fat under no better miniftry? Muft not this then be the reafon? That there are multitudes of whole-hearted finners, even among us, that mingle among us in the fame affembly, and hear the gofpel from the fame lips! Multitudes who are infenfible of their disease, and confequently of their need of a physician! O! inquire, whether this be not the true reason why the gofpel meets with fuch a cold reception among us. Would you know why so many fools make a mock of fin! Why they can go on impenitent in it, apprehending little or no danger from it! Why they are every day finning, and every day merry, thoughtless and gay! Why they can love and delight in fin, which God hates, and which he has threatened with fuch heavy vengeance! Alas! the reason is, they are whole they do not look upon fin as a deadly dif ease that requires a cure, but as their health, which ought to be cherished. This is the disease under which our body politic now languishes. It is this difcafe that enfeebles our counfels and undertakings; but who fufpects that this has any bad influence in the cafe? Who endeavours the cure of this, as the most effectual cure for a languishing, bleeding country! What is the reason that men are cautious of coming near a house infected with a contagious sickness, and that duty itself can hardly constrain them to enter, but that they can venture their fouls without cause into infnaring company, and within the sphere of temptation? Whence is it, that, for the recovery of their mortal bodies, they will submit to the most selfdenying regimen, take the most naufeous draughts, and be at great pains and expence, whilft, for their fouls, they will take no pains, ufe no means, deny themselves in no gratification? What is the reason of this? O it is the fame reafon ftill; they do not feel the leaft fickness of their fouls, but imagine they have a firm, invulnerable conftitution, incapable of infection in the most contagious places, and that it will recover by its native ftrength, without any extrinsic help. VOL. III. Cc Would Would you know why there is fo much spiritual pride and vanity in the world? why fo many religi ous Thrafos, vain boafters, who imagine they can turn to God when they pleafe, in their own ftrength, and who pretend they can perform fuch great things in religion, when they are difpofed to make the attempt ? O! it is because they do not know they are fick: they do not feel themselves enfeebled by fin, and disabled from doing any thing truly good. You have feen fome in a delirium, who imagined they were well, able to go about, and perform their ufual business, when in the mean time they were under the power of a deadly disease, and the symptoms of death perhaps then upon them. Juft fo it is with thefe oftentatious boafters; and could you but cure their delirium, and make them fenfible of their disorders, they would foon feel and confefs themselves poor, weak, languifhing creatures, unable to do any thing, but just as they receive ftrength from on high. Would you know why fo many hate faithful preaching, and resent it if any means are used for their recovery? It is because they imagine themselves well; and fuch do not like to be teafed with the importunities of a phyfician, nor to have difagreeable medicines forced upon them. O! were they but fenfible of their condition, they would willingly submit to the prescriptions. Would you know where know where you fhould begin your religion; or what is the grand preparative for your embracing the gospel in fuch a manner as to be faved by it? To this interefting inquiry you may easily infer and anfwer from what has been faid. Begin your religion in a deep fenfe of fin; let your wound be probed to the quick, in order to a thorough cure, otherwise it would be but flightly fkinned over, and it will again break out, and prove more dangerous than ever: labour to get a deep sense of your disease, and then you will fo give yourfelves up to the Phyfician, that he may apply to you what he thinks proper, and make an effectual cure. Some Some of you perhaps have wondered why you fee poor mourning creatures here and there, that cannot live as you do, thoughtless, careless, and unaffected. You afcribe it perhaps to melancholy, to precifenefs, to hypocrify, or an affectation of fingularity. But I will tell you the true reason, They are fick; they feel themselves fick; whereas you imagine yourselves well; and you cannot wonder that the fick and the healthy fhould behave in a different manner. Why do they not neglect Jefus Christ, as you do? O! it is because they are fick, heart-fick, and therefore must long and cry for a phyfician. Why do they not indulge themfelves in