ties of the righteous to enjoy happiness in heaven, will be in proportion to the number and magnitude of their good works, performed here upon earth. IMPROVEMENT. good, in which we did not aim supremely at the glory of God, and feel willing to part with our own interest, to secure the greater good of our fellow-creat ures. 2. Will Christ, at the last day, reward every one of mankind according to his works done here. in the body? Then the time of this life, is exceedingly important. This life is our term of 1. Will Christ reward every man according to his works? Will they, who have done good in this life, come forth, at the last day, unto the resurrection of life; and they, who have done evil works only, unto the resurrection of dam-probation, and the only one, we nation? Then it is very important, that we should all know, now, in this our probationary state, what works are good, and what are evil. A mistake on this subject may prove fatal to our souls. shall ever enjoy. We are forming characters here, in which we shall appear at the day of judgment, and according to which, will be our everlasting portion.How important, then, is the time of this short life! The actions of every day, and every hour, have a bearing upon our eternal destiny. How weighty, then, the exhortation of the apostle, "Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." 3. The gospel sets before mankind, powerful motives to do good works, and abstain from evil ones. While it teaches us, that justification is of grace, and that good works have no merit; at the same All mankind are busily at work, doing good or evil. It is, indeed, impossible, that any one should remain dormant and inactive, for a day, or an hour, while in the possession of reason. Not only our external actions and words, but our internal desires, intentions and designs, are included in the number of our works. For all these, we must give account to Him, who searches our hearts and tries our reins. He has been pleased kindly to inform us, before hand, what he will approve as good works, and what He will con-time, it informs us, that those, who demn, as evil. He has informed' us, in his word, that good works, are such as flow from a good heart, and evil works, such as flow from an evil heart. "A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of the heart, bringeth forth evil things." A good heart consists in disinterested love; for "love is the fulfilling of the law:" and an evil heart consists in selfishness, for "sin is the transgression of the law." We ought to consider all our works, done with selfish motives, as evil; and should never think we have done any thing do good works, shall be rewarded for them, and that those who do evil works, shall be punished for them; and that neither the reward of the one, nor the punishment of the other, will ever have an end. Truly, then, the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and hath appeared to all men, teaches us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this evil world.' Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; he that soweth to the flesh,shall of the flesh reap corrup tion; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit, reap life everlasting." 4. Will Christ, hereafter, reward all mankind according to their works? Then how fast impenitent sinners treasure up wrath! They are always at work; and all their works are evil; because their hearts are full of evil,' and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.There is none that doeth good; no, not one." Impenitent sinners are always doing evil works; and for all their works Christ will call them to account, and unless timely repentance prevent, punish them forever. How fast, then, they treasure up wrath! Upon supposition they die in their sins, every thing they now do, makes an inconceivable addition to their future, endless punishment: every sin they now commit will cause them more misery, than has been suffered, or will be suffered, in this world, by all mankind, from the creation to the "great burning day." I close with a word of Exhor tation: And, First, I would exhort such, as entertain a hope, that they are in favour with God, to examine the nature of their works. Unless you have done some good works, you have no reason to think you have ever been accepted. If you have faith without works, it is only a dead faith, which will not save a man. By works a man is justified, i. e. good works are the unfailing fruit of a living faith, and the only proper evidence of justication. Therefore examine the nature of your works. Have you ever done any works meet for repentance? Any works from supreme love to God? Any works which could not have proceeded from selfish motives? What do ye, more than others? More than Scribes and Pharisees? More than Publicans and sinners? Secondly. I would exhort saints to abound in good works. Such works will all be rewarded in the coming world. They are ever pleasant in the performance; and are followed by an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Surely in keeping the commands of God, there is great reward.' It is true a strict and conscientious adherance to the rule of duty, requires self-denial, and may expose you, here, to want, reproach and suffering: but the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall