have been clear and unequivocal, and such as might be supposed to decide this point in favour of the supposition; but no collection of instances can be found, which lean towards it, in a sufficient degree, to render it probable. The whole stream of evidence, furnished both by the public and private history of experimental religion, is against the opinion, which I have endeavoured to disprove, and in favour of that, which I have asserted.

of

Whatever may be the judgment, formed by the spirit of controversy, and cold metaphysical investigation, concerning this part the subject, the doctrine will be readily admitted by all men, who are afflicted by a deep sense of their guilt, and struggle hard to obtain a release from their sinful character; and by all who, having thus suffered, and thus struggled, have felt themselves, in the end, actually released from the dominant control of a sinful disposition.

This doctrine is elucidated by experience, also, in another manner. God, who requires our faith, repentance, and obedience to his Law, has set before us numberless and most powerful motives, to engage our compliance; motives, which, all sober men will acknowledge, ought to persuade us; motives, which are obviously of infinite import. Why do not men, who believe the Gospel to be the Word of God, and who have these motives presented to them, clearly and forcibly, from Sabbath to Sabbath, believe, repent, and obey? No answer, it is presumed, can be given to this question, which will accord with the supposition, against which I contend.

5. There is yet no more difficulty in obeying God, than in doing any thing else, to which our inclination is opposed with equal strength and obstinacy.

A child is equally unable to obey a parent, against whom his will is as much opposed, as to obey God. This inability of children to obey their parents does not, indeed, commonly last through life. But while it lasts, the child can no more obey his parent, than his Maker. In both cases, his inability is, I apprehend, of exactly the same nature. Sometimes, also, it continues while he lives. In such cases, it is, in all respects, the same; equally obstinate, equally enduring, equally preventing him from doing his duty. If, in this case, his filial duty be urged upon him in its religious nature, as required by the Law of God; his opposition to perform his duty to God and his Parent, will be found exactly coincident; to be the same indivisible thing; and to be regarded with the same obduracy of heart.

These considerations will, to a considerable extent, explain many Scriptural passages, which relate to this subject. No man, saith our Saviour, can come unto me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. The true meaning of this, he appears to me to explain in a parallel declaration to the Jews: Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. That he, who is willing to come to Christ, will actually come to him, we are taught by Christ Himself in the last

chapter of the Apocalypse: Whosoever will, or is willing, (‘o deλwv) let him come, and take the water of life freely. From these passages it is evident, that every one, who is willing, has the full permission of Christ to come to him, and partake of his blessings. Indisposition to come to Christ is, therefore, the true, and the only, difficulty, which lies in our way. Those, who cannot come, therefore, are those, and those only, who will not.

The words can and cannot, are used in the Scriptures, just as they are used in the common intercourse of mankind, to express willingness or unwillingness. Thus we customarily say, that we cannot lend, or give, or assist, or pay a debt; when we mean nothing more, than that we are disinclined to these offices. Thus Samuel says to God, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. That Samuel could have gone to Bethlehem, if he had pleased, needs no proof. As soon as his fear of Saul, which had made him unwilling, was removed, he went without any difficulty. 1 Samuel xvi. 2. How can this man give us his flesh? said the Jews to our Saviour: John vi. 52; that is, How can he be willing to give us his flesh? This is a hard saying; who can hear it? John vi. 60. The answer is, Every one that is willing. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized? Acts x. 47. Can ye drink of the сир, that I shall drink of? Mark x. 38. Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? Mark ii. Can a maid forget her ornaments; or a bride her attire? Jer. ii. 32. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Isaiah xlix. 15. Can I hear any more the voice of singing men, and singing women? 2 Sam. ii. 35.

19.

In all these, and the like, instances, there is plainly nothing meant, but inability of disposition, or a strong disinclination to the thing proposed. This is both the natural, and universal, language of men; found, equally, in their conversation and their writings. Children speak this language almost as soon as they begin to speak at all; and on every such occasion, utter it more naturally, than any other language. If the Scriptures would be intelligible to the great body of mankind, they must speak in the same manner. In this manner therefore, God has directed them to be written.

REMARKS.

1. From these observations it is evident, that the disobedience of mankind is their own fault.

Wherever we understand the nature of our duty, and are hindered from performing it by disinclination only, Conscience and Common sense pronounce us to be guilty. Thus they have ever pronounced. The decision has been given in all ages and countries; in every conceivable form of language and conduct; with an universal acknowledgment of its soundness; in the most definite terms; and with the highest solemnity.

2. The degree of our Inability to obey the Divine Law does in no case lessen our guilt.

Certainly he, who is more disinclined to obedience, is not less guilty than he, who is less disinclined. Disinclination to obey, is our inability, and our sin. The greater our disinclination is, the greater plainly, not the less, is our sin.

3. These observations teach us the propriety of urging sinners to immediate repentance.

Their present state is a state of extreme guilt and danger. Of this, it is the duty of every Minister to produce, as far as may be, a strong conviction in their minds. Equally is it his duty to show them, what is equally true, that they are under the highest obligations to repent immediately. They are now, they always have been, sinners. Every sin, of which they have been guilty, demanded their immediate repentance. The only reason, which they can allege for delaying their repentance, is the very reason, why they have hitherto refused to obey the Divine Law: viz. their disinclination. But this is their sin: and sin is itself that, which demands their repentance, instead of being a justification of their delay.

