,,the ,,world',s ,,great ,,sermons      
,,compiled ,,by    ,,grenville ,,kleiser
    ,formerly of ,yale ,divinity ,school
 ,faculty2 ,author of ,how to ,speak in 
,public1 ,etc4    ,with ,assistance from
 ,many of the ,foremost ,living         
,preachers and ,other  ,theologians     
,,introduction ,,by ,,lewis ,o4         
,,brastow1 ,d4,d4    ,professor         
,emeritus of ,practical ,theology in    
,yale ,university      ,,volume ,,iii   
,,massillon ,,to ,,mason    #aijh       
,,contents      ,,volume ,,iii          
,,massillon 7#affc-agdb74  ,the ,small  
,number of the ,elect    ,,saurin       
7#afgg-agcj74  ,paul ,before ,felix and 
,drusilla    ,,edwards 7#agjc-ageh74    
,spiritual ,light    ,,wesley           
7#agjc-agia74  ,god's ,love to ,fallen  
,man    ,,whitefield 7#agad-aggj74  ,the
 ,method of ,grace    ,,blair           
7#agah-ahjj74  ,the ,hour and the ,event
 of all ,time    ,,dwight 7#ageb-ahag74 
,the ,sovereignty of ,god    ,,robert   
,,hall 7#agfd-ahca74  ,marks of ,love to

 ,god    ,,evans 7#agff-ahch74  ,the    
,fall and ,recovery of ,man             
,,schleiermacher 7#agfh-ahcd74          
,christ's ,resurrection an ,image of our
 ,new ,life    ,,mason 7#aggj-ahbi74    
,messiah's ,throne          ,,massillon 
,,the ,,small ,,number ,,of ,,the       
,,elect    ,,biographical ,,note        
,jean ,baptiste ,massillon was born in  
#affc1 at ,hyres1 in ,provence1         
,france4 ,he first attracted notice as a
 pulpit orator by his funeral  sermons  
as the ,archbishop of ,vienne1 which led
 to his preferment from  his class of   
theology at ,meaux to the presidency of 
the ,seminary  of ,magloire at ,paris4  
,his conferences at ,paris showed       
remarkable  spiritual insight and       
knowledge of the human heart4 ,he was a 
favorite  preacher of ,louis ,,xiv and  
,louis ,,xv1 and after being appointed  
bishop  of ,clermont in #agai he was    
also nominated to the ,french ,academy4 
,in  #agbc he took final leave of the   
capital and retired to his see1 where   

he lived beloved by all until his death 
in #agdb4          ,,massillon          
#affb-agdb    ,,the ,,small ,,number    
,,of ,,the ,,elect    ,and many lepers  
were in ,israel in the time of ,eliseus 
the prophet2  and none of them was      
cleansed1 saving ,naaman the            
,syrian4--,luke iv41  #bg4      ,every  
day1 my brethren1 you continue to ask of
 us1 whether the road to  heaven is     
really so difficult1 and the number of  
the saved really so  small as we        
represent8 ,to a question so often      
proposed1 and still  oftener resolved1  
our ,savior answers you here1 that there
 were many  widows in ,israel afflicted 
with famine2 but the widow of ,sarepta  
was  alone found worthy the succor of   
the prophet ,elias2 that the number  of 
lepers was great in ,israel in the time 
of the prophet ,eliseus2 and  that      
,naaman was only cured by the man of    
,god4    ,were ,i here1 my brethren1 for
 the purpose of alarming1 rather than   
instructing you1 ,i had only to         

recapitulate what in the holy writings  
we find dreadful with regard to this    
great truth2 and1 running over  the     
history of the just1 from age to age1   
show you that1 in all times1  the number
 of the saved has been very small4 ,the 
family of ,noah alone  saved from the   
general flood2 ,abraham chosen from     
among men to be the  sole depositary of 
the covenant with ,god2 ,joshua and     
,caleb the only  two of six hundred     
thousand ,hebrews who saw the ,land of  
,promise2  ,job the only upright man in 
the land of ,uz2 ,lot1 in ,sodom4 ,to   
representations so alarming1 would have 
succeeded the sayings of the  prophets4 
,in ,isaiah you would see the elect as  
rare as the grapes  which are found     
after the vintage1 and have escaped the 
search of the  gatherer2 as rare as the 
blades which remain by chance in the    
field1  and have escaped the scythe of  
the mower4 ,the evangelist would still  
have added new traits to the terrors of 
these images4 ,i might have  spoken to  

you of two roads--of which one is       
narrow1 rugged1 and the  path of a very 
small number2 the other broad1 open1 and
 strewed with  flowers1 and almost the  
general path of men3 that everywhere1 in
 the  holy writings1 the multitude is   
always spoken of as forming the party   
of the reprobate2 while the saved1      
compared with the rest of mankind1  form
 only a small flock1 scarcely           
perceptible to the sight4 ,i would  have
 left you in fears with regard to your  
salvation2 always cruel to  those who   
have not renounced faith and every hope 
of being among the  saved4 ,but what    
would it serve to limit the fruits of   
this instruction  to the single point of
 setting forth how few persons will be  
saved8  ,alas6 ,i would make the danger 
known1 without instructing you how to   
avoid it2 ,i would allow you1 with the  
prophet1 the sword of the wrath  of ,god
 suspended over your heads1 without     
assisting you to escape the  threatened 
blow2 ,i would alarm but not instruct   

the sinner4    ,my intention is1 to-day1
 to search for the cause of this small  
number1  in our morals and manner of    
life4 ,as every one flatters himself he 
will not be excluded1 it is of          
importance to examine if his confidence 
be well founded4 ,i wish not1 in marking
 to you the causes which render         
salvation so rare1 to make you generally
 conclude that few will be  saved1 but  
to bring you to ask yourselves if1      
living as you live1 you  can hope to be 
saved4 ,who am ,i8 ,what am ,i doing for
 heaven8 ,and what  can be my hopes in  
eternity8 ,i propose no other order in a
 matter of  such importance4 ,what are  
the causes which render salvation so    
rare8  ,i mean to point out three       
principal causes1 which is the only     
arrangement of this discourse4 ,art1 and
 far-sought reasonings1 would  be       
ill-timed4 ,oh1 attend1 therefore1 be ye
 whom ye may4 ,no subject can  be more  
worthy your attention1 since it goes to 
inform you what may be  the hopes of    

your eternal destiny4    ,few are saved1
 because in that number we can only     
comprehend two  descriptions of persons3
 either those who have been so happy as 
to  preserve their innocence pure and   
undefiled1 or those who1 after  having  
lost1 have regained it by penitence4    
,this is the first cause4  ,there are   
only these two ways of salvation3 heaven
 is only open to  the innocent or to the
 penitent4 ,now1 of which party are you8
 ,are you  innocent8 ,are you penitent8 
,nothing unclean shall enter the kingdom
 of ,god4 ,we must consequently  carry  
there either an innocence unsullied1 or 
an innocence regained4  ,now to die     
innocent is a grace to which few souls  
can aspire2 and to  live penitent is a  
mercy which the relaxed state of our    
morals renders  equally rare4 ,who1     
indeed1 will pretend to salvation by the
 chain of  innocence8 ,where are the    
pure souls in whom sin has never dwelt1 
and  who have preserved to the end the  
sacred treasure of grace confided to    

them by baptism1 and which our ,savior  
will redemand at the awful day  of      
punishment8    ,in those happy days when
 the whole ,church was still but an     
assembly of  saints1 it was very        
uncommon to find an instance of a       
believer who1  after having received the
 gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 and        
acknowledged  ,jesus ,christ in the     
sacrament which regenerates us1 fell    
back to his  former irregularities of   
life4 ,ananias and ,sapphira were the   
only  prevaricators in the ,church of   
,jerusalem2 that of ,corinth had only   
one  incestuous sinner4 ,church         
penitence was then a remedy almost      
unknown2  and scarcely was there found  
among these true ,israelites one single 
leper whom they were obliged to drive   
from the holy altar1 and  separate from 
communion with his brethren4 ,but since 
that time the  number of the upright    
diminishes in proportion1 as that of    
believers  increases4 ,it would appear  
that the world1 pretending now to have  

become almost generally ,christian1 has2
 brought with it into the  ,church its  
corruptions and its maxims4    ,alas6 we
 all go astray1 almost from the breast  
of our mothers6 ,the  first use which we
 make of our heart is a crime2 our first
 desires4  are passions2 and our reason 
only expands and increases on the wrecks
  of our innocence4 ,the earth1 says a  
prophet1 is infected by the  corruption 
of those who inhabit it3 all have       
violated the laws1  changed the         
ordinances1 and broken the alliance     
which should have  endured forever3 all 
commit sin1 and scarcely is there one to
 be found  who does the work of the     
,lord4 ,injustice1 calumny1 lying1      
treachery1  adultery1 and the blackest  
crimes have deluged the earth4 ,the     
brother  lays snares for his brother2   
the father is divided from his children2
  the husband from his wife3 there is no
 tie which a vile interest does  not    
sever4 ,good faith and probity are no   
longer virtues except among  the simple 

people4 ,animosities are endless2       
reconciliations are  feints1 and never  
is a former enemy regarded as a brother3
 they tear1  they devour each other4    
,assemblies are no longer but for the   
purpose  of public and general censure4 
,the purest virtue is no longer a       
protection from the malignity of        
tongues4 ,gaming is become either  a    
trade1 a fraud1 or a fury4              
,repasts--those innocent ties of        
society--degenerate into excesses of    
which we dare not speak4 ,our age       
witnesses horrors with which our        
forefathers were unacquainted4          
,behold1 then1 already one path of      
salvation shut to the generality of     
men4 ,all have erred4 ,be ye whom ye    
may1 listen to me now1 the time  has    
been when sin reigned over you4 ,age may
 perhaps have calmed your  passions1 but
 what was your youth8 ,long and habitual
 infirmities  may perhaps have disgusted
 you with the world2 but what use did   
you  formerly make of the vigor of      

health8 ,a sudden inspiration of grace  
may have turned your heart1 but do you  
not most fervently entreat  that every  
moment prior to that inspiration may be 
effaced from the  remembrance of the    
,lord8    ,but with what am ,i taking up
 time8 ,we are all sinners1 ,o my ,god6 
and  ,thou knowest our hearts6 ,what we 
know of our errors is1 perhaps1 in  ,thy
 sight1 the most pardonable2 and we all 
allow that by innocence  we have no     
claim to salvation4 ,there remains1     
therefore1 only one  resource1 which is 
penitence4 ,after our shipwreck1 say the
 saints1 it  is the timely plank which  
alone can conduct us into port2 there is
 no  other means of salvation for us4   
,be ye whom ye may1 prince or subject1  
high or low1 penitence alone can save   
you4 ,now permit me to ask where  are   
the penitent8 ,you will find more1 says 
a holy father1 who have  never fallen1  
than who1 after their fall1 have raised 
themselves by  true repentance4 ,this is
 a terrible saying2 but do not let us   

carry  things too far3 the truth is     
sufficiently dreadful without adding new
  terrors to it by vain declamation4    
,let us alone examine as to whether the 
majority of us have a right1  through   
penitence1 to salvation4 ,what is a     
penitent8 ,according to  ,tertullian1 a 
penitent is a believer who feels every  
moment his former  unhappiness in       
forsaking and losing his ,god2 one who  
has his guilt  incessantly before his   
eyes2 who finds everywhere the traces   
and  remembrance of it4    ,a penitent  
is a man instrusted by ,god with        
judgment against himself2  one who      
refuses himself the most innocent       
pleasures because he had  formerly      
indulged in those the most criminal2 one
 who puts up with the  most necessary   
gratification with pain2 one who regards
 his body as an  enemy whom it is       
necessary to conquer--as an unclean     
vessel which must  be purified--as an   
unfaithful debtor of whom it is proper  
to exact to  the last farthing4 ,a      

penitent regards himself as a criminal  
condemned  to death1 because he is no   
longer worthy of life4 ,in the loss of  
riches or health he sees only a         
withdrawal of favors that he had        
formerly abused3 in the humiliations    
which happen to him1 only the  pains of 
his guilt3 in the agonies with which he 
is racked1 only the  commencement of    
those punishments he has justly merited4
 ,such is a  penitent4    ,but ,i again 
ask you--,where1 among us1 are penitents
 of this  description8 ,now look around 
you4 ,i do not tell you to judge your   
brethren1 but to examine what are the   
manners and morals of those who         
surround you4 ,nor do ,i speak of those 
open and avowed sinners who have  thrown
 off even the appearance of virtue4 ,i  
speak only of those who1  like          
yourselves1 live as most live1 and whose
 actions present nothing  to the public 
view particularly shameful or depraved4 
,they are sinners  and they admit it3   
you are not innocent1 and you confess   

it4 ,now are  they penitent8 or are you8
 ,age1 vocation1 more serious           
employments1  may perhaps have checked  
the sallies of youth4 ,even the         
bitterness  which the ,almighty has made
 attendant on our passions1 the deceits1
  the treacheries of the world1 an      
injured fortune1 with ruined            
constitution1 may have cooled the ardor1
 and confined the irregular  desires of 
your hearts4 ,crimes may have disgusted 
you even with sin  itself--for passions 
gradually extinguish themselves4 ,time1 
and  the natural inconstancy of the     
heart will bring these about2 yet1      
nevertheless1 tho detached from sin by  
incapability1 you are no nearer  your   
,god4 ,according to the world you are   
become more prudent1 more  regular1 to a
 greater extent what it calls men of    
probity1 more exact  in fulfilling your 
public or private duties4 ,but you are  
not penitent4  ,you have ceased your    
disorders but you have not expiated     
them4 ,you are  not converted3 this     

great stroke1 this grand operation on   
the heart1  which regenerates man1 has  
not yet been felt by you4 ,nevertheless1
  this situation1 so truly dangerous1   
does not alarm you4 ,sins which  have   
never been washed away by sincere       
repentance1 and consequently  never     
obliterated from the book of life1      
appear in your eyes as no  longer       
existing2 and you will tranquilly leave 
this world in a state  of impenitence1  
so much the more dangerous as you will  
die without  being sensible of your     
danger4    ,what ,i say here is not     
merely a rash expression1 or an emotion 
of  zeal2 nothing is more real1 or more 
exactly true3 it is the situation  of   
almost all men1 even the wisest and most
 esteemed of the world4  ,the morality  
of the younger stages of life is always 
lax1 if not  licentious4 ,age1 disgust1 
and establishment for life1 fix the     
heart and withdraw it from debauchery3  
but where are those who are  converted8 
,where are those who expiate their      

crimes by tears of sorrow  and true     
repentance8 ,where are those who1 having
 begun as sinners1 end  as penitents8   
,show me1 in your manner of living1 the 
smallest trace of  penitence6 ,are your 
graspings at wealth and power1 your     
anxieties  to attain the favor of the   
great--and by these means an increase of
  employments and influence--are these  
proofs of it8 ,would you wish  to reckon
 even your crimes as virtues8--that the 
sufferings of your  ambition1 pride1 and
 avarice1 should discharge you from an  
obligation  which they themselves have  
imposed8 ,you are penitent to the world1
 but  are you so to ,jesus ,christ8 ,the
 infirmities with which ,god afflicts   
you1 the enemies ,he raised up against  
you1 the disgraces and losses  with     
which ,he tries you--do you receive them
 all as you ought1 with  humble         
submission to ,his will8 ,or1 rather1   
far from finding in them  occasions of  
penitence1 do you not turn them into the
 objects of new  crimes8 ,it is the duty

