"to powder." (2.) They are defpifers of the gofpel who, profeffing belief in the doctrine of Christ, continue to live in unrighteousness. He came to turn you from all your tranfgref fions, as well as to deliver you from condemnation. His power is particularly illustrated in bringing finners "from darknefs to light, and "from the power of Satan unto God." The end of his coming is loft as to all those who continue in fin. If they are called by his name, they are a fcandal to it; if they form any hopes from his fufferings, they will be disappointed; if they advance any claim to his mercy, it will be rejected; if they plead relation to him, he will openly renounce them: Matth. vii. 21. 22. 23. "Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, "Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of hea66 ven but he that doth the will of my Father "which is in heaven. Many will fay to me in "that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophe"fied in thy name? and in thy name have "cast out devils? and in thy name done many "wonderful works? And then will I profefs "unto them, I never knew you: depart from "me ye that work iniquity."

5. In the last place, Suffer me, in the moft earneft manner, to befeech every finner in this affembly, to believe in the name of the Son of God. I fay, every finner, because thofe only who are fenfible that they are finners, will be obedient to the call. Are you not therefore fenfible of your guilt and danger? Are your uaderstandings fo blinded? Is natural confcience it

felf

felf fo feared, that you do not fee how much you ftand in need of a faviour? Remember, that if there be any truth in the whole compafs of natural and revealed religion that cannot be fpoken against, it is this, That God "is of purer "eyes than that he can behold iniquity;" and that, for this reafon," he will render to every "man according to his works." It is a truth engraven upon the confcience, and ratified by the course of providence; the Heathens difcovered it through the thickest darkness; and the guilty confefs it by their daily fears. What a harvest of converts would I bring in even in this affembly, if I could but lead to the Saviour every one that believes, in fome measure, in a judgement to come! What an astonishing diforder is brought into our nature by fin! What a marvellous delufion is upon the mind, and what inconsistency is there in the conduct of finners! It is hard to fay, which of the two is most amazing; their backwardness to receive the truth, or their unwillingness to obey it; their inattention to evidence, on the one hand, or their forgetfulness of what they do believe, upon the other. Is there any perfon within thefe walls, who doubts that he is to die; or who does not believe, that he must be judged after death? Are you then ready for the trial? Have you ferved your Maker? Have you loved him above all? Have you lived to his glory? Have you fought and placed your happiness in his favour? Or are you fenfible that iniquities have prevailed against you? Have they now

taken

taken hold upon you, fo that you cannot lift your eyes? Behold, I preach peace to you by Jefus Chrift. Believe in his name and merits for your pardon; rely on his grace and Spirit for your reformation; and return to God, through. him, as your unchangeable portion. This is the tenor of the gofpel: Luke xxiv. 46. 47. "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Chrift "to fuffer, and to rife from the dead the third "day and that repentance and remiffion of "fins fhould be preached in his name, among "all nations, beginning at Jerufalem."

SERMON V.

Chrift's death a proper atonement for fin.

1 JOHN ii. 2.

94

And he is the propitiation for our fins: and not for ours only, but also for the fins of the whole world.

MY

Action Sermon.

be

Y brethren, To as many as have any lief of eternity, it must be a matter of unspeakable moment to know, how they may have confidence towards God. This inquiry becomes, if poffible, ftill more ferious, when we confider man as in a lapfed and corrupt state by nature, as guilty, and obnoxious to his Maker's righteous judgement. Then it becomes neceffary, not only to preferve the favour, not only to avoid the displeasure, but to feek for fome fhelter or covering from the wrath of God.

This is the account given us of our condition in fcripture; which, as it is a truth of the ut most importance, lying at the foundation of all religion, I have often endeavoured both to explain and inforce. And happy, happy they who have heard with application; happy they whofe eyes have been opened on their danger as finners; who have feen and felt the evil of fin, as a departure from, and rebellion against a most holy,

holy, righteous, and gracious God. Happy they, who, rejecting the vain reafonings of the carnal mind, and the cobweb-defences of the fhortfighted creature, have been laid proftrate as guilty and helpless, before the fovereign and almighty Creator. All mankind, in the feveral ages of the world, have in general discovered such a jealoufy of their condition, and have fo far felt the reproof and condemnation of natural conscience, that their attempts and inventions have been innumerable to appeafe the offended Deity,

But bleffed be the name of God, we are not left to any uncertainty as to this important queftion, We may chearfully apply our minds to it, and receive unspeakable confolation "through "the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day"fpring from on high hath vifited us." The way to life and peace is fully explained in the glorious gospel of the Son of God. We are indeed, by nature, guilty finners, enemies to God in our minds, and by wicked works; but there is a gracious provifion made for our recovery in the mediation of Chrift. This is the ftrong. hold and refuge of the finner; it is the foundation-stone and confidence of the believer. In the 8th and 9th verfes of the preceding chapter, the apostle John fays, "If we fay that we have "no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is "not in us. If we confefs our fins, he is faith❝ful and just to forgive us our fins, and to` "cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And in the verfe preceding the text, My little chil"dren, these things write I unto you, that ye

66

fin