hereafter be revealed in the saints.' Though you cannot do good works from selfish motives; yet, like Moses, you ought to have respect unto the recompence of the reward.' And be assured, that every good work, which you here perform, will yield you more happiness, than has ever been enjoyed by mortals. What an inconceivable loss you sustain by every neglect of duty, by the least imperfection in holiness! Be persuaded, continually to seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; that you may obtain eternal life.' Finally. Let me exhort sinners, to cease to do evil, and learn to do well.' You have hitherto done nothing but evil works. It is high time for you to begin to do something good and pleasing to God. Let the past time of your lives suffice you, to have wrought the deeds of the carnal mind.God now requires you to cast away your transgressions, to give Him your hearts, and to receive and obey his Son. The requirement is reasonable; and it is your life. If you persist in doing evil, a little longer, your punishment is certain and endless. And flatter not yourselves, that your sins are small, and that your stripes will be few. You have known your Master's will; the light of the gospel shines upon you, and its invitations and warnings sound in your ears. Most of you have, probably, experienced and resisted the strivings of the Holy Spirit. Your crimes are great. You have abused light, and refused mercy. I A DISQUISITION, ON THE NINETEENTH VERSE OF THE NINTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? This is the most plausible and most common objection, that ever has been made against the divine agency in the production of moral exercises in the human heart. Those who deny that God operates immediately upon the hearts of either saints or sinners, rely upon this objection to support their opinion. Those who allow that God softens the hearts of some, and hardens the hearts of others, instantly fly to this objection, to excuse them for not loving, and even for actually hating God. The careless and secure urge this objection to excuse their carelessness and security and the awakened and impressed urge this objection to cuse their obstinacy and unbelief. All classes of sinners consider this objection as their strong hold, to which they can always retreat, as their last and safe resort. It is of great importance, therefore, fairly and fully to remove this objection against the doctrine of divine efficiency, which is so reproachful to God, and so injurious to those who make it. But since the whole force of this objection lies in its ambiguity, it is necessary, in the first place, to explain it with accuracy and pre cision. ex You have piled your sins up to heaven, and the mountain of your guilt is pressing your souls down to the bottomless pit. Be entreated to turn unto the Lord, that he may have mercy upon you. Turn ye, turn ye, for why will you die?" AMEN. 66 To ascertain the true import of this objection, let us look back to the connexion in which it is introduced. The apostle had been speaking of God's conduct in calling in the Gentiles and rejecting the Jews; and had represented him as bringing about this event, by softening the hearts of believers, and hardening the hearts of unbelievers. To illustrate this point, he mentions the instance of Pharaoh. What shall we say, then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth." Having thus plainly asserted God's immediate agency in softening the hearts of saints, and in hardening the hearts of sinners, he introduced the strongest objection, which he supposed any one could possibly make against the doctrine he had taught. "Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?" This is as much as to say, that if God does indeed harden the day, mean the same thing by it? hearts of sinners, then he coмPELS When they ask, how can we be to them to be hardened, and they blame, if God hardens our hear ts? cannot help being what they are; Do they not mean to ask, how can which is totally inconsistent with we be to blame for the hardness any criminality on their part.- of our hearts, if God compels us to Here it is necessary to form a be hardened contrary to our will? clear and just idea of compulsion. Do they not mean to say, that the This implies two things, constraint act of God in hardening their and restraint. A mau is compelled hearts must be an act of compulto act, when he is constrained to sion, by which he either restrains act contrary to his will. Daniel them from being what they wish was compelled to go into the den to be, or constrains them to be of lions, because he was constrain- what they do not wish to be? It ed to go in, contrary to his will; is undoubtedly true, that every and Joseph was compelled to go into person, who objects against God's Egypt, because he was constrained hardening the hearts of sinners, to go there, contrary to his will. objects against it as implying the In all cases of constraint, there is exercise of compulsion on God's compulsion; because the will of the part. He must mean to complain person constrained is opposed to of compulsion in this case, bethe power that constrains him. cause this is the only ground of But a man may be compelled by objection, and a solid ground if it restraint, as well as by constraint. be true. Who ever felt himself