tion is broken with the fpiritual world; fo that the diffolution of the body terminates at once his enjoyments and his hopes. Every thing beyond the grave must wear an afpect of horror: nothing remains for him after that fatal period, but “a fearful "looking for of judgement and fiery indig"nation."

This may help us to a proper conception both of the nature and worth of the bleffing here mentioned. The foundation of this eternal life is laid in reconciliation with God; for by that we pass from death to life; -the effence of it confifteth in likeness to God; and it is perfected in the beatific vifion, and full enjoyment of God in heaven.

The epithet eternal, fufficiently diftinguifheth it from that precarious kind of life we at prefent find ourfelves poffeffed of. It is a life that is not fubject to death; neither is it interrupted for one moment by the diffolution of the earthly tabernacle: on the contrary, it acquires new vigour, by that ftroke which feparates the foul from the body; and then only arrives at full

maturity,

maturity, when the man ceaseth to be any more an inhabitant of this world.

But instead of enlarging upon the nature and excellence of this inestimable bleffing, I would rather direct your attention to the manner in which it is bestowed. And here the record is abundantly plain, God hath GIVEN to us eternal life. The true import of the word given, is clearly decided by the Apostle Paul, when he fays, "The wages "of fin is death; but the gift of God is "eternal life:" where wages and gift are placed in direct oppofition to one another; the first being an exercise of justice, the last an act of free and unmerited favour. And in this light the falvation of finners is uniformly reprefented in the facred writings. "It is your Father's good pleasure," said Christ to his disciples, to give you the kingdom."" By grace are ye faved through faith," faid St Paul;" and that "not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." And again, "Not by works of righteousness "which we have done, but according to "his mercy he faved us, by the washing of

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regeneration, and the renewing of the

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Holy

Holy Ghoft." Accordingly, eternal lifeis ftyled an inheritance; which is infeparably connected with the relation of children: and as by the apoftafy we became enemies to God, it is not eafy to conceive how enemies: can be make children in any other way, than by an act of the purest and most fovereign grace.

Were God in any refpect weak or indigent; could he be impoverished by the revolt of his fubjects, or hurt by the violent efforts of their enmity; it might be wisdom to court their return by the offer of a reward, and even to connect the reward with fuch gentle conditions as the proudest heart might easily digeft: but this, you must be fenfible, is not the cafe we are confidering. God ftands in no need of us, or of our fervices. It requires no exertion of strength to crush his rebellious fubjects: if he withdraw for one moment the fupport of his power, they perifh; for "in him they all "live and move:" fo that if punishment be deferred, and, ftill more, if benefits be conferred, no caufe can be affigned for either

but

but his own fovereign pleasure, the selfmoving goodness of his nature.

Were thefe plain truths attended to, much vain jangling and strife of words might be prevented, and a ready folution found of many of those feemingly intricate questions, with which ferious and awakened minds are oft-times perplexed and difcouraged.

It is one of the most obvious dictates of found reafon, that the creature owes its existence to the pure favour of the Creator. It is equally obvious, that it can only live by those means which the Creator hath appointed. Every fpecies of animals hath its peculiar aliment; fo peculiar, that what is food to one fpecies, is not only useless, but frequently noxious to another :-a plain convincing evidence of their immediate and abfolute dependence upon the will of that Being whofe workmanship they all are. Whence is it, that thofe materials upon which the elephant grows to a bulk fo enormous, can afford no fuftenance to the comparatively diminutive body of man? No answer can be given but this,-The Creator hath not chofen and bleffed them for that VOL II.

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end.

end. Every attempt to live by any other means than God hath appointed, is an attempt to live not only independent of God, but in defiance of his will. Adam tried the experiment, and thereupon became mortal: for it was not the quality of the forbidden tree, but the prohibition of the Creator, that armed his trefpafs with the fatal sting.

And can the nobler, the fpiritual life, be lefs intimately connected with its Author than the animal one? If that be loft by wilful tranfgreffion, doth it require lefs power or lefs grace to reftore it? Or can the revolted creature plead any right to the reftitution of a benefit which was freely beftowed at firft, and, even before it was forfeited, owed its continuance to the good pleasure of the giver? The abfurdity is fo glaring, that every one must perceive it as foon as it is mentioned. The bleffing of eternal life is, and can be, no other than the record hath declared it to be, the free and fovereign gift of God.

An hard faying this to the vain fons of Adam, who would always find fomething in themselves to boait of! but abio utely

neceflary