 of an innocent soul to receive with    
submission  the chastisements of the    
,almighty2 to discharge with courage the
  painful duties of the station allotted
 to him1 and to be faithful to  the laws
 of the gospel4 ,but do sinners owe     
nothing beyond this8 ,and  yet they     
pretend to salvation6 ,upon what claim8 
,to say that you are  innocent before   
,god1 your own consciences will witness 
against you4 ,to  endeavor to persuade  
yourselves that you are penitent1 you   
dare not2  and you would condemn        
yourselves by your own mouths4 ,upon    
what then  dost thou depend1 ,o man6 who
 thus livest so tranquil8    ,these1 my 
brethren1 as ,i have already told you1  
are not merely advices  and pious arts2 
they are the most essential of our      
obligations4 ,but1  alas6 who fulfils   
them8 ,who even knows them8 ,ah6 my     
brethren1 did you  know how far the     
title you bear1 of ,christian1 engages  
you2 could you  comprehend the sanctity 
of your state1 the hatred of the world1 

of  yourself1 and of everything which is
 not of ,god that it enjoys1 that       
gospel life1 that constant watching1    
that guard over the passions1 in  a     
word1 that conformity with ,jesus       
,christ crucified1 which it exacts  of  
you--could you comprehend it1 could you 
remember that you ought to  love ,god   
with all your heart1 and all your       
strength1 so that a single  desire that 
has not connection with ,him defiles    
you--you would appear  a monster in your
 own sight4 ,how6 you would exclaim4    
,duties so holy1  and morals so profane6
 ,a vigilance so continual1 and a life  
so  careless and dissipated6 ,a love of 
,god so pure1 so complete1 so           
universal1 and a heart the continual    
prey of a thousand impulses1  either    
foreign or criminal6 ,if thus it is1    
who1 ,o my ,god6 will be  entitled to   
salvation8 ,few indeed1 ,i fear1 my dear
 hearers6 ,at least  it will not be you 
7unless a change takes place7 nor those 
who  resemble you2 it will not be the   

multitude6    ,who shall be saved8      
,those who work out their salvation with
 fear and  trembling2 who live in the   
world without indulging in its vices4   
,who  shall be saved8 ,that ,christian  
woman who1 shut up in the circle of her 
domestic duties1 rears up her children  
in faith and in piety2 divides  her     
heart only between her ,savior and her  
husband2 is adorned with  delicacy and  
modesty2 sits not down in the assemblies
 of vanity2 makes  not a law of the     
ridiculous customs of the world1 but    
regulates those  customs by the law of  
,god2 and makes virtue appear more      
amiable by her  rank and her example4   
,who shall be saved8 ,that believer who1
 in  the relaxation of modern times1    
imitates the manners of the first       
,christian--whose hands are clean and   
his heart pure--who is  watchful--who   
hath not lifted up his soul to vanity1  
but who1 in the  midst of the dangers of
 the great world1 continually applies   
himself  to purify it2 just--who swears 

not deceitfully against his neighbor1   
nor is indebted to fraudulent ways for  
the aggrandizement of his  fortune2     
generous--who with benefits repays the  
enemy who sought his  ruin2 sincere--who
 sacrifices not the truth to a vile     
interest1 and  knows not the part of    
rendering himself agreeable by betraying
 his  conscience2 charitable--who makes 
his house and interest the refuge of    
his fellow creatures1 and himself the   
consolation of the afflicted2  regards  
his wealth as the property of the poor2 
humble in  affliction--a ,christian     
under injuries1 and penitent even in    
prosperity4 ,who will merit salvation8  
,you1 my dear hearer1 if you will       
follow these examples2 for such are the 
souls to be saved4 ,now these  assuredly
 do not form the greatest number4 ,while
 you continue1  therefore1 to live like 
the multitude1 it is a striking proof   
that you  disregard your salvation4     
,these1 my brethren1 are truths which   
should make us tremble6 nor are  they   

those vague ones which are told to all  
men1 and which none apply  to           
themselves4 ,perhaps there is not in    
this assembly an individual who  may not
 say of himself1 ,i live like the great 
number2 like those of  my rank1 age1 and
 situation2 ,i am lost1 should ,i die in
 this path4  ,now1 can anything be more 
capable of alarming a soul1 in whom some
  remains of care for his salvation     
shall exist8 ,it is the multitude1      
nevertheless1 who tremble not4 ,there is
 only a small number of the  just who   
work out severally their salvation with 
fear and trembling4  ,all the rest are  
tranquil4 ,after having lived with the  
multitude1 they  flatter themselves they
 shall be particularized at death4      
,every one  augurs favorably for        
himself1 and vainly imagines that he    
shall be an  exception4    ,on this     
account it is1 my brethren1 that ,i     
confine myself to you who  are now here 
assembled4 ,i include not the rest of   
men2 but consider  you as alone existing

 on the earth4 ,the idea which fills and
 terrifies  me is this--,i figure to    
myself the present as your last hour1   
and the  end of the world6 the heavens  
opening above your heads--the ,savior1  
in  all ,his glory1 about to appear in  
the midst of ,his temple--you only      
assembled here as trembling criminals1  
to wait ,his coming1 and hear  the      
sentence1 either of life eternal1 or    
everlasting death6 for it is  vain to   
flatter yourselves that you shall die   
more innocent than you  are at this     
hour4 ,all those desires of change with 
which you are  amused1 will continue to 
amuse you till death arrives4 ,the      
experience  of all ages proves it4 ,the 
only difference you have to expect will 
most likely be only a larger balance    
against you than what you would  have to
 answer for now2 and from what would be 
your destiny1 were you  to be judged in 
this moment1 you may almost decide upon 
what it will  be at death4 ,now1 ,i ask 
you--and1 connecting my own lot with    

yours1 ,i  ask it with dread--were      
,jesus ,christ to appear in this temple1
 in the  midst of this assembly1 to     
judge us1 to make the awful separation  
between the sheep and the goats1 do you 
believe that the most of us  would be   
placed at ,his right hand8 ,do you      
believe that the number  would at least 
be equal8 ,do you believe that there    
would even be found  ten upright and    
faithful servants of the ,lord1 when    
formerly five  cities could not furnish 
that number8 ,i ask you6 ,you know not6 
,i know  it not6 ,thou alone1 ,o my     
,god1 knowest who belong to ,thee4      
,but if we know not who belong to ,him1 
at least we know that sinners  do not4  
,now1 who are the just and faithful     
assembled here at present8  ,titles and 
dignities avail nothing2 you are stript 
of all these in the  presence of your   
,savior6 ,who are they8 ,many sinners   
who wish not to be  converted2 many more
 who wish1 but always put it off2 many  
others who  are only converted in       

appearance1 and again fall back to their
 former  course2 in a word1 a great     
number1 who flatter themselves they have
 no  occasion for conversion4 ,this is  
the party of the reprobate6 ,ah6 my     
brethren1 cut off from this assembly    
these four classes of sinners1  for they
 will be cut off at the great day6 ,and 
now stand forth ye  righteous3--where   
are ye8 ,o ,god1 where are ,thine elect6
 ,what remains  as ,thy portion6    ,my 
brethren1 our ruin is almost certain6   
,yet we think not of it6 ,if in  this   
terrible separation1 which will one day 
take place2 there should  be but one    
sinner in the assembly on the side of   
the reprobate1 and a  voice from heaven 
should assure us of it1 without         
particularizing him1  who of us would   
not tremble1 lest he be the unfortunate 
and devoted  wretch8 ,who of us would   
not immediately apply to his conscience1
 to  examine if its crimes merited not  
this punishment8 ,who of us1 seized     
with dread1 would not demand of our     

,savior1 as did the apostles1  crying   
out1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,and should a     
small respite be allowed  to our        
prayers1 who of us would not use every  
effort1 by tears1  supplication1 and    
sincere repentance1 to avert the        
misfortune8    ,are we in our senses1 my
 dear hearers8 ,perhaps among all who   
listen to  me now1 ten righteous ones   
would not be found4 ,it may be fewer    
still4  ,what do ,i perceive1 ,o my     
,god6 ,i dare not1 with a fixt eye1     
regard the  depths of ,thy judgments and
 justice6 ,not more than one1 perhaps1  
would be found among us all6 ,and this  
danger affects you not1 my dear  hearer6
 ,you persuade yourself that in this    
great number who shall  perish1 you will
 be the happy individual6 ,you1 you have
 less reason1  perhaps1 than any other  
to believe it6 ,you1 upon whom alone the
  sentence of death should fall1 were   
only one of all who hear me to  suffer6 
,great ,god6 how little are the terrors 
of ,thy law known to the  world8 ,in all

 ages the just have shuddered with dread
 in reflecting on  the severity and     
extent of ,thy judgments1 touching the  
destinies of  men6 ,alas6 what are they 
laying up in store for the sons of men6 
,but what are we to conclude from these 
awful truths8 ,that all must  despair of
 salvation8 ,god forbid6 ,the impious   
alone1 to quiet his own  feelings in his
 debaucheries1 endeavors to persuade    
himself that all  men shall perish as   
well as he4 ,this idea ought not to be  
the fruit of  the present discourse4 ,it
 is intended to undeceive you with      
regard to  the general error1 that any  
one may do whatever is done by others4  
,to  convince you that1 in order to     
merit salvation1 you must distinguish   
yourself from the rest2 that in the     
midst of the world you are to live  for 
,god's glory1 and not follow after the  
multitude4    ,when the ,jews were led  
in captivity from ,judea to ,babylon1 a 
little  before they quitted their own   
country1 the prophet ,jeremiah1 whom the

  ,lord had forbidden to leave          
,jerusalem1 spoke thus to them3         
,children  of ,israel1 when you shall   
arrive at ,babylon1 you will behold the 
inhabitants of that country1 who carry  
upon their shoulders gods of  silver and
 gold4 ,all the people will prostrate   
themselves and adore  them4 ,but you1   
far from allowing yourselves1 by these  
examples1 to be  led to impiety1 say to 
yourselves in secret1 ,it is ,thou1 ,o  
,lord6 whom  we ought to adore4    ,let 
me now finish by addressing to you the  
same words4    ,at your departure from  
this temple1 you go to enter into       
another  ,babylon4 ,you go to see the   
idols of gold and silver1 before which  
all  men prostrate themselves4 ,you go  
to regain the vain objects of human     
passions1 wealth1 glory1 and pleasure1  
which are the gods of this  world and   
which almost all men adore4 ,you will   
see those abuses which  all the world   
permits1 those errors which custom      
authorizes1 and those  debaucheries1    

which an infamous fashion has almost    
constituted as  laws4 ,then1 my dear    
hearer1 if you wish to be of the small  
number of  true ,israelites1 say1 in the
 secrecy of your heart1 ,it is ,thou    
alone1  ,o my ,god6 whom we ought to    
adore4 ,i wish not to have connection   
with  a people which know ,thee not2 ,i 
will have no other law than ,thy holy   
law2 the gods which this foolish        
multitude adore are not gods2 they  are 
the work of the hands of men2 they will 
perish with them2 ,thou  alone1 ,o my   
,god6 art immortal2 and ,thou alone     
deservest to be adored4  ,the customs of
 ,babylon have no connection with the   
holy laws of  ,jerusalem4 ,i will       
continue to worship ,thee1 with that    
small number  of the children of        
,abraham which still1 in the midst of an
 infidel  nation1 composes ,thy people2 
with them ,i will turn all my desires   
toward the holy ,zion4 ,the singularity 
of my manners will be regarded  as a    
weakness2 but blest weakness1 ,o my     

,god6 which will give me  strength to   
resist the torrent of customs1 and the  
seduction of  example4 ,thou wilt be my 
,god in the midst of ,babylon1 as ,thou 
wilt one  day be in ,jerusalem above6   
,ah6 the time of the captivity will at  
last expire4 ,thou wilt call to  ,thy   
remembrance ,abraham and ,david4 ,thou  
wilt deliver ,thy people4 ,thou  wilt   
transport us to the holy city4 ,then    
wilt ,thou alone reign over  ,israel1   
and over the nations which at present   
know ,thee not4 ,all being  destroyed1  
all the empires of the earth1 all the   
monuments of human  pride annihilated1  
and ,thou alone remaining eternal1 we   
then shall  know that ,thou art the     
,lord of hosts1 and the only ,god to be 
adored4    ,behold the fruit which you  
ought to reap from this discourse6 ,live
  apart4 ,think1 without ceasing1 that  
the great number work their own         
destruction4 ,regard as nothing all     
customs of the earth1 unless  authorized
 by the law of ,god1 and remember that  

holy men in all ages  have been looked  
upon as a peculiar people4    ,it is    
thus that1 after distinguishing         
yourselves from the sinful on  earth1   
you will be gloriously distinguished    
from them in eternity6          ,,saurin
    ,,paul ,,before ,,felix ,,and       
,,drusilla    ,,biographical ,,note     
,jacques ,saurin1 the famous ,french    
,protestant preacher of the  seventeenth
 century1 was born at ,nismes in #afgg4 
,he studied at ,geneva  and was         
appointed to the ,walloon ,church in    
,london in #agja4 ,the scene  of his    
great life work was1 however1 the       
,hague1 where he settled in  #agje4 ,he 
has been compared with ,bossuet1 tho he 
never attained the  graceful style and  
subtilty which characterize the ,eagle  
of ,meaux4  ,the story is told of the   
famous scholar ,le ,clerc that he long  
refused  to hear ,saurin preach1 on the 
ground that he gave too much attention  
to mere art4 ,one day he consented to   
hear him on the condition that he       

should be permitted to sit behind the   
pulpit where he could not see  his      
oratorical action4 ,at the close of the 
sermon he found himself in  front of the
 pulpit1 with tears in his eyes4 ,saurin
 died in #agcj4          ,,saurin       
#afgg--agcj    ,,paul ,,before ,,felix  
,,and ,,drusilla    ,and before certain 
days1 when ,felix came with his wife    
,drusilla1  which was a ,jewess1 he sent
 for ,paul1 and heard him concerning the
  faith of ,christ4 ,and as he reasoned 
of righteousness1 temperance1 and       
judgment to come1 ,felix trembled1 and  
answered1 ,go thy way for this  time2   
when ,i have a convenient season1 ,i    
will call for thee4--,acts  xxiv41 #bd1 
#be4      ,my brethren1 tho the kingdoms
 of the righteous be not of this world1 
they present1 however1 amidst their     
meanness1 marks of dignity and  power4  
,they resemble ,jesus ,christ4 ,he      
humbled ,himself so far as to  take the 
form of a servant1 but frequently       
exercised the rights of a  sovereign4   

