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like the father of the fallen race, beget in our likeness, fallen, depraved creatures; but God only, the father of a perfect race can remake and transform us into his own bleffed image.

Cannot these bleffings fo neceffary to bring to heaven, be discovered by learning and found out, and obtained by much knowledge? No, if any man would be wife to falvation he muft become a fool that he may be wife; for God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world, nor hath any man by wifdom found out God. Was the preaching of the cross in the days of Paul the apostle foolifhnefs to the wife? Yes, and either that preaching of the cross muft lofe its native fimplicity, or it will meet with no better treatment in any age, nor with a more favourable reception at any place. The rich and the poor, the wife and the unwife are all upon a level in the fight of God; with him there is no respect of perfons, as he has no pleasure in the strength of an borse, neither delighteth be in the legs of a man; fo the blooming youth, and the hoary head, the enthroned monarch, and the fhackled flave, are equally regarded by him ; and in refpect to his fupreme and fovereign majefty are very vanity and lefs than nothing. The prophet in order to humble the haughtiness of man, and afcribe all our falvation to God alone, delivers himself in these words; "the vifion of "all is become unto you as the words of a book "that is fealed, which men deliver to one that "is learned, faying, read this I pray thee; and "he faith I cannot for it is fealed. And the "book is delivered to him that is not learned,

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faying, read this I pray thee; and he faith, I દ am not learned,”

Thus

Thus is the book of God, a fealed book, and none but the lion of the tribe of Judah can open the feals, teach true wisdom, and put a finner into the poffeflion of these transcendant bleffings. As the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, fo the bleffings we are enquiring after are not to the worldly wife; for thus it is written, faith the great preacher to the corinthians, I will destroy the wisdom of the wife, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent; and then in a kind of holy triumph cries out, where is the wife? Where is the fcribe? Where is the difputer of this world? What is worldly wifdom when employed to find out God, and the things of God, if they are not revealed unto us by his spirit? The Lord Jefus on this account said, I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes. I fpeak not these things to depreciate learning, but to circumfcribe it's latitude; it may be greatly useful when properly employed, and in it's own sphere; but Hagar muft not take upon her, what properly belongs to Sarah; human pride must not attempt to perfom a tafk, which fovereign wisdom claims a fole title to.

But has the man of wealth and abundance no prerogative, cannot thefe bleffings be procured for money? No, fooner may dung and drofs pay an equivalent for the moft immenfe fums of gold and jewels; riches, though bleffings in themfelves, and for which the poffeffor must be accountable, as a talent given for improvement; yet are fo far from helping a man forward in the way to heaven, that they too commonly pinion his heart and af

fections

fections faft down to earth. The text before us affords an awful proof of this; the young man either had really or feignedly a defire to obtain eternal life, but that, fell all thou hast and give to the poor, difcovered and laid open his ftrong and indiffolvable attachment to the life that perifheth; and this led our Saviour to make the following obfervation, how hardly fhall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. As the falvation of any man is a miracle of grace and mercy; fo in the falvation of a rich man the prodigy is greater; the fnares, temptations, allurements, and obftructions of various kinds that ftand in the way of the rich, speaking after the manner of men, make their falvation impoffible; but with God all things are poffible. Therefore although in the language of the apostle, not many wife, not many mighty, not many noble are called," yet in the judgment of charity, fome of all these are called; for falvation belongeth to the Lord, and we are faved by grace.

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But will good works avail nothing to the obtaining these bleffings? Good works will lofe nothing of their juft weight, in the ballance of the fanctuary; but who can produce good works from bad principles? Make the tree good, and it's fruit will be good, but to talk of good works in order to obtain a good heart, is like talking of making a good tree from the bad fruit produced by it. What good works can be expected from that man, who as to all fpiritual exercifes is without ftrength? The apoftle does not fay weak; for a weak man performs fomething not exceeding the measure of his ftrength; but (aft benon) having no strength, therefore utterly incapable of performing any act, to

Befides,

lift a feather, or remove a mountain. tomake a work good, there must first be a good intention; or in other words, every gracious act (and none else can be pleafing to God) must proceed from a gracious principle; but every cause must be prior to the caused; therefore a good heart to a good life; or a renewed heart to a renewed life.

Furthermore, my friends, when you talk of good works, what conceptions have you of the law of God? You ought to confider it as a touchftone by which the quality of metal, gold, filver, &c. is to be tried; and if your good works are not free from all adulteration of pride, felf, and every imperfection, though you may commend their currency and attempt to pafs them as genuine; yet will the Lord esteem them as reprobate fi ver, and reject them as drofs. Again, you ought to confider the law of God as a perfect balance, in which, all your works are to be strictly weighed ; and if there be any thing fhort of a perfect love to God, producing perfect obedience in every step in life; the dreadful writing will appear against you, as it did against the impious Belshazzar, thou art weighed in the ballance, and art wanting.

Moreover, could you produce an obedience in full tale, adequate to the utmoft ftandard of the holy law, this would be no more than your bounden duty, and you would ftill have caufe to fay, we are unprofitable fervants; nor could fuch obedience perfevered in to the end, make atonement for your paft tranfgreffions; but you must still enquire, What good thing fhall I do to inherit eternal life?

But it may be enquired again, cannot the preach

ers of God's word convey these bleffings? No, they can only like John the baptift, point out unto you the great and glorious perfon whofe prerogative it folely is to confer them; faying with him, he is greater than I; or in the words of Pe ter, to this man, this JESUS give all the prophets witness, nor is there falvation in any other. The moft eminent minifters of Jefus Chrift, are no more (in refpect to their office) than ambaffadors of Chrift, to whom it is given to treat with fine ners, to publish the fovereign edict of their prince; and preach in pursuance of their commiffion, the unfearchable riches of Chrift. In other refpects they can do nothing for you, fave that in common with all that love the fouls of men, prefent you at the throne of grace in their continual fupplications to God. Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God must give the blessing of increase; the Lord fends by whom he will, and what he will he accomplishes by the meffage they bear; for he is a jealous God, and will not give his glory to another.

Suffer me juft to add in a few words before I difmifs this particular, that there is one thing which a ininifter of Jefus Chrift can do, and it is that kind office which I cordially would perform to you. When the foolish virgins found their mif take, in not having prepared oil for their lamps, the wife faid unto them, go to them that fell and buy, but gave them no particular directions where to be fupplied; but my defign is to inform you where you may be supplied at the best hand, as we commonly fay; Jefus Chrift that defpifed Nazarene, that (Talui) that hanged man as the Jews were wont in derifion to call him; he has all these blef

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