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Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and ftay upon his God.

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AVING, in the former difcourfe, opened the character and state of those who are called · upon, and exhorted to truft in the name of the Lord; and entered upon the fecond thing propofed; which was, to explain the duty of truft in God, and to point out its foundation; and having in this view confidered the nature of abfolute promises ;-I proceed,

2. To confider the nature and ufe of conditional promifes. These I am obliged, for greater diftinctnefs,

diftinctnefs, to divide into three different heads.

1. There are promifes made to perfons of fuch or fuch a character, or in fuch or fuch a ftate.-2. There are promises, the performance of which is fufpended on our compliance with fomething previously required, as the condition of obtaining them.-3. There are promises, not only fufpended on both the preceding terms, but upon the fuppofition of fome circumftances in themselves uncertain, or to us unknown. Let us confider each of thefe with care and attention. 1. There are promifes made to perfons of fuch or fuch a character, or in fuch or fuch a ftate, which are therefore to be applied and refted on, according as the evidence of our being of this character, or in this ftate, is clear or obfcure. In this I have particularly in view, the bleffings of falvation, the pardon of fin, peace with God, the fpirit of fanctification, and a right to everlasting life. These all lie in an unbroken chain, and infeparable connection, and might have been more briefly expreffed, by an interest in Chrift the Saviour, who is the author, fource and fum of these bleffings; for all the promifes of God in him, are yea, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us.' Let no judicious, attentive hearer be furprised or diffatisfied, that I have ranked these among conditional promises; for you may observe that I have expreffed myself thus, they are promifes made to persons of fuch or fuch a character, or in fuch or fuch a

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ftate.

ftate. In this, they certainly differ from the promises properly abfolute, mentioned above. It is far from my intention to do injury to that fundamental truth, that falvation is by grace. I efteem that doctrine which proceeds upon a felfrighteous fyftem, to be contrary to the word of God, and most pernicious to the fouls of men. There is nothing at all required in Scripture to be performed by us, as a purchasing or meriting condition. Every gracious act of the divine government, in our favour, is the fruit of the Redeemer's purchase, and every holy disposition wrought in us is the effect of his Almighty grace. But it is certain at the fame time, that in order to our accepting those bleffings, we must be truly and deeply humbled, and fee ourselves to be in-. capable and helpless. We must be unfeignedly willing to renounce all claim of merit, and accept of falvation as it is offered in the Gofpel; that is, in its full extent, and in the free and fovereign manner of its communication. So far, furely, we must say, the promises, of the Gofpel are conditional, or wholly pervert the word of God. I know of no promises then to the unbelieving and impenitent, unless you call that a promise, that they fhall have their portion in the lake of 'fire that burneth with brimftone; and that the ' smoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever ' and ever.'

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Hear it, my dear brethren; it is the needy, thirsty, fenfible foul, that is invited to come and

find reft. 'Ho! every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and 'milk without money and without price. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, ' and I will give you reft.' If any shall think fit further to fay, that the very destination of the veffels of mercy, is of God's fovereign pleasure, that conviction itself is by a day of his power, and that faith which interefts us in Chrift's righteousness is his gift: I agree to the whole, but obferve, that it is improperly introduced here. No ufe can poffibly be made of the divine decree in the application of the promises. It is inverting the order of things. Can any man fay, I trust in the mercy of God, because I have been ordained to everlasting life? No man can derive comfort from this, till by his effectual calling it is published, and begins to be accomplished; and then he may look back with wonder and gratitude to that everlasting love, by which he was chofen in Chrift before the foundation of the world. Can you judge of the fruit of a tree by looking upon the root? No, but you judge of the ftrength and deepness of the root, by the fulnefs of the fruit, and the vigour and verdure of the branches. From an improper mixture of what belongs to the fecret will of God, and what belongs to us, as our duty, much error and confufion arifes.

Now, my brethren, as to the application of

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these promises of pardon and peace, the humbled finner, the man among us, who walketh in darknefs and hath no light,-who is burdened with a fenfe of guilt, and difcouraged by the threatenings of the law, the accufations of conscience, and the pure and holy nature of God,-who, perhaps has all this aggravated by 'diftrefs and trouble, is called to trust in the name of the Lord, and ftay himself upon his God. He is invited to confider and rest on the extent of the call, the immutability of the promife, and the riches of divine grace. If he is fo far from pleading any merit in himself, or being diffatisfied with the plan of falvation laid down in the Gofpel, that he is making every thing an argument against himself, and'dare not lay hold of, or appropriate fo unspeakable a mercy: this is juft the effect of diftruft, and he is called, in the ftrongeft manner, in the text, to truft in the name ' of the Lord, and ftay upon his God.' With how many gracious affurances for this purpofe is the Scripture filled! John vi. 37, All that the Father hath given me fhall come to me, and him that cometh unto me I will in no wife caft out.' Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft that come to 'God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them.' Rev. xxii. 17. 'And the Spirit and the bride fay, come, And let him that heareth fay, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whofoeyer will, let

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