norance of this keeps many Christians in a languishing, dejected state. Though they know that the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in Christ, and that all grace is treasured up in him for the ben

the glory as of the only begotten of the is willing and ready to impart his grace Father) full of grace and truth." "It unto them according to their need. Ighath pleased the Father," saith the apostle Paul," that in him should all fulness dwell." Nay, "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Coloss. ii. 9. Here then is not only fulness, but all fulness; nay, the whole fulness of the God-efit of his people, they are nevertheless head dwelling in Christ Jesus: and what words can import a sufficiency of grace, if these do not? But may we hope that this grace shall be imparted to us? Yes, we may. For, in the

haunted with fears and jealousies about his willingness to communicate this treasure to them. These partly arise from the sense of their own unworthiness, and partly from the misrepresentations of 2d place, The Scriptures assure us, Satan, the great adversary, who doth that all this grace is treasured up in Christ every thing in his power to cherish and for the behoof of his people. I need not strengthen those evil surmisings which mention particular passages of Scripture keep sinners at a distance from the founfor the proof of this, seeing it evidently tain of mercy, and drive them away from appears from the whole strain of divine that Almighty Saviour upon whom their revelation, where Christ is uniformly re- help is laid. But, blessed be God! the presented as a public person, sustaining Scriptures furnish us with arguments more the character of Mediator or Surety, liv- than sufficient to refute all the suggesing and dying, not for himself, but for the tions of Satan upon this head. The good sake of those whom the Father had given will of our Lord shines with such glory him. Hence he is called the head, and in every page of this sacred book, that believers are styled the members of his there can remain no rational ground to body. He is compared to the vine; and, doubt of it: "In the last day, that great in a suitableness to this figurative repre- day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, sentation, believers are denominated bran- saying, If any man thirst, let him come ches which grow out of this vine, and de- unto me and drink. He that believeth on rive all their sap and nourishment from it. me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of livThat remarkable prophecy of Isaiah, (chap. ing water. This," adds the evangelist, lxi. 1,-3.) which our Lord applied to "spake he of the Spirit, which they that behinself in the synagogue at Nazareth, is a lieve on him should receive." John vii. 37, clear and strong confirmation of this truth: 38, 39. He is represented, in the book of "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the Revelation, as standing at the door, and because the Lord hath anointed me to knocking, with these gracious words in his preach good tidings unto the meek; he mouth, "If any man will hear my voice, hath sent me to bind up the broken-heart- and open the door, I will come in to him and ed, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sup with him, and he with me." How sweet the opening of the prison to them that are is his name, Jesus, a Saviour! how endearbound; to appoint unto them that mourn ing the relations he stands in to his people, in Zion, to give unto them beauty for as their Shepherd and Friend, their Husashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the gar- band, their Brother? Was he not temptment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; ed, that he might succor those who are that they might be called trees of righteous- tempted? And can we have any reason to ness, the planting of the Lord, that he question his love to us, who became flesh might be glorified." Here is a plain de- of our flesh, and bore our griefs, for this claration, that Christ was anointed, and very end, that he might be gracious? filled with the Spirit, for this very end, Nay, we may appeal to facts for the proof that he might dispense to his people those of this doctrine. All the ransomed supplies of grace which their various cases around the throne, who overcame by the and necessities might require. We are blood and Spirit of the Lamb, give testifurther assured, mony to this great and important truth dly. That Christ, upon all occasions, and I trust there are many thousands up

on earth, who, with humble gratitude and] How completely amiable doth the joy, can attest the same, and say with the Lord Jesus appear when viewed in this apostle John," Of his fulness have all we light! How safe and happy are they who received, and grace for grace. More are vitally united to him! "The young might be said upon this head; but you lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they have heard enough to show, that believers that fear the Lord shall not want any in Christ have all possible encouragement | good thing." "O sing unto the Lord a to come boldly to a throne of grace, in new song, and his praise in the congrethe assured hope that they shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help them in every time of need. And therefore I shall only add,