,from the abyss of humiliation to which 
,he condescended1  emanations of the    
,godhead were seen to proceed4 ,lord of 
nature1 ,he  commanded the winds and    
seas4 ,he bade the storm and tempest    
subside4  ,he restored health to the    
sick1 and life to the dead4 ,he imposed 
silence on the rabbis2 ,he embarrassed  
,pilate on the throne2 and  disposed of 
,paradise at the moment ,he ,himself was
 pierced with the  nails1 and fixt on   
the cross4 ,behold the portrait of      
believers6 ,they  are dead4 ,their life 
is hid with ,christ in ,god4 7,col4     
iii41 #c47 ,if  they had hope only in   
this life1 they were of all men most    
miserable4  7,i ,cor4 xv41 #ai47        
,nevertheless1 they show ,i know not    
what superiority  of birth4 ,their glory
 is not so concealed but we sometimes   
perceive  its luster6 just as the       
children of a king1 when unknown and in 
a distant province1 betray in their     
conversation and carriage  indications  
of illustrious descent4    ,we might    

illustrate this truth by numerous       
instances4 ,let us attend to  that in   
our text4 ,there we shall discover that 
association of humility  and grandeur1  
of reproach and glory1 which constitutes
 the condition  of the faithful while on
 earth4 ,behold ,st4 ,paul1 a           
,christian1 an  apostle1 a saint4 ,see  
him hurried from tribunal to tribunal1  
from  province to province2 sometimes   
before the ,romans1 sometimes before    
the ,jews1 sometimes before the         
high-priest of the synagog1 and         
sometimes before the procurator of      
,caesar4 ,see him conducted from        
,jerusalem to ,caesarea1 and summoned to
 appear before ,felix4 ,in all  these   
traits1 do you not recognize the        
,christian walking in the narrow  way1  
the way of tribulation1 marked by his   
,master's feet8 ,but consider  him      
nearer still4 ,examine his discourse1   
look at his countenance2  there you will
 see a fortitude1 a courage1 and a      
dignity which  constrain you to         

acknowledge that there was something    
really grand in  the person of ,st4     
,paul4 ,he preached ,jesus ,christ at   
the very moment  he was persecuted for  
having preached ,him4 ,he preached even 
when in  chains4 ,he did more2 he       
attacked his judge on the throne4 ,he   
reasoned1  he enforced1 he thundered4   
,he seemed already to exercise the      
function  of judging the world1 which   
,god has reserved for ,his saints4 ,he  
made  ,felix tremble4 ,felix felt       
himself borne away by a superior force4 
,unable to hear ,st4 ,paul any longer   
without appalling fears1 he sent  him   
away4 ,after certain days1 when ,felix  
came with his wife ,drusilla1  he sent  
for ,paul1 and heard him concerning the 
faith in ,christ1 etc4    ,we find here 
three considerations which claim our    
attention3 ,an  enlightened preacher1   
who discovers a very peculiar           
discernment in the  selection of his    
subject2 a conscience appalled and      
confounded on the  recollection of its  

crimes and of that awful judgment where 
they must  be weighed1 a sinner alarmed1
 but not converted2 a sinner who desires
  to be saved1 but delays his           
conversion3 a case1 alas6 of but too    
common occurrence4    ,you perceive     
already1 my brethren1 the subject of    
this discourse3  first1 that ,st4 ,paul 
reasoned before ,felix and ,drusilla of 
righteousness1 temperance1 and judgment 
to come2 second1 that ,felix  trembled2 
third1 that he sent the apostle away2   
three considerations  which shall divide
 this discourse4 ,may it produce on your
 hearts1 on  the hearts of ,christians1 
the same effects ,st4 ,paul produced on 
the  soul of this heathen2 but may it   
have a happier influence on your  lives4
 ,amen4    ,paul preached before ,felix 
and ,drusilla on righteousness1         
temperance1  and judgment to come4 ,this
 is the first subject of discussion4    
,before1 however1 we proceed further    
with our remarks1 we must first  sketch 
the character of this ,felix and this   

,drusilla1 which will serve  as a basis 
to the first proposition4    ,after the 
scepter was departed from ,judah1 and   
the ,jewish nation  subjugated by       
,pompey1 the ,roman emperors governed   
the country by  procurators4 ,claudius  
filled the imperial throne while ,st4   
,paul was  at ,caesarea4 ,this emperor  
had received a servile education from   
his  grandmother ,lucia1 and from his   
mother ,antonia2 and having been        
brought up in obsequious meanness1      
evinced1 on his elevation to the        
empire1 marks of the inadequate care    
which had been bestowed on his  infancy4
 ,he had neither courage nor dignity of 
mind4 ,he who was raised  to sway the   
,roman scepter1 and consequently to     
govern the civilized  world1 abandoned  
his judgment to his freedmen1 and gave  
them a  complete ascendency over his    
mind4 ,felix was one of those freedmen4 
,he exercised in ,judea the imperial    
functions with a mercenary soul4        
,voluptuousness and avarice were the    

predominant vices of his heart4 ,we     
have a proof of his avarice immediately 
after our text1 where it is  said he    
sent for ,paul1--not to hear him        
concerning the truth of the  gospel     
which this apostle had preached with so 
much power2 not to  inquire whether this
 religion1 against which the ,jews      
raised the  standard1 was contrary to   
the interest of the ,state2 but because 
he  hoped to have received money for his
 liberation4 ,here is the effect of     
avarice4    ,josephus recited an        
instance of his voluptuousness4 ,it is  
his marriage  with ,drusilla4 ,she was a
 ,jewess1 as is remarked in our text4   
,king  ,azizus1 her former husband1 was 
a heathen2 and in order to gain her     
affections1 he had conformed to the most
 rigorous ceremonies of  ,judaism4      
,felix saw her1 and became enamored of  
her beauty4 ,he  conceived for her a    
violent passion2 and in defiance of the 
sacred  ties which had united her to her
 husband1 he resolved to become master  

of her person4 ,his addresses were      
received4 ,drusilla violated her  former
 engagements1 and chose rather to       
contract with ,felix an  illegitimate   
marriage than to adhere to the chaste   
ties which united  her to ,azizus4      
,felix the ,roman1 ,felix the procurator
 of ,judea and the  favorite of ,caesar 
appeared to her a noble acquisition4 ,it
 is indeed a  truth1 we may here        
observe1 that grandeur and fortune are  
charms which  mortals find the greatest 
difficulty to resist1 and against which 
the  purest virtue has need to be armed 
with all its constancy4 ,recollect      
these two characters of ,felix and      
,drusilla4 ,st4 ,paul1 before those  two
 personages1 treated concerning ,the    
faith in ,christ2 that is1  concerning  
the ,christian religion1 of which ,jesus
 ,christ is the sum  and substance1 the 
author and the end3 and from the        
numerous doctrines  of ,christianity1 he
 selected righteousness1 temperance1 and
 judgment  to come4    ,here is1 my     

brethren1 an admirable text2 but a text 
selected with  discretion4 ,fully to    
comprehend it1 recollect the character  
we have  given of ,felix4 ,he was       
covetous1 luxurious1 and governor of    
,judea4 ,st4  ,paul selected three      
subjects1 correspondent to the          
characteristics4  ,addressing an        
avaricious man1 he treated of           
righteousness4 ,addressing  the governor
 of ,judea1 one of those persons who    
think themselves  independent and       
responsible to none but themselves for  
their conduct1  he treated of judgment  
to come4    ,but who can here supply the
 brevity of the historian1 and report   
the  whole of what the apostle said to  
,felix on these important points8 ,it   
seems to me that ,i hear him enforcing  
those important truths he has  left us  
in his works1 and placing in the fullest
 luster those divine  maxims            
interspersed in our ,scriptures4 ,he    
reasoned of righteousness4  ,there he   
maintained the right of the widow and   

the orphan4 ,there he  demonstrated that
 kings and magistrates are established  
to maintain  the rights of the people1  
and not to indulge their own caprice2   
that  the design of the supreme         
authority is to make the whole happy by 
the  vigilance of one1 and not to       
gratify one at the expense of all2 that 
it is meanness of mind to oppress the   
wretched1 who have no defense  but cries
 and tears2 and that nothing is so      
unworthy of an enlightened  man as that 
ferocity with which some are inspired by
 dignity1 and  which obstructs their    
respect for human nature1 when          
undisguised by  worldly pomp2 that      
nothing is so noble as goodness and     
grandeur1  associated in the same       
character2 that this is the highest     
felicity2  that in some sort it         
transforms the soul into the image of   
,god2 who1  from the high abodes of     
majesty in which ,he dwells1 surrounded 
with  angels and cherubim1 deigns to    
look down on this mean world which we   

inhabit1 and ,leaves not ,himself       
without witness1 doing good to all4     
,he reasoned of temperance4 ,there he   
would paint the licentious  effects of  
voluptuousness4 ,there he would         
demonstrate how opposite is  this       
propensity to the spirit of the gospel2 
which everywhere enjoins  retirement1   
mortification1 and self-denial4 ,he     
would show how it  degrades the finest  
characters who have suffered it to      
predominate4  ,intemperance renders the 
mind incapable of reflection4 ,it       
debases  the courage4 ,it debilitates   
the mind4 ,it softens the soul4 ,he     
would  demonstrate the meanness of a man
 called to preside over a great  people1
 who exposes his foibles to public view2
 not having resolution  to conceal1 much
 less to vanquish them4 ,with ,drusilla1
 he would make  human motives supply the
 defects of divine2 with ,felix1 he     
would  make divine motives supply the   
defects of human4 ,he would make this   
shameless woman feel that nothing on    

earth is more odious than a woman       
destitute of honor1 that modesty is an  
attribute of the sex2 that an           
attachment1 uncemented by virtue1 can   
not long subsist2 that those who        
receive illicit favors are the first1   
according to the fine remark of  a      
sacred historian1 to detest the         
indulgence3 ,the hatred wherewith       
',ammon1 the son of ,david1' hated his  
sister1 after the gratification  of his 
brutal passion1 was greater than the    
love wherewith he had  loved her 7,,ii  
,sam4 xiii41 #ae74 ,he would make ,felix
 perceive that1  however the depravity  
of the age might seem to tolerate a     
criminal  intercourse with persons of   
the other sex1 with ,god1 who has called
 us  all to equal purity1 the crime was 
not less heinous4    ,he reasoned1 in   
short1 of judgment to come4 ,and here he
 would  magnify his ministry4 ,when our 
discourses are regarded as connected    
only with the present period1 their     
force1 ,i grant1 is of no avail4  ,we   

speak for a ,master who has left us     
clothed with infirmities1 which         
discover no illustrious marks of ,him by
 whom we are sent4 ,we have only  our   
voice1 only our exhortations1 only our  
entreaties4 ,nature is not  averted at  
our pleasure4 ,the visitations of       
,heaven do not descend at  our command  
to punish your indolence and revolts3   
that power was  very limited1 even to   
the apostle4 ,the idea of a future      
state1 the  solemnities of a general    
judgment1 supply our weakness1 and ,st4 
,paul  enforced this motive2 he proved  
its reality1 he delineated its luster1  
he displayed its pomp4 ,he resounded in 
the ears of ,felix the noise1  the      
voices1 the trumpets4 ,he showed him the
 small and the great1 the  rich man and 
,lazarus1 ,felix the favorite of        
,caesar1 and ,paul the  captive of      
,felix1 awakened by that awful voice3   
,arise1 ye dead1 and  come to judgment4 
,but not to be precipitate in commending
 the apostle's preaching4 ,its          

encomiums will best appear by attending 
to its effects on the mind of  ,felix4  
,st4 ,jerome wished1 concerning a       
preacher of his time1 that the  tears of
 his audience might compose the eulogy  
of his sermons4 ,we  shall find in the  
tears of ,felix occasion to applaud the 
eloquence  of our apostle4 ,we shall    
find that his discourses were thunder   
and  lightning in the congregation1 as  
the ,greeks used to say concerning  one 
of their orators4 ,while ,st4 ,paul     
preached1 ,felix felt ,i know not  what 
agitations in his mind4 ,the            
recollection of his past life2 the      
sight of his present sins2 ,drusilla1   
the object of his passion and  subject  
of his crime2 the courage of ,st4       
,paul--all terrified him4  ,his heart   
burned while that disciple of ,jesus    
,christ expounded the  ,scriptures4 ,the
 word of ,god was quick and powerful4   
,the apostle1  armed with the two-edged 
sword1 divided the soul1 the joints1 and
 the  marrow1 carried conviction to the 

heart4 ,felix trembled1 adds  our       
historian1 ,felix trembled6 ,the fears  
of ,felix are our second  reflection4   
,what a surprizing scene1 my brethren1  
is here presented to your view4  ,the   
governor trembled1 and the captive spoke
 without dismay4 ,the  captive made the 
governor tremble4 ,the governor         
shuddered in the  presence of the       
captive4 ,it would not be surprizing1   
brethren1 if we  should make an         
impression on your hearts 7and we shall 
do so1 indeed1  if our ministry is not1 
as usual1 a sound of empty words72 it   
would  not be surprizing if we should   
make some impression on the hearts of   
our hearers4 ,this sanctuary1 these     
solemnities1 these groans1 this         
silence1 these arguments1 these         
efforts1--all aid our ministry1 and     
unite to convince and persuade you4 ,but
 here is an orator destitute of  these  
extraneous aids3 behold him without any 
ornament but the truth  he preached4    
,what do ,i say8 that he was destitute  

of extraneous aids8  ,see him in a      
situation quite the reverse1--a captive1
 loaded with  irons1 standing before his
 judge4 ,yet he made ,felix tremble4    
,felix  trembled6 ,whence proceeded this
 fear1 and this confusion8 ,nothing is  
more worthy of your inquiry4 ,here we   
must stop for a moment3 follow  us while
 we trace this fear to its source4 ,we  
shall consider the  character of ,felix 
under different views2 as a heathen1    
imperfectly  acquainted with a future   
judgment1 and the life to come2 as a    
prince1  or governor1 accustomed to see 
every one humble at his feet2 as an     
avaricious magistrate1 loaded with      
extortions and crimes2 in short1 as  a  
voluptuous man1 who has never restricted
 the gratification of his  senses4      
,these are so many reasons of ,felix's  
fears4    ,first1 we shall consider     
,felix as a heathen1 imperfectly        
acquainted  with a future judgment and  
the life to come3 ,i say1 imperfectly   
acquainted1 and not as wholly ignorant1 

the heathens having the work  of the law
 written in their hearts 7,rom4 ii41    
#ae74 ,the force of habit  had corrupted
 nature1 but had not effaced its laws4  
,they acknowledged  a judgment to come1 
but their notions were confused         
concerning its  nature4    ,such were   
the principles of ,felix1 or rather such
 were the  imperfections of his         
principles1 when he heard this discourse
 of ,st4  ,paul4 ,you may infer his     
fears from his character4 ,figure to    
yourselves a man hearing for the first  
time the maxims of equity and           
righteousness inculcated in the gospel4 
,figure to yourselves a man who  heard  
corrected the immorality of pagan       
theology2 what was doubtful1            
illustrated2 and what was right1        
enforced4 ,see a man who knew of no     
other ,god but the incestuous ,jupiter1 
the lascivious ,venus1 taught  that he  
must appear before ,him1 in whose       
presence the seraphim veil  their faces1
 and the heavens are not clean4 ,behold 

a man1 whose  notions were confused     
concerning the state of souls after     
death1  apprized that ,god shall judge  
the world in righteousness4 ,see a man  
who saw described the smoke1 the fire1  
the chains of darkness1 the  outer      
darkness1 the lake of fire and          
brimstone2 and who saw them  delineated 
by one animated by the ,spirit of ,god4 
,what consternation  must have been     
excited by these terrific truths6       
,this we are incapable adequately of    
comprehending4 ,we must surmount  the   
insensibility acquired by custom4 ,it is
 but too true that our  hearts--instead 
of being imprest by these truths1 in    
proportion to  their discussion--become 
more obdurate4 ,we hear them without    
alarm1  having so frequently heard them 
before4 ,but if1 like ,felix1 we had    
been brought up in the darkness of      
paganism1 and if another ,paul had  come
 and opened our eyes1 and unveiled those
 sacred terrors1 how  exceedingly should
 we have feared6 ,this was the case with

