ways, but ours, that are unequal. The whole disagreement has not arisen from any thing wrong, on the part of God;—the guilt is entirely our own; we are the criminal party.

And as to the condition of pardon revealed by Christ, in the Gospel; after all which has been done and suffered by him, that the aggravated crimes of rebellious men might be forgiven, can it be thought unreasonable, that we should be required to exercise humility, to confess our want of pardoning grace,repent of sins which are past, and give ourselves up in future to the divine will?

Again: Why should we dread the empire of Christ? Why should we look with abhorrence on that state of the heart, which he requires? Do we well in calling the proud happy? Does the heart feel solid pleasure, in lifting itself up against God? Is there lasting comfort and peace of mind in the breast of him who is too proud to submit to the Gospel and to supplicate mercy through a crucified Saviour? So far from this, there is no created being, in the universe, who can be happy without humility. The Christian finds no moments so happy as those in which he feels most inclined to exalt God, and abase himself; to forget himself, and fix his eyes on the unspotted purity of his Maker. It is delightful; it is a kind of spiritual luxury, to prostrate himself, overwhelmed with a sense of his own unworthiness, before the great and holy Governor of the universe. It must necessarily be a very fearful and distressing consideration, to be at enmity with him, in whose power we are, and on whom depends our destiny forever. For the same reason, there must be unspeakable comfort and solid joy in a total surrender of the heart to this infinitely glorious being; and in a conscious willingness to obey his laws, and submit to his empire.

It is the delight of glorified saints, and the joy of angels, to shrink, and as it were diminish themselves before the unspeakable majesty of God.

But, my hearers, if we desire to partake in this happiness, our submission to Christ must begin here on earth; the kingdom of Christ must be now established in our hearts. He who

dies with an unsubdued, rebellious heart, will never, throughout eternity, submit to God. That heart will be self-tormented; it will feel the immortal worm, and the fire unquenchable. Behold his soul, that is lifted up, is not right within him. We must be humbled, and despairing of help within ourselves; we must embrace that mercy, which the Gospel holds forth. We must submit to the righteousness of faith; receive Christ as our atoning High Priest, as our Instructor and King. If we would not be put under his feet in anger, and be trampled in his fury, we must now lay hold on his strength, while his sceptre of grace is extended towards us. There is no safety in this rebellion, for a single day. It cannot be maintained, but at the peril and hazard of the soul. Every thing is wrong,-every thing is in danger while we are enemies to God, by wicked works. May God subdue our hearts by his grace, that we may delight in the empire of Christ, and be, through eternity, the monuments of his goodness.

SERMON III.

IMPENITENT SINNERS WITHOUT EXCUSE AT THE GREAT DAY.

Job 31: 14.-What then shall I do, when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer?

JOB made this interrogation in connexion with a solemn disavowal of the crime of haughtiness and oppression. If I despised the cause of my man-servant or my maid-servant; what then shall I do, when God riseth up, etc., as if he had said: What shall I do at that awful crisis when God shall pass judgment on all my works? As God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world, and as we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, it becomes us to meditate on the transactions of that day, to consider how we shall order our cause, and with what arguments our mouths will be filled.

It is well known, that all who embrace those offers, which are made by Christ in the Gospel, do thereby obtain pardon and the promise of eternal life. Such persons, when God riseth up, will not shield themselves with their own innocence, but by the sufferings of Christ. They are found, as the apostle speaks, not having on their own righteousness, i. e. not relying on their own obedience to the law, as the meritorious ground of their justification; but having on that righteousness, which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith ;-interested in the covenant, which declares the believer justified from all those things, from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Persons of this character, and in such a state, will never be confounded. They will lift up

their heads with joy, when the Judge shall assemble all nations before his throne.

But no one will pretend, that all are in this state ;—no one, judging on the principles of the Gospel, can suppose that the obedient followers of the Lamb, bear a great proportion to the whole. Though no man knoweth the number of God's children, have we not reason, even now, to form this melancholy conclusion, that Christ's disciples are a little flock, and that the servants of sin are far more numerous?

To persons of this latter description, the following discourse will be addressed; the object of which is to inquire, what answer can be given at the great day, by impenitent sinners;what excuse they will then be able to offer, in their own behalf.

1. Will you answer, that you knew not the being and perfections of God;-that you knew not, that there was any sunreme Being, who created yourselves, the world, and the universe? No person, who arrives at years of understanding, can make such a plea. No one can open his eyes, without seeing a crowd of witnesses to the existence of God. Did the heavens and earth create themselves? Did the mighty ocean gather itself together into the deep places of the earth? Did the shores of the ocean form themselves into a barrier against its overflowing? Does the tide rise up, and withdraw, every day, self-moved, or by its own choice? Is it by chance, that the seasons have an orderly return,-the fruits grow in one part of the year, and decay in another? Did you create your own bodies or your own souls? Or is it by chance, that you have eyes to see, ears to hear, feet to walk, or lungs to breathe? You know the contrary. You clearly perceive, not only that the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the firmament showeth his handy work, but that you yourself are fearfully and wonderfully made; and that you must have been created by some intelligent being, who had a design in creating you.

Can you pretend any uncertainty, as to the character of this being? Can you doubt his goodness? Do you not daily receive the fruits of it? Do you doubt his justice, or his holiness?

Have you the least apprehension that he is unjust, or unholy? And will you dare to allege, in the last day, that unavoidable ignorance on these subjects excused your neglect of God; and that the reason, why you lived without God in the world, was, that you had no reason to believe that God existed?

2. But perhaps you will say, though you knew there was a God, and had no reason to doubt what his attributes were, yet you knew not what he required,-you were ignorant in what way, he was to be pleased, or displeased.-Why this is indeed strange. You knew that there was a holy God, and yet did not know that he required holiness in his creatures! You will not say this in his presence, when he riseth up, unless it be true. You will not dare to say, that you had doubts on this subject, if you had none. And now suffer me to ask any person present, whether he have any doubts on the general subject of what is pleasing or displeasing to God? Have you any doubt, that God requires you to entertain inward affection to himself; to submit to his holy will; to obey his commands; to rejoice in his government, and to desire his blissful presence? In neglecting obedience, prayer, and holy communion with God, or righteousness and charity to men, can you pretend it to be a matter of uncertainty, what God required? Can you ever assert that you know not whether it would be most agreeable to him, that you should repent of sin or persevere in it? Will you be able to tell him, that though, in the days of your probation, you saw some persons thoughtless, proud, selfish, haters of that which is good; and others meek, watchful against sin, sorrowful when they had committed it, devout, and obedient to the divine commands; you were still utterly unable to determine which of these characters was most pleasing in his sight; and whether, to obtain his blessing, you ought to imitate the one or the other? Will you dare to assert this before him, whose eyes are as a flame of fire ?-But,

33. Though you cannot plead ignorance of what God requires, perhaps you intend to show, that his requirements were unrea◄ sonable. Can you support this charge better than your former VOL. II.

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