by such infinite labour, cost and sufferings of the Son of God, the redeemed are laid under infinite and endless obligations; suited to excite the highest exercise of that gratitude which consists in a proper view, sense and admiration of this benevolence and goodness of God, and in feeling and expressing their obligations to him, in eternal thanksgiving and praise. And in this a great part of the beauty, glory and happiness of the redeemed church will consist. In order to raise creatures to the highest happiness, there must not only be objects in the best manner suited to excite the exercises of benevolent and complacential love; but they must be in circum stances suited to call forth the warmest, and most sweet exercises of grateful love to him, who by his sovereign goodness has laid them under the greatest obligations. The work of redemption is in the highest degree suited to this; and the redeemed will be forever immensely more happy in the exercise of this sweet happifying love, than any creatures could have been had not the redemption of man taken place. This will be the sweet animating subject of the new song which none but the redeemed can learn, and which they will sing with increasing delight forever. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so."* They will say so forever with unceasing, growing pleasure. In this, in a great measure, the happiness of heaven will consist.

II. We also learn from the fourth particular, and what has been said to illustrate it, that they have made a great mistake, who have thought that the divine goodness and grace do not appear so great in the pardon and salvation of sinners for Christ's sake; it being obtained and procured by his suffering in their stead, and hereby making atonement for their sins; as it would, had pardon and salvation been granted without any such consideration, as that of the atonement and merits of Christ.

It appears from what has been said above, that the salvation of sinners by the obedience and sufferings of Christ, is so far from rendering the benevolence and

grace of God less in saving them, that it enhances and magnifies the divine goodness to an amazing degree. Could sinners have been saved without such a Mediator, and such atonement as he has made, consistent with the honour of divine government, and the greatest good of the universe; their pardon and salvation would have required and manifested very little benevolence, compared with that which is exercised and appears in their salvation, when it could not be effected consistent with wisdom and righteousness without the humiliation, obedience and sufferings of the Son of God; as has been observed and shown above. How contrary to all reason and truth, how very absurd is it to assert or suppose, that divine grace in the salvation of men, is greatly lessened and obscured by the Son of God suffering the curse in their stead, and making atonement for them that they might be delivered and saved, consistent with rectitude and wisdom!

A number of the subjects of a certain king rebelled against him, were apprehended, and justly condemned to die for their crime. The circumstances of the case were such that they could not be pardoned consistent with the proper support of government, and the good of the kingdom, unless the king's only son, who was the most honourable and excellent person in the kingdom, and whom he loved as himself, should willingly take their place, and die in their stead. The son consented and chose to do it, in order to obtain pardon for them. The king himself made the proposal, and was well pleased with his son's readiness to die for them; and freely gave him up to the most ignominious and painful death, that he might, consistent with propriety and wisdom, pardon those rebels, who deserved themselves to die.

An equal number of the subjects of another king were condemned to a deserved death for rebellion. But the case was such that they might be pardoned and restored to favour, consistent with the support of government, and the highest good and happiness of his kingdom, without any one dying in their stead. He therefore gave them a free and full pardon, and restored them to the enjoyment of life and liberty in his kingdom.

Shall it now be asked, Which of these kings exercised and expressed the most, the highest degree of benevolence or grace towards the rebels, in pardoning and saving them from deserved death? It is presumed no rational creature, who will properly attend to the case, can possibly hesitate a moment; but must pronounce the former to have exerted and discovered unspeakably more benevolence and goodness, than the latter; and that the latter is inconsiderable and as nothing, compared with the former.

How then can any one, in the instance before us, which is in all respects infinitely more grand, clear and striking, say or imagine there would have been more grace manifested in the pardon and salvation of sinners, if this could have taken place, without an atonement by the Son of God dying for them, and no such sufferings had been necessary! How can any man suppose this without contradicting the reason of man, and the clearest dictates and feelings of common sense!