 ,felix4 ,he  perceived the bandage     
which conceals the sight of futurity    
drop in a  moment4 ,he heard ,st4 ,paul1
 that herald of grace and ambassador to 
the  ,gentiles1 he heard him reason on  
temperance and a judgment to come4  ,his
 soul was amazed2 his heart trembled2   
his knees smote one against  another4   
,amazing effects1 my brethren1 of       
conscience6 ,evident argument of the    
vanity of those gods whom idolatry      
adorns after it has given them  form6   
,jupiter and ,mercury1 it is true1 had  
their altars in the temples  of the     
heathens2 but the ,god of heaven and    
earth has ,his tribunal in  the heart3  
and1 while idolatry presents its incense
 to sacrilegious  and incestuous        
deities1 the ,god of heaven and earth   
reveals ,his  terrors to the conscience1
 and there loudly condemns both incest  
and  sacrilege4    ,secondly1 consider  
,felix as a prince2 and you will find in
 this second  office a second cause of  
his fear4 ,when we perceive the great   

men of  the earth devoid of every       
principle of religion1 and even         
ridiculing  those very truths which are 
the objects of our faith1 we feel that  
faith to waver4 ,they excite a certain  
suspicion in the mind that our          
sentiments are only prejudices1 which   
have become rooted in man1  brought up  
in the obscurity of humble life4 ,here  
is the apology of  religion4 ,the       
,caligulas1 the ,neros1 those potentates
 of the universe1  have trembled in     
their turn as well as the meanest of    
their subjects4  ,this independence of  
mind1 so conspicuous among libertines1  
is  consequently an art1--not of        
disengaging themselves from prejudices1 
but of shutting their eyes against the  
light1 and of extinguishing the  purest 
sentiments of the heart4 ,felix1        
educated in a court fraught  with the   
maxims of the great instantly ridicules 
the apostle's  preaching4 ,st4 ,paul1   
undismayed1 attacks him1 and finds a    
conscience  concealed in his bosom3 the 

very dignity of ,felix is constrained to
  aid our apostle by adding weight to   
his ministry4 ,he demolishes  the       
edifice of ,felix's pride4 ,he shows    
that if a great nation was  dependent on
 his pleasure1 he himself was dependent 
on a ,sovereign in  whose presence the  
kings of the earth are as nothing4 ,he  
proves that  dignities are so very far  
from exempting men from the judgment of 
,god  that1 for this very reason1 their 
account becomes the more weighty1       
riches being a trust which ,heaven has  
committed to the great3 and  where much 
is given1 much is required4 ,he makes   
him feel this awful  truth1 that princes
 are responsible1 not only for their own
 souls1  but also for those of their    
subjects2 their good or bad example     
influencing1 for the most part1 the     
people committed to their care4    ,see 
then ,felix in one moment deprived of   
his tribunal4 ,the judge  became a      
party4 ,he saw himself rich and in need 
of nothing2 and yet he  was blind1 and  

naked1 and poor4 ,he heard a voice from 
the ,god of the  whole earth1 saying    
unto him1 ,thou profane and wicked      
prince1 remove  the diadem and take off 
the crown4 ,i will overturn1 overturn1  
overturn  it1 and it shall be no more   
7,ezekiel xxi41 #be-bg74 ,tho thou exalt
  thyself as the eagle1 and tho thou set
 thy nest among the stars1  thence will 
,i bring thee down1 saith the ,lord     
7,obadiah1 #d74 ,neither  the dignity of
 governor1 nor the favor of ,caesar1 nor
 all the glory of  empire shall deliver 
thee out of ,my hand4    ,thirdly1 ,i   
restrict myself1 my brethren1 as much as
 possible in order  to execute without  
exceeding my limits the plan ,i have    
conceived2  and proceed to consider     
,felix as an avaricious man3 to find in 
this  disposition a further cause of his
 fear4 ,felix was avaricious1 and ,st4  
,paul instantly transported him into a  
world in which avarice shall  receive   
its appropriate and most severe         
punishment4 ,for you know that  the     

grand test by which we shall be judged  
is charity4 ,i was hungry1  and ye gave 
me meat2 and of all the constructions of
 charity  covetousness is the most      
obstinate and insurmountable4    ,this  
unhappy propensity renders us insensible
 of our neighbor's  necessities4 ,it    
magnifies the estimate of our wants2 it 
diminishes the  wants of others4 ,it    
persuades us that we have need of all1  
that others  have need of nothing4      
,felix began to perceive the iniquity of
 this  passion1 and to feel that he was 
guilty of double idolatry3 idolatry1  in
 morality1 idolatry in religion2        
idolatry in having offered incense  to  
gods1 who were not the makers of heaven 
and earth2 idolatry in  having offered  
incense to ,mammon4 ,for the ,scriptures
 teach1 and  experience confirms1 that  
covetousness is idolatry4 ,the covetous 
man  is not a worshiper of the true     
,god4 ,gold and silver are the          
divinities  he adores4 ,his heart is    
with his treasure4 ,here then is the    

portrait  of ,felix3 a portrait drawn by
 ,st4 ,paul in the presence of ,felix1  
and  which reminded this prince of      
innumerable prohibitions1 innumerable   
frauds1 innumerable extortions2 of the  
widow and the orphan he  opprest4 ,here 
is the cause of ,felix's fears4         
,according to an  expression of ,st4    
,james1 the rust of his gold and silver 
began to  witness against him1 and to   
eat his flesh as with fire 7,james v41  
#c74    ,fourthly1 consider ,felix as a 
voluptuous man4 ,here is the final cause
  of his fear4 ,without repeating all we
 have said on the depravity of  this    
passion1 let one remark suffice1 that1  
if the torments of hell  are terrible at
 all1 they must especially be so to the 
voluptuous4 ,the  voluptuous man never  
restricts his sensual gratification2 his
 soul  dies on the slightest approach of
 pain4 ,what a terrific impression  must
 not the thought of judgment make on    
such a character4 ,shall ,i1  accustomed
 to indulgence and pleasure1 become a   

prey to the worm that  dieth not and    
fuel to the fire which is not quenched8 
,shall ,i1 who  avoid pain with so much 
caution1 be condemned to eternal        
torments8  ,shall ,i have neither       
delicious meats nor voluptuous delights8
 ,this  body1 my idol1 which ,i         
habituate to so much delicacy1 shall it 
be  cast into the lake of fire and      
brimstone1 whose smoke ascendeth up     
forever and ever8 ,and this effeminate  
habit ,i have of refining on  pleasure1 
will it render me only the more sensible
 of my destruction  and anguish8        
,such are the traits of ,felix's        
character2 such are the causes of       
,felix's fear4 ,happy1 if his fear had  
produced that godly sorrow1 and  that   
repentance unto salvation not to be     
repented of4 ,happy if the  fear of hell
 had induced him to avoid its torments4 
,but1 ah no6 he  feared1 and yet        
persisted in the causes of his fear4 ,he
 trembled1  yet said to ,st4 ,paul1 ,go 
thy way for this time4 ,this is our last

  reflection4    ,how preposterous1 my  
brethren1 is the sinner6 ,what          
absurdities does  he cherish in his     
heart6 ,for1 in short1 had the doctrines
 ,st4 ,paul  preached to ,felix been the
 productions of his brain3--had the     
thought  of a future judgment been a    
chimera1 whence proceeded the fears of  
,felix8 ,why was he so weak as to admit 
this panic of terror8 ,if1 on the       
contrary1 ,paul had truth and argument  
on his side1 why did ,felix send  him   
away8 ,such are the contradictions of   
the sinner4 ,he wishes2 he  revolts2 he 
denies2 he grants2 he trembles2 and     
says1 ,go thy way for  this time4 ,speak
 to him concerning the truths of        
religion1 open hell  to his view1 and   
you will see him affected1 devout1 and  
appalled3  follow him in life1 and you  
will find that these truths have no     
influence whatever on his conduct4      
,but are we not mistaken concerning     
,felix8 ,did not the speech of ,st4     
,paul make a deeper impression upon him 

than we seem to allow8 ,he sent  the    
apostle away1 it is true1 but it was for
 this time only4 ,and  who can censure  
this delay8 ,the infirmities of human   
nature require  relaxation and repose4  
,felix could afterward recall him4 ,go  
thy way  for this time2 when ,i have a  
convenient season1 ,i will send for     
thee4    ,it pains me1 ,i confess1 my   
brethren1 in entering on this head of my
  discourse1 that ,i should exhibit to  
you in the person of ,felix the         
portrait of whom8 ,of wicked men8 ,alas6
 of nearly the whole of this  assembly2 
most of whom seem to us living in       
negligence and vice1  running with the  
children of this world to the same      
excess of riot4  ,one would suppose that
 they had already made their choice1    
having  embraced one or the other of    
these notions3 either that religion is  
a fantom1 or that1 all things           
considered1 it is better to endure the  
torments of hell than to be restricted  
to the practise of virtue4 ,oh  no6 that

 is not their notion4 ,ask the worse    
among them4 ,ask whether  they have     
renounced their salvation4 ,you will not
 find an individual  who will say that  
he has renounced it4 ,ask them again    
whether they  think it attainable by    
following this way of life4 ,they will  
answer1  ,no4 ,ask them afterward how   
they reconcile things so opposite as    
their  life and their hopes4 ,they will 
answer that they are resolved to        
reform1 and by and by they will enter on
 the work4 ,they will say1  as ,felix   
said to ,st4 ,paul1 ,go thy way for this
 time2 when ,i have a  convenient       
season1 ,i will call for thee4 ,nothing 
is less wise than  this delay4 ,at a    
future period ,i will reform4 ,but who  
has assured me  that at a future period 
,i shall have opportunities of          
conversion8 ,who  has assured me that   
,god will continue to call me1 and that 
another  ,paul shall thunder in my ears8
    ,i will reform at a future period4  
,but who has told me that ,god at a     

future period will accompany ,his word  
with the powerful aids of grace8  ,while
 ,paul may plant and ,apollos may water1
 is it not ,god who gives  the increase8
 ,how then can ,i flatter myself that   
the ,holy ,spirit  will continue to     
knock at the door of my heart after ,i  
shall have so  frequently obstructed    
,his admission8    ,i will reform in    
future4 ,but who has told me that ,i    
shall ever desire  to be converted8 ,do 
not habits become confirmed in          
proportion as they  are indulged8 ,and  
is not an inveterate evil very difficult
 to cure8 ,if  ,i can not bear the      
excision of a slight gangrene1 how shall
 ,i sustain  the operation when the     
wound is deep8    ,i will reform in     
future6 ,but who has told me that ,i    
shall live to  a future period8 ,does   
not death advance every moment with     
gigantic  strides8 ,does he not assail  
the prince in his palace and the peasant
  in his cottage8 ,does he not send     
before him monitors and messengers3     

acute pains1 which wholly absorb the    
soul2 deliriums1 which render  reason of
 no avail2 deadly stupors1 which benumb 
the brightest and  most piercing        
geniuses8 ,and what is still more awful1
 does ,he not  daily come without either
 warning or messenger8 ,does ,he not    
snatch  away this man without allowing  
him time to be acquainted with the      
essentials of religion2 and that man1   
without the restitution of  riches ill  
acquired2 and the other1 before he is   
reconciled to his  enemy8    ,instead of
 saying ,go thy way for this time we    
should say1 ,stay for  this time4 ,stay1
 while the ,holy ,spirit is knocking at 
the door of my  heart2 stay1 while my   
conscience is alarmed2 stay1 while ,i   
yet live2  while it is called to-day4   
,the arguments confounded my conscience3
  no matter4 ,thy hand is heavy upon me3
 no matter still4 ,cut1 strike1         
consume2 provided it procure my         
salvation4    ,but1 however criminal    
this delay may be1 we seem desirous to  

excuse  it4 ,go thy way for this time2  
when ,i have a convenient season1 ,i    
will  call for thee4 ,it was ,felix's   
business then which induced him to  put 
off the apostle4 ,unhappy business6     
,awful occupation6 ,it seems  an        
enviable situation1 my brethren1 to be  
placed at the head of a  province2 to   
speak in the language of majesty2 to    
decide on the  fortunes of a numerous   
people2 and in all cases to be the      
ultimate  judge4 ,but those situations1 
so happy and so dazzling in appearance1 
are in the main dangerous to the        
conscience4 ,those innumerable          
concerns1 this noise and bustle1        
entirely dissipate the soul4 ,while so  
much engaged on earth1 we can not be    
mindful of heaven4 ,when we have  no    
leisure we say to ,st4 ,paul1 ,go thy   
way for this time2 when ,i have  a      
convenient season1 ,i will call for     
thee4    ,happy he who1 amid the tumult 
of the most active life1 has hours      
consecrated to reflection1 to the       

examination of his conscience1 and  to  
insure the one thing needful4 ,or1      
rather1 happy he who1 in the  repose of 
the middle classes of society1--places  
between indigence and  affluence1 far   
from the courts of the great1 having    
neither poverty  nor riches according to
 ,agur's wish1--can in retirement and   
quietness  see life sweetly glide away1 
and make salvation1 if not the sole1 yet
  his principal1 concern4    ,felix not 
only preferred his business to his      
salvation1 but he  mentions it with     
evasive disdain4 ,when ,i have a        
convenient season1 ,i  will call for    
thee4 ,when ,i have a convenient season6
 ,might we not  thence infer that the   
truths discust by ,st4 ,paul were not of
 serious  importance8 ,might we not     
infer that the soul of ,felix was       
created  for the government of ,judea2  
and that the grand doctrines of         
righteousness1 temperance1 and a        
judgment to come ought to serve  at most
 but to pass away the time1 or merely to

 engross one's  leisure--when ,i have a 
convenient season8 444    ,yes1         
,christians1 this is the only moment on 
which we can reckon4 ,it  is1 perhaps1  
the only acceptable time4 ,it is1       
perhaps1 the last day of  our           
visitation4 ,let us improve a period so 
precious4 ,let us no  longer say by and 
by--at another time2 but let us say     
to-day--this  moment--even now4 ,let the
 pastor say3 ,i have been insipid in my 
sermons1 and remiss in my conduct2      
having been more solicitous1 during  the
 exercise of my ministry1 to advance my 
family than to build up the  ,lord's    
house1 ,i will preach hereafter with    
fervor and zeal4 ,i will be  vigilant1  
sober1 rigorous1 and disinterested4 ,let
 the miser say3 ,i  have riches ill     
acquired4 ,i will purge my house of     
illicit wealth4 ,i  will overturn the   
altar of ,mammon and erect another to   
the supreme  ,jehovah4 ,let the prodigal
 say3 ,i will extinguish the unhappy    
fires by  which ,i am consumed and      

kindle in my bosom the flame of divine  
love4  ,ah1 unhappy passions1 which war 
against my soul2 sordid attachments2    
irregular propensities2 emotions of     
concupiscence2 law in the  members1--,i 
will know you no more4 ,i will make with
 you an eternal  divorce1 ,i will from  
this moment open my heart to the eternal
 ,wisdom1  who condescends to ask it4   
,if we are in this happy disposition1 if
 we thus become regenerate1 we  shall   
enjoy from this moment foretastes of the
 glory which ,god has  prepared4 ,from  
this moment the truths of religion1 so  
far from casting  discouragement and    
terror on the soul1 shall heighten its  
consolation  and joy2 from this moment  
heaven shall open to this audience1     
paradise  shall descend into your       
hearts1 and the ,holy ,spirit shall come
 and  dwell there4 ,he will bring that  
peace1 and those joys1 which pass all   
understanding4          ,,edwards       
,,spiritual ,,light    ,,biographical   
,,note      ,jonathan ,edwards1 the ,new

