear witness to\nthis great and awful truth; who can say with the Psalmist, \"It is good\nfor me that I have been afflicted.\" My God hath manifested his love in\nall my sufferings. I should never have come to the knowledge of his\nTruth; I should never have experienced the Light of his Grace; I should\nnever have overcome the world, abandoned its delusive prospects, and\ngained a sure and everlasting inheritance; had not my GOD made this very\nworld to frown upon me, had he not beset me with its troubles behind and\nbefore, and by making me deeply sensible of its evil, taught me to\ndespise even its good. Thus, and thus alone, \"the world is the\nChristian's,\" because he knows, that every thing in it, under the\nadministration of his BLESSED REDEEMER, is made subservient to his real\nhappiness, which he is convinced is more effectually promoted by its\nstorms than by its calms, by its frowns than by its smiles.\n\nAnd if \"the world\" is thus his, by particular privilege, consequently\n\"the Life\" which he lives in it must be so too. The vicissitudes of life\narise from the natural instability of worldly enjoyments: but even this\ninstability the believer knows to be under the immediate Guidance of\nALMIGHTY LOVE. The real enjoyment of life depends upon the temper and\ndisposition of mind, with which its vicissitudes are received. The\nChristian, therefore, who knows, that \"not an hair of his head can fall\nto the ground without his Heavenly Father,\" and whose will is secretly\nresigned to his Father's, meekly and patiently, daily and hourly giving\nhimself up to his sovereign disposal, he alone can be said to have a\ntrue enjoyment of life.--In sickness and in health, in prosperity and in\nadversity, he alike beholds the hand of his REDEEMER opening to him, by\nthese various dispensations, the way to never-ending rest; unfolding his\nmisery by nature, and his happiness by Grace, and rendering every change\nof outward life instrumental to some blessed change in the life of his\ninward and spiritual man.\n\nBut he has not only the highest enjoyment of this \"world,\" and of \"life\"\nin this world, but what is a still more surprising and more glorious\nprivilege, \"death too is his.\" Not, indeed, in the sense in which it\nbelongs to the wicked and unregenerate, to whom it is solely the\nconsequence of guilt, and the dreadful introduction to misery extreme.\nNo--to the real Christian, it is the consequence of a new life, the\ncompletion of happiness, the deliverer from woe, the gate that opens\ninto Paradise, the messenger of REDEEMING LOVE. Death, therefore, is the\nbeliever's, because, by the strength of his REDEEMER, he hath been\nenabled to make him, who was once his enemy, become his reconciled\nfriend.--The King of Terrors hath dropped his envenomed sting; and his\ndart flies now for no other use, but a kind and friendly one, even to\ndislodge the heavenly inhabitant from its frail tabernacle of clay, and\nopen the world of light upon its spiritual senses.\n\nBut still higher privileges, still higher prospects, open to the\nApostle's view. \"Things present, and things to come, are\nyours.\"--Whatever the present moment brings to light, as well as what is\nconcealed in the womb of futurity, is equally in the Christian's power.\nHe is prepared to receive the former with thankfulness and gratitude,\nbecause he knows, that it must operate for his good, be it painful or\npleasant: and from the same conviction of the kind and loving\nAdministration of his REDEEMER, he, can wait with patience and\nresignation for the future dispensations of his Providence.\n\nI cannot, however, but think, that these words have a much deeper and\nmore comfortable sense than this. \"Things present, and things to come,\"\ngenerally denote, in Scripture, the visible and the invisible world; and\nthough they are equally present, yet, with respect to our common\napprehensions, the latter must be called future, because it cannot be\nunveiled to our senses, till we have laid aside these garments of sin.\nThe believer, however, by virtue of his Heavenly Nature, united by Faith\nto his REDEEMER, stands in the heavenly world at the same time that he\nis in this. Its light, and life, and air, its powers, and virtues, and\nglories, are opening themselves, though invisibly, in his heart. Hence\nit is, that the Apostle speaks of \"tasting the powers of the world to\ncome,\" even in this present state and that not metaphorically, but as\nreally and physically as our outward bodies may be said to taste the\npowers of this present world. O, what an high and glorious privilege\ndoes this appear, when considered in this point of light! An Heavenly\nMan within us, standing upon heavenly ground, breathing the heavenly\nair, and rising, by its animating influences, far above that sink of\nevil and corruption, in which the earthly nature still remains a\nprisoner; and with heavenly fortitude and resignation, supporting the\npainful union, till his true parent and deliverer rescues him from his\ncaptivity, and admits him into the liberty of kindred spirits in glory.\n\nWell, therefore, might the Apostle, at the close of this enumeration,\nagain repeat his general assertion, \"All things are yours.\"--But he\nrepeats it, not only with a view of impressing the truth more powerfully\nupon the hearts of Christians, but also to let them know, that their\nprivileges are in the most effectual manner secured to them; that their\ntitle is indisputable, their inheritance unfading and eternal--\"And ye\nare CHRIST'S,\" says he.\n\nThink not, that your title to this inheritance is founded upon any thing\nin yourselves, considered separately and distinctly in your own natures;\nno, \"Ye are by nature dead in trespasses and sins--The wages of sin is\ndeath.\" No other inheritance, but destruction and misery, can you derive\nfrom your fallen nature. This inheritance, therefore, which is \"Eternal\nLife,\" is solely the gift of GOD, through JESUS CHRIST. \"Ye are\nCHRIST'S,\" therefore, not only as being originally created by him in his\nown image, which image ye lost by sin; but ye are now his by REDEMPTION,\nwhich is in truth a second creation; for he hath planted his own seed in\nyour fallen nature. By this, he is become your Father, your Spiritual\nRegenerator, your Creator anew in Righteousness and true\nHoliness.--Thus, by turning your will to this SAVIOUR, the heavenly seed\nsprings forth, under his mild and genial influence, into a beautiful\nplant, partaking of all the virtues, powers, odours, and colours of its\nEternal Parent, uniting, rejoicing, and living for ever in the same\nHeavenly Glory.\n\nNay, that your faith, and hope, and love, may rest upon an eternal\nground, and that your title may appear to you still more firm, and your\ninheritance still more certain and glorious; I must tell you, that as\n\"Ye are CHRIST'S, so CHRIST is GOD'S.\"--Here rests the glorious climax,\nrising by a fair and beautiful gradation, till its last step is fixed to\nthe throne of the Highest!\n\nThe essential powers virtues and excellencies of the Invisible and\nSupernatural GOD, manifest themselves in his eternal and only-begotten\nSon JESUS CHRIST, GOD of GOD, GOD-MAN, uniting himself to human nature,\nredeeming, glorifying, and exalting it, with himself, to the throne of\nthe Eternal Father; from thence they are communicated, in copious\nstreams of light and love, to the whole race whom he has condescended to\nredeem; awakening, illuminating, sanctifying, restoring, and investing\nthem with the same kind of powers and excellencies, which he possesses\nhimself in an infinite degree, and thus accomplishing what he before had\nprayed to his Heavenly Father might be accomplished--\"That they all may\nbe one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be\none in us--that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE--I in them, and thou\nin me, that they may be made perfect in ONE.\"\n\nThus you have seen, my brethren, the nature, extent, and excellency of\nthe great Christian privileges here enumerated, together with the\neternal and immoveable foundation on which they are built. Need I,\ntherefore, now call upon you to put in your claim to this vast\ninheritance? Alas! I fear there is too much occasion for the most solemn\ncalls.--So various are the pursuits of the sons of men, and so foreign\nto their real happiness; so mistaken are they in their conceptions of\ngood, so blind to real evil, so easily deluded by specious appearances,\nand led astray by so many false lights; so prone to obey the dictates of\na corrupt nature, and so averse to every thing that is spiritual and\nheavenly; that the weightiest Truths of the Gospel, the most animating\npromises, the most glorious privileges there recounted, seem to have but\nvery little influence upon their hearts. O why, my brethren, why will ye\n\"spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that\nwhich satisfieth not?\" why, with deluded Esau, \"will you sell your\nbirth-right for a mess of pottage,\" an heavenly for an earthly\ninheritance? When \"all things are yours,\" why will you take up with the\nscanty provisions which a poor perishing nature can give? An immortal\nsoul, redeemed by the blood of the Son of GOD, spending its strength,\nexerting its faculties in the pursuit of such fleeting momentary\nenjoyments as this world can afford, is a spectacle at which Angels\nmight weep.--O that every thoughtless sinner might be induced to weep\nfor himself, to mourn his wretched, forlorn condition; and, from a deep\nconviction of the insufficiency of all earthly possessions to make him\nhappy, that he might be led to seek that \"peace of GOD which passeth all\nunderstanding! that inheritance immortal, incorruptible, and undefiled,\nwhich fadeth not away!\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE XIV.\n            Christ, known or unknown, the Universal Saviour.\n\n\nSt. JOHN, CHAP. xiv. Part of VER. 9.\n\n    \"HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU, AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME,\n    PHILIP?\"\n\n\n\"Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe,\" said our BLESSED\nLORD to those earthly-minded Israelites, who were ever looking for some\nexternal display of supernatural power, as the only means of conviction\nin matters of religion. This fatal mistake hath prevailed too much in\nthe world; and still maintains its ground, even among those, whose views\nare more spiritual, and who have been taught to look upon religion as an\ninternal operation, the work of GOD'S SPIRIT upon their souls. They do\nnot, indeed, seek for an outward sign, as the Jews of old did; they see\nthe impropriety of this under a spiritual dispensation: their delusion,\nhowever, though perhaps more refined, is equally dangerous. They cannot\nconceive that the Divine Power and Presence can be manifested to the\nhuman soul, in any other way; than by extraordinary impressions,\nvisions, or extasies. Thus, whilst they are looking out for the\nappearance of their GOD in a whirl-wind, a fire, or an earthquake, their\nattention is wholly withdrawn from that \"Still Small Voice,\" in which he\nusually addresses himself to the hearts of his creatures.