III. How great is their guilt who slight and oppose the great and wonderful works of God in the redemption of man; who neglect this great salvation, and abuse this highest and most astonishing instance of the goodness of God! All are under this awfully aggravated guilt, who do not thankfully embrace this salvation which is freely offered to all. And this is the great and chief aggravation of all the sins of men under the gospel, that they express or imply a rejection of Jesus Christ, who has procured, and offers salvation to them; and a refusal to believe on him. Therefore he says, when the Holy Spirit reproves mankind of sin, he discovers that it all consists in unbelief, and is an expression of that, and because they believe not on him.* Every sin is a sin of unbelief, as it opposes the Saviour, and is a rejection of him, and in this the great and chief criminality of it does consist. Had there been no Saviour for man, and no redemption, he would be justly punished forever for his sin against God, as his rebellion deserved this infinitely great evil. But the sins of man in this case would have been as nothing compared with what their sins now are who live under the gospel, and oppose, * John xvi. 8, 9.

ness.

slight and abuse all that astonishing benevolence and grace of God and the Redeemer, which is exercised and expressed in the work of redemption. The rebellion and obstinacy of a creature is aggravated and rendered more criminal by every instance and degree of benevolence and kindness exercised towards him by his Creator, as every instance of his goodness increases the obligation of the creature to love and obey him, and that in proportion to the greatness and degree of that goodHence it follows that man is laid under the greatest obligations to love and obedience by redemption, and the benevolence of God exercised therein; which is by far the greatest, and most remarkable and affecting instance of love that has been shown to creatures, or of which we can have any conception; consequently an obstinate refusal to embrace this salvation, and abuse of all this goodness, is the greatest and most aggravated crime that men can commit, and swallows up all other supposeable crimes, as nothing in comparison with this.

And this discovers the great and total depravity of man, and the exceeding wickedness of the human heart, in that it has so much enmity against God and his laws, and is so hard and obstinate, as not to be won by such love and kindness; but is disposed to slight God the more for all his love, and to abuse and trample upon Christ, and all the grace discovered in the gospel. Scripture and experience join to teach us that man can do this, and that all have done it, who have had opportunity; and that all would persevere in this most aggravated wickedness, whatever methods were taken to reclaim them, did not God by his immediate, almighty power interpose, and take away the rebellious heart, and give a new obedient heart.

IV. FROM this subject, and particularly from the foregoing remark, we are led to reflect upon the ignorance and insensibility of persons who live under the gospel, of their greatest crime and guilt. They in general will acknowledge that they are sinners; some are led to this acknowledgment from their living and being educated where it is granted and inculcated that all men are sinners, and this confession is constantly made

in public; and where particular practices, of which they know they are guilty, are considered and condemned as wrong and sinful. Others are convinced in their consciences that they are guilty of many actions which are forbidden in the Bible, and that they live in the neglect of many duties which are there commanded; and that therefore they are criminal. But few have any conviction of the evil nature of sin in general; and especially of the greatest sin, and which is the chief aggravation of all their sins, viz. their opposition to Jesus Christ, and constant abuse of the grace revealed in the gospel. Most men who live in gospel light are so far from feeling themselves guilty of any crime by not embracing the Saviour, that they have not the least idea of this, and stand ready to oppose it, and to exculpate themselves, when they are charged with it, and the magnitude of the crime is laid before them: And they cannot be brought to a proper conviction of their crime and guilt in this, by any arguments and light which may be set before them; or by all possible means that may be used with them. This leads to another inference.

V. HENCE we see the reason why our great Prophet and Teacher has represented it as the work of the Holy Spirit to convince men of this sin, and cause them to be thoroughly reproved for it. He says, "And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, because they believe not on me."* Nothing short of the almighty agency of the Holy Spirit, renewing the heart, and forming it to true discerning in spiritual things, can produce this conviction and efficacious reproof. The criminal darkness and delusion which is essential to the reign of sin in the heart cannot be removed by any agent but the Holy Spirit giving a new heart which admits the true light, and sees and confesses the exceeding sinfulness of the human heart, this being the fountain and seat of all sin; and especially the great sin of all sins, the chief of all crimes, the sin of unbelief, in rejecting and abusing Jesus Christ, and the love and grace exhibited in him. When men have such an heart. given them, they will submit to the divine reproof: confess this sin, and feel and own that they are wholly * John xvi. 8, 9.