session of himself and his faculties! when, instead of unnaturally cutting his own flesh, or committing barbarous outrages on innocent travellers, he sat composed and attentive at the feet of Jesus! receiving heavenly instruction from his lips, and learning the meekness of wisdom from his example. So salutary and beneficial is the transforming power of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, softening the rugged, sweetening the morose, and calming the passionate temper. It is andoubtedly the utmost improvement and the highest happiness of our nature, to have the image of the blessed God reinstamped on our hearts. This is an earnest, and an anticipation also, of endless felicity; a bud which will open in heaven, and spread into im. mortal glory; a dawn which will shine more and more till the Sun of Righteousness arises, and brightens it into everlasting day. This bud the sanctifying Spirit engrafts, this dawn the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ diffuses, in the barren and benighted soul. In a word, receive this righteousness and you have a title to all blessings, whether they be present or future, bodily or spiritual, temporal or eternal. From the necessary conveniences of bread to eat and raiment to put on, even to the crowns of glory and the fulness of joy, all, all are owing to our Redeemer's righteous You see now, my Theron, that our scheme has no tendency to impoverish your spiritual condition, or diminish your true riches, any more than those tracts of water which surround our island are detrimental to the wealth of its inhabitants. Detrimental! No, they are an inexhaustible source of treasure; they convey to our use the choicest accommodations, and the most elegant delights, such as would in vain be expected if the whole ocean were converted into the finest meads, and most fertile pastures; so-but to apply this comparison, would forestal your principal ques tion: Do not these favours, though unspeakably precious in themselves, tend to the introduction or support of ungodliness? Quite the reverse. Have we redemption through our Saviour's blood, even the forgiveness of * Mark v. 15. our sins? We are redeemed, not that we may sink in supineness, or launch into licentiousness, but that we may be a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Are we made the children of God? then let our light so shine before men, that others, seeing our good works, may glorify our Father which is in heaven. This is the genuine consequence of such a doctrine, and the proper effect of such a benefit. Are we vested with sacred privileges? these admonish us, these urge us to walk worthy of him who hath called us to his kingdom and glory. Shall the citizens of heaven be animated with no higher views than the slaves of appetite and drudges of the world? Are we constituted heirs of the promises? the grace which they ascertain is intended to make us partakers of a divine nature; and the encouragement which they administer, incites us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit; incites us to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Such high immuni ties are a most endearing persuasive not to disgrace, but magnify, not to provoke, but please their unspeakably beneficent Author. I might farther observe, that holiness is one of the most distinguished blessings in our system; nay, is the very central blessing to which all the others verge, in which they all terminate. Were we chosen from eternity? it was for this purpose, that we may be holy and unblamable in love. Are we called in time? it is to this intent, that we may shew forth the praises of him. who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. Are we created again in Christ Jesus? It is to capacitate us for acceptable service, and to furnish us unto every good work.tt I will put my Spirit within you, saith the Lord.' For what end? That ye may walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them. Here comes in my Theron's favourite endowment, sincere obedience. Far, very far from discarding sincere obedience, we would only introduce it under its due character, and in its proper order. Under its due character, as the fruit, not the cause of our in Tit. il. 14. 62 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Pet. ii. 9. + Matt. v. 16. 2 Cor. vil. I. tt Eph. ii. 10. 1 Thess. ii, 12. terest in Christ's righteousness; in its due order, as following, not preceding the gift of justification. These privileges, my dear friend, are salutary as the pool of Bethesda. They are restorative as the waters of Siloam; or like that sacred stream flowing from the sanctuary, which healed the rivers, healed the sea, and made even the desert flourish. If justification by the righteousness of Christ had a tendency to subvert the foundation of holiness, to confirm the hypocritical professor in his neglect of moral duties, or discourage the sincere convert from the pursuit of real virtue, it would doubtless be unworthy of any acceptation, or rather worthy of universal abhorrence. But I dare appeal, not only to the nature of the doctrine and the reason of things, but to the experience of all; yes, of all who 'have tasted that the Lord is gracious.'