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SERMON LIII.

A Sight of Chrift the Defire and Delight of Saints in all Ages.

John viii. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced (earnestly defired) to fee my day; and he faw it, and was glad.

SERMON LIV.

The Law and Gospel.

197-214

Gal. iii. 23. But before faith came, we were under the law, Shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

SERMON LV.

The Gofpel-Invitation.

215-240

Luke xiv. 21-24. Then the mafter of the houfe, being angry, faid to his fervant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the fervant faid, Lord, it' is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord faid unto the fervant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled. For I fay unto you, that none of thofe men that were bidden fhall taste of my Supper. 240-256

SERMON LVI

The Nature of Juftification, and the Nature and Concern of Faith in it.

Rom. i. 16, 17. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift, for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth; to the few firft, and alfo to the Greek; for therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith-or, therein is the righteoufnefs of God by faith revealed to faith. 250-284

SERMON LVII.

The Success of the Miniftry of the Gofpel owing to a divine Influence.

1 Cor. iii, 7. So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increafe.

284-308

SERMON LVIII.

The Rejection of Gofpel-Light the Condemnation of Men.

John iii. 19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, becaufe (or, for) their deeds are evil. 308-323

SERMON LIX.

A New Year's Gift.

Rom. xii. 11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of fleep; for now is our falvation nearer than when we believed.

SERMON LX.

324-343

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On the Death of his late Majefty King Garg II.

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2 Sam. i. 19. How are the mighty fallen!

34- 263

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SERMON LXI.

Religion and Patriotifin the Conftituents of a good

Soldier.

2 Sam. x. 12. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God. And the Lord do that which feemeth him good. 363-387

SERMON LXII.

The Crifis: or, the uncertain Doom of Kingdoms at particular Times.

Jonah iii. 9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perijh not. 387-411

SERMON LXIII.

The Curfe of Cowardice.

Jer. xlviii. 10. Curfed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully; and curfed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

Specimen of the Author's Poetry.

412-430

431

SERMON XLII.

THE VESTLS OF MERCY AND THE VESSELS OF WRATH DELINEATED.

Rom. ix. 22, 23.-The vessels of wrath fitted to de ftruction; and--the vefels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory.

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HE true notion of the prefent world is, that it a ftate of preparation for another; and, ther ore, fuch as we habitually are here, fuch fhall W be for ever. Mankind are now forming, like ay in the potter's hands, fome for honour and fome for difhonour; fome for wrath and fome for glory. And as the potter does not put his veffels to their refpective ufes until they are finished and prepared for them, fo neither are men removed from the prefent ftate, and fixed in their refpective refidences in the eternal world, until they are prepared, finished and completely fitted for them. The veffels of mercy are prepared before-hand for that glory with which they fhall be filled. And, on the other hand, the veffels of wrath are fitted to deftruction, and fit for nothing elfe, before they are dashed to pieces by the iron rod of divine juftice.

It is a criticism worthy to be mentioned, even in this folemn place, where I never chufe to makę a parade of useless learning, that the apostle uses a different form of expreffion, when speaking of these different forts of perfons. The preparation of the veffels of mercy for glory, he afcribes to God, as his work. Hence he ufes an active verb, referring exprefsly to God as the agent-the veffels of mercy, VOL. III,

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which he had afore prepared unto glory. But the fitting or preparing the veffels of wrath for deftruction, he does not afcribe to God, but intimates, that it is their own work. Hence he uses a paflive particle-the veffels of wrath fitted to deftruction--fitted by their own wilful fin and impenitence, during the long-fuffering of God towards them, which had a tendency to lead them to repentance.

Veffels of wrath-How terribly emphatical is this phrafe! Veffels dreadfully capacious of divine wrath! to be filled to the brim with that burning liquid! But how beautifully fignificant is the metaphorveffels of mercy! vellels formed, prepared, finished, adorned by the gentle and skilful hand of divine mercy! veffels capacious of mercy, and to be filled, to overflow, with glory!

The gracious and fovereign God, who might juftly have dafhed thefe veffels of wrath to pieces as foon as ever they became marred clay in his plastic hands, endures or bears with them with much longfuffering, as well as with the veffels of mercy: Bears with them, as he has with you, for days, for months and years, notwithstanding their daring provocations, and ungrateful abuse of his patience; which nothing but divine patience could bear with fo long. But all this time, they contracted more and more filth and pollution; they became every day lefs fit for their mafter's ufe, and rendered themselves more and more fit for deftruction, and fit for nothing elfe.

And fhall thefe veffels of wrath anfwer no valua ble ufe in the great house of the univerfe? Will they ferve to furnish out no apartment of this vaft building? Will they be of no ufe in this numerous family of reasonable creatures? Yes, they will furnish out the regions of hell, a place as neceffary and useful in the universe, as it is now conftituted, as prifons and bedlams upon the earth. They will ferve as public and terribly illuftrious monuments of the divine power and justice, and the righteous refentments of

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