But it will be objected, that the sinner cannot, or in the very language of this discourse, will not, repent of himself. Why, then, should he be urged to immediate repentance? I will give the answer. So long as the sinner feels himself in any degree excused in delaying this duty, there is every reason to fear, that he will be more and more at ease, and more and more disposed to delay. His views will be false, and dangerous; and his conduct will eagerly accord with his views. But a full conviction of his duty will create in him a sense of danger, a conviction of his guilt, and a trembling anxiety concerning his future being. In this situation he will naturally, and almost necessarily, commence those efforts of solemn reflection, that deep attention to the word of God, and those attempts to supplicate for Mercy, that conviction of his helplessness, and that strong sense of the absolute necessity of being sanctified by the Spirit of Grace, which in the usual Providence of God, precede Regeneration.

SERMON CXXXIV.

FAITH AND REPENTANCE NECESSARY TO RESTORE US TO OBEDIENCE.

ACTS XX. 20, 21.-And how I kept back nothing, that was profitable unto you; but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly and from house to house; testifying, both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

IN the preceding discourse, I examined the Inability of Mankind to obey the Divine Law. It is evident, that, if we are ever to be restored to Divine Favour, we must first be restored to a spirit of obedience. The Manner, in which we may obtain this restoration, becomes therefore the next subject of our inquiry.

St. Paul, in the Context, declares to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, and appeals to them for the truth of the declaration, that he had not shunned to declare the whole Counsel of God concerning their salvation. This, he further asserts, he did, by teaching them both publicly, and from house to house, at all seasons, and amid many temptations and sorrows. While he served the Lord with all humility of mind, and many tears; he confidently avers, that he kept back nothing, which was profitable unto them; or, in other words, taught them every thing, which was profitable. Of course, he taught every thing which was profitable to mankind at large, as creatures of God, and candidates for immortality. All this, however, he sums up in the second verse of the Text in these two phrases: Repentance toward God, and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not, indeed, to suppose that, in the literal sense, St. Paul taught nothing but Faith and Repentance to the Ephesian Christians. There can be no reasonable doubt, that he taught the Ephesians, generally, what he taught the Christian world at large; and, particularly, the things contained in the Epistle, which he wrote to the Church at Ephesus. The meaning of the declaration in the Text is, I apprehend, merely that he had taught the doctrines concerning Faith and Repentance, as pre-eminently the means of salvation. That this view of the subject is just, is suffi ciently evident from the context. Here, the Apostle teaches the Elders, to whom his speech was addressed, many things beside these doctrines; and declares, that he had heretofore instructed them in the great duty of communicating good to others, as the amount of all that, which they owed to their fellow-men. The Religion of the Gospel is the religion of sinners: as the Religion of

the Law is that of virtuous beings. The Gospel is a scheme of restoration to beings, who have rebelled against their Maker, and are condemned by the Law, which they have broken, to suffer the punishment due to their sins; but who yet, in consistency with the Character and Government of God, may be forgiven. It is a scheme, by which these beings may be restored to their allegiance, to a virtuous character, and to the Divine favour. If such beings are ever to be restored to the Favour of God; if they are ever to obtain the privileges of good subjects of the Divine Government; it is evident that they must, in some manner or other, be restored to the character of good subjects. In other words, if they are ever to possess the rewards of obedience, they must be previously possessed of the spirit of obedience. Whatever accomplishes for them, or becomes the means of accomplishing, this mighty change in their circumstances, must, to them, be of inestimable importance. As the Gospel contains the Religion of sinners in the situation above mentioned; this importance must belong to the gospel. In a particular manner, must it be attributable to such doctrines, or duties, in the Gospel, as are peculiarly necessary, and absolutely indispensable. From the place, which Faith and Repentance held in the Preaching of St. Paul, it is plain, that they are the important things in question; the immediate and indispensable means of our restoration to obedience, and to the consequent enjoyment of the divine favour.

This truth is abundantly exhibited in many forms throughout the different parts of the New Testament. In Mark i. 14, 15, is contained the following declaration: Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye, and believe the Gospel or, as in the Greek, believe in the Gospel. In this passage we have evidently the substance of our Saviour's preaching: and this is Repentance and Faith in the good tidings of the Divine Kingdom, or the Glorious Dispensation of Mercy to sinners through the Redeemer.

In Acts ii. 37, 38, we are informed, that the Jews, being pricked in their heart by the Preaching of St. Peter, particularly by his pungent exhibition of their guilt in crucifying Christ, inquired of him and John with extreme solicitude, what they should do, to obtain forgiveness and salvation. St. Peter answered them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. To be baptized in the name of Christ is, as every one, who reads the Gospel, knows, a public and most solemn profession of Faith in Him, as the Redeemer of Mankind. St. Peter, therefore, in this answer, makes, in substance, the same declaration with that of St. Paul in the Text.

When the jailer inquired of Paul and Silas, Acts xvi. 30, 31, What he should do to be saved; they answered, Believe on the