a good heart in those who possess it. They can no more help discovering the goodness of their heart, in a greater or less degree, by their external conduct, than they can help discovering their right hand, by the free and frequent use they make of it. If their heart be pure, it will make them appear to be the salt of the earth; and if their heart be good, they will make it appear, by their good works, that they are the light of the world.

3. If a good heart fits men for every kind of duty, then those who have a bad heart will be very apt to show it. Men are as apt to discover their left hand as their right hand. They discover it both by not using it, and by attempting to use it without ease and dexterity. As a good heart fits men for duty, so a bad heart unfits them for duty. It sometimes prevents their understanding their duty, but more frequently prevents their doing what they know to be their duty. Both their ignorance and neglect discover an evil heart at their left hand. So Solomon reasons upon the subject: "A wise man's heart is at his right hand," he says, " but a fool's heart at his left. Yea, also when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool." Bad men generally wish and endeavor to conceal the badness of their hearts; and many by care and circumspection, do in a great measure keep their hearts out of sight; though their habitual and general course of conduct often discovers the broad road in which they are walking. Means and ends are closely connected; and those who are ultimately seeking worldly ends, will employ the means adapted to obtain the objects of their pursuit. Those who have bad hearts are extremely apt to discover them far more than they imagine. The fruits of a bad heart are as visible as the fruits of a good heart. And Christ teaches us, that bad fruits are an index of a bad heart. "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things." Those who try to hide a bad heart, will generally, by their negligence, or inconsistency of conduct, discover that their spots are not the spots of God's children.

4. If a good heart fits men for all kinds of duty, then those who are destitute of it, do no duty at all in the sight of God. All who have not a good heart, have a bad heart, which unfits them for every duty, and entirely prevents them from doing any thing that is pleasing and acceptable to God. It is a carnal heart, which is enmity against God, not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. It is a selfish heart, which is itself a transgression of the law of love. It is a heart which corrupts every

VOL. II.

38

thought, and word, and action which springs from it. It is a heart which is repugnant to every duty which a man owes to God, to his neighbor, and to himself, and turns every thing he does into sin. If he plows, his plowing is sin; if he prays, his praying is sin; or if he fasts, his fasting is sin. God expressly condemns the best services of sinners. He complains of his people of old for "drawing nigh unto him with their mouths, and honoring him with their lips, while their hearts were far from him." He asks them, "Who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts?" And immediately adds, "Bring no more vain oblations." Christ holds the same language to the Scribes and Pharisees. "Ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." And Paul will not allow that a man does any duty, while destitute of a good heart, though he has ever so much knowledge, or does ever so many good deeds, or even suffers martyrdom. But sinners are extremely apt to think and say, that they do a part, though not the whole of their duty. This is because they imagine that their external conformity to the divine commands is good, though their hearts be bad; which is contrary both to Scripture, and the enlightened dictates of their own consciences. This is self-deception, which genuine conviction of sin never fails to destroy, and to plunge the self-deceiver into the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.

It is

5. If a good heart fits men for all kinds of duty, then good men find a pleasure in performing every kind of duty. easy to believe that those who love God supremely must take delight in drawing near to him, in contemplating upon him, in reading his word, and in attending his ordinances. It is easy to believe that in eating and drinking and doing every thing to his glory, they find a pleasure in their secular employments, which others do not. And it is easy to believe that those who love their fellow men as themselves find a pleasure in social duties, which those who live wholly to themselves do not. The performance of dangerous and self-denying duties affords good men the greatest delight and satisfaction. Moses enjoyed more pleasure in suffering affliction with the people of God, than in discharging his duties in the court of Pharaoh. Paul and the apostles, who performed the most difficult, dangerous, and self-denying duties, enjoyed far more happiness than any of their successors in preaching the gospel. The reason is, their hearts were constantly at their right hand. Dangerous and self-denying duties put a good heart in more constant exercise than more common and more easy duties. Thus those

whose heart is at their right hand find more happiness in the performance of all their religious, secular, social, dangerous, and self-denying duties, than other men. And this fully explains Solomon's declaration: The ways of wisdom "are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." It is a groundless prejudice, which both young and old sinners imbibe and cherish, that it would destroy their happiness to become religious, and serve God instead of themselves.

It

6. If a good heart fits men for every duty, then all good men desire to grow in grace. They desire grace, not merely on account of the spiritual enjoyment that grace affords them, but principally because it fits them for every duty towards God and man. They know by experience, that the more grace they have, the more prepared they are for every good work. Paul was sensible, that without Christ, he could do nothing; but, through his strengthening grace, he could do all things. This led him to pray, that when he was weak, then he might be strong; strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. is the moral weakness of christians to do their duty, that makes them most sensible how very imperfect they are in their attain, ments in grace. How often do they find their heart at their left hand, when they need it at their right hand! How often are they embarrassed with doubts respecting duty! How often do they shrink from difficult and self-denying duties! How often does their good heart fail them, and their bad heart lead them to negligence and disobedience! Such unhappy and painful effects of their weakness in grace, excites them to read, to pray, and use all the means of growing in grace. Read the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm, in which David prays, in every varied form, for quickening, enlightening, strengthening, and consoling grace. Christ's disciples realized the weakness of their faith, and prayed him to increase it. Good men are not satisfied with the bare performance of mere external service, and therefore feel the need of internal grace to perform every duty.

7. If a good heart fits men for every duty, then those who are destitute of it continually live in darkness. Their evil heart prevents them from desiring to know and from understanding their duty, in a vast many cases. They are generally involved in moral darkness. Hence Solomon says, "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." But when they are not involved in darkness, their evil heart is fully set in them to do evil, and disobey every divine command. This is certainly a very deplorable situation. But who are in this situation? Let all examine; for all may know.

Those whose heart is at their right hand, have found the benefit of it, in discovering duty, and in rendering duty easy and pleasant.

Those who are involved in ignorance and disobedience, may know that their heart never has been at their right hand. But is this a calamitous state? No. Every one may come out of it, if he chooses. Let all choose whom they will serve. Here consider how little good you have done; how much evil you have done; and how much good you may yet do, to yourselves and to others.

SERMON XXI.

REVOLUTION AND REFORMATION.

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING, DECEMBER 2, 1819.

I WILL Overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. -EZEK. xxi. 27.

THOUGH this prediction has particular reference to Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, and foretells his utter ruin, yet there is reason to think that it ultimately respects Jesus, the king of the Jews. For Zedekiah had no successor to his throne, as a king of the ten tribes, who were, upon his captivity and death, carried to Babylon, and dispersed all over the world, and still continue in their dispersion. The successor, therefore, to whom God promised to give the government, was undoubtedly the Prince of Peace, whose way God meant to prepare by great revolutions and changes among the nations of the earth. This appears from what the prophet says in connection with the text. "And thou profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: remove the diadem and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him." This is a prediction that the crown, the diadem, and every mark of royal authority should be taken away from Zedekiah, who had forfeited it, and given to him who was to come, and who when he came would have a supreme right to govern not only the Jews, but all the nations of the earth. And who could this be, but the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God had