anything to his charge. Though he really deserves that all his sins should be charged to his account, both those committed before conversion and those after, yet God having once justified him, all his sins are cast behind his back, and are buried as in the depths of the sea. They are as though they had not been. They can never be charged to his account either in this world or in the world to come.

We come now to the next question upon the text, which is, III. How are true christians brought out of the state in which they with the rest of mankind are involved in one common ruin, into their present state which is so different from it? What is the cause of this great difference? We have already shown that the sins of the believer are freely forgiven in consequence of faith. But how does it come to pass that they believe while others do not?

In the acts of the apostles we read that "some believed and some believed not ;" and again that "the election obtained, and the rest were blinded." Now whence does this difference arise? Not from the superior, natural goodness of some above others; for all men by nature are "dead in trespasses and sins." "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." No one is more inclined by nature to repent, return to God, and believe on Christ than another. And in vain shall any one expect of himself, without the aid of supernatural grace, to rise from his spiritual sloth to a life of true holiness. As soon might we have expected that our Lord Jesus Christ would have risen from the grave without a divine agency. And this is the very example which the apostle Paul brings to illustrate the subject now before us in Eph. 1: 18, 19, 20, "That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places." It is true indeed, there is this remarkable difference between the similitude, and the thing it is brought to illustrate; that a dead corpse is not a moral agent, and consequently cannot be made the subject of either praise or blame. Though it continue in its present state, no blame is to be ascribed to it. Or if it be raised from the dead it deserves no praise. But the case is quite otherwise with the soul which is dead in a spiritual sense. This very state of death is a state of sin, and so long as the soul continues in this state, it continues in a state of sin; and surely sin, in the very idea of it, is blamable and ill-deserving. The soul therefore deserves the punishment threatened against all sin, that is eternal condemnation, for continuing though it be but for one hour, in its natural state of spiritual death.

On the other hand whenever it revives from this state, however the divine power is exerted in order to this effect, yet because it is made willing in the day of God's power, and so in reviving is active as well as passive, therefore the spiritual reviving of such a soul is an amiable act of true holiness.

Upon the whole it is only in consequence of the sovereign, distinguishing grace of God bestowed in regeneration, only through the agency of the Holy Spirit that any of mankind become believers, and consequently are delivered from the charge of sin and the condemnation of the law. God maketh us to differ one from another. And being once reconciled to him in regeneration, we are of course reconciled to his Son, and so cordially receive him in true faith, to be our Savior.

The last proposed inquiry still remaining to be considered is, IV. What peculiar propriety is there in the question of the text, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?"

To this query I answer, that it seems in part to consist in this, that it is even a more strong negation of the thing inquired than if it had been simply denied. It is as if the apostle had said, "Who will be so daring, as when God justifies, to undertake to condemn, or to lay anything to the charge of the elect?" It is so plain a case that even the most audaciously wicked will not adventure to do it.

Again, it is observable that the interrogative "who" seems to be emphatical. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Shall God? No; it is he that justifies them. Shall Christ? No; it is he that died for them. Shall the angels in glory? No; there is joy in heaven among them when even a single sinner repents, and is justified. Shall the saints in heaven or upon earth? No; these are the very elect, and surely will never reject the justifying grace of God against themselves. Shall the devils and wicked men do it? Alas! what charge can they exhibit which will not fall even with greater weight upon themselves? No! however desirous they may be of bringing others into the same place of torment with themselves, yet even these envious and wicked spirits will be so convinced of the irreversibility of the decree of justification that is gone forth in favor of the elect, that they will not attempt to exhibit any charge against them. Whom God loves he loves unto the end, and nothing shall be able to separate them from his love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Thus I have endeavored to answer the several queries suggested by our text; have endeavored to show whom we are to understand by" the elect" spoken of in it; why no one can lay anything

to their charge; how they are brought into this state so different from that of the rest of mankind, and what peculiar propriety there is in the question of the text respecting them.

In the improvement of the subject, I remark,

1. We may observe that although this doctrine ascribes the justification of the sinner wholly to free grace, yet it does not open any door to licentiousness. The only way in which it can be supposed to open such a door, is by encouraging sinners to imagine that they may be justified though they continue in sin. But this doctrine gives no occasion for such an imagination. No man ever will be justified who continues in impenitence and unbelief. Justification is obtained only in consequence of repentance and faith; and upon the condition of repentance and faith, any, even the vilest sinner in the world shall be justified. Therefore while there is the greatest encouragement for sinners to repent and lead a holy life, it is absolute ruin for them to remain impenitent. So that although God of his sovereign grace makes some willing in the day of his power to comply with the terms of the gospel, and sometimes bestows this grace on some of the greatest sinners; yet this is no encouragement for any to continue in sin; for though there is abundant assurance given of mercy and salvation in case of repentance and faith; yet without these there is no possibility of obtaining salvation.