\n\nSuch was the sad delusion under which poor Philip seems to have\nlaboured. \"Lord, shew us the Father, said he, and it sufficeth us.\" Give\nus some visible sign, some sensible demonstration of the Father's power\nand presence with thee. Let him rend the heavens and come down; and if\nthou art indeed his Son, let him own and honour thee as such, by placing\nhimself near to thy sacred person, and breaking forth in a flood of\nglory upon our outward senses. Poor mistaken disciple! Little didst thou\nthink of the dreadful consequences which might have attended the\ngranting of thy request. It might have over-whelmed thy weak nature, but\ncould never have wrought any salutary conviction in thy soul: thy\noutward senses could not have sustained the shock, and thy mind would\nhave continued as dark as ever, notwithstanding the heavenly effulgence\nthat surrounded thee.\n\nIgnorant, weak, and deluded, as Philip seems to have been, his BLESSED\nMASTER bore with his infirmities, and answered him with all that\nsweetness and gentleness, that usually accompanied even his censures and\nreproofs--\"Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not\nknown me, Philip? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. How sayest\nthou then, shew us the Father?\"\n\nNot one of all those excellencies and perfections, which constitute the\nDivine Nature, but thou mightest have beheld manifested in me. The\nhealing of the sick, the raising of the dead, making the deaf to hear,\nthe blind to see, and the dumb to speak, instructing the ignorant, and\npreaching the gospel to the poor, all these are the surest marks and\nevidences that can possibly be given of the immediate presence of the\nDivinity within me. He, therefore, who hath seen me thus manifesting the\nPower, Wisdom, and Goodness of my Heavenly Father, in these works of\nwonder, tenderness, and love to his children, \"hath seen the Father;\"\ninasmuch, as in the present state of things, there is no other way in\nwhich GOD can manifest himself to you his fallen creatures, but by\nawakening your attention to every act and sensibility of goodness, which\nyou may discover either in yourselves or others. And as all these divine\ncommunications are imparted from the Father through me; so in my\nmiracles life and conversation, had you yielded a proper attention, you\nmight have seen \"the Brightness of the Father's Glory, and the Express\nImage of his Person.\" \"Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast\nthou not known me, Philip?\"\n\nFrom this particular conversation of our LORD with his disciple, as well\nas from the whole tenor of the Gospel, arises this grand and fundamental\ntruth: that our real knowledge of CHRIST depends upon an attention of\nthe mind to those Tempers, Qualities, Dispositions and Actions, which he\nmanifested in his life here upon earth, and which are recorded in\nScripture for our instruction, accompanied with a surrender of our will\nand affections to those inward calls, motions, and sensibilities of\nGoodness, by which he reveals himself with all his heavenly tempers in\nour hearts. CHRIST, therefore, makes himself known to us in these two\nprincipal ways, in his Word, and in our Hearts.\n\nHis Word, or what is known by the name of the Holy Scripture, is only\nthe outward testimony--the rule or standard providentially transmitted\nto us, by which we are to judge of the reality of his Presence in our\nHearts. It tells us of a CHRIST, who lived, and suffered, and died in\nour human nature, in order to teach us how to live, and suffer, and die.\nIt assures us, that our everlasting salvation depends upon our knowledge\nof this CHRIST; that this knowledge can only be attained by seeking him\nearnestly; that the place where he chuses to be found, where he loves to\nreside, is in the human heart;\" that \"his kingdom is within us;\" that he\nis \"the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;\" that\nhe is the \"hope of glory,\" in every son and daughter of fallen Adam.\n\nThe Scriptures likewise testify of the manner of his appearance and\nresidence within us--that he manifests himself as a destroyer of that\nevil work, which the Devil has wrought in our nature; first convincing\nus of sin, of the darkness and misery of our fallen life, and then\npointing out to us the paths of righteousness; opening and unfolding all\nthose sweet and lovely qualities, of which himself is the great Fountain\nSpirit, and which he distributes to every man according to his capacity\nand desire of receiving them.\n\nTo know CHRIST, therefore, is carefully to cultivate those holy and\nheavenly tempers and dispositions, which he manifested in his outward\nlife here upon earth, and which he now continues to manifest in the\nbreasts of all those who diligently seek after him. To know CHRIST, is\nto know and feel the power of \"love, joy; peace, long-suffering,\ngentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.\" Wherever these\nGraces take up their residence, there is the Temple of JESUS. These are\nthe ministring servants that wait at his altar: and the sacrifices which\nthey there present and offer, are all the earthly and diabolical\npassions with which human nature is polluted and oppressed,--pride,\nenvy, covetousness, jealousy, lust, wrath, bitterness of spirit, and all\nthe rest of the infernal legion. Love, Love Divine, is the vestal fire\nwhich there burns pure and perpetual; which cleanses, refines,\nsublimates, and glorifies every thing that comes within its reach.\n\nIn this sense, CHRIST has been a long time, indeed, among the sons of\nmen, though they may not have known him: He has been long \"come to his\nown,\" though his own have not universally received him. Where is the\nman, who hath not, in innumerable instances, felt the powerful\nsuggestions of vice; and, in innumerable instances, been inwardly warned\nagainst them, and pressed to the exercise of virtue?\n\nSpeak, thou unthinking, careless mortal! Hast thou never felt thyself\nswoln with pride, or burning with envy? Hast thou never coveted, been\njealous, angry, revengeful, bitter, and implacable? Hast thou never\nfound thyself bound to this world, by such strong and numerous ties,\nthat the parting from it would be like tearing away thy very\nheart-strings? Amidst all that storm and confusion, into which this\nrestless croud of evil passions has frequently thrown thee, hast thou\nnever once felt a monitor within, that would have let thee know, if thou\nhadst attended to his voice, that all this uproar was from an evil\nprinciple, and that thou wert injuring thy soul by submitting to its\npower?\n\nHast thou never been led to admire and revere the amiable graces of\nMeekness, Humility, Love, and Peace, in the life of thy neighbour; and\nsecretly to wish, that these plants of Heaven would spring up in thy own\nbarren soil? Hast thou not frequently envied the happy frame and\ncircumstances of some, whom thou hast seen devout and pious in their\nconduct towards GOD, and affectionate, mild, and gentle, in their\nbehaviour towards their brethren? And hast thou not, in such a\nsituation, been constrained to sigh out some such wish as this: O that I\ncould feel, and live, and act, as these men seem to do! Would to GOD\nthat this evil nature of mine, with all its horrid lusts and passions,\nwas wholly subdued, eradicated, or changed!\n\nLet me tell thee, then, poor mortal! that all these senses,\nsensibilities, and secret desires, are from CHRIST, and that this is the\nway he takes to invite thee to his friendship and communion. He is in\nthine heart, waiting there with all the condescension, tenderness, and\ncompassion of a most indulgent father, to deliver thee from thy sins,\nand shew himself to thy soul in reconciliation and peace. He hath been\nwaiting there ever since thou wert born, seeking to make himself known\nto thee, sometimes by the frowns of conscience, sometimes by its\napproving smiles, sometimes by the endearing intercourse of Christian\nfriendship and love, and sometimes by the sweet emotions of his own\nCharity, kindled within thee, at the sight of an object in distress;\nsometimes by providential deliverances from imminent dangers, sometimes\nby providential visits of health and prosperity. Whence is it then, O\nsinner, that, though thy SAVIOUR hath been so long time \"with thee, yet\nhast thou not known him?\" Whence is it, though he has made thee such\nfrequent offers of his Love, thou hast still slighted or rejected them?\n\nVarious are the obstacles and impediments which prevent us from coming\nto a true and saving knowledge of CHRIST. In some persons, the\nunrestrained sovereignty and dominion of fallen nature, leads them\ncaptive at its will, makes them deaf to the voice of conscience, and\nblind to every ray of light that seeks to illuminate the dark region of\ntheir heart. They know not CHRIST, because they have not the least\ndesire to be acquainted with him.\n\nIn others, the grand and principal impediment to the knowledge of\nCHRIST, is their absolute dependence upon an external decency of\nconduct, to which they have given the name of morality. If they\ncultivate those seeming virtues, which are the faint images or shadows\nof the True Graces of the Gospel, it is solely from a selfish principle,\na desire of being noticed and respected by the world: they have no view,\nin any thing they undertake, to that real inward change of heart and\ntemper, in which alone the Knowledge of CHRIST consists. Such persons,\nbeing unacquainted with the intrinsic evil and corruption of their own\nnature, cannot have the least desire to be delivered from it; and, till\nthey are providentially awakened to a sense of this, they cannot find\nthemselves disposed to enquire after a Saviour, in and through whom\nalone these evils and corruptions are to be healed or removed.\n\nOthers again there are, who are kept from this saving knowledge of\nCHRIST, by an attachment to external forms, modes, and opinions of\nreligion; who, provided they are found faithful in the observance and\nbelief of these, excuse themselves from the cultivation of those inward\nand heavenly graces and virtues, which alone constitute the life and\npower of religion. Such persons frequently fall into the grossest\ninconsistencies. They can be angry, in the defence of meekness; proud,\nwhilst they are discoursing on humility; and can speak of all the\nsublime truths of religion, and sometimes of its vital influences on the\nheart, with the utmost elegance and pathos of sentiment and expression,\nand yet remain totally insensible of their efficacy respecting\nthemselves. Such persons know not CHRIST, because they do not seek him\nin the only way in which he can be found, viz. in a conformity to his\nHeavenly Character.