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IV.]

GOD WILL NOT SAVE UNBELIEVERS.

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"hath he said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken "and shall he not make it good "?"

The grandest display of the love of God doth equally declare his justice and holiness and will not men allow that he is love, unless he will, as it were, abdicate his throne, dishonour his name, and neglect the interests of his obedient subjects, in order to preserve impenitent rebels from deserved punishment? These reflections ought rather to convince us, that there is a malignity in sin, of which men are not aware; seeing God, who is love, so terribly threatens and severely punishes his offending creatures, and yet rescues a penitent remnant in so stupendous a manner!

But some men will still contend that God will save all sincere persons, each in his own way; and support this anti-scriptural opinion by the words of our text.→ Leaving at present the case of those, who never were favoured with the clear light of divine revelation: let it be observed, that if they, who are fully informed, or might be, did they properly improve their advantages, will persist in neglecting the way of salvation revealed in the scriptures to depend on their moral virtues, rational schemes, or self-invented observances; if they treat the truth of God as a lie, and count that wisdom, which angels adore, to be foolishness; if they regard the stupendous love of God in giving his Son to be the Saviour of the world as needless; and then pretend that he will condemn no man for unavoidable errors; let them look to it, for evil is before them. The whole scripture declares such unbelief to be the offspring of pride and the love of sin and that such

Numb. xxiii. 19.

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SINCERITY AN AMBIGUOUS TERM.

[SERM.

men continue under the unqualified sentence of final condemnation.

Sincerity is an ambiguous term: sincerely to hate infinite good and despise infinite excellency; and thus to be very sincere in fighting against God and perse cuting his saints; is surely very different from sincere repentance, faith in Christ, love of his people, and obedience to his commands. Yet men either artfully or ignorantly confound these distinct ideas; and then pretend that sincerity is all that is necessary to salva

tion.

But this short specimen must suffice: though many more false inferences from the text might be men tioned; the wise man has, however, summed them all up in one verse: "Because sentence against an " evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the "hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to "do evil'."

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IV. Let us in the last place make some practical use of the subject.

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The view of the unfathomable love of God, which hath been given, should increase men's abhorrence of sin and dread of its consequences. The more glorious and excellent the Lord appears to be, the greater degree of odiousness must be contained in every transgression against him; and crimes committed under the clear light of the gospel must on that account be peculiarly inexcuseable, While therefore sinners should take warning to flee from the wrath to come," (for how will they escape if they neglect so

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IV.] ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE BROKEN HEARTED.

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great salvation," and harden themselves in disobedience because our God is merciful?) it is incumbent on us all to humble ourselves more and more for all our numberless offences, as most hateful and unreasonable, because committed against infinite goodness and excellency.

On the other hand the subject is most delightfully suited to encourage the poor trembling penitent, how many or heinous soever his sins may have been. Poor desponding soul, remember that GOD is LOVE. Consider what he hath done to make way for the honour able exercise of his mercy. There were two obstacles in the way! of our felicity; namely, his justice and our proud obstinacy. He hath removed the former by "not sparing his own Son," but giving him a sacrifice for our sins; and he overcomes the latter when he “gives us repentance to the acknowledging of *his truth.", .If then thou dost now submit to his righteousness, confess thy sins, and apply for salvation according to his merciful, invitations; thou mayst assuredly expect a gracious reception: for he, who commended his love to his enemies, by giving his own Son to die for them, cannot reject the weeping contrite supplicant, who pleads the all-prevailing name of Jesus, in humble faith, and fervent desires of finding mercy and grace through him.

Here again we may learn the standard of true excellency. The most shining characters, which genius hath selected to immortalize, have commonly been illustriously mischievous; and the unqualified admiration, with which they are often mentioned, exceedingly misleads inexperienced youth. But God

88 EXHORTATIONS TO FOLLOW AND SUBMIT TO GOD.

is Love; and the more we resemble and imitate him in this endearing attribute, the greater real excellency we unquestionably possess. Let us then be "followers "of God," and " walk in love," after his pattern, in all the various displays of it which have been considered: then we shall certainly be known and approved as his children, and found meet for the eternal inheritance of his heavenly kingdom.

Finally, if we be conscious of having fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel, let us receive the trials allotted us, as the wise and holy appointments of divine love; let us not judge of the Lord's dispensations by our feelings or reasonings, but by his holy word; and let us submit to his will, whatever he may withhold, take away, or inflict; assured that he manages all our concerns in that manner, which is most conducive to our eternal interests, and best suited to illustrate the riches of his paternal liberality.

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Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, : and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

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HE propriety and address of the apostle Paul's speech before Agrippa, Festus, and that august assembly, in whose presence he stood as the prisoner of Jesus Christ, have been generally admired: but the faithfulness and courage, with which he pleaded the cause of the gospel, are perhaps still more deserving of our attention. He paid no court to his illustrious auditors; he attempted not to ingratiate himself with them, or even to shun their contempt or aversion: while he used the most effectual means of convincing them, not only that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but that faith in him was absolutely necessary to salvation, and that all men without exception ought to "repent, and turn to God, and "do works meet for repentance."

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