the divine favour for them, whilst they persist in their evil way. But his call was to those who repented, who renounced every sin, and entertained fervent desires of returning again to God, to virtue, and goodness.

And unspeakable is the grace of the Gospel in this behalf as declared by Christ, the benignity of the heavenly Father towards sinners that repent, towards his returning children; that their sins and iniquities shall be remembered no more, and he will look upon them as innocent before him. And oft his favour is not ill bestowed. For joy for so great a deliverance from the worst of evils, sin, and its fatal lasting consequences, and ingenuous gratitude to God for his goodness, will excite to repair the evil done by violating his laws and bringing confusion into his works; and has sometimes prompted the humble penitent to deeds of highest virtue and goodness.

III.

This and similar language of the Gospel is often alleged in support of that notion of some christians relating to the conversion of sinners, that it is in general brought about in an unaccountable manner, by the secret and

sudden

sudden working of God upon the mind, and in such a way as is not to be resisted; so that the person is changed at once from a state of sin to a state of holiness.

This has been called the drawing of the Father. But we have shown that it signifies quite the contrary, the pious and virtuous disposition which is required to be a worthy disciple of Christ.

There are, moreover, no examples in the New Testament of any such sudden changes for the better, wrought in any by the preaching of the Gospel, unless it was in the jailer at Philippi. For that of the thief, or rather the state-criminal on the cross, seems not to have been of that kind. For there is no ground to think that he had been a bad man, that the crime for which he suffered was very heinous, or, if either, that he had not repented at leisure.

The jailer was certainly awakened out of a condition of great ignorance, and the change made in him very sudden, by the terrors of the earthquake, the joy at being saved from destroying himself, and the convictions wrought in his mind of the power of God, and his fayour and protection extraordinary to his two prisoners

prisoners Paul and Silas, towards whom he was filled with reverence as the servants of God and messengers of good to him. We know not, however, whether the change made in him was effectual, and that he persevered in virtue and the profession of the Gospel to the end of his life; though we may rather be inclined to hope it was so with him.

Such examples, however, are rarely found, and seem exceptions to the ordinary method of divine Providence in bringing men to the knowledge of the Gospel. We should not, however, take upon us to limit the divine power and mercy there may be instances of the like kind now, and particularly amongst those men and women who have led enormously wicked lives. They may sometimes be so happily dealt with by divine Providence, as to be surprised into a sight of their horrid and desperate state, by a sudden terror coming across them, a frightful midnight dream, some dire sickness or calamity befalling them, or the like:-and some may take such merciful kind warnings, while many continually slight them and grow more hardened by them.

But this is not the ordinary way in which

we

we are brought to the truth of the Gospel, and sanctified by it. Such sudden changes are not agreeable to the human frame: nor does experience vouch for their being lasting, when some have boasted of them. Happy however is it where the salutary change takes place, and the Christian becomes afterwards fixed in habits of piety and virtue, by whichsoever of the various methods of divine Providence it be brought about.

IV.

Lastly. How admirable is the Gospel in the point of view we have been led to consider it! Our Saviour says; "No one can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him;" i. e. as has been fully seen, No one can be a disciple of Christ, who has not a regard to God and his laws, who is destitute of piety and true virtue.

He therefore cannot be a christian who is not a virtuous man: for he goes and acts contrary to his principles and profession.

If such an one think otherwise of himself, when he is making no progress in piety, purity, and doing good, but the contrary; it must be owing to delusion, and his mis

taking christianity for something it is not: a mere name and outward service and ceremony, consistent with any unhallowed unrighteous practice.

Good men may sometimes entertain invin, cible prejudices against christianity from wrong representations, and from the abuses of it, and from various other causes; and a good man so tinctured and biassed may sometimes oppose it.

But no good man that knows christianity, though hindered by prejudice from embracing it, will ever speak evil of it. For he will see that its genuine aim is to promote piety and virtue and the best interests of men.

Be it then our chief business, after satisfying ourselves of the rational grounds of our faith in Christ, to study the sacred records which contain it; and above all, to lead our lives in conformity to its holy and benevolent precepts, and to bring others to the knowledge and obedience of it. So shall we do all in our power to recommend it to universal acceptation and shall not fail in approving ourselves to the God and Governor of the world, whose cause it is, and who will favour those who support it.

PRAYER.