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fovereign, that I cannot love him :" Or a robber, “I have fuch an aversion to honesty, that I cannot possibly help stealing?" Would not this be an aggravation of the crime rather than an excufe? Is the invincible ftrength of your difaffection to Chrift a vindication of it? Are you the more excufable, by how much the more you hate him?-Sinners, give up this foolish reasoning, for the matter is too important to be trifled with. Your inability in this cafe is nothing else but your unwillingness; and your unwillingness is the effect of nothing elfe but your difaffection to Jefus Chrift; therefore own that this is the true caufe of your de ftruction.

In fhort, whatever pleas and excufes you make, you will find at laft that your deftruction is entirely the effect of your own perverfe choice. Ye will not come unto Chrift that ye might have life, John v. 40. and therefore you must perish without it. This reflection will for ever torment you, that you wilfully deftroyed yourfelves, and were guilty of the moft unnatural felf-murder. Jefus was willing, but you would not. God has even fworn that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn and live. To you therefore I may properly addrefs that expoftulation, Why will ye die? Why will ye? why do ye moft wilfully destroy yourselves? why do ye ruin yourfelves by your own free choice? why will you die? you, whom Jefus is willing to fave, whom he has fo often invited, why will you, above all men in the world, caufelessly die by your own act? Are you capable of so much stupidity? It is a stupidity that is a dreadful peculiarity of your own, for,

7. Unwillingness to fly to Jefus is the moft irrational, and worse than brutal ftupidity.

This is implied in my text. No fooner does the hen give the fignal of danger, than her little family, taught by instinct to understand the alarm, immediately fly under her wings. "So, fays Chrift, I gave you the alarm, but you would not regard it; fo I

fpread

fpread out the wing of my guardian care to defend you, but you would not fhelter under it." What more than brutal ftupidity is this? In this light, the conduct of finners is frequently expofed in the facred writings. The ox knoweth his owner, fays Ifaiah, and the afs his mafter's crib, but Ifrael doth not know, my people doth not confider. Ifaiah i. 3. Every one turneth to his courfe, fays Jeremiah, as the horse rufheth into the battle; yea, the fork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the fwallow, obferve the time of their coming; but my people, more ftupid than they, know not the judgment of the Lord. Jer. viii. 6, 7. To refuse the offer of eternal falvation, when propofed upon the most reasonable terms-to rufh into hell, rather than be faved by the friendly hands of Jefus Chrift-to fuffer the most terrible execution, rather than accept a free pardon-to reject all the blifs of heaven when freely propofed-to choose the pleasures of fin for a season, rather than an eternity of the most exalted happiness-to refift the calls of redeeming love, and all the friendly efforts of divine grace, to fave a finking foul-Is this the conduct of a reasonable creature? No; fhew me the brute, if you can, that would act fo ftupid a part in things that come within the fphere of his capacity. Would it not be better for you to be a cat or dog (to ufe the language of the Earl of Rochefter) than that animal Man, who is fo proud of being rational, if you make fo irrational a choice? Let me endeavour to make you fenfible,

8. And lastly, That this conduct is extremely affecting and lamentable.

It is on this account, that Jefus laments over Jerufalem in fuch pathetic ftrains in my text. He knew the truth of the cafe; his all-feeing eye took it in all its extent, and viewed it in all its circumstances and confequences. And fince he, who knew it beft, deeply laments it, we may be fure it is lamentable indeed, and it cannot but appear fo even to us who know fo little of it. An immortal foul loft! loft for ever! loft by

its own obftinacy! loft amidst the means of falvation! how tragical a cafe is this?-God difhonoured! Jesus rejected! his love defeated! his blood trampled upon! his fpirits grieved! how lamentable is this?-And yet are there not fome of you in this lamentable condition in this affembly? It was over fuch as you that Jefus wept and mourned. And fhall he And shall he weep alone? fhall not our tears keep time with his, fince we are so much more nearly concerned? O that our heads were waters, and our eyes fountains of tears, that we might weep along with the Saviour of men! But, alas! our tears are too much referved for dying friends, or fome lefs affecting object, while immortal fouls perish around us, unpitied, unlamented!

