poverty and want, we may rest satisfied, that, such a state tends more to promote our general good, and the perfection of our character, than a state of the greatest ease and affluence. If we suffer under affliction, we ought to consider it as the chastening of a parent, and not the punishment of a judge. Punishment

it cannot be our substitute hath borne all the punishment, and exhausted all the wrath. In short, under every calamity, we ought to comfort ourselves with this consideration, that, it is not so great as we deserve, or as the Son of God endured on our account.

What happiness, then, have they who are partakers of Christ's sufferings! What evils are they freed from! What good things are they put in possession of! They are delivered from sin, Satan, death and hell they enjoy peace with God, the glorious liberty of his children, and a title to all the blessings of the new covenant. These are glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. These make them rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. On the other hand, how dreadful is the situation of those who have no interest in Christ's atonement. They shall not see life, for the wrath of God abideth upon them.

Loaded with the guilt of their sins, God is their adversary, and he will cast them into that prison whose dreadful gates shall not be unbarred till they have paid the utmost farthing. To aggravate their misery, the whole blame lies upon themselves, for they have rejected the mercy which was offered to them, and thereby treasured up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath. "For," says the Apostle, to the Hebrews, "if we sin wilfully "after that we have received the knowledge "of the truth, there remaineth no more sa"crifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking "for of judgment and fiery indignation which "shall devour the adversary." And how fearful a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God! Let us, therefore, kiss the Son lest he be angry, and we perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

To conclude, since the doctrine of atonement has so excellent a tendency, and answers so many important purposes, let us cheerfully embrace it, let us zealously defend it against the attacks of it's enemies, let us earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. There never was more need for exer

tion than in the present age, when infidelity is mistaken for liberality of sentiment, when the uncertain dictates of corrupted reason are preferred and even set up in opposition to the infallible standard of truth, and when men of learning and genius are making attempts to hunt this doctrine from the world. But we have reason to rejoice that those who are for us àre stronger than those who are against us. This is the doctrine in which St. Paul gloried; this is the mystery into which Angels desire to look; this is the subject of that new song which employs the inhabitants of heaven above.

-Let us adopt the language of the heavenly assembly: "Thou art worthy to take the book "and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast "slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy "blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, "and people, and nation: Blessing, and ho"nour, and glory, and power, be unto him "that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the "Lamb for ever and ever. AMEN!"

154

SERMON VII.

The present impunity of the wicked reconciled with the perfect government of God.

ECCLES. CHAP. 8, VER. 11.

"Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

SO great is the perverseness of the human mind, that it turns the strongest instances of God's wisdom and goodness into arguments against his very existence and providence; the means appointed for our improvement, we employ for our ruin; the very medicines of the soul we convert into deadly poisons. Nothing, for example, can be a clearer proof, than God's delaying for a time the punishment of sinners, that he is slow to anger and of great kindness, that he is unwilling that any should perish, but that all should return, repent and live: And yet, the text informs us,

and experience confirms the truth of the information, that, even, from this, the most dangerous inferences have been drawn. These are of two kinds, and take their rise from two different classes of men, the scepticks or disputers of this world, who are disposed to doubt and cavil; and the wicked or profane who lay hold of every thing which seems to countenance them in their favourite pursuit. The former raise objections to the divine government, and consider the impunity, and, not unfrequently, the success which attends bad men, as contrary to that sense of merit and demerit which God has given us for the direction of our conduct, and as inconsistent with the administration of a wise, just, and perfect being. The latter have abused the goodness. of God, have become bolder in iniquity, and have continued in sin though grace did abound.

Let us, therefore, try to justify the ways of God-to show the impropriety of those objections which are made to the plan of providence, from the delay which takes place in the punishment of vice-and to explain the folly and danger of those men whose hearts, because sentence against an evil work is not