\n\nThe last impediment which I shall mention, that excludes many serious\nminds from the knowledge of CHRIST'S personal power and presence with\nthem, is that under which poor Philip laboured; even an expectation of\nsome unusual display of supernatural agency, to produce their conviction\nand conversion.--He, indeed, looked for an external sign; they are\nanxious for something internal and spiritual; but the nature of the\ndesire is the same in both, and is equally delusive and dangerous. Such\npersons, solicitous for nothing but an assurance of the forgiveness of\nGOD, expect to have it communicated by some vision, ecstasy, or sudden\nillumination.\n\nFar be it from me to call in question the reality of such\nmanifestations, which good men in all ages have experienced. But at the\nsame time I must confess, that I cannot look upon them as essential to\nSalvation. CHRIST JESUS reveals himself to sinners in various methods,\nand by various means: but the end of all these means and methods is the\nsame, even to produce his own Image of Righteousness and true Holiness\nin their hearts. Let us hear his own blessed words: \"Come unto me, all\nye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest\"--Ye that\nlabour under the evils of fallen life, seduced by its temptations,\nenslaved by its passions, and heavy-laden with its accumulated guilt and\nwoe, come to me, deeply sensible of your deplorable condition, and\nearnestly desiring deliverance, and I will give you rest! From the same\nOracle of Truth, we learn too, wherein this rest, deliverance, or\nforgiveness must consist--\"Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in\nheart, and ye shall find rest to your souls.\" Meekness and lowliness of\nheart, therefore, is the true rest which CHRIST gives; for, wherever\nthese are, there is Faith, there is Hope, there is Heaven-born Charity.\n\nTell me, ye favoured souls! who have been \"called out of darkness into\nthe marvellous light of GOD;\" who have experienced his \"Peace, that\npasseth all understanding;\" who have received the sweetest tokens of his\nForgiving Grace; tell me, wherein did this marvellous Light, this Peace,\nthis token of Forgiving Grace consist? what kind of sensibility was\nawakened in you at that happy season?--Was it not a sensibility of Love\nintense, and Meekness unutterable? a Love, that would have clasped\nuniversal nature in its charitable embrace; a Meekness, that would have\nforgiven the grossest injuries and insults, and condescended to the\nmeanest offices of tenderness and kindness to your brethren?\n\nThis, then, is the Knowledge of JESUS CHRIST: in this Gentle Element he\ndelights to move! Let but your souls be attempered to these Divine\nSensations, and CHRIST is yours! Seek not for any sudden and\nextraordinary impulses or ecstasies, but \"learn to be meek and lowly in\nheart!\" Ask for Divine Grace to subdue your corrupt and boisterous\npassions!--Be weary of, and groan under, the burden of your evil\nnature!--Fly from pride, envy, covetousness, and wrath; and cherish the\nopposite tempers of meekness, humility, resignation, and love!--Wander\nnot after an imaginary forgiveness: but know assuredly, that there is no\nother way, in which the All-atoning Blood of the HOLY JESUS can be\napplied for the pardon of sin, but by inwardly cleansing, redeeming, and\npurifying your corrupt natures, from every bestial as well as diabolical\nimpurity.\n\nIt is in this process alone, that you can know, and be known by your\nSAVIOUR: and unless you enter upon this, and seek in good earnest to be\nintimately acquainted with him, thus revealing himself in your hearts;\nhe will one day have good reason to say to you, as he did to his\ndisciple in the text, \"Have I been so long time with you, and yet have\nyou not known me?\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE XV.\n                        Human Life a Pilgrimage.\n\n\nPSALM xxxix. Part of VER. 12.\n\n    \"FOR I AM A STRANGER WITH THEE, AND A SOJOURNER, AS ALL MY FATHERS\n    WERE.\"\n\n\nIn every age of the world, and among people of every nation and language\nunder heaven, (if we may credit the testimony of history and experience)\nthere have been found many virtuous, thoughtful, and enquiring minds;\nwho, from an attentive observation of the moral as well as physical\ndisorders incident to the present system of things, from a personal\nexperience of the unavoidable miseries consequent thereupon, and from a\nsecret irresistible desire and longing after some superior but unknown\nstate of being, have been led to form these most philosophical and pious\nconclusions:\n\nThat their present mode of existence could not possibly be as that for\nwhich they were originally intended by a being of Infinite Wisdom,\nGoodness, and Love; that the intelligent and immortal spirit within\nthem, could not have been created merely to animate a dark terrestrial\nbody, and to be subject to the clamorous demands of animal nature; that\nthe fair signatures of beauty, order, and love, which they still saw,\nand felt, and admired, within and without them, could not have been\noriginally impressed by the Divine Fiat upon that mixture of darkness,\ndeformity and confusion, in which they now appear; that the primeval\nharmony and lustre of the creation must, by some means or other, have\nbeen marred and spoiled; and that, for these reasons, they could not but\nconsider themselves as the fallen inhabitants of a fallen world.\n\nThat these strange disorders must have proceeded solely from the\ndepravity of some created intelligences, they concluded, not only from\ntheir own conceptions of the spotless purity and goodness of the Divine\nNature, but from their own observation and experience of the innumerable\nevils that were produced in themselves and others, when ever their wills\nand affections deviated from the strait paths of virtue, and wandered in\nthe mazes of vice. And yet they saw--and yet they felt--that so numerous\nand powerful were the temptations and suggestions on the side of vice,\nthat nought but the kind interposition of their good and powerful\nCREATOR, nought but the super-natural illumination and direction of his\nBLESSED SPIRIT, could rescue them from the dominion of their passions,\nopen their understanding to the sight of TRUTH, and incline their will\nto the pursuit and practice of GOODNESS. This affectionate intercourse\nwith their CREATOR, they considered as the only source of their virtue\nand happiness in this life, as the only earnest of their future and\nfinal felicity in the next. Hence they regarded themselves as strangers\nand exiles in a foreign land, and looked upon death as the season of\ntheir deliverance, of their return to their native country, and re-union\nwith their Father and kindred spirits in glory.\n\nMany traces of this sublime philosophy do we meet with in the lives and\nwritings of the virtuous heathen. For, however they may differ from us\nin their modes of conception and expression, a discerning mind will soon\ndiscover, that their feelings were congenial with our own; and that they\nwanted but the aids of external revelation to enable them to \"speak what\nthey knew, and testify what they saw,\" in the same language which we are\ninstructed to use.\n\nThe Sacred Writings, however, afford us the noblest and most indubitable\ntestimonies to the great truths mentioned above. For whatsoever\nscattered rays of knowledge or of goodness are found here and there\ngleaming through the shades of paganism;--whatsoever the thrice-great\nHermes delivered as oracles from his sacred tripos;--whatsoever\nPythagoras, Socrates, Epictetus, Zoroaster, or Confucius, have laboured\nto inculcate upon the hearts of their disciples--all this, and\ninfinitely more, without any corrupt or superstitious mixture, do we\nfind expressly revealed, with all the marks of Divine Authority, in the\nHoly Scriptures--all this, and infinitely more, do we find beautifully\nexemplified in those lives and sayings of patriarchs, prophets, and\napostles, which are recorded for our instruction and imitation in the\nOld Testament as well as in the New.\n\nThese venerable teachers and patterns of Truth and Virtue, do all, with\none voice, express their deep sensibility of the evils and miseries of\ntheir present state of existence, and their ardent aspirations after\nanother and a better state. They all, with one voice, acknowledge the\nvanity and insufficiency of every sublunary enjoyment, and the\nindispensable necessity of \"setting the affections on things above, not\non things on the earth.\" They all, with one voice, pronounce their state\nin this world to be that of strangers and exiles; and consider their\ntemporary pilgrimage here, as only intended to purify and prepare them\nfor a state of eternal peace and happiness hereafter. In a word, they\nall, with one voice, declare, that there is no other method, by which\nthey can be redeemed from the evils of their present life, and qualified\nfor the blessings of a future, but by a perpetual communion with the\ngreat FATHER OF THEIR SPIRITS, kept up on his part by kind and liberal\neffusions of his own essential goodness; and on theirs, by an\naffectionate and ardent inclination of their wills and desires towards\nhim, and a grateful reception, and faithful improvement of his loving\ncommunications.\n\nUnder the Old Testament, this blessed intercourse was understood and\nfelt by patriarchs and prophets, through the outward means of\nsacrifices, types, and various ceremonies and ordinances; all predictive\nand expressive of a certain Redeeming Process, which, \"in the fulness of\ntime,\" was to be accomplished for human nature, in the person of a\nsuffering and triumphant MESSIAH. Under the New Testament, it broke\nforth, with meridian lustre, in the incarnation and nativity, life and\nconversation, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension of the\nBLESSED JESUS; in whose sacred person the divine and human natures were\nmost happily united, to the end, that as the SON OF MAN and the SON OF\nGOD, he might communicate to every Son of Man, that should receive his\ntestimony, and believe in his Name, the power of becoming a SON OF GOD,\nJohn i. 12.\n\nHis life and conversation upon earth must, therefore, be the true and\nonly standard, by which ours is to be regulated. As he lived, so should\nwe live also; and consider this world in the same point of view, and\ntreat it in the same manner, that he did.