or, as it ought rather to be termed, disbelief, or distrust. As this conduct can never be pleasing in his sight; so it is certain, that he, who is the subject of it, can never be accepted of God: for nothing is more evident, than that God will never accept him, with whom he is not pleased. As, then, there is no medium between this character and confidence, or faith; it is, I think, past all doubt, that faith is indispensably necessary to acceptance with God.

At the same time, distrust is an entire separation of an Intelligent being from his Maker. We cannot possibly coincide voluntarily with the designs of a being, unless we confide in his Truth and benevolence, and of course in the rectitude of those designs. No virtuous obedience can be yielded to laws, of whose rectitude we are not satisfied; no complacency exercised towards a character, in which we do not confide; no gratitude rendered for benefits, conferred by a suspected benefactor; no reliance placed on promises, made by a being of doubted veracity; and no praiseworthy efforts made to promote designs, regarded as suspicious and unworthy. Without confidence, the soul is separated of course, from its Creator. Distrust is in its own nature enmity against him, not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. How, then, can God be pleased with this character; or accept him, in whom it exists? 3dly. How greatly ought this attribute of God to terrify deceitful

men!

By deceitful men I intend, not only liars of every description, perjured persons, and slanderers; but fraudulent men of every class; hypocrites, cheats, seducers, flatterers, sophists, and all other men guilty of intentional deception. From the character of God, as exhibited by the light of nature only, these men have every thing to fear, and nothing to hope. That God can be pleased with a moral character opposite to his own, or that he will bless men with whom he is not pleased, cannot be imagined for a moment. But there is no moral character, more absolutely opposed to God, or more remote from his pleasure, than that of falsehood; falsehood in every form; whether of looks, declarations, arguments, or actions; and in every degree, from the humble pretence to the palpable lie. Nor is any immoral conduct adopted against clearer evidence, and more absolute conviction. Truth is a thing perfectly definite. We always know when we speak it; and equally well know when we utter falsehood. It is, therefore, a sin against noon-day light; and is alway committed in the sunshine. How, then, must the Being, invested with the glorious, and eminently divine, attribute of Truth, as with a garment, regard this base and vile character, so opposed to his own, and so hostile to the virtue, and happiness, of his Intelligent kingdom? Miserable, indeed, must be the expectations, and the lot, of all wilful deceivers, even if there were no Scriptures; or if they were not the Word of God.

But there are Scriptures; and they are the Word of God. In them, as we could not fail to expect, most terrible additions are

made to the alarms, rung in the ears of these transgressors, by the voice of nature. There, his determinations to inflict signal vengeance on these men, are announced in every awful form by the God who cannot lie. There he has declared, that into the holy city, the heaven of heavens, the mansion of everlasting joy, there shall in no wise enter any one, who loveth or maketh a lie. There he has declared, that every liar shall have his part in the lake, that burneth with fire and brimstone. Let every deceitful man hear, and fear, and do no more so wickedly.

4thly. What a source of comfort, joy, and quickening, to good men, is the truth of God!

When we think on the character even of the best men, when we call to mind how often they backslide and sin; how cold and stupid they are in their affections, and how dull and slothful in their obedience; with what eagerness they cleave to the world, and with what ease they yield to temptation; how frequently they wound Religion, and how greatly they dishonour God; we cannot but feel, that all the truth and faithfulness of God are indispensably necessary to prevent him from forsaking such beings, as they are, and incline him to conduct them safely to his eternal kingdom. Here, created faithfulness would not suffice; nor prove to them a solid ground of unshaken confidence, nor of lively and supporting hope. A higher perfection of character seems plainly necessary in the blessed God, to enable his patience to bear with all their faults, and his mercy to triumph over all their transgressions.

In his holy Word, he has given them promises of infinite extent, and value. In these promises are contained blessings temporal and spiritual; blessings present and eternal; blessings of the first magnitude and of the most delightful nature; extending alike to the soul and the body, to all times and all places, to every want and every situation. Whatever can be useful to them, honourable to himself, or beneficial to the Universe, he freely proffers from his unlimited bounty. Finally, Himself, the Sum of all good, the overflowing Fountain, the inexhaustible Ocean, whence every stream of happiness flows, he engages to them, as their everlasting possession.

What can secure the boundless good, contained in these promises, to beings of such a character? The unchangeable truth of God. On this they repose with perfect safety, with a hope, which can never make them ashamed, with a faith, which cannot be broken down. Under the shadow of this great rock in a weary land, they sit down with unspeakable delight; and see all these promises advancing to a regular, constant, and certain fulfilment, throughout the progress of never-ending being.

Here, too, they find the most persuasive inducement to faithfulness in his service. They know, that he cometh in clouds, and that his reward is with him. The bruised reed, they are assured, he will never break; the smoking flax he will not quench; until he shall

have brought forth judgment unto final victory. Hence they wait on the Lord unceasingly, and renew their strength. Hence they mount up with wings as eagles; They run in the Christian course, and are not weary; they walk, and faint not in the strait and narrow way, which leads to life.