fin, as you do? It is because they are fick of it; they fee it to be a mortal poison, and they cannot be eafy while they feel it working through their frame. Why do they use the means with fo much earneftnefs? Why do they pray, and hear, and attend upon every religious ordinance with so much zeal and folicitude? Why can they not, like you, attend upon them in a careless, formal way, or entirely neglect them? O the reafon is, they are fick, heart-fick, and they are using these means for their recovery. And did you view yourselves in the fame just light, you would use them too: Yes, you would be as ftrict, as earnest, as laborious, as any of them. Why do they not, like you, abandon themselves, and devote all their time, to fome worldly purfuit? O! it is because they are fick, and must take time for the ufe of means for their recovery, whatever be omitted. Why are they fo much afraid of temptation, and keep out of its way? It is because they are afraid of a relapfe, and that fin, their old disease, will renew its ftrength. Whence are they fo often filled with doubts, and fears, and anxious perplexities? O! it is because the symptoms of the diforder are doubtful, and they know not whether they are in a way of recovery or not. When they are fatisfied in this point, then they can rejoice, and that with a joy more noble than you are capable of. And, And, poor fick fouls, be of good cheer, you shall yet be healed. Yes, there is balm in Gilead; there is a Physician there; Jefus can heal you: and bleffed be his name, he is as willing as he is able. Continue ftedfaft in the use of the means appointed for your recovery, and he will make them efficacious. Yes, thefe fick fouls of yours fhall yet be as healthy and vigorous as an angel, and you fhall ere long be advanced to the region of immortal health, where the inhabitants no more fay, I am fick; where you fhall breathe a pure falubrious air, agreeable to your delicate conftitutions, and be vigorous and lively for ever. Do not think much of it, that a disease so inveterate and mortal fhould be painful and difficult in the cure. The operation will not laft long; and if it does but fucceed, the pain and felf-denial will be infinitely more than compensated. The deep fenfe of your disorder is often difcouraging to you: O! you are afraid it will at laft prove mortal. But this very thing ought to encourage you. The perfons that I cannot speak one comfortable word to, are not of your character; they are the fecure, whole-hearted finners; but for you there is strong confolation: fo ftrong that it may bear down all your fears before it. The fenfe of your diforder qualifies you for the Physician, and renders you proper objects of his care. The poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind, the broken-hearted, are the characters of the perfons that he has to do with, and who are recovering under his hands. And are not these your characters! They are indeed humbling and mortifying; but, O! they are encouraging, as they prepare you for Chrift's healing care. But as for you, whole-hearted finners, I muft pronounce you loft and dead fouls. Jefus himself has declared, that he has no business with fuch as you. And if he cafts you off, O! what other phyfician can you employ? Alas! you will die in your fins!-Die in your fins! O! dreadful! better die in a ditch, or a dungeon, dungeon, than die in your fins! Therefore now labour to be fenfible of your diforder, while it is curable; for all that are not healed in this life, are given up as incurable for ever. Now apply to Christ as a Phyfician, for he is willing to undertake your cure! SERMON LIII. A SIGHT OF CHRIST THE DESIRE AND DELIGHT OF SAINTS IN ALL AGES. * JOHN viii. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced [earneftly defired] to fee my day; and he faw it, and was glad. HEN we see the crowd, the unthinking ma W jority of mankind in our day, neglect the Lord Jefus, we fee nothing new. This neglect is indeed ftupid, ungrateful, criminal, and extremely affecting and lamentable; but in this refpect, as well as others, there is no new thing under the fun. The bleffed Jefus has been despised and rejected of men, in every age, ever fince fin first entered into the world, and raised enmity against him in the mind of man. But, bleffed be God, fuch excellency has attracted love and admiration in every age. He has been loved and adored, not only by the angels, who know him beft, and are spectators of his glory in his native heaven, where he keeps his court in confpicuous fplendor, but also by fome poor finners of the race of man, in every period of time, fince his glory first dawned A Sacramental Sermon. upon |