SERMON XLVII.

THE NATURE OF LOVE TO GOD AND CHRIST OPENED AND ENFORCED.

JOHN xxi. 17. He faith unto him the third time, Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me? Peter was grieved because be faid unto him the third time, Loveft thou me? And be faid unto him, Lord, thou knoweft all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jefus faith unto him, Feed my Sheep.

THE

HERE is nothing more effential to religion, or of more importance in it, than divine love. Divine love is the fole fpring of all acceptable obedience in this life, and the grand prerequifite for complete happiness in the enjoyment of God in the world to come; and without it, all our religion, all our gifts and improvements, however high and miraculous, are vain.

And

And as it is of the utmost importance in reality, it is confeffed to be fo by all mankind, who acknowledge the existence of a Deity. Whatever be the religion, or whatever be the object, ftill it is univerfally acknowledged, that love is an effential part of it. And indeed the evidence for this is so very glaring, that it is no wonder mankind have not been able to shut their eyes against it. Religion without love, is as great a contradiction as friendship without love. To worship a God whom we do not love, to adore excellences which we difaffect, to profefs a religion founded by an enemy, this is the greateft abfurdity imaginable. Such a religion must appear abominable to God and

man.

Now divine love is the fubject of my text, which I have chofen for your prefent meditation; and you fee I have not chofen a fubject that is trifling in itself, or the difputed peculiarity of a party. You need not, therefore, be under apprehenfions, that I would profelyte you to any thing but the fincere love of God and Jefus Chrift. However, I would not have you judge of my design by my verbal declarations, but by the apparent tendency of my difcourfe, of which you will be able to form a judgment when I have done.Therefore entertain no prejudices or fufpicions till you fee reafon, left you deprive yourselves of that benefit you might otherwife receive from your prefent attend

ance.

There is fo little folicitous inquiry among men concerning the fincerity of their love to God, that it would feem felf-evident, and beyond all difpute.Whatever fins they indulge themselves in, however much they practically neglect God and religion, yet ftill they infift upon it, they love him fincerely. This piece of merit they all claim, as belonging to them beyond difpute. But is divine love indeed a thing fo common, fo univerfal? We read that the carnal mind is enmity against God. Rom. viii. 7. And is there no fuch thing as a carnal mind now to be found upon VOL. III. earth?

M

earth? We are told of some that were haters of God. Rom. i. 30. enemies in their minds by wicked works. Col. i. 21. And are there none fuch to be found among us? The heart-fearching Jefus, while converfant among mortals, told the Jews, who made fo great a profeffion of their love to God, and suspected their own fincerity as little as any of us, I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. John v. 42. And were he now to pafs fentence upon us, would he not make the fame declaration with regard to fundry of us, who, perhaps, are leaft apprehenfive of it? Is it a needlefs thing for us to enter into a ferious conference with our own hearts, and ask them, "Do I indeed love the ever bleffed God, and the only Saviour? Will my love ftand the teft? What are its properties and effects?" Is this, my brethren, a fuperfluous or impertinent inquiry? I am fure it did not feem fo to Chrift, who put Peter to the trial upon this point no less than thrice.

Our Lord made a meal with his difciples, to convince them of the reality of his body after his refurrection. When it was finifhed, he turns to Peter, and afks him a very ferious queftion, Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me? The very propofal of the queftion feems to fuppofe that Peter had given fome reafon to fufpect his love to him, as he had really done, a few days before, by denying him thrice, with fhocking aggravations; and with this reference the inquiry was very cutting to Peter, and no doubt made him think thus with himfelf: "Ah! it is no wonder my Lord fhould call my love in queftion, who fo lately most ungratefully denied him." The queftion is put to him openly, before the whole company, which might perhaps increafe his confufion; but it was prudently ordered, that he might declare his love to Jefus as openly as he had denied him, and that his brethren might be fatisfied of his fincerity, and recovery from his late fall.

The firft form of the queftion implies a comparifon: Simon, fon of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?

that

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