In the mission, life, and death, of the Redeemer, in his resurrection, intercession, and kingdom, the truth of God has set his seal on all his promises. The covenant of grace is here seen to be an unchangeable and everlasting covenant. In the solemn ordinance,* immediately before us, a living, unchanging, and most affecting memorial, we may discern a hand, which, testifying infinitely better things than those which were disclosed to Belshazzar, writes before our eyes, that, notwithstanding all our infirmities, if we indeed believe in him, we are, when weighed in the balance, not found wanting.

The Eucharist.

SERMON XII.

THE MERCY OF GOD.

PSALM Ciii 8.-The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

IN this beautiful and interesting Psalm, David, with a piety and zeal highly becoming, calls upon his soul and all that is within him to bless the Lord for the manifestations of his mercy. A multitude of these, remarkable in their nature, and of vast importance to mankind, he recites in the happiest language of poetry. In this language, God is exhibited as forgiving all his iniquities, healing all his diseases, redeeming his life from destruction, crowning him with loving kindness and tender mercies, satisfying his mouth with good things, and renewing his youth like the eagle's. Nor does he confine his views to his own blessings merely; but, like a good man, deeply affected with the concerns of his fellow-creatures, casts his eye abroad to the general dispensations of providence, and rejoices in the exemplifications of this glorious Attribute to the human race. With supreme delight he here beholds God executing righteousness and judgment for the oppressed; unwilling always to chide, or to keep his anger for ever; not dealing with mankind according to their sins, nor rewarding them according to their iniquities. The Mercy of God he sees extended, and exalted, as the heavens; removing our transgressions from us, as far as the East is removed from the West; and pitying those who fear him, as a father pitieth his children. This divine perfection, he further teaches us, is an inherent and essential part of the character of God, and is accordingly from everlasting to everlasting. Nor is it confined to any place; nor limited by any opposing power, or obstacle: for the Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all. With this delightful subject in such full and strong view, he finally and most forcibly calls upon angels, who excel in strength, upon his hosts, the ministers who do his pleasure, and upon all the works, formed in his boundless dominion, to bless JEHOVAH for this transcendent perfection, so illustriously manifested, in so many forms, towards an apostate and ruined world.

The text is the theme of the whole psalm; and is a strong and ample assertion, reiterated in various forms, according to the manner of the inspired writers, when labouring to impart to others their own vivid emotions, of this doctrine.

That God is a God of Mercy.

Mercy is the exercise of good-will towards those, who have not merited it; and especially towards those, who have merited anger and punishment. In its most important sense it denotes the com

munication of forgiveness, and consequent blessings, to such as have been guilty of crimes; particularly, as exercised by God to those, who have transgressed his most holy law, provoked his anger, and forfeited every claim to his favour.

In canvassing this doctrine, I shall pursue the same method, which I have adopted in discussing the other attributes of the divine character; and consider the manner, in which it is exhibited, I. By Reason, and,

II. By Revelation.

Reason naturally leads us to conclude, that God is merciful, be

cause

1st. He is Benevolent.

Mercy is a modification of benevolence. It is, therefore, reasonably concluded concerning any benevolent being, that his disposition will, in certain cases at least, be mercifully exercised; or that, when certain objects are presented to his view, and solicit his interference, he will extend his benevolence to them, although their character is such, as not to merit this interference at his hands; or even such, as to deserve in some degree his anger, rejection, or punishment. But God is boundlessly benevolent. Mercy in the abstract, and extending to every degree which propriety and Justice will admit, must, therefore, be acknowledged by Reason to be an essential part of the divine benevolence. What, and how great, this extent is; what objects it will reach, and what crimes it will forgive; cannot, I confess, be at all determined by us; nor upon what terms it will be extended to such objects, as it will actually reach. An angel, who had transgressed the divine law, or Adam after he had fallen, might satisfactorily determine by rational argu ments, that God was merciful: and yet neither would be able at all to decide whether that mercy would be extended to him; or if it were thus extended, upon what terms, in what manner, and to what degree.

2dly. Because he exercises patience and forbearance towards mankind.

That men are opposed to the character and government of God; that they continually dishonour his name, violate his laws, so far as they know them, and are guilty of manifold iniquities towards each other; cannot be rationally questioned. The conduct, which strict justice on the part of God, would dictate as the proper retribution of these crimes, can be no other than severe and immediate punishment. This punishment, however, we do not find executed. On the contrary, he continues them in life, notwithstanding all their provocations; and surrounds them with an endless multitude of blessings. In this part of divine providence, therefore, we find a direct exercise of mercy; that is, of kindness to guilty beings; and this repeated in instances innumerable; instances so multiplied, and so constantly recurring, as to constitute a primary and essential characteristic of the government of God over mankind.