time, and confequently until we are changed, renewed, and clothed with a divine nature again, we must fly from God also.

Hence then appears the reasonableness of our being obliged to receive the Spirit of God. It is founded on the doctrine of original fin; and therefore you will always find, that those who talk againft feeling the operations of the Holy Ghost, very rarely, or flightly at leaft, mention our fall in Adam; no, they refer St. Paul's account of the depravity of unbeliev ers, only to thofe of old time. Whereas it is obvious, the contrary, that we are all'equally included under the guilt and confequences of our first parents fin, even as others; and to use the language of our own church-article, "bring into the world with us, a corruption, which renders us liable to God's wrath, and eternal damnation."

on

Should I preach to you any other doctrine, I fhould wrong my own foul; I fhould be found a falfe witness towards God and you; and he that preaches any other doctrine, howfoever dignified and diftinguished, thall bear his punishment, whofoever he be.

From this plain reason then appears the neceffity, why we, as well as the firft Apoftles, in this fenfe, muft receive the Spirit of God.

For the great work of fanctification, or making us holy, is particularly referred to the Holy Ghost; therefore, our Lord fays, "Unless a man be born of the "Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Jefus Chrift came down to fave us, not only from the guilt, but alfo from the power of fin: And however often we have repeated our Creed, and told God we believe in the Holy Ghoft, yet, if we have not believed in him, so as to be really united to Jefus Chrift by him, we have no more concord with Jefus Chrift than Belial himself.

And now, my Brethren, what fhall I fay more? Tell me, are not many of you ofended at what has been faid already? Do not fome of you think, though

I mean well, yet I have carried the point a little too far? Are not others ready to cry out, if this be true, "who then can be faved?" Is not this driving people into despair?

Yes, I ingenuoufly confefs it is; but into what defpair? a defpair of mercy through Chrift? No, God forbid; but a defpair of living with God without receiving the Holy Ghoft. And I would to God, that not only all you that hear me this day, but that the whole world was filled with this despair. Believe me, I have been doing no more than you allow your bodily phyficians to do every day if you have a wound, and are in earnest about a cure, you bid the furgeon probe it to the very bottom; and fhall not the phyfician of your fouls be allowed the fame freedom? What have I been doing but fearching your natural wounds, that I might convince you of your danger, and put you upon applying to Jefus Chrift for a remedy? Indeed I have dealt with you as gently as I could; and now I have wounded, I will attempt to heal you. For I was in the

Laft place, to exhort you all to come to Jefus Chrift by faith, whereby you, even you alfo, fhall receive the Holy Ghoft. "For this fpake he of the Spi"rit, which they that believe on him fhould receive.”

This, this is what I long to come to. Hitherto I have been preaching only the law; but behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy. If I have wounded you, be not afraid; behold I now bring a remedy for all your wounds. Notwithstanding you are funk into the nature of the beaft and devil, yet if you truly believe on Jefus Chrift, you fhall receive the quickening Spirit promifed in the text, and be reftored to the glorious liberties of the fons of God; I fay, if you believe on Jefus Chrift. "For by faith "we are. faved; it is not of works, left any one "fhould boaft." And, however fome men may fay there is a fitness required in the creature, and that we must have a righteoufnefs of our own, before we

can lay held on the righteoufnefs of Chrift; yet, if we believe the Scripture, falvation is the free gift of God in Chrift Jefus our Lord; and whofoever believeth on him' with his whole heart, though his foul be as black as hell itself, fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. Behold then, I ftand up, and cry out in this great day of the feaft, "Let every one * that thirfteth, come unto Jefus Chrift and drink. "He that believeth on him, out of his belly fhall "flow" (not only ftreams or rivulets, but whole) "rivers of living water. This I fpeak of the Spirit, which they that believe on Jefus fhall certainly receive. For Jefus Chrift is "the fame yefterday, to"day and for ever. He is the way, the truth, the

currection, and the life; whofoever believeth en "him, though he were dead, yet fhall he live.” There is no reípect of perfons with Jefus Chrift; high and low, rich and poor, one with another, may come to him with an humble confidence, if they draw near by faith; from him we all receive grace upon grace; for Jefus Chrift is full of grace and tinth, and ready to fave to the uttermoft, all that by a true faith turn unto him. Indeed, the poor genetally receive the gospel, and God has chofen the poor in this world, rich in faith. But though not

