ground of hope from a strict and careful examination of our own temper and practice, but cannot arrive at a full assurance, till, as the Apostle expresses it, Rom. viii. 16. "the Spirit himself bear witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God." But when this divine Witness concurs with his testimony, irradiating his own workmanship within us, and discovering to our own minds such lineaments of the new creature, as plain evidence that we are born of God, then our assurance is full and complete; and we can joyfully say, with the Apostle in the text, "We know, that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." I now come to the practical improvement of the subject.

And, 1st, I must speak a few words to those who call themselves Deists. I know if you could you would stop our mouths, and bury the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; and yet I shall not cease to seek your good, and say from time to time what I can for your conviction. I seldom read the threatenings of the word, but I think of you with trembling; and I never read the comforts of it, but I think of you with pity. Pray, what assurance have you got of a happy eternity? In what house are you to take up your everlasting abode? Alas, every thing beyond the grave must be dark and fearful to you. You have no promise to build upon-no Mediator to take hold of no atonement to plead-no covenant to depend upon. You know that God is just, and you know that you are sinners-thus far you can proceed in your own scheme with certainty; but I defy you to move one step farther upon sure ground. You cannot prove that God is reconcileable, far less can you tell upon what terms he will be reconciled to you; so that your causes of fear are real and certain, whereas your hopes are mere guess work, having no other foundation than the doubtful conjectures your own darkened minds? What will you do when

of

you come to die? A Christian can say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth; and because he lives, I shall live also." But what will you be able to say, who have no Redeemer, no intercessor, into whose hands you can commit your departing spirits? who have nothing in your view but a tribunal of justice, a tribunal from which there is no appeal. Be entreated, my dear friends, to think of this in time. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way." If once his wrath begin to burn, then shall you find that they, and they only, are blessed who put their trust in him. But,

2dly, This comfortable subject doth principally direct me to speak to Christians; and I shall address my exhortation to you in the words of the Apostle Peter, "Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure." That this assurance is attainable you have already heard. Let me then press you, by some motives, to seek after it. Consider how much it-is for your present interest. O the joy to be assured of the favour of God: this is heart ease, this is the very rest and sabbath of the soul. How sweet and comfortable will the thoughts of a Saviour be to you, when once you can say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." Then will it do thee good to view his wounds by the eye of faith, and to put, as it were, thy hand into his side, when thou canst call him, with Thomas, my Lord and my God. The holy Scriptures will then have a double relish. With what delight will you turn over this charter of your future inheritance, and ponder that exceeding and eternal weight of glory which you shall one day possess. With what holy boldness may you approach the throne of grace, when you can call God your reconciled Father! What would a despairing sinner, who feels the burden of guilt, and the foretastes of everlasting misery, give for such a privilege, especially in a dying hour. How will this sweeten the difficulties of obedience. It was this that kept the Apostle from fainting, as

we read in the close of the preceding chapter. What can quicken us more than to know, that after we have gone through a short life in this world, everlasting happiness shall be our portion in the next? Who would not mend his pace, who is assured that every step brings him nearer to heaven?

What a mighty cordial will this be, under the sharpest afflictions, to consider that God meaneth us no hurt, but, on the contrary, hath pledged his faithfulness, to make them all work together for our good? One who hath eternal life in the eye of his faith and hope, can look through tribulation, and see sunshine at the back of the darkest cloud.

And then, what comfort does it give in the hour of death? How miserable is the soul, that must be turned out of doors shiftless and harbourless, and is not provided of an everlasting habitation, or a better place to go to ; but assurance makes the soul to triumph over the grave, and take death cheerfully by the cold hand, and even long to be gone, and to be with Christ. Dark and doubting Christians may indeed shrink back, and be afraid of the exchange; but the assured soul desires to depart, and needs as much patience to live as other men do to die.— Let us then, my brethren, press after this attainment, and not only seek to be in safety, but to know that we are so. And as it is a gift of God, let us, by humble and importunate prayer, ask it of him who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. And,

Last of all, Let those who have got this invaluable mercy, improve it for those purposes for which it was bestowed. "I will run the way of thy commandments," said the Psalmist, "when thou hast enlarged my heart." Make swift progress in the way of duty, if you desire the continuance of this comfortable privilege. Let it appear to all that your conversation is in heaven. Live above this world, and be daily "adding to your faith, virtue;

and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, tempe rance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity :"-And then shall an entrance be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON XXXIV.

1 JOHN iv. 9.

In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him,

T

HE value of different truths, like that of all other objects, is to be estimated by the different degrees of their usefulness and importance. Judging by this rule, there are none which better deserve our attention, than those which relate to the character of the Supreme Being. If our ideas of him be different from what he really is, it is impossible that we can love him truly, or serve him with acceptance. There may be qualities in the imaginary being which we adore, utterly repugnant with the perfections of the true God; and the mode of worship by which we strive to please him, may of consequence be as absurd as the ideas which we entertain of his character. Various are the means which God hath provided for guiding us to the true knowledge of himself. The heavens declare his glory, and the firmament sheweth his handy-works. The invisible things of him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen, being perceived by the things which he hath made. His moral perfections may be learned from his general administration of the world, and especially from his conduct towards his rational creatures. Had we capacities sufficient to take a comprehensive view of all his works and ways,