\n\nSo far, indeed, as the worthies of the Old Testament have lived or\nspoken according to the spirit of his Gospel, so far, without doubt, we\nare bound to follow their example: and a very little acquaintance with\nScripture will be sufficient to inform us, that \"they did all eat of the\nsame spiritual meat, and did all drink of the same spiritual drink,\" and\nhad all entered upon the same Redeeming Process, with those, who have\nsince lived under the Light of the Gospel, and have known and found this\nmeat and drink to be no other than those spiritual emanations of Truth\nand Love, which we all receive, or may receive, from CHRIST OUR COMMON\nSAVIOUR.\n\nWhen David, therefore, confessed, that he was \"a stranger and a\nsojourner with GOD, as all his fathers were,\" what was this, but an\nexpress declaration, that, though he was encircled with a diadem, and\nclad in the robes of royalty; though he had his residence in the\nmetropolis of Judea, and exercised an absolute sovereignty over the\nwhole realm; he considered himself, nevertheless, as a stranger in a\nstrange land, far distant from his native country, surrounded by a\nmultitude of enemies, who were perpetually upon the watch to take\nadvantage of any little mistake he might commit, perpetually in arms\nagainst him, and determined, if they possibly could, to rob him at once\nof his kingdom and his peace? What was it, but an humble acknowledgment\nof his own spiritually helpless and indigent condition? and at the same\ntime an affectionate intimation of his secret hope, that, as his\nforefathers had been in the same circumstances he was now in, and had\nexperienced the kind interposition of Heaven for their relief and\ncomfort, GOD would be graciously pleased to continue to him the same\nloving-kindness, accompany support and protect him through his painful\nsojourn, and conduct him safe to those blessed abodes, which he had\nprepared for the reception of every true spiritual Israelite? \"For I am\na stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.\"\n\nUpon this view of things, and under the influence of these principles,\nhe composed the pathetic psalm, from whence my text is taken; which\nexhibits to us a lively representation of the vanity and shortness of\nhuman life, the difficulties that attend our pilgrimage through this\nworld, the prudence and circumspection which the pilgrim must observe,\nthe enemies he must expect to encounter on the way, and the confidence\nhe must repose in the strength of a superior and Almighty arm, in order\nto secure to himself Success and Victory.\n\nThe truth of this representation we find abundantly confirmed by the\nwhole tenor of Scripture. The grand apostate seraph is there called \"the\nprince of this world, the prince of the power of the air;\" from which,\nand other expressions of the like import, we may justly conclude, that\nhe was once in possession of this very system which we inhabit--it was\nthe sphere of glory, in which he moved, whilst his lustre yet remained\nunfaded. Envious, jealous of its new inhabitants, he is perpetually\n\"walking about, seeking whom he may devour.\" He avails himself of that\nearthly nature which we inherit from our fallen ancestor, insinuates\nhimself through its foul channels into our inmost hearts, seduces us\nfrom the paths of innocence and virtue, and, unless timely rescued by a\nSuperior Power, will hurry us headlong into the depths of his own dark\nand fiery kingdom.\n\nOn the other hand, the GOD of LIGHT and LOVE, who reigns supreme in his\nown KINGDOM of LIGHT and LOVE, is most affectionately anxious for our\npreservation. For this gracious purpose, he causes his light to shine\nforth in the midst of our darkness; discovers to us the secret hostile\nintentions of our malicious enemy; calls upon us to fly from his\ninfernal wiles; and invites us to walk with himself in his own\ndelightful element, with sweet assurances of peace and consolation here,\nand glory, honour, and immortality hereafter.\n\nIll fares the man, whose mistaken heart too easily opens to the false\nfriendship of his flattering foe--he walks upon enchanted ground--there\nis no reality in the surrounding scene--every object is visionary--the\nflowers have no real fragrance, the fruits no real flavour or\nnourishment.--He plucks and eats, but still remains unsatisfied--he\nplucks and eats again--he discovers the delusion, and yet the delusion\npleases him.--The wily enchanter leads him at one time into the gardens\nof pleasure--at another, conducts him to the pompous edifice of\nambition--at another, opens upon his ravished sight the splendid\ntreasures, which Mammon offers to his foolish votaries.--With this\npretended friend and guardian he walks the tiresome round, pleased and\ntransported with every new prospect, but loathing the objects as soon as\npossessed. In the mean while, the calls of a superior nature are totally\ndisregarded, and the soul is suffered to famish within the pampered\nbody.\n\nNot so the wise and virtuous candidate for sublimer joys. His breast is\nno sooner penetrated by a ray of that Universal Light, \"which lighteth\nevery man that cometh into the world,\" than it opens, with chearfulness\nand gratitude, to receive more and more of the salutary effulgence. He\nfinds within himself a source of sensibilities, which correspond to a\nworld of objects far more real and sublime, than aught that meets his\noutward senses in this shadowy scene. He finds, he feels the presence of\na true friend and guardian, whose unlimited power can controul the open\nor secret attacks of his false friend and seducer; whose wisdom can\nfurnish him with every kind of knowledge that is necessary to his real\nfelicity; and whose ineffable love is perpetually feeding and refreshing\nthe angel that is within him, with such fruits and flowers as are of\ncelestial growth, and suited to its celestial frame. With this GUARDIAN\nGOD, he walks the wilds of nature, unappalled, regardless alike of the\nsmiles and frowns of his spiritual adversaries. He considers himself as\na stranger and sojourner in this vale of misery; and under the conduct\nof Unerring Wisdom, and Almighty Love, pursues his painful pleasing\njourney to a better country, even an heavenly one.\n\nBut this is not all. Care, prudence, circumspection, and confidence in\nGOD, are not only indispensably necessary to secure to us a safe and\nhappy pilgrimage through life; but they are likewise the best, the only\npreparatives for an happy and comfortable death.\n\nAs strangers and sojourners, we ought to live under a constant\nexpectation of being called home to our native country. This expectation\nwill be either pleasing or painful, according as we are more or less\nprepared for the awful summons. The summons we cannot dispense with: the\ntime in which it may be pronounced, is altogether uncertain.\n\nSome of us, within a very few years, and some, perhaps, within a very\nfew days, may behold the curtain drop, and shut out every scene of\ntemporal nature from our view. With respect to us, \"the heavens and the\nearth will then pass away with a mighty noise; the sun will be darkened,\nand the moon turned into blood; the stars will fall from heaven, and the\npowers of heaven will be shaken.\" Death, judgment, heaven, or hell, will\nthen be realized to our disembodied spirits. \"He that is holy will be\nholy still, and he that is filthy will be filthy still.\" The dissolution\nof this outward body will close the season of Divine Grace; the hopes or\nthe fears, the happiness or the misery of man will be determined by his\nexpiring breath; and his GOD will be manifested to him, either in the\nmild majesty of his Love, or in the consuming fire of his Wrath.\n\nWhat adds to the solemnity of this dread moment, is the frequent\nsuddenness of its approach. The king of terrors often knocks at the\ndoor, when the master of the house is by no means prepared for the awful\nvisit. Nay, he frequently passes by the habitations of age, infirmity,\nand distress, and thunders forth his tremendous summons in the ears of\nthe young, the gay, and the robust. Neither superior fortune, nor\nsuperior station, can protract the fleeting date of life. The monarch\ntumbles from his throne; and, after the momentary honours of a pompous\nfuneral, makes his bed in the dust, and lies there as poor and\nundistinguished as the late tenant of the homely cottage. Even piety and\nvirtue cannot screen their votaries from death's unerring shaft; but he\nis sometimes permitted to snatch away the most amiable patterns of both,\nin order to awaken the attention, or chastise the carelessness, of their\nfriends and neighbours.\n\nHappy would it be for mankind, if these frequent indiscriminate strokes\ndid but produce a more general and serious attention to \"the things that\nbelong to their peace:\" and happy for you, my dear brethren, if the\nsolemn truths that have now been delivered, are permitted to have a due\nweight and influence on your lives and practice!\n\nExamine yourselves, then, by these principles. Look well into the\npresent state of your souls. Be these important reflections continually\npresent to your minds--that you are but \"strangers and sojourners upon\nearth;\" that every object, that attracts and engages your desires and\naffections here, must very shortly be removed from you for ever; that it\nis folly and madness to take up your rest in such poor perishable\nthings, as the present world affords, inasmuch as death must soon put an\nend to their shadowy forms, and translate you to a world, where all is\nreal--all is eternal.\n\nDo not deceive yourselves. A gay and thoughtless life is no suitable\npreparation for death. The heart must be gradually estranged from the\nvanities of time, before it can turn its desires towards the riches of\neternity. You have heard of the difficulties you may expect to meet\nwith, of the enemies you will have to encounter, on your way to heaven.\nUp then, and be doing. No time is to be lost. Every moment is precious:\n\"it carries Heaven on its wing.\" The victory is secure, if you will but\narm yourselves for the conflict. Your Heavenly FATHER is perpetually\ndrawing and inviting you to enter the lists, and contend for the prize.\nHis Eternal SON hath promised to be with you, and in you. And the\nblessed SPIRIT, proceeding from both, will inspire you with all that\ncelestial strength and ardour, which alone can render you \"more than\nconquerors.\" Thus are you furnished, from the armoury of heaven, with a\ndivine panoply, which, upon trial, you will find impenetrable to \"all\nthe fiery darts of the wicked.\"\n\n\"Fear not, then, thou worm, Jacob! Be not dismayed, for thy God is with\nthee!\" Blessed encouragement, this! What though you are strangers and\nsojourners upon earth, yet remember for your consolation, that you are\nstrangers and sojourners with GOD--\"For I am a stranger and sojourner\nWITH THEE.