VI.] ADDRESS TO SUCH AS OBJECT TO THE DOCTRINE.

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"how can these things be;" or perhaps to retort an indiscriminate charge of enthusiasm. But do you intend to answer your Judge in this manner? Do you expect to enter heaven, by disproving the truth of his most solemn and repeated declarations? Is your judgment the standard of truth? Can nothing be needful to salvation, which you do not experience? If God be indeed glorious in holiness: if the society and joys of heaven be holy, and if man be unholy; an entire change must, in the very nature of things, take place, before man can possibly delight in God or enjoy heaven ; were there no other obstacle to his salvation. me therefore earnestly beseech you to re-consider the subject: let me prevail with you to search these scriptures, and to beg of God to show you the true mean ing of them; and to grant, that if these things be indeed true and needful, you may know them by your: own happy experience,

Let

Again, some religious people profess to know that their sins are forgiven and others are anxious to ob tain this assurance. If then it be asked, how can any man be thus certain in this matter? I answer, by a consciousness, that "he is in Christ a new creature, that "old things are passed away, and all things are become "new." When our Lord forgave the sins of the paralytic he enabled him to carry his bed; this proved his sins forgiven, both to himself and others. And in like manner, when we know that, in consequence of having applied to Christ for salvation, we abhor all sin, love the ways of God, and delight in pious company; we have a witness in ourselves, and the testimony of God in his word, that we partake of the gift of righteousness

136 TO FALSE PROFESSORS AND WEAK BELIEVERS. [SERM

by faith. The clearer this evidence of our new creation appears, the fuller ground of assurance. we possess: we are therefore exhorted, "to give all diligence to make "our calling and election sure:" but without this, all impreffions and supposed revelations, declaring our sins to be pardoned, are manifest delusions; for they contradict the express testimony of God in his holy word.

Too many profess the gospel, who give no evidence of this gracious change, and stumble others by their unholy lives: but the text at once cuts off such men's pretensions; and the reproach ought to rest on themselves, and not on the holy doctrines which they disgrace.

But, as "the path of the just shineth more and more "unto the perfect day," I would earnestly and affectionately caution the serious enquirer, not to undervalue the feeble beginnings which he experiences; but to take encouragement from them to press forward, in the diligent use of the means of grace; that the change may be rendered more evident, and that he may "abound "in hope by the power of the holy Ghost."

Let discouraged souls likewise, who feel sin to be their burden, grief, and terror, and who are ready to say to the Saviour, "Lord, to whom shall I go, thou "hast the words of eternal life:" let such fainting, and feeble minded believers, learn to derive encouragement from their very fears, jealousies, sighs, groans, and tears, because" of the sin that dwelleth in them;" and because they cannot do the things that they would:" for these are, without doubt, effects and evidences of the new creation.

Finally, my brethren, if you can rejoice in the

VI.]

AND TO ASSURED CHRISTIANS.

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assurance, that you are partakers of these inestimable benefits; show your gratitude to God, by endeavouring to communicate the same blessings to your fellow sinners: knowing that his mercy and grace are sufficient for them also; that he makes use of reconciled enemies, as instruments in reconciling others also to himself; and that he preserves them in life especially for this most gracious purpose.

SERMON VII.

PSALM ii. 12.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

WH

HATEVER were the immediate occasion of this psalm, it evidently contains a most remarkable prophecy concerning Christ, and the divine vengeance to be inflicted on those who opposed the establishment of his kingdom. The Jews were the peculiar objects of the threatened indignation; and they are also the witnesses of the authenticity of those scriptures, in which the prophecy is contained; for by them the old Testament has been preserved; and they now unanimously attest that the psalm before us was written at least a thousand years before Jesus of Nazareth was born.

It may therefore be useful in the first place to call your attention to this remarkable prophecy of things already accomplished, or hastening to an accomplishment. "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a

GOD'S ENEMIES ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES.

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"vain thing? the kings of the earth stand up, and the "rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and "against his anointed," Let us hear the apostle's application of this passage: "forofa truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius "Pilate, with the gentiles and the people of Israel were "gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy "counsel determined before to be done."" These concluding words are well worthy of our notice: as they illustrate the plan of divine providence in the government of the world. We are apt to wonder, that wicked men should be permitted to triumph as they often do not considering that the Lord employs even rebels to fulfil his righteous purposes; and that, contrary to their own intention, they are made the executioners of his vengeance, or used as his chastening rod. Even atheists and infidels, yea, the haughtiest and most self-willed of his enemies, are permitted to prosper, till they have inflicted condign punishment on sinners, perhaps less criminal than themselves, and then they are consigned to more tremendous vengeance.-Nay the Lord even makes use of wicked men to accomplish his designs of mercy to the church. Thus the Jewish rulers and priests, with Herod, Pilate, and the people of Israel, though before at enmity with each other, combined together against the Saviour of the world: they thought evil against him "but the Lord meant it for good"."

and his church,

And they could

only do what his hand and counsel had determined before to be done."

"The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers