c

;

"delightful and important truth; if you do "not heartily refolve to do no more iniquity; if you do not labour daily, and with all your might, to fubdue and mortify every fin you have no part in these bleffings." Is not this, Sirs, an affecting and awakening confideration? Can any one more eafily forego the invaluable, the eternal bleffings of the gofpel, than deny himfelf the intoxicating draught; or give up the gains of unrightcoufnefs; or restrain a violent paffion, which, while it is indulged, torments; or relinquish gratifications, which yield only a tumultuous joy? Can any one be content to risk heaven and eternal happiness rather than lose the pleasures of fin, which are but for a feafon? God grant that a better heart may be found in us, a more juft difcernment of our intereft, a more serious, determined attention to our true happiness; that we may be kept from every presumptuous fin, that no iniquity may have dominion over us.

Laftly, Let us review this fubject with devout joy and gratitude. Every part of it furnisheth a motive for thankfulness. "GOD,

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"to bless every one that turneth from his ini

quity." Whether we confider the unworthiness of the objects, to whom this condefcenfion and grace have been shewn; whether we reflect on the inestimable benefits conferred; or whether we meditate on the measures purfued for accomplishing the counfels of grace; every view of the fubject is fuited to raise our wonder, to inflame our love, and to enliven our devout joy.

How great was that love, which fent CHRIST JESUS into the world, not to execute justice, not to doom finners to destruction, not to condemn, but to blefs! How great is that love, which offers the most valuable bleffings to a finful world; which hath made us "fons of GoD and heirs of glory;" which enlightens the ignorant, pardons the guilty, and reforms the finful; which calls men to virtue, and raises them to immortality! How great was that love, how amazingly gracious, which hath imparted these noble bleffings to "enemies and the ungodly;" which paffeth by our innumerable offences, and exerciseth mercy to a degenerate and guilty race, who merited by their tranfgreffions, the feverest

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displeasure! Who can understand the riches of that grace, of that abundant mercy, which fpared not CHRIST JESUS, but freely deli"vered him up for us ;"" which hath blessed us with all spiritual bleffings;" which "turn"eth us from our iniquities; and faveth us " from the wrath to come?"

Awake every power of the foul to adore and praise this great love. Let the glory be given unto GOD, due to his name and his goodness. Praise Him with joyful lips. Praise Him with your lives. Juftice, and gratitude, and fear, and love, and hope, and intereft, do all prefs us to yield ourselves to GOD: whatever hath any power to move our hearts urges us to every return of gratitude. Come, let us offer to Him the facrifice of thanksgiving, and declare his works of grace with rejoicing. Come, let us unite in one refolution to "< present ourselves to Him a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto him; "which is our reasonable service.' Amen.

1 Rom. viii. 32. m Ephes. i. 3. "Rom. xii. I,

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SERMON VIII.

CHRIST OUR HEAVENLY TEACHER.

JOHN 111. 13.

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that come from down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven.

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THE

HE common language of the Jews was highly figurative, as appeareth from all their writings that are preserved to us. This will often cause obscurity to the reader, and create many mistakes, especially if a literal conftruction be attempted, where there are plain indications of a metaphorical meaning. Our Saviour CHRIST, who was a Jew, not only fpake the common language of his country; but alfo as he was a prophet, the great prophet of God, and the*