\"\n\nO MY brethren! what ineffable peace and satisfaction would spring up in\nyour hearts, could you once realize to yourselves, could you once feel,\nthe perpetual presence of an OMNIPOTENT GOD, travelling with you on the\njourney of life, supplying all your wants, supporting you under all your\ndifficulties and distresses, and, with the affectionate fondness of a\nfather, minutely entering into all your real interests and concerns! To\nknow, that you are his offspring, fallen indeed, but redeemed by his\nBLESSED SON: that his love for you is so ardent, that \"whoso toucheth\nyou his children, toucheth the apple of his eye; that in all your\nafflictions he is afflicted, and that the angel of his presence saves\nand delivers you; that he will never leave you comfortless, but will be\nwith you always, even to the end of the world!\" These are such sweet and\ndelightful assurances, as you could never have collected from the vain\nreasonings of worldly philosophy, or the vain confidence, which many\npretend to derive from mere unassisted human virtue.\n\nUpon this ground you may rest secure; and, in the strength of an\nAlmighty arm, bid defiance to the open assaults, or secret stratagems of\nthe enemies of your peace. Whilst the SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS continues to\nimpart his chearing beams, and fountains of living water spring up on\nevery side to refresh the weary pilgrim, you may pursue your journey\nthrough the VALLEY OF BACA, with peace and confidence; you may \"lift up\nyour heads with joy, as the Ransomed of the LORD;\" and \"proceed from\nstrength to strength, till you appear before the GOD OF GODS in SION.\"\n\n\n\n\n                             DISCOURSE XVI.\n           The true Knowledge of God internal and practical.\n\n\nJOB, CHAP. xlii. VER. 5, 6.\n\n    \"I HAVE HEARD OF THEE BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR; BUT NOW HATH MINE\n    EYE SEEN THEE: THEREFORE I ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENT IN DUST AND\n    ASHES.\"\n\n\nWe can scarcely open any part of the Scriptures, but we meet with the\nfollowing great and leading truths of Religion: viz. that the LOVE OF\nGOD is universal; that his \"GRACE, which bringeth Salvation, hath\nappeared unto all men;\" that he hath given a \"manifestation of his\nSpirit to every man, to profit withal;\" that \"GOD so loved the world,\nthat he hath given his ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in\nhim should not perish, but have everlasting Life:\" that he is \"the True\nLight, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;\" that GOD\n\"wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he would be converted\nand live;\" that his call has been, and now is to \"every man,\" every\nwhere, \"to repent;\" and that every man may partake of this Universal\nLove, may be saved by this \"Grace which hath appeared,\" may profit by\nthe manifestation which GOD hath given him.\n\nTo these great and leading truths we are continually called and exhorted\nto attend; and that there is a possibility of attending and yielding to\nthem, is implied in the very nature and spirit of the declarations\nthemselves. For, certainly, all is in vain--the call to all in vain, the\nappearance of Grace to all in vain, the gift and manifestation of the\nSpirit to every one in vain, and the shining of the Light in vain, if\nfallen man is not put into a capacity of obeying it, and walking\ntherein.\n\n\"Man's destruction is of himself\"--If his distempered nature is not\nhealed, if his soul continues unredeemed, it is not because there is no\n\"Balm in Gilead;\" it is not because \"the arm of the LORD is shortened,\nthat it cannot save,\" or the fountain of LOVE so exhausted, that its\nstreams have ceased to flow--but because men will not avail themselves\nof the healing Balm; because they refuse to be gathered by that\ncompassionate Arm, that is continually stretched forth to save; because\nthey will not open their souls to receive the Waters of Life. Their eyes\nare so blinded by the false glare of earthly beauty, that they cannot\nsee the surpassing excellency of the Divine Glory--their ears are so\ndeaf, that they have no delight in hearing or obeying the Divine\nVoice--they are content to walk on in the broad way, and suffer the\nenemy of their souls to take them captive at his pleasure. Thus entered\nsin at the beginning--thus it continueth, increaseth, and prevaileth.\n\nNo man, in his present deplorable state, can open that eye which was\nblinded by sin; nor unstop that ear which was sealed by his apostasy\nfrom his Maker; nor save or deliver himself from the bondage of\ncorruption. Herein, therefore, is the UNIVERSAL LOVE OF GOD made\nmanifest, that \"he hath laid help upon one that is Mighty, who is able\nto save to the uttermost those that come to him;\" that he hath appointed\nand prepared a \"Seed that can bruise the serpent's head;\" that he hath\ncaused his Light to shine in the Hearts of all men; and hath called all\nmen every where to repent--Now if man still continues to shut his eyes,\nand harden his heart, and refuse to be reconciled, \"his destruction is\nof himself, and GOD will be just when he judgeth.\"\n\nBut here the grand question may be asked--How doth GOD manifest himself\nto his creatures? There is no Revelation in these days--no spiritual\nvisions now.--no such Sight of GOD, as Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and\nthe Primitive Christians were favoured with--GOD forbid!--for surely\nwhere there is no vision, no sight or sense of heavenly things, there is\nthe Lost State indeed!--where there is no Revelation, there can be no\nTrue Knowledge of GOD-for what saith the Scripture--\"None knoweth the\nFather but the Son, and he to whom the SON will reveal him?\"\n\nEver since the vail was spread over the human heart, there never was any\nother way in any age, nor can there be in this age, of coming to the\ntrue Knowledge of GOD, but by Revelation; that is, by taking off the\nvail, and removing the covering that hides the Face of GOD from\nman.--Men \"have sought out many inventions,\" and devised many ways and\nmeans of coming to the knowledge of the Deity; moral and even\nmathematical demonstrations of his existence, have been attempted; but\nall in vain. As such inventions and devices have increased, sorrow and\nperplexity have increased also: and even if they have succeeded so far,\nas to satisfy the natural understanding, what is it, at best, but a kind\nof historical knowledge, a strong conceit or imagination of something\nconcerning GOD, without any thing like a sensibility of his Presence, or\nan intuitive self-evident conviction of his nature and attributes?--Far\ndifferent this from the knowledge which Job experienced, and which every\nreal Christian may express in his language: \"I have heard of thee by the\nhearing of the ear; but now hath mine eye seen thee: therefore I abhor\nmyself, and repent in dust and ashes.\"\n\nIt is not improbable, but Job might have amused himself, like some of\nour modern philosophizing Christians, with fine-spun theories and\nspeculations upon the nature and attributes of the DIVINITY; and whilst\nthe tide of temporal prosperity continued to flow in upon him, whilst\n\"he washed his steps in butter, and the rock poured out for him rivers\nof oil,\" whilst his health continued unimpaired, and his domestic bliss\nuninterrupted, such empty researches might have been sufficient to\nentertain his imagination; and such an outward knowledge of the MOST\nHIGH, might satisfy a soul, that was yet insensible of any spiritual or\ntemporal wants or distresses. But let the hand of GOD fall heavy upon\nhim; let his body be visited with pain and sickness, and his soul\nwounded with grief and disappointment; let him be stripped of all his\nworldly affluence, and deprived of all his domestic comforts; and he\nwill soon find, that the wants of nature, when deeply felt, are not to\nbe supplied by reasoning and speculation; that an outward hearsay\nknowledge of GOD is of no avail; that it cannot administer the least\nrelief either to the body or the mind; that it cannot sooth or mitigate\none bodily pain, or send one ray of light into the dark and comfortless\nregions of the soul.\n\nGo to the chambers of sickness, visit the melancholy retreats of\nindigence and woe! produce there your strong reasonings--strive, with\nlearned labour, to open and convince the understandings of your\nsuffering brethren--enumerate to them all the outward evidences, that\nyou can collect, of the great truths of religion--give them proof upon\nproof, demonstration upon demonstration--talk to them of the Nature and\nAttributes of GOD, and the immortality of their souls--tell them what\nthe SON OF GOD hath done and suffered for sinners; what are the means of\nreconciliation, and what the sure grounds of an happy death--give them\nall that they can receive \"by the hearing of the ear\"--and what have you\ndone, and what have they gained?--Why you have done just as much as an\nunskilful physician would do, who entertained his patient with a learned\ndissertation upon the virtues and excellencies of a certain medicine,\nwhich he had somewhere read or heard of, as admirably adapted to the\ndisorder, but which he had never seen with his eyes, and of the nature\nof which he knew nothing by his own experience. Thus it is with this\noutward knowledge of GOD: the poor soul is left to feed upon words or\nideas, and to seek comfort, in vain, in empty speculations.\n\nFruitless, indeed, are such attempts as these! Till the soul is shaken\nto her very center, till the stone is removed from the door of the\nsepulchre, that GOD who \"makes darkness his secret place,\" can never be\nseen. The eye must be turned inwardly, to view what is passing in the\ninmost soul, to discover what its wants and necessities are, as well as\nwhat will supply them, and yield it peace, and yield it happiness, from\nan inexhaustible source. It must feel its own darkness, before it can\nseek to have it enlightened--The same Light that breaks in upon it like\nthe dawn of day, gives it the first sensibility of distress, as well as\nthe first sensibility of consolation \"now hath mine eye seen thee,\ntherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes\"--I now feel the\nmisery of nature without GOD--I feel nothing but darkness, and want, and\nhunger, and thirst! But in this darkness, under this want, in this\nhunger and thirst, the soul must wait, without reasoning, without\nrepining, in stillness, in silence, till the invisible GOD shines into\nthe darkness, and till the darkness comprehends and eagerly imbibes the\nLight, and he, in whom is no darkness at all, manifesteth his Presence\nby a self-evident sensibility.