 ,england divine and metaphysician1 was 
born  at ,east ,windsor1 ,connecticut1  
in #agjc4 ,he was graduated early from  
,yale ,college1 where he had given much 
attention to philosophy1 became  tutor  
of his college1 and at nineteen began to
 preach4 ,his voice and  manner did not 
lend themselves readily to pulpit       
oratory1 but his  clear1 logical1 and   
intense presentation of the truth       
produced a  profound and permanent      
effect upon his hearers4 ,he wrote what 
were  considered the most important     
philosophical treatises of his time4    
,his  place among the thinkers of the   
world is high and indisputable4 ,he had 
many gifts of intellect and imagination1
 and a uniform gravity that  left no    
doubt as to his deeply earnest nature4  
,he was one of the  greatest preachers  
of his age4 ,his most widely quoted     
sermon1 ,sinners  in the ,eyes of an    
,angry ,god1 while powerful and         
impressive1 does not  do him justice4   
,it is believed the sermon presented    

here discloses to  greater advantage the
 tender and saintly side of his         
character4 ,he  died in #ageh4          
,,edwards    #agjc-ageh    ,,spiritual  
,,light    ,and ,jesus answered and said
 unto him1 ,blessed art thou1 ,simon    
,barjona3 for flesh and blood hath not  
revealed it unto thee1 but my  ,father  
which is in heaven4--,matthew xvi41 #ag4
      ,christ says these words to ,peter
 upon occasion of his professing  his   
faith in ,him as the ,son of ,god4 ,our 
,lord was inquiring of ,his  disciples1 
who men said ,he was2 not that ,he      
needed to be informed1 but  only to     
introduce and give occasion to what     
follows4 ,they answer1  that some said  
,he was ,john the ,baptist1 and some    
,elias1 and others  ,jeremias1 or one of
 the prophets4 ,when they had thus given
 an account  of who others said ,he was1
 ,christ asks them1 who they said ,he   
was8  ,simon ,peter1 whom we find always
 zealous and forward1 was the first to  
answer3 he readily replied to the       

question1 ,thou art ,christ1 the ,son   
of the living ,god4    ,upon this       
occasion ,christ says as ,he does to    
him1 and of him in the  text3 in which  
we may observe1    #a4 ,that ,peter is  
pronounced blest on this account4       
,blessed art  ,thou4--,thou art a happy 
man1 that thou art not ignorant of this1
  that ,i am ,christ1 the ,son of the   
living ,god4 ,thou art distinguishingly 
happy4 ,others are blinded1 and have    
dark and deluded apprehensions1 as  you 
have now given an account1 some thinking
 that ,i am ,elias1 and some  that ,i am
 ,jeremias1 and some one thing and some 
another2 but none of  them thinking     
right1 all of them misled4 ,happy art   
thou1 that art so  distinguished as to  
know the truth in this matter4    #b4   
,the evidence of this his happiness     
declared2 viz41 that ,god1 and ,he      
only1 had revealed it to him4 ,this is  
an evidence of his being blest4         
,first4 ,as it shows how peculiarly     
favored he was of ,god above others3    

,how highly favored art thou1 that      
others that are wise and great men1  the
 scribes1 ,pharisees1 and rulers1 and   
the nation in general1 are  left in     
darkness1 to follow their own misguided 
apprehensions2 and  that thou shouldst  
be singled out1 as it were1 by name1    
that my  heavenly ,father should thus   
set ,his love on thee1 ,simon ,barjona4 
,this  argues thee blest1 that thou     
shouldst thus be the object of ,god's   
distinguishing love4    ,secondly4 ,it  
evidences his blessedness also1 as it   
intimates that this  knowledge is above 
any that flesh and blood can reveal4    
,this is such  knowledge as my ,father  
which is in heaven only can give3 it is 
too  high and excellent to be           
communicated by such means as other     
knowledge  is4 ,thou art blest1 that    
thou knowest that which ,god alone can  
teach  thee4    ,the original of this   
knowledge is here declared1 both        
negatively and  positively4 ,positively1
 as ,god is here declared the author of 

it4  ,negatively1 as it is declared1    
that flesh and blood had not revealed   
it4 ,god is the author of all knowledge 
and understanding whatsoever4  ,he is   
the author of the knowledge that is     
obtained by human learning3  ,he is the 
author of all moral prudence1 and of the
 knowledge and skill  that men have in  
their secular business4 ,thus it is said
 of all in  ,israel that were           
wise-hearted1 and skilful in            
embroidering1 that ,god  had filled them
 with the spirit of wisdom4 7,exod4     
xxviii41 #c47    ,god is the author of  
such knowledge2 but yet not so but that 
flesh and  blood reveals it4 ,mortal men
 are capable of imparting that knowledge
  of human arts and sciences1 and skill 
in temporal affairs4 ,god is the  author
 of such knowledge by those means3 flesh
 and blood is made use  of by ,god as   
the mediate or second cause of it2 he   
conveys it by the  power and influence  
of natural means4 ,but this spiritual   
knowledge1  spoken of in the text1 is   

that ,god is the author of1 and none    
else3  he reveals it1 and flesh and     
blood reveals it not4 ,he imparts this  
knowledge immediately1 not making use of
 any intermediate natural  causes1 as he
 does in other knowledge4 ,what has     
passed in the  preceding discourse      
naturally occasioned ,christ to observe 
this2  because the disciples had been   
telling how others did not know ,him1   
but were generally mistaken about ,him1 
and divided and confounded in  their    
opinions of ,him3 but ,peter had        
declared his assured faith1 that  ,he   
was the ,son of ,god4 ,now it was       
natural to observe1 how it was not      
flesh and blood that had revealed it to 
him1 but ,god3 for if this  knowledge   
were dependent on natural causes or     
means1 how came it to  pass that they1 a
 company of poor fishermen1 illiterate  
men1 and  persons of low education1     
attained to the knowledge of the truth2 
while the scribes and ,pharisees1 men of
 vastly higher advantages  and greater  

knowledge and sagacity in other matters1
 remained in  ignorance8 ,this could be 
owing only to the gracious              
distinguishing  influence and revelation
 of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,hence1 what ,i
 would  make the subject of my present  
discourse from these words1 is this     
doctrine4 ,that there is such a thing as
 a spiritual and divine light1          
immediately imparted to the soul by     
,god1 of a different nature from  any   
that is obtained by natural means4      
#a4 ,those convictions that natural men 
may have of their sin and misery  is not
 this spiritual and divine light4 ,men  
in a natural condition may  have        
convictions of the guilt that lies upon 
them1 and of the anger of  ,god1 and    
their danger of divine vengeance4 ,such 
convictions are from  light or          
sensibleness of truth4 ,that some       
sinners have a greater  conviction of   
their guilt and misery than others1 is  
because some have  more light1 or more  
of an apprehension of truth than others4

 ,and  this light and conviction may be 
from the ,spirit of ,god2 the ,spirit   
convinces men of sin3 but yet nature is 
much more concerned in it than  in the  
communication of that spiritual and     
divine light that is spoken  of in the  
doctrine2 it is from the ,spirit of ,god
 only as assisting  natural principles1 
and not as infusing any new principles4 
,common  grace differs from special1 in 
that it influences only by assisting  of
 nature2 and not by imparting grace1 or 
bestowing anything above  nature4 ,the  
light that is obtained is wholly        
natural1 or of no  superior kind to what
 mere nature attains to1 tho more of    
that kind be  obtained than would be    
obtained if men were left wholly to     
themselves3  or1 in other words1 common 
grace only assists the faculties of the 
soul to do that more fully which they do
 by nature1 as natural  conscience or   
reason will by mere nature1 make a man  
sensible of  guilt1 and will accuse and 
condemn him when he has done amiss4     

,conscience is a principle natural to   
men2 and the work that it doth          
naturally1 or of itself1 is to give an  
apprehension of right and  wrong1 and to
 suggest to the mind the relation that  
there is between  right and wrong and a 
retribution4 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 in   
those  convictions which unregenerate   
men sometimes have1 assist conscience   
to do this work in a further degree than
 it would do if they were left  to      
themselves3 ,he helps it against those  
things that tend to stupify  it1 and    
obstruct its exercise4 ,but in the      
renewing and sanctifying  work of the   
,holy ,ghost1 those things are wrought  
in the soul that are  above nature1 and 
of which there is nothing of the like   
kind in the  soul by nature2 and they   
are caused to exist in the soul         
habitually1  and according to such a    
stated constitution or law that lays    
such  a foundation of exercises in a    
continued course1 as is called a        
principal of nature4 ,not only are      

remaining principles assisted to do     
their work more freely and fully1 but   
those principles are restored  that were
 utterly destroyed by the fall2 and the 
mind thenceforward  habitually exerts   
those acts that the dominion of sin has 
made it as  wholly destitute of1 as a   
dead body is of vital acts4    ,the     
,spirit of ,god acts in a very different
 manner in the one case1  from what ,he 
doth in the other4 ,he may indeed act   
upon the mind of a  natural man1 but ,he
 acts in the mind of a saint as an      
indwelling vital  principle4 ,he acts   
upon the mind of an unregenerate person 
as an  extrinsic1 occasional agent2 for 
in acting upon them1 ,he doth not  unite
 ,himself to them2 for notwithstanding  
all ,his influences that  they may be   
the subjects of1 they are still sensual1
 having not the  ,spirit 7,jude #ai74   
,but ,he unites ,himself with the mind  
of a saint1  takes him for his temple1  
actuates and influences him as a new    
supernatural principle of life and      

action4 ,there is this difference1  that
 the ,spirit of ,god1 in acting in the  
soul of a godly man1 exerts  and        
communicates ,himself there in his own  
proper nature4 ,holiness is  the proper 
nature of the spirit of ,god4 ,the ,holy
 ,spirit operates in  the minds of the  
godly1 by uniting ,himself to them1 and 
living in  them1 and exerting ,his own  
nature in the exercise of their         
faculties4  ,the ,spirit of ,god may act
 upon a creature1 and yet not in acting 
communicate ,himself4 ,the ,spirit of   
,god may act upon inanimate  creatures2 
as1 the ,spirit moved upon the face of  
the waters1 in the  beginning of the    
creation2 so the ,spirit of ,god may act
 upon the minds  of men many ways1 and  
communicate ,himself no more than when  
,he acts  upon an inanimate creature4   
,for instance1 ,he may excite thoughts  
in  them1 may assist their natural      
reason and understanding1 or may assist 
other natural principles1 and this      
without any union with the soul1  but   

may act1 as it were1 as upon an external
 object4 ,but as ,he acts  in ,his holy 
influences and spiritual operations1 ,he
 acts in a way  of peculiar             
communication of ,himself2 so that the  
subject is thence  denominated          
spiritual4    ,this spiritual and divine
 light does not consist in any          
impression  made upon the imagination4  
,it is no impression upon the mind1 as  
tho  one saw anything with the bodily   
eyes3 it is no imagination or idea of   
an outward light or glory or any beauty 
of form or countenance1 or a  visible   
luster or brightness of any object4 ,the
 imagination may be  strongly imprest   
with such things2 but this is not       
spiritual light4  ,indeed1 when the mind
 has a lively discovery of spiritual    
things1 and  is greatly affected by the 
power of divine light1 it may1 and      
probably  very commonly doth1 much      
affect the imagination2 so that         
impressions  of an outward beauty or    
brightness may accompany those spiritual

  discoveries4 ,but spiritual light is  
not that impression upon the            
imagination1 but an exceeding different 
thing from it4 ,natural men  may have   
lively impressions on their             
imaginations2 and we can not  determine 
but the devil1 who transforms himself   
into an angel of  light1 may cause      
imaginations of an outward beauty1 or   
visible glory1  and of sounds and       
speeches1 and other such things2 but    
these are  things of a vastly inferior  
nature to spiritual light4    ,this     
spiritual light is not the suggesting of
 any new truths or  propositions not    
contained in the ,word of ,god4 ,this   
suggesting of  new truths or doctrines  
to the mind1 independent of any         
antecedent  revelation of those         
propositions1 either in word or writing1
 is  inspiration2 such as the prophets  
and apostles had1 and such as some      
enthusiasts pretend to4 ,but this       
spiritual light that ,i am speaking  of 
is quite a different thing from         

inspiration2 it reveals no new          
doctrine1 it suggests no new proposition
 to the mind1 it teaches no  new thing  
of ,god1 or ,christ1 or another world1  
not taught in the  ,bible1 but only     
gives a due apprehension of those things
 that are  taught in the ,word of ,god4 
,it is not every affecting view that men
 have of the things of religion  that is
 this spiritual and divine light4 ,men  
by mere principles of  nature are       
capable of being affected with things   
that have a special  relation to        
religion as well as other things4 ,a    
person by mere nature1  for instance1   
may be liable to be affected with the   
story of ,jesus  ,christ1 and the       
sufferings ,he underwent1 as well as by 
any other  tragical story2 he may be the
 more affected with it from the interest
  he conceives mankind to have in it2   
yea1 he may be affected with it  without
 believing it2 as well as a man may be  
affected with what he  reads in a       
romance1 or sees acted in a stage play4 

,he may be affected  with a lively and  
eloquent description of many pleasant   
things that  attend the state of the    
blest in heaven1 as well as his         
imagination  be entertained by a        
romantic description of the pleasantness
 of  fairy-land1 or the like4 ,and that 
common-belief of the truth of the       
things of religion1 that persons may    
have from education or otherwise1  may  
help forward their affection4 ,we read  
in ,scripture of many that  were greatly
 affected with things of a religious    
nature1 who yet are  there presented as 
wholly graceless1 and many of them very 
ill men4 ,a  person therefore may have  
affecting views of religion1 and yet be 
very  destitute of spiritual light4     
,flesh and blood may be the author of   
this2 one man may give another an       
affecting view of divine things but     
common assistance3 but ,god alone can   
give a spiritual discovery of  them4    
,but ,i proceed to show positively what 
this spiritual and divine light  is4    

