mortals on the subject, unless they were endued with the miraculous power of determining who are, and who are not, real Christians. Hence it is evident that when spiritual blessings are spoken of, as the privilege of any individual member of the visible church of Christ, the language must necessarily be assumptive and hypothetical. It cannot possibly be otherwise. That such is the language of our church is as clear, in my view, as a mathematical demonstration. She considers the baptized, or visible members of the church, individually as spiritually regenerate, as "members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven:"she also considers them individually as the elect. But this is the language of charitable hypothesis, used respecting Christians, by the scripture, and by the primitive church; and warranted by Christ himself. If it be not hypothetical, it will follow, as a necessary and undeniable consequence, that the church holds the absurd, dangerous, and anti-scriptural doctrine, that every baptized person will be finally and everlastingly saved. For, mark, my brethren, the language and the assertions of the church. When speaking of the elect absolutely, not hypothetically-(let this distinction be particularly observed)-when speaking of the elect, whom God hath chosen in Christ out of mankind,” the church then unequivocally asserts, that “they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season: they through grace obey

66

the calling, they be justified freely they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by the mercy of God, they attain to everlasting felicity."*

Such, my reverend brethren, is the brief outline of the leading and essential doctrines of the Word of God, which it is the duty of every minister to preach; some of the grand truths on which the rest depend, with which they are connected, and from which they acquire their meaning and force; and I trust you will agree with me, that they are likewise the doctrines of that church of which we bear the high office of ministers and pastors.

2. I proceed briefly to consider how these doctrines of the Word of God are to be preached.

(1.) The ministers of the Gospel are to proclaim the Word of God as heralds.

This is the literal meaning of the Greek word Kypvoow, to preach. We are, my brethren, the heralds of God, who are required to proclaim his Word in the most earnest and the most public manner. Nothing can be of equal importance to our fellowmen with the messages we have to deliver. We carry good tidings of great joy. God has sent his Son to be the Saviour of men; and we are required to proclaim the willingness of the lovely and loving Father of mankind to receive to his favour all who repent and believe the Gospel. These messages of

together by them, shall be placed on the left. "He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." There will be no necessity of waiting for this separation till the judgment be terminated; for the righteous will rise out of their graves with evident marks of distinction from the wicked. The bodies of the former will be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Jesus Christ; while those of the latter will only be fitted to endure eternal misery. The righteous already, while absent from the body, have been in the presence of the Lord; and the wicked have gone to their own place, enduring the torments of lost souls. It has generally been presumed that the soul, immediately on its separation from the body, appears before God, and by some particular and personal judgment receives the sentence of eternal life, or everlasting death. But notwithstanding this, the general judgment is on many accounts, expedient and necessary. It is only by the general judgment that the reproach of the people of God can be removed; but in that day "the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth." It is by the general judgment alone that the characters of the unbeliever and the hypocrite can be manifested in their true colours to the view of mankind. In no other way than by the general judgment can the influence upon our fellow-creatures of our conduct and example be discovered. Who can tell how far one man's influence may reach? It may affect hundreds

and thousands for ages to come, even to the end of time. What but the general judgment can discover the beneficial effects that have been produced on the world by the example, the preaching, and the writings of the apostles and first ministers of the gospel? and in later ages, by the influence of a Wickliffe, a Luther, and a thousand others that might be mentioned? What but the general judgment can manifest the pernicious effects which the writings of a Voltaire, a Gibbon, a Hume, a Paine, and a numerous host of other infidels, whom the righteous Governor of the world has suffered to be the pests, the scourges, and the curses of the human race? In fine, it is only by the general judgment that the Almighty can clear up many of those mysterious providences, which now appear involved in clouds and darkness. For these, and for many other reasons, it is necessary that the whole human race should meet together at the tribunal of God.

But let us return to notice more particularly the circumstances of the separation between the righteous and the wicked, of which we were speaking. In how many instances will those intimately associated with each other upon earth, be strangely and awfully disunited! How many professors of religion, who once ranked among true Christians, and were considered of their number, will now be seen separated from them, and placed among the criminals on the left hand! How many sincere and weak believers, whose apprehensions had sometimes led them to

66

reverend brethren, may not be called in the providence of God to leave those charges, to preach the Gospel more generally. But while the commission remains to the church, "Preach the Gospel to every creature-Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you;" let us endeavour to promote this great work, at least by our prayers, and by our influence. In this point of view, let us hail the various societies which, in the present age, God has raised up for circulating the Scriptures of truth, and sending missionaries to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ among those who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death." As members and ministers of the established church, we may have our preferences for one society above another: such a preference ought to be granted to us, and it will be. But let us hail them all as mighty instruments in the hand of God, to accomplish his gracious purpose for the conversion of the world and let us especially be careful that we oppose none, "lest haply we should be found to fight against God." Let us rejoice in the promises of the universal prevalence of the Gospel, by whatever means God in his holy providence and grace may see good to effect it. "As I live, saith the Lord, the whole earth shall be filled with my glory." The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.