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geance. Could I conduct you to the gates of the infernal prifon, I am perfuaded you would hear Judas Ifcariot, and all other treacherous difciples, crying out, O that Chrift 'had never come in the flesh! The thunders of Sinai ' would have been lefs terrible. The frowns of Jefus of "Nazareth are infupportable. O the dreadful, painful, ' and uncommon wrath of a Saviour on the judgmentfeat!' The Lord fpeak confolation to his own people, and pierce the hearts of his enemics, that they may be brought to repentance.

You may learn from what has been faid, that the great and leading motive to obedience under the gospel is a deep and grateful fenfe of redeeming love. This runs through the whole writings of the New Teftament. It binds the believer to his duty; it animates him to diligence; it fills him with comfort: 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. "For "the love of Chrift conftraineth us, because we thus judge, "that if one died for all, then were all dead and that he "died for all, that they which live, fhould not henceforth "live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, "and rofe again." Gal. ii. 19, 20. "For I through the "law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I "am crucified with Chrift; neverthelefs I live; yet not "I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the life which I now "live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, "who loved me, and gave himself for me." That this motive will have the most powerful influence on the believer's conduct, is evident both from reafon and experience. No principle takes a fafter hold of the human heart than gratitude for favors received. If the mercies be cordially accepted, and highly efteemed, which is certainly the cafe here, nothing can withstand its influence. It reconciles the heart to the moft difficult duties; nay, it even difpofes the believer to court the opportunity of making fome fignal facrifice, in teftimony of his attachment. Love fincere and fervent overcomes all difficulties; or rather indeed it changes their nature, and makes labor and fuffering a fource of delight and fatisfaction. Let but the Saviour's intereft or honor feem to be concerned, and the believer, who feels how much he is indebted to him, 3 S

VOL. I.

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will cheerfully embrace the call, and fet no bounds to his compliance. This fhows how much beauty and force there is in our Lord's manner of recommending love and compaffion to our fellow-creatures, Matth. xxv. 40. " And "the king fhall anfwer and fay unto them, Verily I fay "unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of "the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye have done it unto me." But to what purpofe do I dwell upon this fubject? for a fenfe of redeeming love is not only the moft powerful motive to every other duty, but is itself the poffeffion and exercife of the firft duty of the moral law, as well as the fum and fubftance of evangelical holiness, viz. the love of God. The firft fin, by which our nature fell, was a diftruft of, and departure from God; and the malignity of every fin we continue to commit, confifts in giving that room in the heart to fomething else, which is due only to God. A fenfe of redeeming love, therefore, expels the enemy, and makes up the breach, as thereby the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.

3. You may fee, from what has been faid, the neceffity of a particular application of the truths of the gofpel to ourfelves, and the reliance of every believer upon them as the foundation of his own hope. I have fometimes had occafion to obferve to you, that it is very doubtful, whether any perfon can fo much as approve in his judgment the truths of the gofpel, till he perceive his own intereft in them, and their neceffity to his peace. Certain it is, the world that lieth in wickednefs generally defpifes them. However, I fhall admit as a thing poffible, that a bad man may, either by imitation, or the power of outward evidence, embrace the gofpel as a fyftem of truth. But furely the love of Chrift can neither be a fource of comfort, nor a principle of obedience, unless he confider it as terminating upon himfelf. Without this, the whole is general, cold, and uninterefting. But when he confiders, not only the certainty of the truth, but the extent of the invitation, and can fay, with Thomas, My Lord, and my God, then indeed the ties are laid upon him; then indeed he begins to feel their conftraining power; then he not only contemplates the glory of God in the grace of re

demption, but cheerfully and unfeignedly confecrates himfelf to the fervice of his Redeemer. Thisleads me,

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Fourth and laft place, to invite every finner in this af fembly to accept of Chrift as his Saviour, and to rely upon him as he is offered in the gofpel. To the fecure and infenfible, I know it is in vain to speak. But if you fee your own danger, what fhould hinder your belief and reliance on the Saviour? If you either need or defire deliverance, what with-holds your acceptance of it, when it is not only freely offered to you, but earnefily urged upon you? Can you doubt the teftimony of the Amen, the faithful and true witness? The bleffings of his purchafe belong not to one people or family, but to every nation under heaven. The commiffion of thofe who bear his message is unlimited: Mark xvi. 15. "Go ye into all the “world, and preach the gospel to every creature." They are offered, not only to the virtuous, the decent, and regular, but to the chief of finners: 1 Tim. i. 15. "This "is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, That "Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners; of "whom I am chief." Whoever heareth thefe glad tidings, he difhonoreth Gal, he poureth contempt on his Saviour's love, and he wrongeth his own foul, if he does not receive confolation from them. Be not hindered by what you fee in yourselves, unless you are in love with fin, and afraid of being divorced from it. The gospel is preached to finners. It does not expect to find them, but it is intended to make them holy. A deep and inward fenfe of your own unworthiness, unless it is prevented by the deceiver, fhould only make you more highly efteem the grace of the gofpel, and more willingly depend on your Redeemer's love.

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I conclude with the invitation which he himself gives to the weary finner Matt. xi. 28, 29, 30. "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of "me; for I am meek and lowly in heart "find reft unto your fouls. For my yoke my burden is ligh:,"

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ACTION SERMON.

Y brethren, A ferious and attentive mind, on perufing the facred volume, can hardly help being often ftruck both with the fentiments and language of the infpired writers on the subject of redemption. With what a deep veneration of foul, with what warmth of affection, with what tranfports of adoring thankfulness do they speak of the plan laid by divine wisdom, for the falvation of loft finners, by the crofs of Chrift! A perfon poffeffed only of understanding and tafte, may admire thefe fallies of holy fervor, for the elevation of thought, and boldness of expreffion, which a man's being in good earneft on an interesting subject doth naturally infpire. But happy, happy, and only happy, that foul who from an inward approbation can receive, relifh, and apply thofe glorious things that are spoken of the name, character, and undertaking of the Saviour of finners.

You may observe, that there are two different fubjects, in general, on which the writers of the New Teftament are apt to break out, and enlarge, when they are confidering or commending the mystery of redemption. One

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