,and it may be thus described3 a true   
sense of the divine excellency of  the  
things revealed in the ,word of ,god1   
and a conviction of the truth  and      
reality of them thence arising4    ,this
 spiritual light primarily consists in  
the former of these--viz41  a real sense
 and apprehension of the divine         
excellency of things  revealed in the   
,word of ,god4 ,a spiritual and saving  
conviction of the  truth and reality of 
these things arises from such a sight of
 their  divine excellency and glory2 so 
that this conviction of their truth is  
an effect and natural consequence of    
this sight of their divine glory4       
,there is therefore in this spiritual   
light1    #a4 ,a true sense of the      
divine and superlative excellency of the
 things  of religion2 a real sense of   
the excellency of ,god and ,jesus       
,christ1  and of the work of redemption1
 and the ways and works of ,god revealed
  in the gospel4 ,there is a divine and 
superlative glory in these  things2 an  

excellency that is of a vastly higher   
kind1 and more  sublime nature than in  
other things2 a glory greatly           
distinguishing  them from all that is   
earthly and temporal4 ,he that is       
spiritually  enlightened truly          
apprehends and sees it1 or has a sense  
of it4 ,he  does not merely rationally  
believe that ,god is glorious1 but he   
has  a sense of the gloriousness of ,god
 in his heart4 ,there is not only a     
rational belief that is holy1 and that  
holiness is a good thing1 but  there is 
a sense of the loveliness of ,god's     
holiness4 ,there is not  only a         
speculative judging that ,god is        
gracious1 but a sense how  amiable ,god 
is upon that account1 or a sense of the 
beauty of this  divine attribute4       
,there is a twofold understanding or    
knowledge of good that ,god has  made   
the mind of man capable of4 ,the first1 
that which is merely  speculative and   
notional2 as when a person only         
speculatively judges  that anything is1 

which1 by the agreement of mankind1 is  
called good  or excellent1 viz41 that   
which is most to general advantage1 and 
between which and a reward there is a   
suitableness1 and the like4 ,and  the   
other is1 that which consists in the    
sense of the heart3 as when  there is a 
sense of the beauty1 amiableness1 or    
sweetness of a thing2  so that the heart
 is sensible of pleasure and delight in 
the presence  of the idea of it4 ,in the
 former is exercised merely the         
speculative  faculty1 or the            
understanding1 strictly so called1 or as
 spoken of in  distinction from the will
 or disposition of the soul4 ,in the    
latter1  the will1 or inclination1 or   
heart is mainly concerned4    ,thus     
there is a difference between having an 
opinion that ,god is holy  and gracious1
 and having a sense of the loveliness   
and beauty of that  holiness and grace4 
,there is a difference between having a 
rational  judgment that honey is sweet1 
and having a sense of its sweetness4 ,a 

man may have the former that knows not  
how honey tastes2 but a man can  not    
have the latter unless he has an idea of
 the taste of honey in  his mind4 ,so   
there is a difference between believing 
that a person is  beautiful and having a
 sense of his beauty4 ,the former may be
 obtained  by hearsay1 but the latter   
only by seeing the countenance4 ,there  
is a  wide difference between mere      
speculative rational judging anything   
to be excellent1 and having a sense of  
its sweetness and beauty4 ,the  former  
rests only in the head1 speculation only
 is concerned in it2  but the heart is  
concerned in the latter4 ,when the heart
 is sensible  of the beauty and         
amiableness of a thing1 it necessarily  
feels  pleasure in the apprehension4 ,it
 is implied in a person's being         
heartily sensible of the loveliness of a
 thing1 that the idea of it is  sweet   
and pleasant to his soul2 which is a far
 different thing from  having a rational
 opinion that it is excellent4    #b4   

,there arises from this sense of divine 
excellency of things  contained in the  
word of ,god a conviction of the truth  
and reality of  them2 and that either   
directly or indirectly4    ,first1      
indirectly1 and that two ways4    7#a7  
,as the prejudices that are in the      
heart1 against the truth of  divine     
things1 are hereby removed2 so that the 
mind becomes susceptive  of the due     
force of rational arguments for their   
truth4 ,the mind  of man is naturally   
full of prejudices against the truth of 
divine  things3 it is full of enmity    
against the doctrines of the gospel2    
which is a disadvantage to those        
arguments that prove their truth1 and   
causes them to lose their force upon the
 mind4 ,but when a person has           
discovered to him the divine excellency 
of ,christian doctrines1 this  destroys 
the enmity1 removes those prejudices1   
and sanctifies the  reason1 and causes  
it to lie open to the force of arguments
 for their  truth4    ,hence was the    

different effect that ,christ's miracles
 had to convince  the disciples from    
what they had to convince the scribes   
and  ,pharisees4 ,not that they had a   
stronger reason1 or had their reason    
more improved2 but their reason was     
sanctified1 and those blinding          
prejudices1 that the scribes and        
,pharisees were under1 were removed by  
the sense they had of the excellency of 
,christ and ,his doctrine4    7#b7 ,it  
not only removes the hindrances of      
reason1 but positively helps  reason4   
,it makes even the speculative notions  
the more lively4 ,it  engages the       
attention of the mind1 with the more    
fixedness and  intenseness to that kind 
of objects2 which causes it to have a   
clearer view of them1 and enables it    
more clearly to see their mutual        
relations1 and occasions it to take more
 notice of them4 ,the ideas  themselves 
that otherwise are dim and obscure1 are 
by this means  imprest with the greater 
strength1 and have a light cast upon    

them1 so  that the mind can better judge
 of them2 as he that beholds the objects
  on the face of the earth1 when the    
light of the sun is cast upon them1  is 
under greater advantage to discern them 
in their true forms and  mutual         
relations1 than he that sees them in a  
dim starlight or  twilight4    ,the mind
 having a sensibleness of the excellency
 of divine objects1  dwells upon them   
with delight2 and the powers of the soul
 are more  awakened and enlivened to    
employ themselves in the contemplation  
of  them1 and exert themselves more     
fully and much more to the purpose4     
,the beauty and sweetness of the objects
 draw on the faculties1 and  draw forth 
their exercises2 so that reason itself  
is under far greater  advantages for its
 proper and free exercises1 and to      
attain its proper  end1 free of darkness
 and delusion4    ,secondly4 ,a true    
sense of the divine excellency of these 
things is so  superlative as more       
directly and immediately to convince of 

the  truth of them2 and that because the
 excellency of these things is so       
superlative4 ,there is a beauty in them 
that is so divine and godlike1  that it 
greatly and evidently distinguishes them
 from things merely  human1 or that men 
are the inventors and authors of2 a     
glory that is  so high and great1 that  
when clearly seen1 it commands assent to
 their  divinity and reality4 ,when     
there is an actual and lively discovery 
of  this beauty and excellency1 it will 
not allow of any such thought  as that  
it is a human work1 or the fruit of     
men's invention4 ,this  evidence that   
they who are spiritually enlightened    
have of the truth  of the things of     
religion1 is a kind of intuitive and    
immediate  evidence4 ,they believe the  
doctrines of ,god's word to be divine1  
because they see divinity in them2 i4e41
 they see a divine1 and  transcendent1  
and most evidently distinguishing glory 
in them2 such a  glory as1 if clearly   
seen1 does not leave room to doubt of   

their being  of ,god1 and not of men4   
,such a conviction of the truth of      
religion as this1 arising1 these  ways1 
from a sense of the divine excellency of
 them1 is that true  spiritual          
conviction that there is in saving      
faith4 ,and this original  of it1 is    
that by which it is most essentially    
distinguished from that  common assent1 
which unregenerated men are capable of4 
,i proceed now to show how this light is
 immediately given by ,god1 and  not    
obtained by natural means4    #a4 ,it is
 not intended that the natural faculties
 are not made use of  in it4 ,the       
natural faculties are the subject of    
this light3 and they  are the subject in
 such a manner that they are not merely 
passive1  but active in it2 the acts and
 exercises of men's understanding are   
concerned and made use of in it4 ,god1  
in letting in this light into  the soul1
 deals with man according to his nature1
 or as a rational  creature2 and makes  
use of his human faculties4 ,but yet    

this light is  not the less immediately 
from ,god for that2 tho the faculties   
are made  use of1 it is as the subject  
and not as the cause2 and that acting of
  the faculties in it is not the cause1 
but is either implied in the  thing     
itself 7in the light that is imparted7  
or is the consequence of  it2 as the use
 that we make of our eyes in beholding  
various objects1  when the sun arises1  
is not the cause of the light that      
discovers  those objects to us4    #b4  
,it is not intended that outward means  
have no concern in this  affair4 ,as ,i 
have observed already1 it is not in this
 affair1 as it is  in inspiration1 where
 new truths are suggested3 for here is  
by this  light only given a due         
apprehension of the same truths that are
  revealed in the word of ,god2 and     
therefore it is not given without  the  
word4 ,the gospel is made use of in this
 affair3 this light is the  light of the
 glorious gospel of ,christ4 7,,ii ,cor4
 iv41 #d47 ,the gospel  is as a glass1  

by which this light is conveyed to us   
7,i ,cor4 xiii41  #ab74 ,now we see     
through a glass4    #c4 ,when it is said
 that this light is given immediately by
 ,god1 and  not obtained by natural     
means1 hereby is intended that it is    
given by  ,god without making use of any
 means that operate by their own power1 
or a natural force4 ,god makes use of   
means2 but it is not as mediate  causes 
to produce this effect4 ,there are not  
truly any second causes  of it2 but it  
is produced by ,god immediately4 ,the   
,word of ,god is no  proper cause of    
this effect3 it does not operate by any 
natural force  in it4 ,the ,word of ,god
 is only made use of to convey to the   
mind the  subject matter of this saving 
instruction1 and this indeed it doth    
convey to us by natural force or        
influence4 ,it conveys to our minds     
these and those doctrines2 it is the    
cause of the notion of them in  our     
heads1 but not of the sense of the      
divine excellency of them in  our       

hearts4 ,indeed1 a person can not have  
spiritual light without the  ,word4 ,but
 that does not argue that the ,word     
properly causes the light  ,the mind can
 not see the excellency of any doctrine 
unless that  doctrine be first in the   
mind2 but the seeing of the excellency  
of the  doctrine may be immediately from
 the ,spirit of ,god2 tho the conveying 
of the doctrine or proposition itself   
may be by the ,word4 ,so that the       
notions that are the subject-matter of  
this light are conveyed to the  mind by 
the ,word of ,god2 but that due sense of
 the heart1 wherein this  light formally
 consists1 is immediately by the ,spirit
 of ,god4 ,as for  instance1 that notion
 that there is a ,christ1 and that      
,christ is holy  and gracious1 is       
conveyed to the mind by the ,word of    
,god2 but the  sense of the excellency  
of ,christ by reason of that holiness   
and  grace1 is nevertheless immediately 
the work of the ,holy ,spirit4    ,this 
is the most excellent and divine wisdom 

that any creature is  capable of4 ,it is
 more excellent than any human learning2
 it is far  more excellent than all the 
knowledge of the greatest philosophers  
or  statesmen4 ,yea1 the least glimpse  
of the glory of ,god in the face of     
,christ doth more exalt and ennoble the 
soul than all the knowledge of  those   
that have the greatest speculative      
understanding in divinity  without      
grace4 ,this knowledge has the most     
noble object that is or  can be1 viz41  
the divine glory or excellency of ,god  
and ,christ4 ,the  knowledge of these   
objects is that wherein consists the    
most excellent  knowledge of the angels1
 yea1 of ,god himself4    ,this         
knowledge is that which is above all    
others sweet and joyful4  ,men have a   
great deal of pleasure in human         
knowledge1 in studies of  natural       
things2 but this is nothing to that joy 
which arises from this  divine light    
shining into the soul4 ,this light gives
 a view of those  that are immensely the

 most exquisitely beautiful1 and capable
 of  delighting the eye of the          
understanding4 ,this spiritual light is 
the dawning of the light of glory in the
 heart4 ,there is nothing so  powerful  
as this to support persons in           
affliction1 and to give the  mind peace 
and brightness in this stormy and dark  
world4    ,this light is such as        
effectually influences the inclination1 
and  changes the nature of the soul4 ,it
 assimilates the human nature to the    
divine nature1 and changes the soul into
 an image of the same glory  that is    
beheld 7,,ii ,cor4 iii41 #ah71 ,but we  
all with open face1  beholding as in a  
glass the glory of the ,lord1 are       
changed into the  same image1 from glory
 to glory1 even as by the ,spirit of the
 ,lord4  ,this knowledge will wean from 
the world1 and raise the inclination  to
 heavenly things4 ,it will turn the     
heart to ,god as the fountain of  good1 
and to choose him for the only portion4 
,this light1 and this  only1 will bring 

the soul to a saving close with ,christ4
 ,it conforms  the heart to the gospel1 
mortifies its enmity and opposition     
against  the schemes of salvation       
therein revealed3 it causes the heart to
  embrace the joyful tidings1 and       
entirely to adhere to1 and acquiesce  in
 the revelation of ,christ as our       
,savior3 it causes the whole soul  to   
accord and symphonize with it1 admitting
 it with entire credit and  respect2    
cleaving to it with full inclination and
 affection2 and it  effectually disposes
 the soul to give up itself entirely to 
,christ4    ,this light1 and this only1 
has its fruit in a universal holiness of
  life4 ,no merely notional or          
speculative understanding of the        
doctrines  of religion will ever bring  
us to this4 ,but this light1 as it      
reaches the bottom of the heart1 and    
changes the nature1 so it  will         
effectually dispose to a universal      
obedience4 ,it shows ,god's  worthiness 
to be obeyed and served4 ,it draws forth

 the heart in a  sincere love to ,god1  
which is the only principle of a true1  
gracious1  and universal obedience2 and 
it convinces of the reality of those    
glorious rewards that ,god has promised 
to them that obey him4          ,,wesley
    ,,god',s ,,love ,,to ,,fallen ,,man 
,,biographical ,,note      ,john ,wesley
 was born at ,epworth rectory in        
,lincolnshire1 ,england1  in #agjc4 ,he 
was educated at ,charterhouse school and
 in #agbj entered  ,christ ,church      
,college1 ,oxford1 where he graduated in
 #agbd4 ,he was  noted for his classical
 taste as well as for his religious     
fervor1 and  on being ordained deacon by
 ,bishop ,potter1 of ,oxford1 he became 
his  father's curate in #agbg4 ,being   
recalled to ,oxford to fulfil his duties
  as fellow of ,lincoln he became the   
head of the ,oxford ,methodists1 as     
they were called4 ,he had the           
characteristics of a great general1     
being  systematic in his work and a     
lover of discipline1 and established    

