doth really commence at that happy moment, when, by the new birth, we enter into the family of God, and become his children through faith in Christ Jefus.

THUS far have I endeavoured to illuftrate the record that God hath given concerning his Son. Permit me then to afk, after all you have been hearing, in what light doth the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift now appear to you? Is he that object of terror, which the jealousy of an evil confcience is apt to paint him?Can you rationally conclude, or is there even room to fufpect, that he is an enemy to your happiness ?-Oh! with what eyes do they read this facred volume, who are capable for a moment of entertaining such a thought? Is it not the obvious tendency, as well as the declared purpofe of every thing contained in the Scriptures of truth, to prove what the Apoftle twice repeats in the preceding chapter, GOD IS LOVE?

What kind of evidence would fatisfy you? It is my carneft defire that the queftion fhould be fully tried. My interest in

the

the decifion is equal to yours: none hath more to gain or to lof than I have.

Devise the security that you efteem most valid let nothing be omitted that you can fuppofe would be of avail for binding the most artful and fallacious of your fellowmen; and when you have done, I challenge you to mention one article among them all, that is wanting in the fecurity which God hath freely afforded you.

When a bare declaration of one's good intention doth not fatisfy us, we may ask a promife; and if doubts still remain, we may proceed to require the interpofition of an oath; but there we must reft as to verbal fecurity: “An oath for confirmation is an "end of all ftrife." Need I remind you, that without your folicitation, God hath been graciously pleafed to give you all these? "For God being willing more abundantly to "fhew unto the heirs of promite the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by

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an oath, that by two immutable things, "in which it was impoffible for God to lie, 66 we might have a ftrong confolation who

"have

"have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us."

When perfonal obligation is not deemed fufficient, a cautioner, or furety, is another expedient which human wisdom hath devised. And is not fuch an one provided by the great God? Not a creature, though of the highest order, but his own Son, by whom all things were made, even Jefus, the Mediator of the new covenant, who is exprefsly ftyled the Jurety of a better tefta

ment.

If, after all, any jealoufy remains, we must next, I fuppofe, have recourse to legal fecurity, and may demand a written obligation, a deed executed with every essential formality.-Now, what kind of deed hath greateft force and validity? None, I apprehend, is more univerfally held facred and inviolable than a teftament. This was Paul's opinion, when he said, Gal. iii. 15, "Though "it be but a man's teftament, yet if it be "confirmed, no man difannulleth, or addeth "thereto." And are not we furnished with this very species of obligation ?—a testament confirmed and rendered unalterable

by

by the death of the teftator; with this ad ditional fecurity against its being abstracted, erafed, or defeated, by the infidelity of thofe to whom the execution of it may be committed, (a fecurity which never did, nor ever can, exist in any other cafe), namely, that the teftator, who died to give it force, revived, and liveth for evermore, to be the executor of his own deed in its utmoft extent.

Can any thing further be required? If distrust be very great, one might perhaps wish to have a valuable pledge, fomething of equal worth put into his hand, till the obligation be fulfilled. What shall I fay? -Let unbelief blush, and be ashamed to open its mouth any more, when it looks to the unspeakable gift of God, and hears how Paul reafons upon it, Rom. viii. 32. "that fpared not his own Son, but deliver"ed him up for us all, how shall he not "with him alfo freely give us all things?"

" He

It is really aftonishing, that such profufion of evidence fhould not excite in men a greater curiofity to discover the true reafon and defign of it. Were a fuperior transact

bargain, though meant to do us a

ing with us in the way of he fhould profess that he favour, would not the offer of fuch multiplied fuperabundant fecurity for the performance of his part of the agreement, discover fuch an anxiety to get the bargain concluded, as would naturally breed in us a fecret fufpicion, that however moderate and equitable the terms propofed might appear, yet, upon the whole, the chief advantage would accrue to himself? Now, it is agreed on all hands, that to impute any fuch interested views to the Great Sovereign of the universe, would be equally abfurd and blafphemous : for how differently foever men have conceived of the gospel-constitution, it is univerfally admitted to be a covenant of grace. And yet, my brethren, if eternal life be not a gift abfolutely free, but the wages of fervice to be done by us, I cannot help thinking, that, let the terms propofed be ever fo moderate, yet fuch means employed for gaining our confent to them, could hardly fail to tincture our minds with fome degree of these evil furmifings I have mentioned. Whereas, upon the plan of the record, as exVOL. II. preffed

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