Thus Jeroboam was compelled to to blame for doing what he was let the prophet go, when his with-constrained to do, contrary to his ered hand effectually restrained him will? Or who ever felt himself from acting agreeably to his will. to blame for not doing what he Paul and Silas were likewise com- was restrained from doing contrary pelled to stay in the prison, so long to his will? Did a good man ever as their feet were made fast in the blame himself for not attending stocks, which, contrary to their public worship, when he was rewill, restrained them from walking. strained from attending contrary every instance of restraint, to his will? Or did a martyr ever there is compulsion; because the blame himself for going to the stake will of the person restrained is op- when he was constrained to go, posed to the power that restrains contrary to his will? No such him. It is now easy to see, that case ever happened. Compulsion no man can be said to be compell-is always inconsistent with blame. ed in any case, unless he is either Those, who object against God's constrained, or restrained, contrary hardening the hearts of men, mean to his will. This is the only prop-to make a reasonable, solid, un. er meaning of COMPULSION; and this is precisely what the objector means by asking, "Who hath resisted his will" He supposes, that sinners may endeavour to resist the will of God, while he is hardening their hearts, but notwithstanding all their endeavours, they are compelled to be hardened. And do not those, who make this objection at the present In answerable objection; and, therefore, they mean to say, that, if God does harden their hearts, he compels them to be hardened.This is saying something pertinent and forcible; for if it be true, that God does exercise compulsion in hardening the heart, then there is good reason to ask, "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?” The way is now prepared to inquire, whether there is any just ground for this objection against the divine agency in hardening the hearts of sinners. Certainly there is not the least ground for it, if God does not use any compulsion in hardening their hearts. And here the following things deserve a serious, critical, and impartial consideration. can produce new and holy affections in the hearts of saints, without compulsion, what ground is there to suppose that he must use compulsion in producing any moral affections in the hearts of sinners? If God can soften the hearts of men without compulsion, it must be supposed that he can harden them without compulsion. This is plain and intelligible to every capacity, and deserves great attention upon this subject. 1. It is generally allowed, that the divine agency, in softening the hearts of men, does not imply compulsion. In stating the objection, the apostle seems to take it for granted, that there is no compulsion in God's softening the hearts of saints. Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? He had just before said, that "God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy." That is, he softens the hearts of whom he will, by taking away their stony hearts and giving them hearts of flesh.-be sinful, then they can never be But he introduces no one as objecting against this; because he supposed it would be allowed by all, that God may soften the hearts of believers, without the least degree of compulsion. And it is now universally granted by those, who acknowledge a special divine operation in the conversion of sinners, that God uses no compulsion in softening and changing their hearts. But if God uses no compulsion in softening the hearts of saints, why should it be supposed, that he uses any compulsion in hardening the hearts of sinners? In softening the hearts of saints, he is represented as making them new creatures, creating them anew in Christ Jesus, and exerting the same mighty power, that he exerted in raising Christ from the dead. These expressions plainly imply, that he actually produces new and holy affections in their hearts. But if he 2. God cannot compel men to be sinful unless they all the while choose to be holy. It has been shown, that compulsion always implies either constraining, or restraining men, contrary to their will. Where there is no constraint, nor restraint, contrary to the will of a person, there can be no compulsion. If sinners do not. choose to be holy, then they can never be restrained from being holy; and if they always choose to constrained to be so. It would be absurd to say, that a man is constrained to do what he chooses; or that he is restrained from doing what he does not choose. If sinners do not in any case choose holiness, then they cannot in any case be restrained from it: and if in all cases they choose sin, then in no case can they be constrained to it. But it clearly appears from scripture, that sinners always hate holiness, and love sin; hence it is utterly impossible that they should be constrained to love sin, or restrained from loving holiness. Was Hazael constrained to sin, when God told him by his prophet, that he would destroy the life of his prince, and reign in his stead? Or was it possible, that God should compel him to that cruel and inhuman deed, so long as he chose to do it? It is absurd. therefore, for sinners to say that they are restrained from holiness |