,methodism in ,london by his sermons at 
the ,foundery4 ,his speaking style      
suggested power in repose4 ,his voice   
was clear and resonant1 his  countenance
 kindly1 and his tone extremely         
moderate4 ,his sermons wore  carefully  
written1 altho not read in the pulpit4  
,they moved others  because he was      
himself moved4 ,at an advanced age he   
preached several  times a day1 and      
traveled many miles on horseback4 ,at   
seventy years  of age he had published  
thirty octavo volumes4 ,he composed     
hymns on  horseback1 and studied ,french
 and mathematics in spare hours1 and was
  never a moment idle until his death1  
in #agia4          ,,wesley             
#agjc--agia    ,,god',s ,,love ,,to     
,,fallen ,,man    ,not as the           
transgression1 so is the free           
gift4--,romans v41 #ae4      ,how       
exceedingly common1 and how bitter is   
the outcry against our first  parent1   
for the mischief which he not only      
brought upon himself1 but  entailed upon

 his latest posterity6 ,it was by his   
wilful rebellion  against ,god that sin 
entered into the world4 ,by one man's   
disobedience1 as the apostle observes1  
the many1 as many as were then  in the  
loins of their forefathers1 were made1  
or constituted sinners3  not only       
deprived of the favor of ,god1 but also 
of ,his image2 of all  virtue1          
righteousness1 and true holiness1 and   
sunk partly into the  image of the      
devil1 in pride1 malice1 and all other  
diabolical  tempers2 partly into the    
image of the brute1 being fallen under  
the  dominion of brutal passions and    
groveling appetites4 ,hence also death  
entered into the world1 with all his    
forerunners and attendants2 pain1       
sickness1 and a whole train of uneasy as
 well as unholy passions and  tempers4  
,for all this we may thank ,adam1 has   
been echoed down from generation  to    
generation4 ,the self-same charge has   
been repeated in every age and  every   
nation where the oracles of ,god are    

known1 in which alone this  grand and   
important event has been discovered to  
the children of men4  ,has not your     
heart1 and probably your lips too1      
joined in the general  charge8 ,how few 
are there of those who believe the      
,scriptural relation  of the ,fall of   
,man1 and have not entertained the same 
thought  concerning our first parent8   
severely condemning him1 that1 through  
wilful disobedience to the sole command 
of his ,creator1      ,brought death    
into the world and all our wo4    ,nay1 
it were well if the charge rested here3 
but it is certain it does  not4 ,it can 
not be denied that it frequently glances
 from ,adam to his  ,creator4 ,have not 
thousands1 even of those that are called
 ,christians1  taken the liberty to call
 ,his mercy1 if not ,his justice also1  
into  question1 on this very account8   
,some indeed have done this a little    
more modestly1 in an oblique and        
indirect manner3 but others have  thrown
 aside the mask1 and asked1 ,did not    

,god foresee that ,adam would  abuse his
 liberty8 ,and did ,he not know the     
baneful consequences which  this must   
naturally have on all his posterity8    
,and why then did ,he  permit that      
disobedience8 ,was it not easy for the  
,almighty to have  prevented it8 ,he    
certainly did foresee the whole4 ,this  
can not be  denied4 ,for known unto ,god
 are all ,his works from the beginning  
of  the world4 ,and it was undoubtedly  
in ,his ,power to prevent it2 for ,he   
hath all power both in heaven and earth4
 ,but it was known to ,him at  the same 
time1 that it was best upon the whole   
not to prevent it4 ,he  knew that1 not  
as the transgression1 so is the free    
gift2 that the  evil resulting from the 
former was not as the good resulting    
from the  latter1 not worthy to be      
compared with it4 ,he saw that to permit
  the fall of the first man was far best
 for mankind in general2 that           
abundantly more good than evil would    
accrue to the posterity of ,adam  by his

 fall2 that if sin abounded thereby over
 all the earth1 yet  grace would much   
more abound2 yea1 and that to every     
individual of  the human race1 unless it
 was his own choice4    ,it is          
exceedingly strange that hardly anything
 has been written1 or  at least         
published1 on this subject3 nay1 that it
 has been so little  weighed or         
understood by the generality of         
,christians3 especially  considering    
that it is not a matter of mere         
curiosity1 but a truth of  the deepest  
importance2 it being impossible1 on any 
other principle1      ,to assert a      
gracious ,providence1    ,and justify   
the ways of ,god with men3    and       
considering withal1 how plain this      
important truth is1 to all  sensible and
 candid inquirers4 ,may the ,lover of   
men open the eyes  of our understanding1
 to perceive clearly that by the fall of
 ,adam  mankind in general have gained a
 capacity1    ,first1 of being more holy
 and happy on earth1 and1    ,secondly1 

of being more happy in heaven than      
otherwise they could have  been4        
,and1 first1 mankind in general have    
gained by the fall of ,adam a  capacity 
of attaining more holiness and happiness
 on earth than it  would have been      
possible for them to attain if ,adam had
 not fallen4  ,for if ,adam had not     
fallen1 ,christ had not died4 ,nothing  
can be more  clear than this3 nothing   
more undeniable3 the more thoroughly we 
consider the point1 the more deeply     
shall we be convinced of it4  ,unless   
all the partakers of human nature had   
received that deadly  wound in ,adam it 
would not have been needful for the ,son
 of ,god to  take our nature upon ,him4 
,do you not see that this was the very  
ground  of ,his coming into the world8  
,by one man sin entered into the world1 
and death by sin4 ,and thus death passed
 upon all through him1 in  whom all men 
sinned4 7,rom4 v41 #ab47 ,was it not to 
remedy this very  thing that the ,word  
was made flesh8 that as in ,adam all    

died1 so  in ,christ all might be made  
alive8 ,unless1 then1 many had been made
  sinners by the disobedience of one1 by
 the obedience of one many would  not   
have been made righteous 7ver4 #ah72 so 
there would have been no  room for that 
amazing display of the ,son of ,god's   
love to mankind4  ,there would have been
 no occasion for ,his being obedient    
unto death1  even the death of the      
cross4 ,it would not then have been     
said1 to the  astonishment of all the   
hosts of heaven1 ,god so loved the      
world1  yea1 the ungodly world1 which   
had no thought or desire of returning to
  ,him1 that he gave his ,son out of    
,his bosom1 ,his only begotten ,son1  to
 the end that whosoever believeth on him
 should not perish1 but  have           
everlasting life4 ,neither could we then
 have said1 ,god was in  ,christ        
reconciling the world to himself2 or    
that ,he made him to be  sin1 that is1 a
 sin-offering for us1 who know no sin1  
that we might  be made the righteousness

 of ,god through him4 ,there would have 
been  no such occasion for such an      
advocate with the ,father as ,jesus     
,christ the ,righteous2 neither for ,his
 appearing at the right hand of  ,god1  
to make intercession for us4    ,what is
 the necessary consequence of this8 ,it 
is this3 there could  then have been no 
such thing as faith in ,god1 thus loving
 the world1  giving ,his only ,son for  
us men1 and for our salvation4 ,there   
could  have been no such thing as faith 
in the ,son of ,god1 as loving us and   
giving ,himself for us4 ,there could    
have been no faith in the ,spirit of    
,god1 as renewing the image of ,god in  
our hearts1 as raising us from  the     
death of sin unto the life of           
righteousness4 ,indeed1 the whole       
privilege of justification by faith     
could have no existence2 there  could   
have been no redemption in the blood of 
,christ3 neither could  ,christ have    
been made of ,god unto us1 wisdom1      
righteousness1  sanctification1 or      

redemption4    ,and the same grand blank
 which was in our faith1 must likewise  
have  been in our love4 ,we might have  
loved the ,author of our being1 the     
,father of angels and men1 as our       
,creator and ,preserver3 we might have  
said1 ,o ,lord our ,governor1 how       
excellent is ,thy name in all the       
earth6 ,but we could not have loved ,him
 under the nearest and dearest          
relation1 as delivering up ,his ,son for
 us all4 ,we might have loved  the ,son 
of ,god1 as being the brightness of his 
,father's glory1 the  express image of  
,his person 7altho this ground seems to 
belong rather  to the inhabitants of    
heaven than earth74 ,but we could not   
have loved  ,him as bearing our sins in 
his own body on the tree1 and by  that  
one oblation of himself once offered1   
making a full oblation1  sacrifice1 and 
satisfaction for the sins of the whole  
world4 ,we would  not have been made    
conformable to his death1 nor have known
 the  power of his resurrection4 ,we    

could not have loved the ,holy ,ghost as
  revealing to us the ,father and the   
,son1 as opening the eyes of our        
understanding1 bringing us out of       
darkness into ,his marvelous light1     
renewing the image of ,god in our soul1 
and sealing us unto the day of          
redemption4 ,so that1 in truth1 what is 
now in the sight of ,god1 even  the     
,father1 not of fallible men pure       
religion and undefiled1 would  then1    
have had no being3 inasmuch as it wholly
 depends on those grand  principles1 ,by
 grace ye are saved through faith2 and  
,jesus ,christ  is of ,god made unto us 
wisdom1 and righteousness1 and          
sanctification1  and redemption4    ,we 
see then what unspeakable advantage we  
derive from the fall of our  first      
parent1 with regard to faith3 faith both
 in ,god the ,father1  who spared not   
,his own ,son1 ,his only ,son1 but      
wounded ,him for our  transgressions and
 bruised ,him for our iniquities2 and in
 ,god the ,son1  who poured out ,his    

soul for us transgressors1 and washed us
 in ,his own  blood4 ,we see what       
advantage we derive therefrom with      
regard to the  love of ,god1 both of    
,god the ,father and ,god the ,son4 ,the
 chief ground  of this love1 as long as 
we remain in the body1 is plainly       
declared  by the apostle1 ,we love him1 
because he first loved us4 ,but the     
greatest instance of ,his love had never
 been given if ,adam had not  fallen4   
,and as our faith1 both in ,god the     
,father and the ,son1 receives an       
unspeakable increase1 if not its very   
being1 from this grand event1 as  does  
also our love both of the ,father and   
the ,son3 so does the love of  our      
neighbor also1 our benevolence to all   
mankind3 which can not but  increase in 
the same proportion with our faith and  
love of ,god4 ,for  who does not        
apprehend the force of that inference   
drawn by the loving  apostle1 ,beloved1 
if ,god so loved us1 we ought also to   
love one  another4 ,if ,god so loved    

us--observe1 the stress of the argument 
lies  on this very point3 so loved us6  
as to deliver up ,his only ,son to die  
a curst death for our salvation4        
,beloved1 what manner of love is  this1 
wherewith ,god hath loved us8 ,so as to 
give ,his only ,son6 ,in  glory equal   
with the ,father3 in majesty coeternal6 
,what manner of love  is this wherewith 
the only begotten ,son of ,god hath     
loved us1 as to  empty ,himself1 as far 
as possible1 of ,his eternal ,godhead2  
as to  divest ,himself of that glory1   
which ,he had with the ,father before   
the  world began2 as to take upon ,him  
the form of a servant1 being found  in  
fashion as a man6 ,and then to humble   
,himself still further1 being  obedient 
unto death1 even the death of the cross6
 ,if ,god so loved us1  how ought we to 
love one another8 ,but this motive to   
brotherly love  had been totally wanting
 if ,adam had not fallen4 ,consequently 
we could  not then have loved one       
another in so high a degree as we may   

now4  ,nor could there have been that   
height and depth in the command of our  
blest ,lord4 ,as ,i have loved you1 so  
love one another4    ,such gainers may  
we be by ,adam's fall1 with regard both 
to the love of  ,god and of our         
neighbor4 ,but there is another grand   
point1 which1 tho  little adverted to1  
deserves our deepest consideration4 ,by 
that one  act of our first parent1 not  
only sin entered into the world1 but    
pain also1 and was alike entailed on his
 whole posterity4 ,and herein  appeared1
 not only the justice1 but the          
unspeakable goodness of ,god4  ,for how 
much good does ,he continually bring out
 of this evil6 ,how much  holiness and  
happiness out of pain6    ,how          
innumerable are the benefits which ,god 
conveys to the children of  men through 
the channel of sufferings6 so that it   
might well be said1  ,what are termed   
afflictions in the language of men1 are 
in the  language of ,god styled         
blessings4 ,indeed1 had there been no   

suffering  in the world1 a considerable 
part of religion1 yea1 and in some      
respects1 the most excellent part1 could
 have no place therein3 since  the very 
existence of it depends on our          
suffering3 so that had there  been no   
pain it could have had no being4 ,upon  
this foundation1 even  our suffering1 it
 is evident all our passive graces are  
built2 yea1  the noblest of all         
,christian graces1 love enduring all    
things4 ,here is  the ground for        
resignation to ,god1 enabling us to say 
from the heart1  and in every trying    
hour1 ,it is the ,lord3 let him do what 
seemeth him  good4 ,shall we receive    
good at the hand of the ,lord1 and shall
 we  not receive evil8 ,and what a      
glorious spectacle is this8 ,did it not 
constrain even a heathen to cry out1    
,ecce spectaculum ,deo dignum6  ,see a  
sight worthy of ,god3 a good man        
struggling with adversity1 and  superior
 to it4 ,here is the ground for         
confidence in ,god1 both with  regard to

 what we feel1 and with regard to what  
we should fear1 were  it not that our   
soul is calmly stayed on him4 ,what room
 could there  be for trust in ,god if   
there was no such thing as pain or      
danger8 ,who  might not say then1 ,the  
cup which my ,father hath given me1     
shall  ,i not drink it8 ,it is by       
sufferings that our faith is tried1 and1
  therefore1 made more acceptable to    
,god4 ,it is in the day of trouble  that
 we have occasion to say1 ,tho he slay  
me1 yet will ,i trust in  him4 ,and this
 is well pleasing to ,god1 that we      
should own ,him in the  face of danger2 
in defiance of sorrow1 sickness1 pain1  
or death4    ,again3 ,had there been    
neither natural nor moral evil in the   
world1 what must have become of         
patience1 meekness1 gentleness1         
long-suffering8 ,it is manifest they    
could have had no being3 seeing  all    
these have evil for their object4 ,if1  
therefore1 evil had never  entered into 
the world1 neither could these have had 

any place in it4  ,for who could have   
returned good for evil1 had there been  
no evil-doer  in the universe8 ,how had 
it been possible1 on that supposition1  
to  overcome evil with good8 ,will you  
say1 ,but all these graces might  have  
been divinely infused into the hearts of
 men8 ,undoubtedly they  might3 but if  
they had1 there would have been no use  
or exercise for  them4 ,whereas in the  
present state of things we can never    
long want  occasion to exercise them4   
,and the more they are exercised1 the   
more all our graces are strengthened and
 increased4 ,and in the same  proportion
 as our resignation1 our confidence in  
,god1 our patience and  fortitude1 our  
meekness1 gentleness1 and               
long-suffering1 together  with our faith
 and love of ,god and man increase1 must
 our happiness  increase1 even in the   
present world4    ,yet again3 ,as ,god's
 permission of ,adam's fall gave all his
 posterity  a thousand opportunities of 
suffering1 and thereby of exercising all

  those passive graces which increase   
both their holiness and happiness1  so  
it gives them opportunities of doing    
good in numberless instances1  of       
exercising themselves in various good   
works1 which otherwise could  have had  
no being4 ,and what exertions of        
benevolence1 of compassion1  of godlike 
mercy1 had then been totally prevented6 
,who could then have  said to the lover 
of men1      ,thy mind throughout my    
life be shown1      ,while listening to 
the wretches' cry1    ,the widow's or   
the orphan's groan2      ,on mercy's    
wings ,i swiftly fly    ,the poor and   
needy to relieve2      ,myself1 my all1 
for them to give8    ,it is the just    
observation of a benevolent man1        
--,all worldly joys are less1    ,than  
that one joy of doing kindnesses4       
,surely in keeping this commandment1 if 
no other1 there is great  reward4 ,as we
 have time1 let us do good unto all men2
 good of every  kind and in every       
degree4 ,accordingly the more good we do