any mighty, not many noble are called; and though it be cafer for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, yet, even to you that are rich, do I now freely offer falvation, by Jefus Chrift, if you will renounce yourfelves, and come to. Jefus Chrift as poor fiuners; 1 fay, as poor finners; for the poor in fpirit are only fo bieffed as to have a right to the kingdom of God. 2nd Jefus Chrift calls none to him, but thofe who thift after his righteoufnefs, and feel themfelves weary and heavy laden with the burden of their fins. Jefus Chrift juftifies the ungodly; "he came not to cail the righteous, but faners to repentance.

Do not then fay you are unworthy: for this is a faithful and true faying, and worthy of all men to be. received, "That Jefus Chrift came into the world to "fave finners ;" and if you are the chief of finners, if you feel yourselves fuch, verily Jefus Christ came into the world chiefly to fave you. When Jofeph was called out of the prifon-houfe to Pharoah's court, we are told, that he ftaid some time to prepare himfelf; but do you come with all your prifon-clothes about you; come poor, and miferable, and blind, and naked, as you are, and God the Father fhall receive. you with open arms, as was the returning prodigal. He fhall cover your nakednefs with the best robe of his dear Son's righteoufnefs, fhall feal you with the fignet of his Spirit, and feed you with the fatted calf, even with the comforts of the Holy Ghost. O, let there then be joy in heaven over fome of you, as believing; let me not go back to my Mafter, and fay, Lord, they will not believe my report. Harden-no longer your hearts, but open them wide, and let the king of glary enter in; believe me, I am willing to go to prifon or death for you; but I am not willing to go to heaven without you. The love of Jefus Chrift conftrains me to lift up my voice like a trumpet. My heart is now full; out of the abundance of the love which I have for your precious and immortal fouls, my mouth now fpeaketh; and I could now not only continue my difcourfe until midnight, but I could fpeak until I could fpeak no more. And why fhould I defpair of any? No, I can despair of no one, when I confider Jefus Chrift has had mercy on fuch a wretch as I am; however you may think of yourfelves, I know that by nature I am but half a devil and half a beaft. The free grace of Chrift prevented me; he faw me in my blood, he paffed by me, and faid unto me, live; and the fame grace which was fuflicient for me, is fufficient for you alfo; behold, the fame bleffed Spirit is ready to breathe on all your dry bones, if you will believe on Jefus Christ, whom

God has fent; indeed, you can never believe on, or ferve a better mafter, one that is more mighty, or more willing to fave; I can fay, the Lord Chrift is gracious, his yoke is easy, his burden exceeding light; after you have ferved him many years, like the fervants under the law, was he willing to difcharge you, you would fay, we love our Mafter, and will not go from him. Come then, my guilty brethren, come and believe on the Lord that bought you with his precious blood; look up by faith, and fee him whom you have pierced; behold him bleeding, panting, dying? Behold him with arms ftretched out to receive you all cry unto him as the penitent thief did, Lord, remember us now thou art in thy kingdom, and he fhall fay to your fouls, "Shortly fhall you be with

me in paradife." For thofe whom Chrift juftifies, them he also glorifies, even with that glory which he enjoyed with the Father before the world egan.: Do not fay, "I have bought a piece of ground, and must * needs go fee it; or I have bought a yoke of oxen,

and muft needs go prove them; or I have married "á wife," I am engaged in an eager purfuit after the luft of the eye, and the pride of life, and therefore cannot come. Do not fear having your name caft out as evil, or being accounted a fool for Chrift's fake; yet a little while, and you fhall fhine like the ftars in the firmament for ever. Only believe, and Jefus Chrift fall be to you wisdom, righteoufnefs, fanctification, and eternal redemption; your "bodies

fhall he fashioned like unto his glorious body," and your fouls be partakers of all the fulnefs of God. "Which God, of his infinite mercy, grant through Jefus Chrift; to whom, with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, three perfons, and one God, be af bed, as is moft due, all power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen."