lock; and, in short, the whole man is considered as filthy, abominable, and unclean: which sufficiently shews that, as the prophet observes, God cannot look upon iniquity; that is, it cannot but meet with his disapprobation. And can we have a fuller proof of this than to see him punishing it to such a degree in his only Son? He has been made to smart for his suretyship on our behalf; and hence all the lovers of sin may be fully assured, if they reject the offers of mercy, and remain impenitent, that, as he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up to death, he will not spare them. They may make clean the outside, may think highly of themselves and their performances, and may be esteemed in the eyes of others; yet, is their iniquity so hateful in the sight of God, that it will be sure to find them out. There is nothing so vile and disgusting to our eyes as earthly, sensual, and devilish dispositions are to him. Most dreadful, therefore, is the state of the wicked before him. Oh, the need of flying to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, that we may be delivered from the displeasure of the Almighty! Oh, for faith in the crucified Saviour, that we may be delivered from the wrath to come!

2. To harmonize the Divine perfections in our forgiveness.It is evident from abundance of promises and invitations, that God is reconciled, and an open way made for our return to him. And how is this? It is because our Jesus has rendered, by his death, more than an equivolent for all our defects. I am perfectly persuaded that his services have been more acceptable to the Father than the eternal services of all created beings together, exclusive of his grace and mercy for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. Hence it was "that mercy and truth, righteousness and peace kissed each other" at his cross. Now mercy can be exerted in pardoning the penitent, however guilty, without injuring the rights of justice; and justice itself becomes guarantee for the performance of the promises. The truth of God is not violated, though the sinner lives that believes in his surety; for that surety has been accepted on the

sinner's account. His greatness is not diminished by our exaltation, because it is Jesus requests it: and his power meets with no impediment in taking our part, for the Saviour has obtained its assistance. His wisdom, displayed in the formation of the creature, is more eminently manifested in its recovery. His goodness has now full scope for the exercises of grace and beneficence. Love now can mitigate his anger and turn it aside, while itself, full of condescension and long-suffering, can rejoice over each returning prodigal, and crown him with eternal felicity. Thus this blood speaketh better things than the blood of Abel; and he who delivered him up for us all, will freely give us all things; while our grateful and astonished souls "shall abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness, and sing of his righteousness." Well might the apostle, seeing what was done to stop the mouth of every accuser, triumphantly exclaim, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather is risen again. Who shall separate from the love of Christ?-From the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Another reason for this procedure may be

3. To encourage hope in us, without presumption.-The desire of obtaining good, or of retaining and increasing what we already possess, gives some room for the continual exercises of hope, though often on a dangerous or deceitful ground; and we are apt to presume on very slight appearances. This is the case especially in what relates to our souls. Without forsaking their sins, or having a lively faith in Christ, how common it is for men to amuse themselves with vain hopes in the Divine mercy, and most unscripturally to presume on admission at last into his everlasting kingdom! This arises from ignorance of their sinfulness, or of the gospel way of salvation; and it is the more dangerous, because it is supposed to arise from views of the Divine goodness or their own. If the former, this only displays itself to the soul through a suffering Redeemer on its sincere

feared, in the and the lat

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repentance; and this is wanting, it is to be greater part of those who express such hopes ter is worse, because it is an attempt to lay a false foundation, and consequently to reject, virtually at least, the true. Both should be avoided as dangerous. On the contrary, it is not uncommon, when the veil is removed from the heart by the Holy Spirit, and the ministration of condemnation is suffered to operate powerfully in the mind and conscience, for these persons to entertain such views of the holiness and justice of God, and of their own vileness, as scarcely to indulge any hope at all, at least for a season, till they become better acquainted with the wise and merciful designs of God. To produce in these, and in all who seek redemption through his blood, a well-grounded hope of everlasting life, may well be supposed as another reason why the Lord Jesus should be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be put to death. For who can despair of mercy that rightly considers the boundless love which bestowed the gift, or the preciousness of the gift itself? It is on this account that we are said to be "begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead"-a hope, which so far from leading the soul into carelessness and carnal security, has a direct tendency to promote the purification of our nature to the highest possible degree, “even as Christ him- ' self is pure." But who that believes that it was by the blood-shedding of the immaculate Lamb of God alone that the people could be sanctified, or consider that his design was to "purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," that can presumptuously sin against God, under the hope that all will be well at last, though he follow the imaginations of his own heart? Surely the dying agonies of his insulted Lord would dispute his right to that rest which remaineth for those who humbly trust in, and cheerfully obey him. Thus we see, while the death of Christ affords to men a just and proper foundation for their hope, it gives no encouragement to the careless and presumptuous.

4. It was a most effectual way to destroy our cnmily against:

God. The friendships of men in this world are often suc ceeded by deep-rooted enmity; which enmity is strengthened and confirmed by continued and oft-repeated provocations, when perhaps an act of kindness on either side might have removed the evil, and brought things back to their former state. Man was doubtless once in friendship with God. Sin dissolved the sacred band, and man by wicked works commenced the enemy of God. It might have been expected that man would have made the first overtures for a reconciliation; but he did not. It was the offended Majesty of heaven that did this. When he possessed the means of taking ample vengeance on the bold offenders, he it was that promised them a deliverer, and in due time accomplished his word, by sending his Son to lay down his life for them. What an instance of love was here! Could he have done more? Kindness has its degrees, it exercises pity, feels sympathy, administers consolation, bestows favours, gives advice, carries burdens, suffers losses, bears reproach, loses liberty, encounters want, submits to die. There it arrives at its highest point: it cannot do more than die. Jesus has done all this; and if his love conquer not, and bring not back our hearts and affections to him, nothing will, and we shall retain our enmity for ever. Exceedingly great has been the number of those who have felt themselves constrained to say, "We love him because he first loved us." Let us follow him in his process of incarnate love, and what has subdued others may also prevail with us to return him, however imperfectly, love for love. For us he left the bosom of his Father, and visited our world, and failed not to accomplish the design on which he came. He long led a life of privacy, to shew us that in general it is best for us; and entered on his public ministry at the most suitable time, and pursued it with unabating ardour, till he encountered death in its most terrific form; sunk into the grave, and from thence ascended; lifted up the everlasting doors; took sole possession of the heavenly inheritance; and continues to do all that can consistently be done to win our love, and make us eter-.

nally his own. Oh, what sweet surprise seizes the mind of the pardoned sinner on his first views of the love of his dying Saviour! What love, what gratitude, what censuring of its own follies and transgressions; what feelings of pity, and compassion to all mankind; what joy in the Holy Ghost, and what prospects of future glory! Happy they who have thus tasted the Lord is gracious, and whose enmities are succeeded by an eternal fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ!

5. It affords the strongest motives to perseverance.—As christians in this present state are called to walk by faith, and not by sight; as we are generally more affected by visi ble and sensible objects than by those which are unseen; as we must meet with a variety of troubles, difficulties, temptations and conflicts; as iniquity abounds, as we are naturally unstable, and sin deceitful, there is great danger of our love becoming cool, our souls discouraged, our feet sliding, and our hearts departing from the living God. There are indeed many considerations why such as have entered the race for eternal life should never look back. The vanity of the world, the excellency of piety, the uncertainty of life, the lapse of time, and the speedy approaches of death; the solemnity of the future judgment, and the soul's appearance in the immediate presence of God. All these things should have their due weight with us; but when we recollect that it is through the Lord Jesus that we are redeemed from evil, and prepared for the reception of good, and as he sees the travail of his soul, and is satisfied on our sincere return to him, every thing on his part bids us go on. His love, his tears, his sorrows bid us go forward; his circumcision, baptism, fasting, and temptations, cry aloud to us not fo tarry in all the plain; his agony and bloody sweat; his patience un- ́ der the bitterest reproaches; his smarting under the cruel Scourge, his struggles in death bid us fly to the mountain of God; in which he is joined by the shaking earth, the darkened sun, the mourning heavens, the bursting graves, and rending vail; which tell us the new and living way to hea