children; and when you suffer in this saith God, "will I be inquired of by the manner, you have the honor to suffer in house of Ísrael to do it for them. Paul, the best of causes, and with the best of you see, besought the Lord thrice before company. "Marvel not, my brethren, he received the answer in my text. Prayer if the world hate you; " it hated your keeps the communication open between Lord before it hated you, and the servant the head and the members; it is the mesis not greater than his Master. If ye senger that goes from earth to heaven, were of the world, the world would love and returns with all necessary blessings its own; but because ye are not of the from thence. Beware, then, of neglecting world, and because Christ hath called this necessary duty. Pray in faith, pray you out of the world, upon these accounts in the name of Christ, pray without ceasthe world hateth you. "Rejoice, there-ing: and beg of Christ to teach you to fors, and be exceeding glad; for great is pray aright, that you may ask and reyour reward in heaven." ceive, and then your joy shall be full. 2dly. Maintain a constant sense of your Now, brethren, I commend you to God, own weakness. Remember that caution" and to the word of his grace, which is of the apostle, "Be not high-minded, but able to build you up, and to give you an fear." You can only work to purpose inheritance among all them which are when you work upon a present strength; sanctified." And to him who is able to the grace you receive to-day will need a keep us from falling, whose grace is suffifresh supply of grace to revive and actuate cient for all his people, at all times, and it to-morrow; for Christ always dispenseth in all circumstances, to the only wise God his peculiar gifts in such a way as to re- and our Saviour, be glory and honor, domind his people of their constant depend- minion and power, for ever and ever. ence upon him, and to render them diligent Amen. in the use of all the means he hath appointed for promoting the divine life in their souls. At the same time,

3dly. Think honorably of your Lord, in whose service you are engaged. Believe it, whatever Satan may suggest to the contrary, that his heart is kind, and his hand liberal. It is of the highest importance to have just conceptions of Christ, and to know what mercy and strength are laid up for us in him. Look not so much to your enemies as to the Captain of your salvation; set his promises against their threatening, his omnipotent grace against their impotent malice. Be ye therefore bold and very courageous; victory is insured to you; it is already sown in that new nature you have got; and ere long the Prince of Peace, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, shall bruise Satan underneath your feet, and put that triumphant song into your mouths, "Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

4thly. Remember, that all this sufficient grace is only to be obtained by prayer and supplication : "For this,"

1

SERMON XXXVI.

THE GREAT TRUST.

-"But as we were allowTHESSALONIANS, II. 4.ed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but GOD, which trieth our hearts."

WHEN we compare ourselves with the primitive Christians, we are obliged to confess, that, in every respect, we fall greatly short of their attainments. We seem to be creatures of a lower rank, incapable of reaching the same degree of perfection with them: And indeed it is to be suspected, that through a false and vicious modesty, we look upon these ancient worthies as examples which, though we ought to imitate, we can never hope to equal. Hence we rest satisfied with any distant resemblance we can attain, thinking, that if we are not altogether unlike to them, it is all that a modern Christian can expect.

This is a gross and most pernicious mistake. The gate of heaven is no wider now than it was seventeen hundred years

preaching that gospel which he had received in trust from God. It was this which rendered the first Christians superior to adversity in all its frightful forms; and it is the same divine principle, which, if once it got the entire possession of our hearts, would be a constant spring of holy obedience, and enable us, by the blessing of God, to follow the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, through the most rugged paths of virtue, untainted with that meanness and inconstancy of behavior which are the reproach of so many professing Christians in our days.

ago. The law of God extends as far as supported him under the ignominious treatit did when the apostles lived; and I ment he met with at Philippi, which he know of no indulgence granted to us mentions in the second verse of this chapwhich did not exist in the earliest times ter, and encouraged him to persist in of Christianity. The church of Rome indeed hath taught, that some eminent Christians have done more than was strictly necessary for their own salvation. But no such doctrine is to be found in Scripture: Nay, on the contrary, we are told, that when we have done all, we are still unprofitable servants, and have done no more than what was our duty to do. To this day, therefore, we are bound to the same strictness and purity, to the same mortification and self-denial, to the same zeal and steadfastness, which distinguished the primitive Christians; and it is impossible to devise any excuse for our degeneracy from their bright example. They were all men of like passions with ourselves: they had the same corrupt nature to strive against, the same tempta tions to resist, the same enemies to overcome. Their advantages for performing their duty were not greater than ours: on the contrary, besides all that they possessed, we have the benefit of their example and experience. God's hand is not shortened, the blood of Christ hath lost none of its virtue, his intercession is no less prevalent, nor is the power of his Spirit in the least impaired by length of time and constant exercise. "He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever:" So that we are entirely without excuse, if we do not both aim at it, and actually attain the same degrees of holiness and purity with any of those that have gone before us.

Let us then consider all those persons celebrated in Scripture history, as examples which we not only ought to copy after, but may, through God's grace, hope to equal: and, instead of being dazzled with the lustre of their virtues, let us search into the principles which infiuenced their conduct, that, by cherishing these, we may be animated to go on, and do as they did.