§- Speak, ye who are enabled to believe that God is reconciled, has received the all-satisfying atonement, and placed his Son's righteousness to your account! that he regards you as his children, and will receive you to his glory! Have you not, under such convictions, felt your hearts exulting with conscious joy, and every power of your souls springing forward to glorify your heavenly Fa ther glorify him by every instance of obedience, fide. lity, and zeal? Can such invaluable benefits have a prejudicial influence on our practice, if, to the consideration of their superlative worth, we add that unequalled price by which they were purchased? He who is high above all height, humbled himself to be made of a woman, and born in a stable, that we might be admitted into the family of God, and exalted to the mansions of heaven. And will this great humiliation, which is the basis of our happiness, prompt us to look down with contempt on others, or entertain arrogant thoughts of ourselves? The Only Begotten, and the supreme delight of the Father, was numbered with transgressors, and ranked with felons, that we might be joined to the innumerable company of angels, and associated with saints in glory everlasting. And will any one make this a precedent John v. 4. + John ix. 7. § 1 Fet. ii. 3. or a plea for walking in the counsel of the ungodly, for standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of the scornful? All manner of evil was spoken of the faultless Jesus; his blessed name was vilified by blaspheming tongues, and his unblamable conduct blackened with the foulest aspersions, on purpose that we may be applauded when we are judged, and each hear those transporting words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant!' Will this embolden us to dishonour our Lord, and stain our holy profession? Shall we from hence be induced to open the mouths of his enemies, and furnish them with occasion to speak reproachfully? He went galled with the lashes of the scourge, and penetrated with the pungent thorns; he went loaded with the execrable cross, and marking the way with his precious blood: thus he went to his ignominious and tormenting exit, that we may enter into Sion with songs of triumph on our lips, and with everlasting joy on our heads. Does this invite us to go, crowned with rose-buds, to the house of riot, or go muffled in disguise to the midnight revel? Will it not rather incline. us to sit down at his pierced feet, and bathe them with our tears, and take delight‡ in mourning for our cruci fied Lord? Behold! he hangs on the cursed tree: there, there he hangs, rent with wounds, and racked with pain he pours his groans, and spills his blood: he bows his head, his patient princely head, and dies-astonishing, ravishing consideration! he dies for you and me. And will this harden our hearts, or arm our hands to crucify him afresh by any allowed iniquity? Does not reason suggest, and Christianity dictate, and all that is ingenuous enforce, the apostle's important inference, 'If One died for all, then they which live should not hence Psalm i. 1. + Matt, xxv. 21. The sorrow arising from such tender and grateful view of the crucified Jesus, is that evangelical godly sorrow, which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of,' 2 Cor. vii. 10. And is there not reason, when we consider the pains he felt, the curse he bore, and the blood he shed, is there not abundant reason to say with Homer's afflicted hero - Τεταρπώμεσθα γοοιο. Iliad. Υ. forth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them." He thought upon us long before the foundations of the world were laid: he remembers us now he is exalted to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens; and will never, never forget us, through all the revolutions of eternity. And is this a motive to forget his name, to disregard his word, or to imitate the shameful peutrality and indifference of Gallio? Impressed with a sense of this invariable and everlasting kindness, surely we shall declare ourselves, as those captives in Babylon concerning their dear native city Jerusalem, If I forget thee,' O blessed Jesus, let my right hand forget her cunning; if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.'t Remember thee ! Is it possible, Theron, for the contemplation of such goodness to weaken the motives, or relax the springs of obedience? As soon may lenient balms kill, and rankest poisons cure. Is such a belief calculated to discourage duty and patronize licentiousness? Just as much as vernal showers are fitted to cleave the earth with chinks, or summer suns to glaze the waters with ice. When Antony made an oration to the soldiers, on occasion of Cæsar's death; when he shewed them their honoured master's robe, transfixed with so many daggers; when he reminded them of the victories they had won under their assassinated commander; when he farther informed them that their murdered general had remem bered them in his will, had bequeathed all his fine gardens, and beautiful walks, to their use and delight; heavens! how they took fire! revenge sparkled in their eyes; revenge flamed in their bosoms; revenge was all their cry. They flew to the houses of the conspirators! laid them even with the ground; and had they met the 2 Cor. v. 15, 16. + Psalm cxxxvii. 5, 6. 1 Shakspeare. |