"I am the door of the sheep." Again; “ No man cometh to the Father but by me. In order to bring our general subject into so small a compass as to be most easily comprehended at one view, we may say, that the house of God consists of his family, his laws, his government, the provisions which are necessary for food and raiment; and the gate of heaven is Christ and his doctrine, which is the way, the truth, and the life. Wherever our heavenly Father is pleased to make a manifestation of these his glories, there is the house of God, and the gate of heaven. God's family, according to the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, consists of all the nations, all the families, and all the kindreds of the earth. Man, wherever he is found, is the offspring of God. Let his condition be what it may, he is the offspring of God. From the most profound and enlightened philosopher, to the most rude and uncultivated, yea, even to the idiot; from the saint whose faith explores the glory of an immortal state, and whose bosom burns with the celestial fire of divine, unbounded charity, down to the most stupid unbeliever, who, destitute of charity, feels no affection but for himself, and whose god is his sensual passions, all are the offspring of an universal Parent, who is God over all blessed for evermore. "Have we not all one father; hath not one God created us ?" This sacred text supposes that God is the Father of all whom he created. That for which we have here contended is fully approved and confirmed by the acknowledged fact, that all men are equally amenable to the laws and government of the supreme. If any are disposed to deny that all men are the children of God, if they at all regard consistency, they must also deny that all are accountable to his laws. The laws of a parent extend no farther than to HIS children; his neighbour has a right to control his own offspring. What we here state is no more than is argued by the Apostle of the Gentiles, who, speaking to the Jews, says; "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which shows the work of the law written in the heart, their conscience also bearing them witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.' The law which our Father in heaven has seen fit to enjoin on all his moral offspring, is clearly understood by the light of the gospel to be, love to God and love to man. The divine teacher so explains the law and the prophets, and plainly shows, that whoever comes short of loving his neighbour as himself, is a delinquent. This law of love is the law of God's house. It is like himself, unchangeable; it cannot be repealed, because a better one cannot be enacted in its stead. This law is the divine nature of our Father in heaven. "God is love." This constitutes the order of his house; without this law, there could be no order, no harmony, no security, and of course no happiness. In a family government there are not only commandments enjoined, but there is what is called discipline, which consists in due rewards and punishments, according to the obedience and disobedience of those who are its subjects. Discipline, administered by an imperfect being, such as an earthly father, must be imperfect, though it may be well intended; but the discipline of our heavenly Father is not only perfectly good, as it respects design, but it is equally perfect in its administration and effects. On the subject of obedience I wish to be particular, that you may be able to correct what has been erroneously reported, concerning our general sentiment; for many have said, that we do not believe in the necessity of obedience to the commands of God in order to introduce us to happiness. Such is the wisdom of the divine government. that those rewards which are designed to incite to obedience and faithfulness, stand in such necessary connection with duty, that the reward is a fruit, as naturally produced by it, as the fruit of a natural tree is necessarily produced by it. Therefore it is seen at once that all the obedience which belongs to the house of God is the gate of heaven. That is, it leads into heaven. "For the kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." "In keeping the commandments is great reward." Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life; and may enter in through the gates into the city." Will you say, the speaker makes a very great mistake, by supposing that we are to enter heaven by keeping the commandments of God? And will you furthermore say, that he has forgotten that the ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, is Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life; and on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending? No; he has not forgotten these things, nor is he sensible of making any mistake in supposing that we must enter in through the gates into the city, and have right to the tree of life, by doing the commandments of God; for, if the kingdom of heaven is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and if this peace is in loving the law of God, let me ask, how can Jesus, or all the angels of God, who ascend and descend on him, get a soul into heaven, without that soul's obedience unto righteousness? How then, you will ask, is Jesus our Saviour? How is he the gate of heaven? Or how is he the way, the truth, and the life? Reply Jesus is our Saviour, because he saves us from our sins; he is the gate of heaven, because by walking in him we enter into heaven; and he is the way, because he is a perfect pattern of obedience. The blessed Redeemer explains the : whole matter in a few words; let us hear them with attention, for they are the words of eternal life. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you, learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Shall we reply to this language of Jesus, and say to him; If you are our Saviour, why do you require us to save ourselves? If you are the gate of heaven, why do you not place us in its enjoyments? By such a reply should we not plainly show that we think that the kingdom of heaven may be enjoyed without righteousness? But the kingdom of heaven is righteousness. Therefore, whoever wants heaven, and yet does not desire righteousness, is in love of that for heaven which he is already in possession of, which is sin, condemnation, and death. Wisdom says; "All they that hate me love death." Will you now object to this reasoning and say, that it renders salvation uncertain; by resting it on the obedience of man? Will you say that our arguments go to prove, that unless we come to Christ we never shall be benefited by him? And if we do not learn of him, we shall never find rest to our souls? You feel certain that such conclusions must derive from what we have so plainly proved from the testimony of truth. You reply, most certainly these conclusions must follow. Why then, my dear hearers, do we not read these conclusions drawn from the passages which estab lish our premises? Why did not the Saviour say; But he who will not come unto me, and learn of me, and take my yoke upon him, shall never find rest to his soul? It is generally believed and argued, that this conclusion is necessarily implied in all such scriptures, and perhaps many of you may now think the inference suggested is a necessary result of the passage quoted; but let us listen to the testimony of Jesus still further; "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. And him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." My Christian Brethren, will any of you contend that a real, true manifestation of the blessed Saviour, can fail of drawing the soul to him? You who love his name, who feel his grace, I ask you, can you believe that there is one soul in the vast family of man, that could see the divine beauty of the Redeemer, and not love him? Dr. Watts, who was often led to sing the true honour of Jesus, says; "Did all the world my Saviour know, Now what occasion had Jesus to draw the conclusions which we have noticed? If he had determined to draw all men to himself, he certainly had determined to give rest to all men, for he promises rest to all who come to him. In drawing all men to himself, Jesus is the gate of heaven, he is the way, the truth, and the life, he is the Lord our righteousness. Observe his words "I will draw all men unto me. Such are the powers exerted in the gospel of Christ as ensure the gathering together in one all things in Jesus. As we have spoken of the reward of well doing, as a necessary ingredient in the government of the house of God, it may be expected that something will be suggested concerning that retribution which, in the order of God's house, is inflicted on the disobedient. Respecting this subject too, I have occasion to be particular, because it is erroneously reported of us, that we do not believe that sin is punished. Observe then, with caution, that all the punishments of which we have information in the word of God, are the necessary chastisements which belong to the government of his house; and as they belong to the house of God, they are the gate of heaven. "Now, no chastisement, for the present, |