\n\nThus it is, that man, by virtue of the Redeeming Power of the Second\nAdam, implanted in his heart as a spark of Heavenly flame, hidden under\nthe flesh and blood of fallen nature, is revived, quickened, and\nenlightened. The Heavenly Birth soon perceives and owns its parent--the\noutward knowledge gives way to the inward manifestation--and GOD, and\nHeaven, and Goodness, and Grace, are seen and known, and felt by their\nown incontestible workings in the human Heart. Hence, the fruits of the\nSPIRIT, the fruits of Heaven, begin to bud and blossom: \"love, joy,\npeace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,\" are felt\nand practised; and the soul lives and breathes in the Heavenly world,\neven whilst she inherits this frail tenement of clay.\n\nAnd now, my brethren, is not such a Knowledge of GOD worth possessing? A\nKnowledge, that unites you to him; makes you One Heart and Spirit with\nhim; gives the highest relish to all the joys, and the firmest support\nunder all the evils of life; which will stand by you, when every outward\ncomfort fails, when relations, friends, wealth, power, and all that\nearth is able to supply, can no longer yield you the least support or\nsatisfaction.\n\nSome of the great obstacles and impediments to the attainment of this\nKnowledge, I shall enumerate in my next discourse.\n\n\n\n\n                            DISCOURSE XVII.\n           The true Knowledge of God internal and practical.\n\n\nJOB, CHAP. xlii. VER. 5, 6.\n\n    \"I HAVE HEARD OF THEE BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR; BUT NOW HATH MINE\n    EYE SEEN THEE: THEREFORE I ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENNT IN DUST AND\n    ASHES.\"\n\n\nIn a former discourse from these words, I explained to you the\ndifference between that Knowledge of GOD which is obtained by \"the\nhearing of the ear,\" and that which arises in the human heart, from a\nspiritual sensibility of his Presence and Power within us. I observed,\nthat the former was, at best, but a kind of historical knowledge, or,\nperhaps, nothing more than a strong conceit or imagination of something\nconcerning GOD; far different from that intuitive, self-evident, saving\nKnowledge of him, which Job speaks of in the text, and which every truly\npious foul cannot but feel. I endeavoured, likewise, to point out the\nRise and Progress of this Knowledge, as well as the blessed Fruits or\nEffects of which it is certainly productive. I then concluded with\nasking you, whether such a Knowledge of GOD as I had been describing,\nwas not worth your possessing? A knowledge, that would unite you to him,\nmake you One Spirit, One Will, One Nature, with your heavenly\nFather--that would give the highest relish to all the joys, and support\nyou under all the evils of life; that will stand by you, when every\noutward comfort fails, when friends, and relations, and wealth, and\npower, and all that earth is able to supply, can no longer yield you the\nleast support or satisfaction.\n\nConvinced, as I think you must needs be, of the infinite value of such a\npossession as this, I would now ask you, what it is that keeps you from\ndesiring and seeking to obtain it. Your answer, if you knew yourselves,\nwould be, that you did not at present feel the want of it.--This state\nof insensibility, therefore, to \"the things that belong to your peace,\"\nmust arise from certain obstacles and impediments, which, agreeable to\nmy promise, I now proceed to enumerate.\n\nWe are told, that the famous Selden, on his death-bed, sent for\narchbishop Usher, and, in the course of a most serious and affecting\nconversation, assured him, that he had accurately surveyed almost every\npart of literature and science, that was held in the highest esteem by\nthe sons of men; that he had a study filled with the most valuable books\nand manuscripts in the world; and yet, that, at that time, he could not\nrecollect one single passage out of any volume in this large collection,\nupon which he could rest his soul, or from which he could derive one ray\nof consolation, except some that he had met with in the Holy Scriptures;\nand that the most remarkable passage that then made the deepest\nimpression upon his mind, was this: \"For the GRACE OF GOD that bringeth\nSalvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying\nungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and\ngodly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the\nglorious appearance of the great GOD, and our Saviour JESUS CHRIST.\"\n\n\"The GRACE OF GOD,\" indeed, \"hath appeared unto all men.\" One of the\nprincipal impediments to their sight of this Grace, is what poor Selden\ncomplained of, viz. a looking for it in the writings of human reason,\nand expecting to find it by the same learned labour with which we\ninvestigate some mathematical or logical truth. Selden, with all his\nlearning, therefore, was obliged to seek for a True Knowledge of GOD, in\nthe volume of his own heart; and, agreeable to the direction of an\noutward revelation, to look for the appearance of that Grace which it\npromised, in a place, which his genius had not yet explored, and which\ncould never have been revealed to his outward eye. He had, no doubt,\n\"heard of GOD by the hearing of the ear,\" and could have accurately\ndemonstrated his existence and attributes--but, till that blessed\nmoment, \"his eye had never seen him.\"\n\nThus, all those fine literary accomplishments, which feed the pride of\nthe scholar, (though, when properly applied, they have their uses, and\ngreat uses too) must, nevertheless, be sacrificed, when they prove, as\nthey frequently do, very great impodiments to a spiritual knowledge of\nGOD. The most towering genius upon earth, can never gain admittance into\nthe Kingdom of Heaven, till he condescends to the simplicity of a child,\nand with faith and humility opens his heart to his Heavenly Father for\nthat true wisdom, which can only come by immediate revelation from him.\n\nBut the \"wisdom of this world,\" or \"science falsely so called,\" is not\nthe only impediment to our spiritual sight of GOD. There are many, who,\nunder a specious pretence of making a proper and honourable provision\nfor their families, involve themselves so deeply in business, as it is\ncalled, that they will not allow themselves a single moment to attend to\nthe concerns of another world. And were we to enquire the reason of this\nstrange conduct, they might very properly make us the same answer, which\nthe Duke of Alva made to King Henry IV. upon another occasion: Did you\nobserve, my Lord Duke, said the Monarch, the great eclipse of the sun,\nthat lately happened?--No, may it please your Majesty, replied the\nDuke--I have so much business to do on earth, that I have no leisure to\nlook up to heaven. In truth, my brethren, your mere men of business, and\na trading city like ours abounds with temptations to this kind of life;\nI say, your mere men of business, either forget, in the hurry of\naffairs, that their souls are immortal, and ought therefore to be fed\nand attended to at least as much as their bodies; or else, to quiet\ntheir consciences, they reason themselves into a belief that their souls\nmay die with their bodies, and therefore all thought or concern about\nreligious matters, is useless, and will only interrupt their worldly\npursuits.\n\nSuccess in trade introduces wealth, and, with it, its never-failing\nattendant, luxury. From this fatal source proceed a thousand impediments\nto a religious life, that are more readily felt than enumerated. Hence\nan amazing increase of expence, with an increasing taste for high\nliving, sumptuous apparel, and splendid entertainments. By an immoderate\nattention to these, the minds of men are gradually weaned from those\ngood impressions, which they have received in their earlier years, from\nsober, frugal, and industrious parents.--The peasant treads close upon\nthe heels of the courtier; and such is the reigning fondness for what is\ncalled fashionable life, that people of the most affluent circumstances,\nand who move in the highest sphere, are scarcely to be distinguished\nfrom those of the most scanty fortunes; and even indigence itself puts\nin its claim for a share of the outward glitter.--And it were well, if\nthe evil proceeded no further than this.\n\nBut if things should come to such a pass, that Religion itself, nay,\neven the very appearances of it, should be deemed unfashionable; if\npeople should be afraid to come to the house of GOD, lest they should\nhave their taste called in question, lest they should be suspected by\ntheir gay and worldly friends, of entertaining one serious thought about\nanother world, about GOD and their own souls; if the Sabbath, instead of\nbeing wholly dedicated to, and spent in the service of, that GOD by whom\nit was instituted, should be either lolled away in indolence, or spent\nin posting of books, settling of accounts at home, or devoted to\nentertainments and parties of pleasure abroad; if such should be the\nconsequences of an immoderate pursuit of business, and an inordinate\nfondness for a fashionable life, would you not conclude, that these were\nsurely the greatest and most dangerous impediments to a true and saving\nknowledge of GOD? If these evils have not appeared in such a degree, as\nI have described them, I think, at least, they are not far from it; and\nI begin to fear, that the time is approaching, when many amongst us will\nbe so far from \"seeing GOD,\" as Job expresses it, \"with their eyes,\"\nthat they will not even \"hear of him by the hearing of the ear.\" For\nbelieve me, my brethren, we cannot know GOD, we cannot even desire to\nknow him, whilst our whole hearts and minds are engaged in the things of\nthe world, whilst we turn, with all the eagerness of desire, to the\nsenseless pageantry and pleasures of a vain and trifling age.\n\nShall I spare myself the pain of telling, what ought not to be an\noffence to you to hear?--or will you give me leave to point out to you,\nin plainer terms, what I apprehend to be your principal impediments to\nsuch a view of the Divine Majesty, as would lead you to \"abhor\nyourselves, and repent in dust and ashes.\"\n\nIt cannot be denied, that luxury, extravagance, and dissipation of every\nkind, have, within these few years, made a most rapid progress amongst\nus.--Your ministers have long, perhaps too long, been silent upon these\nsubjects.--But though preventive medicines are sometimes given with\nsuccess, yet the symptoms of a disorder, as they appear in its process,\nare what must principally direct the application. What they have now to\nsay, comes to you with this corroborating circumstance in its support,\nthat we speak not from what we have apprehended might be, but from what\nwe have seen hath actually come to pass.\n\nWe have observed, with real heart-felt concern, a general proneness to\npleasure, and a general indifference to the very forms of religion.