The apostle mentions, in the text, one of distinguished efficacy, which I propose to make the subject of this discourse: A supreme desire to please God, who trieth the heart, without regard either to the praise or censure of men. It was this which

I propose, therefore, through divine assistance, 1st, To open the nature and extent of the divine principle mentioned in my text; 2dly, To represent the happy effects which would flow from our being animated with this steady and prevailing desire. After which I shall conclude with a practical improvement on the subject.

I BEGIN with opening the nature and extent of the divine principle mentioned in the text. And to prevent any mistakes on this head, it may be needful to observe, that our making the approbation of God our principal aim, does not exclude all regard to the opinion or judg ment of our fellow-creatures. We are certainly bound by that great law of our religion, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," to make the pleasing of our brethren, by every lawful means, an object of attention, and a subordinate end of our conduct. And as our neighbor is commanded to love us as himself, both reason and religion teach us to render ourselves as amiable to him as we can, that so we may facilitate his performance of that important duty.

Neither, on the other hand, are we wholly to disregard the censures of men, or be altogether unconcerned, when our reputation is blackened by injurious calumnies. "A good name is better than precious ointment." It is a special blessing which we are to receive with thankfulness from the hand of God; and it is our duty to preserve it as carefully as we can. Without a good name, no man can

be useful in the world. To neglect it therefore, where it does not proceed from a consciousness of guilt, is certainly in most cases a very culpable indifference. Thus far, then, the judgment of men is to be regarded; but then we must please our brethren only so far as it is pleasing to God. In every case we must state the matter thus: Whether it is wiser to obey God or man? to fear those who, after they have killed the body, have no more that they can do? or to fear him who, after he hath killed, can destroy both soul and body in hell? We must not only contemn the favor of men when compared with the approbation of God, but learn to value it among those transitory things which are only desirable as means for attaining a higher end.

or say of me, if I act in this manner? Will it endanger my reputation, or hurt my interst, or prevent my rising in the world? You will easily see that a considerable time must elapse before all these difficult points can be settled. Weheras the man whose single aim is to please God, is at once freed from all these incumbrances. He no sooner discovers the will of God, than he proceeds immediately to action; and whilst the other is bewildered with numberless conjectures, he goes cheerfully forward, leaving all his temporal concerns in the hands of that God by whose law he is governed, and to whose disposal he is entirely resigned. And is not this an unspeakable advantage, towards abounding in the fruits of righteousness? How free is the mind of such a man? how In like manner, the displeasure of men, firm are his steps? He walks straight if unjust, must be reckoned among our forward, without deviating into by-paths; light afflictions, which are but for a mo- and whilst his conscience tells him that he ment. In such circumstances, it must is accepted of God, he enjoys a pure and appear a small matter to us to be judged unmixed tranquillity, which the world can of man's judgment: "We have one that neither give nor take away. judgeth us, even God." That prophecy of our Saviour must be constantly remembered, that the world will hate us; and his example must be ever before our eyes, who condescended to be scorned, and buffeted, and slandered as an impostor and blasphemer; who made himself of no reputation, but endured the cross, and despised the shame, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. In a word, God must be pleased by all means; his approbation is the one thing needful; he is now our Witness, and will ere long be our Judge; and in these two characters we ought constantly to set him before us. This is the temper which the apostle expresseth in the text. I proceed now,

in the

Second place, to represent the happy effects which would flow from our being animated with this steady and prevailing desire of pleasing God.

And, in the 1st place, This would make us ready to every good work, by removing all those grounds of hesitation and suspense, whereby double-minded people are perplexed and retarded in their way. A man must be very slow in his motions, when every step is burdened with such questions as these: What will men think

A 2d happy effect that would flow from our being animated with a steady and prevailing desire of pleasing God, would be, that our conduct would thereby become consistent and uniform. God alone is invariable. What pleased him yesterday, pleaseth him to-day as well; and though his commandments are exceeding broad, yet they perfectly agree among themselves, and make one beautiful and harmonious system. Whereas men not only differ from one another, but at times from themselves also, and require opposite and contradictory things, which makes it absolutely impossible to please any number of them at one time, or even to continue long in the favor of any one of them, without the most disgraceful inconsistencies in our conduct; but he, whose single aim is to please God, in some measure resembles the Father of lights, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." "His path is as the morning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' His character is still brightening; he advanceth from one degree of grace to another; and is every moment drawing nearer to the enjoyment of that God whose approbation he constantly sought.

In the 3d place, The divine principle