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malevolence against the Legislator. Suppofe that legiflator, however rigorous in justice, equally abundant in mercy: however refolute to maintain the honour of his law, equally folicitous to remove every impediment to the exercife of overflowing kindness towards tranfgreffors. Suppofe him, however arduous the task, to have devifed a method, by which, without encroachment on the principles of rectitude, without depreciation of his authority, without encouragement to offences, the forfeited inheritance may be restored; every accesfion of punishment which has been incurred be averted; and new poffeffions, far furpaffing the patrimony which by guilt was loft, be fuperadded. Suppose the attainment of these bleffings, the gifts of free mercy, to be effectually placed on equitable and easy conditions within the reach of the offenders. What if you were to hear that the bleffings are defpifed; that the offer is rejected? Should you credit the intelligence? Should you conceive that the annals of the world could furnish many examples of fimilar infanity? Should you apprehend that in the most enlightened regions, fimilar infanity is frequent at this hour? Should you believe that it is but

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needful to caft your eyes round the circle in which you move, to witness many a correfponding spectacle of frenzy? Should you believe that at this hour there may be exhibited a kindred fpectacle of frenzy by yourfelf?

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Our Saviour, as we learn from the former part of the chapter before us, had given extreme offence to the Jews by expreffions which they juftly understood as a diftinct affirmation, of his divinity. proceeded therefore to declare to them the glorious and pre-eminent power, with which he was, in his human nature, entrufted by his Father. One branch of this power was to raife all mankind from the grave. As the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even fo the Son quickeneth whom he will. Another was to judge the world. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son: that all men may bononr the Son even as they honour the Father. To thefe declarations our Lord, after fome collateral and explanatory difcuffion, fubjoined the emphatical words of the text; Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. In these words three facts were implied. Firft: that the Jews were not at that time poffeffed of life; nor caVOL. II. F pable

pable of obtaining it by their own exertions. They were in a state of death. They were in a state of condemnation as finners. Eternal deftruction hung over their heads: and from that deftruction they were of themselves unable to deliver their fouls. Secondly: A method of obtaining life was provided and made known unto them; namely, to come unto Chrift. God had openly fet forth his Son, from eternity a partaker of the Godhead, to be a propitiation for the fins of mankind; to purchase falvation by his blood; to reveal to men the path of righteoufnefs, and to enable them. to pursue it. Thirdly: The Jews had the power of coming unto Chrift, and of thus obtaining life. On another occafion, our Lord affirmed, as an univerfal truth; No man can come unto me, except the Father which bath fent me draw him. But the terms in which he addreffed the multitude, "Ye will not come unto me," prove, that to them, as unto all to whom the Gospel was preached, the requifite affiftance was vouchfafed from above; and that their refusal to feek falvation through Him was their own voluntary deed.

Do you conceive that these momentous truths have no other reference than to the

Jews?

Jews? They relate to all men.

All men equally with the Jews have inherited from the common ancestor of all the fame corrupt nature. All men, like the Jews, have incurred the wrath of God, and plunged themselves into a state of death and condemnation, by breaking his Law and are equally incapable of fatisfying his justice, and delivering themselves from punishment by any strength or wifdom of their own. To all men, as unto the Jews, life, an eternal life of happiness, is offered. To all men Jefus Chrift is propofed as the Author and only Giver of Salvation. To all men grace is extended from above, to render them capable of coming unto Chrift effectually for pardon, for bleffedness everlasting. On all men power and affiftance fufficient progreffively to incline and enable them, if they refift not the Holy Spirit, to come unto Chrift and attain falvation, are mercifully beftowed. And every man, who perishes in confequence of not coming unto Chrift, perifhes because, though in every respect enabled to come, he will not come unto the appointed Saviour that he might have life.

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Perhaps, however, you may be difpofed to conclude that you have already obeyed

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the command of coming unto the Lord Jefus. May God grant that you may be warranted in that conclufion! But on what grounds have you formed it? Do clude that you have come unto Chrift, because you were born in a Chriftian country; were baptifed into the Chriftian Church; have been accustomed to attend Christian worship, and to profess yourselves Christians? All thefe fteps may have been taken, and you may ftill be in a state of death. Were not the Jews outwardly members of the true church of God in their day? Had not they been received into that Church, according to the ordinance of God, in their infancy? Had not they been trained up in attendance on the Synagogue and the Temple? Were not they zealous for the forms of their religion, and eager to profefs themselves the people of God? Yet how does our Saviour addrefs them? As men under the fentence of condemnation. My brethren, to be a real Christian is not to be a Chriftian in name and profeffion; but to be in heart and conduct, as becometh the doctrine of Christ. And no man is in heart and conduct a true difciple of our Lord, who has not come unto Him that he might have life.

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