--Our\ndiscourses, though without particular applications, have been adapted,\nas far as we were able to judge, to the circumstances of the people whom\nwe addressed.--We have not, however, been unconcerned spectators of your\nconduct. We have observed, with what eagerness many of you have crouded\nto scenes of amusement and dissipation, and what backwardness you have\nshewn in attending the publick worship of GOD. Even the man of business\ncould devote many hours in the week, to the calls of worldly pleasure,\nwhilst he refused to give one to the calls of GOD upon his own Sabbath.\n\nMatters are, indeed, too serious to be passed by in silence. We are your\nministers, we are your servants; we should not be faithful to you, nor\nto ourselves, were we to neglect giving you the alarm, when we saw, or\neven apprehended, that you were in imminent danger. The enemy hath\nalready entered your houses--he hath entered your hearts! Under the\nspecious disguise and appellation of innocent amusements, he is secretly\ndrawing off your hearts from GOD, and carrying you away captive at his\nwill--Use not, I beseech you, the word innocent, in vindicating your\npleasures--Nothing can be innocent, let it be ever so seemingly\ntrifling, that wholly engrosses the mind, and takes it off from\nattending to the great concerns of Salvation. Amusements, though they\nmay be innocent at first, become more or less criminal, as they have a\ngreater or less tendency to wean the heart from GOD. Upon this maxim, I\nleave it to your own experience to determine, what particular kind of\namusements has had the greatest tendency to effect this in you.\n\nFar be it from me, to declaim, with an affected pharisaical severity,\nagainst innocent recreations of any kind. But, Gracious GOD! can a\nChristian complain of want of amusements, that has a family round him;\nthat has a dear child, or children, to educate; that has brothers, or\nsisters, or relations, or friends; with whom he can live in a most sweet\nand delightful intercourse of endearing offices? What a strange\nperversion of nature, sense, and reason, to take delight in going\nabroad, to have our affections excited by imaginary objects and romantic\nrepresentations, when we have so many real ones at home, in the course\nof every day, and in the way of our duty, to call forth and promote\ntheir best and highest exercise? I do not descend to particulars--let\nthese few hints suffice.--I have delivered them in love--in love, I\nhope, they will be received.\n\nPermit me, however, once more to repeat--that it is this immoderate\nfondness for pleasure and dissipation, that keeps you from feeling the\nreal wants of your nature, and, consequently, from applying to the true\nand only Source, from whence they can be fully satisfied. But this\ndeception cannot last long; false happiness has no sure foundation; it\nmust, therefore, totter and fall at last. You will not always be as gay,\nas healthy, and as prosperous, as you are now.--The vigour of the best\nconstitution cannot long preserve you from sickness, and from\ndeath.--Neither the abundance of wealth, nor the increase of power, nor\nthe support of popularity, can long protect you from disappointment and\ndistress. You may think as lightly as you please of religious duties\nnow; but, depend upon it, the hour is at hand, when every little neglect\nof them, every little preference you have given to the solicitations of\npleasure, will wound you to the very heart. You will then be convinced\nof the danger of trifling with that immortal spirit that is within you;\nand deeply regret, that you have been so far from having \"seen GOD,\"\nspiritually manifested in your hearts, that you have scarcely \"heard of\nhim by the hearing of the ear.\"\n\nI cannot dismiss you, without one observation more. Hypocrisy, and a\npharisaical righteousness, are as great, and perhaps greater impediments\nto the true Knowledge of GOD, than any of those I have already\nmentioned. The root is deeper, the evil more difficult to be eradicated.\n\nShould any of you, therefore, have been solacing yourselves with the\nview of your own fancied virtues, and thanking GOD, that you have not,\nlike others, been running after this or the other new and fashionable\namusement, but have kept yourselves strictly within the pale of outward\nduties; I beseech you not to be too liberal of your censures, nor too\nforward in prying into the conduct of your neighbours; but to look at\nhome with a jealous and watchful eye, to examine your own hearts, and\nsee, that whilst ye are \"paying tithe of mint, and annise, and cummin,\"\nye do not \"neglect the weightier matters of the law, mercy, justice,\nforbearance, and charity.\" Whilst ye have \"heard of GOD by the hearing\nof the ear,\" your eyes, perhaps, may not yet have seen him; whilst you\nare abhorring and standing aloof from your brethren, as if ye were\nholier than they, ye do not \"abhor yourselves, and repent in dust and\nashes.\" Remember, that a censorious spirit, and a disposition to think\nand speak evil of others, is as foreign to the Spirit of Christianity,\nas any other evil temper or disposition can be.\n\nTo conclude: A true Christian will lament the general decline of\nReligion, and wish and pray for better times, without being angry, or\nshewing any marks of unkindness to his brethren. Yea, so far from\nkeeping himself at a distance, he will mingle, as occasion or duty\ncalls, with men of every class. He will be religious without severity,\nand chearful without dissipation; he will instruct without seeming to\ndictate, and reprove with such mildness, that his very censures shall be\nreceived as the highest tokens of his love.\n\nIn this sweet Spirit of the Gospel of JESUS, Heaven grant that we may\nmutually receive and impart such truths, as \"belong to our peace,\" both\nhere and hereafter!\n\n\n\n\n                            DISCOURSE XVIII.\n                       On the Nativity of Christ.\n\n\nSt. LUKE, CHAP. ii. from VER. 6 to 20.\n\n    \"AND SO IT WAS, THAT WHILE THEY WERE THERE, THE DAYS WERE\n    ACCOMPLISHED, THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED,\" &c.\n\n\nIn the first chapter of his Gospel, the Evangelist has given a\nparticular account of the conception and birth of John the Baptist, the\nSalutation of the BLESSED VIRGIN, and her miraculous conception of the\nHOLY JESUS. According to a regular series of historical facts, this\nsecond chapter opens with a like circumstantial narrative of the\nnativity of our BLESSED REDEEMER.\n\nAn edict is issued by Augustus C\u00e6sar, enjoining all the subjects of the\nRoman empire to repair to their several cities, in order to have their\nnames enrolled for a general taxation. In obedience to this imperial\ndecree, Joseph, the espoused husband of Mary, is obliged to leave\nNazareth, the place of his residence, and take a journey to Bethlehem\nthe city of David, to be enrolled there, because he was of the house and\nlineage of David. Mary, his espoused wife, though \"great with child,\"\naccompanies him. A most remarkable interposition of Divine Providence\nappears in the whole transaction. The prophets had foretold, that the\nMESSIAH should be born at Bethlehem, and that he should descend from the\nfamily of David. The Roman emperor's decree was rendered subservient to\nthe accomplishment of these prophecies. Mary was thereby brought to\nBethlehem, and delivered of the MESSIAH, and her descent from the royal\nline of David was publickly recognized.\n\nVer. 6. \"And so it was, that while they were there, the days were\naccomplished, that she should be delivered.\"\n\nVer. 7. \"And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in\nswaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room\nfor them in the inn.\"\n\nA plain but affecting narrative! The apartments of the inn, we may\nsuppose, were occupied by more honourable guests. The Virgin Mother was\ncontent to retire to a stable, and to lie down among brutes. Hapless\nMary! we are ready to exclaim--is it thus, that the promises of the\nAngel are to be accomplished? Is this to be \"highly favoured?\" And are\nthese the blessings, by which thou art to be distinguished from the rest\nof thy sex? Must thy spotless Babe, at the very instant of his birth,\nenter upon his Labour of Love? and must the stable at Bethlehem be the\nfirst scene of that awful drama, which was afterwards closed on the\ntrembling top of Calvary?\n\nBut in what manner was the appearance of this illustrious Babe made\nknown to the world? Should not the princes and great ones of the earth\nhave had proper intelligence of his arrival, that they might have\nhastened from their several kingdoms and provinces, thrown themselves at\nhis feet, paid him the homage due to his exalted character, and obliged\nall their subjects to do the same? No--.\"GOD'S thoughts are not as man's\nthoughts, neither are his ways as man's ways.\" The same reason for which\nhe thought proper to send his Angel to the humble Mary, induced him now\nto give the first notice of his SON'S birth to a few simple shepherds.\n\nVer. 8. \"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the\nfield, keeping watch over their flock by night.\"\n\nVer. 9. \"And lo, the Angel of the LORD came upon them, and the Glory of\nthe LORD shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.\"\n\nThe pastoral life was once thought to be the happiest and most innocent\nlife upon earth. Far from the noise of cities, and the hurry of the busy\nworld, free from its anxieties, and ignorant of many of its vices, they\nenjoyed the full tranquillity of the rural scene. As their flocks were\ntheir only care, they had abundant leisure for meditation and prayer. As\nthey had no schemes of interest or ambition to accomplish, they were\nplain, unprejudiced, and undesigning men. A few of these shepherds were\nin the fields, bordering upon Bethlehem, watching by turns their sheep\nthe whole night, as was the custom of the country; when their senses\nwere suddenly struck with a great and unusual glare of light, in the\nmidst of which appeared an Angel of GOD, bright and glorious. They were\nconfounded with the excessive splendor. They trembled, and were sore\nafraid. But the Angel, with all the sweetness and chearfulness of Heaven\nin his countenance, thus comfortably addressed them:\n\nVer. 10. \"Fear not: for, behold! I bring you good tidings of great joy,\nwhich shall be to all people.\"\n\nVer. 11. \"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,\nwhich is CHRIST the LORD.\"\n\nBe not afraid! I am come, not to terrify you, but to bring you great and\njoyous tidings, in which not yourselves only, but the whole nation of\nthe Jews, yea, all the inhabitants of the world, are deeply interested!\nFor he, of whom all the prophets prophesied, and whom all the people of\nIsrael have, according to the promise of GOD, long and ardently\nexpected, even the MESSIAH, the Saviour and Deliverer, is this night\nborn in Bethlehem, the city of David.