2. Hence we may see how God has maintained all his perfections, and glorified his whole character in the gospel. The Psalmist, under a spirit of prophecy, foreseeing the state of things under the gospel cries out, "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." These at first view seem to be inconsistent and jarring attributes. Mercy calls for the salvation of the sinner; while truth demands his condemnation agreeably to the original divine threatening. So righteousness requires that the law of God be maintained in its full force, and that its honor be not in the least abased. But on the other hand peace calls for reconciliation between God and man. Now how shall all these things be brought to pass? However difficult this may seem, they are all accomplished in the gospel. The calls of mercy and peace are fully answered, as through Christ reconciliation takes place and salvation is bestowed upon the sinner. Yet the requirements of truth and righteousness are fully secured, as the threatening of God is executed upon our substitute, and as he hath "magnified the law and made it honorable." So that now "God can be just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus."

3. From what has been said, we may also learn how much

reason we have to humble ourselves before God. This is a duty incumbent upon all, both saints and sinners, believers and unbelievers. Doubtless those who have all their lives long unto this time, been guilty of neglecting and transgressing the divine law, of hating and rebelling against God, of despising and rejecting his Son, the only Savior; doubtless those who still persevere in their sins have reason to humble themselves for them before God, to confess and bewail them, and to do no more so wickedly. And the same is true with regard to true christians. However they have repented of their sins, and have begun to walk in newness of life, yet they have great reason to humble themselves before God for their daily short comings, for all their sins committed against so many strong and peculiar obligations as they are laid under. Humility is the proper character of the christian; it is a grace which very specially becomes him.

4. How loudly are the elect called to the exercise of gratitude. The bestowment of kindness implies an obligation to gratitude, and that greater or less according to the greater or less good or kindness bestowed. But there can be no greater good bestowed in the world than justification and a title to eternal life. And such is the good bestowed on the christian. In comparison with this good, riches and honor, provinces, kingdoms and empires are nothing. If then, any common civilities and kindness between neighbors demand gratitude, how much more, may I not say infinitely more is it demanded by this invaluable gift bestowed upon every true christian.

5. What reason there is that sinners should accept the offers of life which are fully made to them in the gospel. There cannot be a good proposed more worthy of the acceptance of the sinner. He is therefore not only bound in gratitude to accept it, but if he does not accept it he is guilty of the greatest sin. You may reject houses and lands, honors and titles, thrones and kingdoms, and be blameless. But you cannot reject Christ and heaven, without being guilty of the darkest wickedness, and exposing yourselves to the severest vengeance of an angry God. For he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned; and while to the penitent and believing God is a refuge, to the impenitent and the unbelieving he "is a consuming fire."

SERMON XXV.

GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS.*

MATTHEW 5: 15.—Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

THESE words are a part of Christ's sermon on the mount, which was addressed particularly to his disciples. "Ye," says he, "are the salt of the earth," But who? The whole crowd that followed him into the mountain? And again, "Ye are the light of the world." Who? All those multitudes that followed from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and from beyond Jordan? No; but his disciples; who all professed to be, and who all, except one, actually were his true and faithful followers. These were the light of the world, and these were a city set on a hill that could not be hid.

Thus our Lord compares his disciples to a light, and calls them the light of the world; and under this similitude he proceeds to draw the character of his true disciples, and to tell the twelve apostles what they must be if they would be such. "Neither do men light a candle," says he, "and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.' As if he had said, "As I just told you, you are a light, even the light of the world. But what is the use of a light, of a candle for instance, and with what design do men light it? Is it that they may put it under a bushel, and there keep it concealed from the view of all spectators? No; quite the reverse. You all know that the use of a candle is to give light to those who are in the house, and that this is the very end for which it is enkindled. Therefore as you are the light of the world, it behoves you, as you would ever appear in character, or appear what you profess to be, to cause your light to shine before men; so to shine that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

There are two things especially taught in our text: 1. The nature of the principle of grace in the hearts of believers. Believers

* First preached in 1769.