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him; and that all the machinations of evil spirits will issue in their own confusion and aggravated sufferings at that awful period, which they expect with trembling. Then the mystery of God will be finished, and all things, on the part of God, will appear to have been the result of infinite wisdom and goodness, and will issue in his glory. "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

The divine counsel and plan are invariably accomplished, and are perpetually advancing and filling up in all that takes place. The fall of man has made way for the most stupendous display of the divine glory through the gracious undertaking of the Son of God, which has filled the brightest intelligences of heaven with astonishment, and will, as we believe, at length, fill the earth with praise. We may be sure, that the fall of man was no trivial concern, nor sin a light evil, when the incarnation of Deity was needful to his recovery. Man is indeed lost and helpless; and when we know and feel this, we are prepared to understand the glad tidings of the gospel, and to welcome the Saviour. "I am come," says the compassionate Jesus, " to seek, and to save that which was lost." He must needs seek them, because their natural inclinations carry them in a direction opposite to the way of life: and though this way be pointed out to them, they can neither choose it, nor walk in it till they are made "willing in the day of his power." For unregenerate persons are declared in the Scripture to be blind, or in darkness;-yea to be darkness itself, as the Apostle reminded the Ephesians.§ The uncon

Rom. xi. 36, Luke xix. 10. Ps. cx. 3. § Eph. v. 8.
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verted see no beauty in Jesus, why they should desire him; they are strangers to the wisdom, and excellence of the doctrines he taught, and very commonly consider them as foolish, and unworthy of their regard. Hence they fall into the most ruinous mistakes, "calling evil good, and good: evil; putting darkness for light, and light for darkness; bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."*, But Christ has engaged to "bring the blind by a way they knew not, and to make darkness light before them."+ His words in reference to this engagement are most sweet and gracious: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."+

The doctrine of the fall, and of the universal depravity and misery of mankind is frequently pressed on your attention for evident reasons. "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." It is a key to the right understanding of the Scriptures, and prepares the mind to receive the other distinguishing doctrines. of the gospel, and to see their mutual relation, dependance and harmony. It proves the necessity of a new birth, of a divine Saviour, of free justification, and of salvation altogether of grace. It shews Christ to be precious, the influence of the Holy Spirit most desirable, the value of a throne of grace, and the reasonableness of frequent prayer. It discovers the origin of human sufferings, which every where abound; accounts for the bloody and horrid wars which plague the earth, and the prodigious crimes which men are continually perpetrating; and explains the ground of the commis

* Isa. v. 20. + Isa. xlii. 16. ‡ John viii. 12. Matt, ix. 12.

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sion given the Jews to exterminate the Canaanites, as the Lord himself condescended to inform his servants. "The land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants." This doctrine also becomes subservient to the study of that divine philosophy, which the children of God delight to cultivate, in tracing the course and operations of his Providence in his dealings with the Church, the world, and individuals. The Lord is still the Governor among the nations; and in the midst of apparent confusion maintains perfect order. Nothing can escape his notice, or frustrate his counsel; and his steps are sometimes so visible, especially on the behalf of his own people, that men are constrained to say, "Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily it is God, who judgeth in the earth."+ This doctrine likewise supplies an answer to those, who are offended, that God should act in a sovereign manner, by conferring the blessings of salvation on persons chosen by himself, while he leaves others in their sins. It is plain, that all are rebels and enemies, unworthy of the least of his favors: surely then he has a right to shew mercy, in such cases as he may choose, and for reasons known only to himself. If he say to some, "To you.it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," and to others, "but to you it is not given;" let no sinner presume to find fault, but rather be thankful, that God has also said, “Ask, and it shall be given to you." What! "is it not lawful for him to do what he will with his own? Is thine eye evil because he is good?”§

* Lev. xviii. 25. + Ps. Iviii. 11. ‡ Mat. xiii. 11. § Matt, xx. 15.

I shall now call your attention to the nature and method of justification, as that most interesting and truly wonderful doctrine is laid down in the word of God. To justify any one, in the scripture sense of the term, is to acquit him of all guilt, or sin, and to declare and prove him to be perfectly righteous; and that too before God, who "is of purer eyes than to behold evil."* But how shall a creature so full of evil as man has been proved to be, appear perfectly righteous and without spot in the sight of infinite purity and justice? Doubtless the way to effect this must surpass the penetration of all created intelligence. Such knowledge belongs to God only. And probably for this reason Christ crucified is called "the wisdom of God." He is also, in the same place, called "the power of God:" for now God can "be just, and the Justifier of him who believeth in Jesus." He can exercise the richest mercy, by pardoning the vilest offenders in perfect consistency with the strictest justice. "For Christ has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." In the fifty-third of Isaiah God has likewise thus spoken concerning him: "by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." Such knowledge is doubtless divine, and belongs exclusively to God. It seems that the very angels learn this from what takes place among the redeemed here: for to them is made "known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." It should not therefore surprise us, that men, whose understandings are darkened, and their hearts blinded by sin and satan, should find this a great mystery, and attended with difficulties, to them in

Hab. i. 13. + 1 Cor. i. 24. ‡ Rom, iii, 26. § 1 Pet. iii. 18. || Eph. iii. 10.

surmountable; and that when it is preached and laid open before them, they cannot receive it. For "Behold! I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."* Men of great talents and profound learning, when they enter on the consideration of this doctrine, very often stumble at the threshold; and that which would have brought them into liberty, becomes a snare. But it is not for want of evidence, or of precision in the scripture statement; but through their own pride and unbelief, which prompt them to count the wisdom of God foolishness,+ and to reject it accordingly. The history of the visible church gives us too much reason to infer, that the greater part of teachers have never clearly seen the way in which condemned sinners are acquitted and made righteous before the infinitely holy God. For there is in men's minds a strong and inveterate prejudice against the free justification of the wicked by an imputed righteousness, in distinction from, and in opposition to all works done by themselves. Let us hear the scripture on this vital point. "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”‡

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Nothing however can be more reasonable than the doctrine of imputed righteousness. For it is evident, that no man can be accepted with God without a righteousness. And it is equally certain, that he can never attain one by his own per

* Isa. xxix. 14. + 1 Cor. i. 18, 23, 25. Rom. iv. 4.

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