\n\nVer. 12. \"And this shall be a sign unto you--\" a sign, by which you\nshall know him, the moment you enter into his presence--\"ye shall find\nthe Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.\"\n\nScarce had the Angel delivered his message, when a whole choir of his\ncelestial brethren burst forth with additional splendors from the\nmidnight sky, and saluted the shepherds' ears with a birth-day anthem.\n\nVer. 13. \"And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the\nheavenly host, praising GOD, and saying:\" Ver. 14. \"Glory to GOD in the\nhighest; and on earth peace, good-will towards men!\"\n\nNo expressions of joy could have been more admirably adapted than these,\nto so glorious an occasion: for the glory of the Divine Majesty was most\neminently displayed in that gracious message of peace and\nreconciliation, of Love and Good-Will, which was here published to the\nworld. If those pure and perfect Intelligences could thus testify their\ntransport upon an event, in which an inferior order of beings were more\nimmediately concerned; surely, that order are continually bound to\nrender the highest and most grateful returns of praise, acknowledgment,\nand love!\n\nFor us men, and for our Salvation, a GOD becomes incarnate. The ETERNAL\nWORD clothes himself in clay. He assumes our nature in its most helpless\nstate; and is born, like one of us, a naked, weak, and wailing Babe.\nThus began the mighty process of Redeeming Love! To rescue us from the\nmisery of a fallen life; to restore the Divine Image to our souls; to\nregain, for us, that state of rectitude, of union and communion with\nGOD, which we had lost in Adam; and completely to repair the ruins of\nnature were the benevolent purposes, which the GOD of LOVE determined to\naccomplish by sending into the world his only-begotten SON. Well,\ntherefore, might the inhabitants of Heaven, at the prospect of such\nineffable goodness and condescension, break forth, enraptured, into\nthese sublime and joyous strains: \"Glory to GOD in the highest; and on\nearth Peace, Good-Will towards men!\"\n\nVer. 15. \"And it came to pass, as the Angels were gone away from them\ninto Heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us now go, even unto\nBethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath\nmade known unto us.\"\n\nThey did not stay to \"confer with flesh and blood;\" to reason, and\ndoubt, and hesitate, whether this might not be a delusion; but, in the\ntrue simplicity of faith, improved the heavenly warning, and hastened to\nBethlehem, in full assurance of meeting with every thing conformable to\nthe notice they had received.\n\nVer. 16. \"And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the\nBabe lying in a manger.\"\n\nGlorious confirmation and reward of the shepherds' faith! O that all who\ncall themselves Christians, would with the same child-like simplicity\nsurrender themselves to JESUS CHRIST! They have frequent and sufficient\nwarnings of his kind intentions towards them. They are assured, that he\nis the Light and Life of men; and that if they apply to him, they will\nreceive the most salutary manifestations of this Life and Light in their\nsouls. Were they to listen and obey these warnings, and go as they are\ndirected, they would as surely find this Heavenly Babe in their hearts,\nas the shepherds found him in the stable at Bethlehem.\n\nVer. 17. \"And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying\nwhich was told them concerning this Child.\"\n\nIn like manner, the true Believer, who hath experienced the operation of\nthe Spirit of GOD bearing witness with his spirit, that the Child JESUS\nis born in his heart, cannot but \"make known abroad,\" what he has felt\nand experienced of this spiritual birth, though his testimony rarely\nproduces any better effects upon his hearers, than that of wonder and\nastonishment.\n\nVer. 18. \"And all they that heard it, wondered at those things, which\nwere told them by the shepherds.\"\n\n\"They were greatly amazed, and at a loss to know, what to make of the\nreport. They could not think it likely, that such a set of plain,\nhonest, undesigning men should have formed the story, and should go\nabout to impose it on the world. They could not but know, indeed, that\ntheir testimony was strengthened by a general expectation, at that time,\nof the MESSIAH'S appearance, and by the prevailing opinion that his\nbirth would be at Bethlehem: yet they were astonished, that he should be\nborn of such mean parents, and in such despicable circumstances; and\nthat persons of such low figure as these shepherds, should be the men to\nwhom GOD had sent an Angel to reveal it.\"\n\nFrom the conduct of the shepherds, the Evangelist passes to that of the\nBlessed Virgin, which differs much from theirs, as might indeed be\nexpected from her different situation and circumstances. For whereas,\n\"they made known abroad the saying that was told them concerning this\nchild,\" we are assured, that\n\nVer. 19. \"Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.\"\n\nBy \"these things,\" we are doubtless to understand the whole series of\nastonishing events, from the first salutation of the Angel, to this\nvisit of the shepherds.\n\nUnder the power of these reflections, methinks I see the Blessed Mother,\nbending disconsolate over her shivering infant! Her countenance speaks a\nthousand tender emotions of her heart! It is a look, composed of deep\nanxiety, maternal fondness, compassion and love inexpressible! In her\nvarying features one may read too the varying sensibilities of her soul.\n\nSweet heavenly babe! How mild, how serenely soft thy aspect! How\nseemingly satisfied with thy hard allotment! Surely the bleak winds will\npierce thy tender frame! Surely the rugged winter means not to relent\nfor thee! And yet the Messenger of Heaven hath assured me, that thou\nshouldst be a JESUS, a SAVIOUR; that thou shouldst be called the SON OF\nTHE HIGHEST; that thou shouldst sit upon the throne of DAVID, and that\nof thy kingdom there should be no end. But where are the ensigns of\nroyalty? where are the tokens of thy illustrious birth? Instead of a\nsumptuous palace, thou art lodged in a loathsome stable. No bed of down\nreceives thy precious limbs! No warm and comfortable apartments shield\nthee from the rude inclemencies of the air! A manger is thy cradle! And\nthy poor indigent mother seems, under Providence, to be thine only\nsupport! No courtiers attend to bow the knee, to pay the customary\nhomage due to royalty, and bid thee welcome to the throne of Israel. A\nfew simple shepherds have indeed been here, and tendered thee their\nhonest obeisance! They told too a wondrous tale, from the several\ncircumstances of which, I am now more and more persuaded, that the\nfinger of GOD is here; that his Veracity spoke in the salutation of the\nAngel; that his Power and Goodness will be exalted by thy present\nHumiliation; and that I must henceforth feel more than a mother's\nfondness, and look upon thee, sweet Babe! as my LORD, my LIFE, and my\nREDEEMER.\n\nSuch were the astonishing circumstances that employed the attention of\nMary; and thus it was, that \"she kept all these things, and pondered\nthem in her heart.\" She did not publish her sentiments to the world. She\ndid not court the honour and respect of men, by displaying the dignity\nof her babe, or telling abroad what she knew concerning him; but\nsatisfied with her own conviction, humbly waited, till Providence should\nmake use of some other means to acquaint the world with these \"tidings\nof great joy.\"\n\nIf now, like Mary, we seriously attend to, and ponder in our hearts all\nthe amazing circumstances of this great event, we cannot fail, I think,\nof learning from thence a lesson of Humility. This amiable and\npeculiarly Christian grace, is the foundation and ground-work of every\nother excellence and perfection. Without it, we can have no pretensions\nto Christianity; we are strangers to the Truth and Spirit of the Gospel:\n\"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot be my\ndisciples!\" As long as pride, vanity, arrogance, and inordinate\nself-love, keep possession of thy soul, be assured, O man, that the Babe\nof Bethlehem will not take up his residence with thee! In order to\ninvite this Heavenly Guest to thine heart, it must be as empty and free\nfrom worldly ornaments, as was the stable in which he was born. \"Be ye\nthen cloathed with humility.\" This plain and modest garb best becomes\nthe disciples of so meek a Master. Thou must feel thyself very poor,\nbefore thou canst be rich in CHRIST. Thou must part with all that thou\nhast, for this Pearl of great Price; and must come to him as naked and\nhelpless as a new-born babe, in a true child-like simplicity of faith.\nIt is this alone can give thee sweet tranquillity of soul, even that\n\"peace of GOD, which passeth all understanding;\" that \"white stone and\nnew name, which no man knoweth, save him that receiveth it.\" Thy soul\nwill then \"magnify the LORD, and thy spirit will rejoice in GOD thy\nSAVIOUR.\"\n\nThis inward spiritual change, is not the consequence of a bare\nmeditation upon the circumstances of our Lord's nativity, a simple\nassent to, or belief of, the historical account given by the Evangelist.\nNo, it arises from an experience of the whole process in our own souls.\nIn vain was this Divine Infant born into the world, unless he is\nlikewise born in our hearts, not figuratively born, which is no birth at\nall, but manifesting himself by a vital and essential union with our\nspirits. This is regeneration, our new-birth, our birth to light, and\nlife, and glory. Those who have experienced this, must taste and feel,\nin some degree, the raptures of those exalted spirits, who dwell\ncontinually in the Beatifying Presence of their Master. They are raised\nabove flesh and blood: \"It is not they that live, but CHRIST that liveth\nin them.\" They are sensible of the daily growth of that Heavenly Nature,\nwhich they receive from him, and which diffuseth a light through their\nsouls, that \"shineth more and more unto the perfect day.\" Like the\nshepherds returning from Bethlehem, they are continually \"glorifying and\npraising GOD for all the things that they have heard and seen.\"\n\n\nThe End of VOL. I.\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nMissing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.\n\nTypographical errors were silently corrected.\n\nInconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a\npredominant form was found in this book.\n\nText that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).","title":"Discourses on Various Subjects, Vol. 1 (of 2)","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":46687}