 7other  circumstances being equal71 the
 happier we shall be4 ,the more we deal 
our bread to the hungry1 and cover the  
naked with garments2 the more  we       
relieve the stranger1 and visit them    
that are sick or in prison2  the more   
kind offices we do to those that groan  
under the various  evils of human life2 
the more comfort we receive even in the 
present  world2 the greater the         
recompense we have in our own bosom4    
,to sum up what has been said under this
 head3 ,as the more holy we are  upon   
earth1 the more happy we must be 7seeing
 there is an inseparable  connection    
between holiness and happiness72 as the 
more good we do to  others1 the more of 
present reward rebounds into our own    
bosom3  even as our sufferings for ,god 
lead us to rejoice in ,him with joy     
unspeakable and full of glory2          
therefore1 the fall of ,adam1 first1 by 
giving us an opportunity of being far   
more holy2 secondly1 by giving  us the  
occasions of doing innumerable good     

works1 which otherwise  could not have  
been done2 and1 thirdly1 by putting it  
into our power  to suffer for ,god1     
whereby the spirit of glory and of ,god 
rests upon  us3 may be of such advantage
 to the children of men1 even in the    
present life1 as they will not          
thoroughly comprehend till they attain  
life everlasting4    ,it is then we     
shall be enabled fully to comprehend not
 only the  advantages which accrue at   
the present time to the sons of men by  
the  fall of their first parent1 but the
 infinitely greater advantages  which   
they may reap from it in eternity4 ,in  
order to form some  conception of this1 
we may remember the observation of the  
apostle1  ,as one star differeth from   
another star in glory1 so also is the   
resurrection of the dead4 ,the most     
glorious stars will undoubtedly  be     
those who are the most holy2 who bear   
most of that image of ,god  wherein they
 were created4 ,the next in glory to    
these will be those  who have been most 

abundant in good works3 and next to     
them1 those  that have suffered most1   
according to the will of ,god4 ,but what
  advantages in every one of these      
respects will the children of ,god      
receive in heaven1 by ,god's permitting 
the introduction of pain upon  earth1 in
 consequence of sin8 ,by occasion of    
this they attained many  holy tempers1  
which otherwise could have had no being3
 resignation  to ,god1 confidence in him
 in times of trouble and danger1        
patience1  meekness1 gentleness1        
long-suffering1 and the whole train of  
passive  virtues4 ,and on account of    
this superior holiness they will then   
enjoy superior happiness4 ,again3 every 
one will then receive his  own reward1  
according to his own labor4 ,every      
individual will  be rewarded according  
to his work4 ,but the ,fall gave rise to
  innumerable good works1 which could   
otherwise never have existed1 such  as  
ministering to the necessities of the   
saints1 yea1 relieving the  distrest in 

every kind4 ,and hereby innumerable     
stars will be added to  their eternal   
crown4 ,yet again3 there will be an     
abundant reward in  heaven1 for         
suffering as well as for doing1 the will
 of ,god3 these  light afflictions1     
which are but for a moment1 work out for
 us a far  more exceeding and eternal   
weight of glory4 ,therefore that event1 
which occasioned the entrance of        
suffering into the world1 has thereby   
occasioned to all the children of ,god1 
an increase of glory to all  eternity4  
,for altho the sufferings themselves    
will be at an end3 altho      ,the pain 
of life shall then be o'er1      ,the   
anguish and distracting care2    ,the   
sighing grief shall weep no more2       
,and sin shall never enter there3--     
yet the joys occasioned thereby shall   
never end1 but flow at ,god's  right    
hand for evermore4    ,there is one     
advantage more that we reap from ,adam's
 fall1 which is  not unworthy our       
attention4 ,unless in ,adam all had     

died1 being in the  loins of their first
 parent1 every descendant of ,adam1     
every child of  man1 must have          
personally answered for himself to ,god3
 it seems to  be a necessary consequence
 of this1 that if he had once fallen1   
once  violated any command of ,god1     
there would have been no possibility of 
his rising again2 there was no help1 but
 he must have perished without  remedy4 
,for that covenant knew not to show     
mercy3 the word was1 ,the  soul that    
sinneth1 it shall die4 ,now who would   
not rather be on the  footing he is now2
 under a covenant of mercy8 ,who would  
wish to hazard  a whole eternity upon   
one stake8 ,is it not infinitely more   
desirable1  to be in a state wherein1   
tho encompassed with infirmities1 yet we
  do not run such a desperate risk1 but 
if we fall1 we may rise again8  ,wherein
 we may say1      ,my trespass is grown 
up to heaven6      ,but1 far above the  
skies1    ,in ,christ abundantly        
forgiven1      ,i see ,thy mercies rise6

    ,in ,christ6 ,let me entreat every  
serious person1 once more to fix his    
attention here4 ,all that has been said1
 all that can be said1 on these         
subjects1 centers in this point4 ,the   
fall of ,adam produced the death  of    
,christ6 ,hear1 ,o heavens1 and give    
ear1 ,o earth6 ,yea1      ,let earth and
 heaven agree1      ,angels and men be  
joined1    ,to celebrate with me        
,the ,saviour of mankind2    ,to adore  
the all-atoning ,lamb1    ,and bless the
 sound of ,jesus' name6    ,if ,god had 
prevented the fall of man1 the ,word had
 never been made  flesh3 nor had we ever
 seen his glory1 the glory as of the    
only  begotten of the ,father4 ,those   
mysteries had never been displayed1     
which the very angels desire to look    
into4 ,methinks this  consideration     
swallows up all the rest1 and should    
never be out of  our thoughts4 ,unless  
by one man1 judgment had come upon all  
men to  condemnation1 neither angels nor
 men could ever have known the          

unsearchable riches of ,christ4    ,see 
then1 upon the whole1 how little reason 
we have to repine at  the fall of our   
first parent1 since herefrom we may     
derive such  unspeakable advantages1    
both in time and eternity4 ,see how     
small  pretense there is for questioning
 the mercy of ,god in permitting  that  
event to take place1 since therein1     
mercy1 by infinite degrees1  rejoices   
over judgment6 ,where1 then1 is the man 
that presumes to blame  ,god for not    
preventing ,adam's sin8 ,should we not  
rather bless ,him from  the ground of   
the heart1 for therein laying the grand 
scheme of man's  redemption1 and making 
way for that glorious manifestation of  
,his  wisdom1 holiness1 justice1 and    
mercy8 ,if indeed ,god had decreed      
before  the foundation of the world that
 millions of men should dwell in        
everlasting burnings1 because ,adam     
sinned1 hundreds or thousands of  yours 
before they had a being1 ,i know not who
 could thank him for  this1 unless the  

devil and his angels3 seeing1 on this   
supposition1  all those millions of     
unhappy spirits would be plunged into   
hell by  ,adam's sin1 without any       
possible advantage from it4 ,but1 blest 
be ,god1  this is not the case4 ,such a 
decree never existed4 ,on the contrary1 
every one born of a woman may be an     
unspeakable gainer thereby2 and  none   
ever was or can be a loser1 but by his  
own choice4    ,we see here a full      
answer to that plausible account of the 
origin of  evil1 published to the world 
some years since1 and supposed to be    
unanswerable3 that it necessarily       
resulted from the nature of  matter1    
which ,god was not able to alter4 ,it is
 very kind in this  sweet-tongued orator
 to make an excuse for ,god6 ,but there 
is really no  occasion for it3 ,god hath
 answered for ,himself4 ,he made man in 
,his own  image1 a spirit endued with   
understanding and liberty4 ,man abusing 
that liberty1 produced evil1 brought sin
 and pain into the world4  ,this ,god   

permitted1 in order to a fuller         
manifestation of ,his wisdom1  justice1 
and mercy1 by bestowing on all who would
 receive it an  infinitely greater      
happiness than they could possibly have 
attained if  ,adam had not fallen4      
,oh1 the depth of the riches both of the
 wisdom and knowledge of ,god6  ,altho a
 thousand particulars of ,his judgments1
 and of ,his ways are  unsearchable to  
us1 and past our finding out1 yet we may
 discern the  general scheme running    
through time into eternity4 ,according  
to the  council of his own will1 the    
plan ,he had laid before the foundation 
of the world1 ,he created the parent of 
all mankind in ,his own image4  ,and ,he
 permitted all men to be made sinners by
 the disobedience of  this one man1     
that1 by the obedience of ,one1 all who 
receive the free  gift may be infinitely
 holier and happier to all eternity6    
,,whitefield    ,,the ,,method ,,of     
,,grace    ,,biographical ,,note        
,george ,whitefield1 evangelist and     

leader of ,calvinistic ,methodists1  who
 has been called the ,demosthenes of the
 pulpit1 was born at  ,gloucester1      
,england1 in #agad4 ,he was an          
impassioned pulpit orator of  the       
popular type1 and his power over immense
 congregations was largely  due to his  
histrionic talent and his exquisitely   
modulated voice1  which has been        
described as an organ1 a flute1 a harp1 
all in one1  and which at times became  
stentorian4 ,he had a most expressive   
face1  and altho he squinted1 in grace  
and significance of gesture he knew     
perfectly how to suit the action to the 
word4 ,but he had not the  style or     
scholarship of ,wesley1 and his printed 
sermons do not fully  bear out his      
reputation4 ,whitefield died in #aggj4  
,,whitefield    #agad--aggj    ,,the    
,,method ,,of ,,grace    ,they have     
healed also the hurt of the daughter of 
my people slightly1  saying1 ,peace1    
peace1 when there is no                 
peace4--,jeremiah vi41 #ad4      ,as    

,god can send a nation or people no     
greater blessing than to give  them     
faithful1 sincere1 and upright          
ministers1 so the greatest curse  that  
,god can possibly send upon a people in 
this world is to give them  over to     
blind1 unregenerate1 carnal1 lukewarm1  
and unskilful guides4  ,and yet1 in all 
ages1 we find that there have been many 
wolves in  sheep's clothing1 many that  
daubed with untempered mortar1 that     
prophesied smoother things than ,god did
 allow4 ,as it was formerly1  so it is  
now2 there are many that corrupt the    
word of ,god and deal  deceitfully with 
it4 ,it was so in a special manner in   
the prophet  ,jeremiah's time2 and he1  
faithful to his ,lord1 faithful to that 
,god  who employed him1 did not fail    
from time to time to open his mouth     
against them1 and to bear a noble       
testimony to the honor of that  ,god in 
whose name he from time to time spake4  
,if you will read his  prophecy1 you    
will find that none spake more against  

such ministers  than ,jeremiah1 and here
 especially in the chapter out of which 
the  text is taken he speaks very       
severely against them4 ,he charges them 
with several crimes2 particularly he    
charges them with covetousness3  ,for1  
says he1 in the thirteenth verse1 from  
the least of them even  to the greatest 
of them1 every one is given to          
covetousness2 and from  the prophet even
 unto the priest1 every one dealeth     
falsely4    ,and then1 in the words of  
the text1 in a more special manner he   
exemplifies how they had dealt falsely1 
how they had behaved  treacherously to  
poor souls3 says he1 ,they have healed  
also the hurt  of the daughter of my    
people slightly1 saying1 ,peace1 peace1 
when  there is no peace4 ,the prophet1  
in the name of ,god1 had been           
denouncing war against the people2 he   
had been telling them that their  house 
should be left desolate1 and that the   
,lord would certainly visit  the land   
with war4 ,therefore1 says he1 in the   

eleventh verse1 ,i am  full of the fury 
of the ,lord2 ,i am weary with holding  
in2 ,i will pour  it out upon the       
children abroad1 and upon the assembly  
of young men  together2 for even the    
husband with the wife shall be taken1   
the aged  with him that is full of days4
 ,and their houses shall be turned unto 
others1 with their fields and wives     
together2 for ,i will stretch out  my   
hand upon the inhabitants of the land1  
saith the ,lord4    ,the prophet gives a
 thundering message1 that they might be 
terrified  and have some convictions and
 inclinations to repent2 but it seems   
that the false prophets1 the false      
priests1 went about stifling  people's  
convictions1 and when they were hurt or 
a little terrified1  they were for      
daubing over the wound1 telling them    
that ,jeremiah was  but an enthusiastic 
preacher1 that there could be no such   
thing as war  among them1 and saying to 
people1 ,peace1 peace1 be still1 when   
the  prophet told them there was no     

peace4    ,the words1 then1 refer       
primarily unto outward things1 but ,i   
verily  believe have also a further     
reference to the soul1 and are to  be   
referred to those false teachers who1   
when people were under  conviction of   
sin1 when people were beginning to look 
toward heaven1  were for stifling their 
convictions and telling them they were  
good  enough before4 ,and1 indeed1      
people generally love to have it so2 our
  hearts are exceedingly deceitful and  
desperately wicked2 none but the        
eternal ,god knows how treacherous they 
are4    ,how many of us cry1 ,peace1    
peace1 to our souls1 when there is no   
peace6 ,how many are there who are now  
settled upon their lees1 that  now think
 they are ,christians1 that now flatter 
themselves that they  have an interest  
in ,jesus ,christ2 whereas if we come to
 examine their  experiences we shall    
find that their peace is but a peace of 
the  devil's making--it is not a peace  
of ,god's giving--it is not a peace     

that passeth human understanding4    ,it
 is a matter1 therefore1 of great       
importance1 my dear hearers1 to  know   
whether we may speak peace to our       
hearts4 ,we are all desirous  of peace2 
peace is an unspeakable blessing2 how   
can we live without  peace8 ,and1       
therefore1 people from time to time must
 be taught how far  they must go and    
what must be wrought in them before they
 can speak  peace to their hearts4 ,this
 is what ,i design at present1 that ,i  
may  deliver my soul1 that ,i may be    
free from the blood of all those to     
whom ,i preach--that ,i may not fail to 
declare the whole counsel of  ,god4 ,i  
shall1 from the words of the text1      
endeavor to show you what  you must     
undergo and what must be wrought in you 
before you can speak  peace to your     
hearts4    ,but before ,i come directly 
to this give me leave to premise a      
caution  or two4    ,and the first is1  
that ,i take it for granted you believe 
religion to  be an inward thing2 you    

believe it to be a work of the heart1 a 
work  wrought in the soul by the power  
of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,if you do not  
believe this1 you do not believe your   
,bibles4 ,if you do not believe  this1  
tho you have got your ,bibles in your   
hand1 you hate the ,lord  ,jesus ,christ
 in your heart2 for religion is         
everywhere represented  in ,scripture as
 the work of ,god in the heart4 ,the    
kingdom of ,god is  within us1 says our 
,lord2 and1 he is not a ,christian who  
is one  outwardly2 but he is a          
,christian who is one inwardly4 ,if any 
of you  place religion in outward       
things1 ,i shall not perhaps please you 
this  morning2 you will understand me no
 more when ,i speak of the work of  ,god
 upon a poor sinner's heart than if ,i  
were talking in an unknown  tongue4     
,i would further premise a caution1 that
 ,i would by no means confine  ,god to  
one way of acting4 ,i would by no means 
say that all persons1  before they come 
to have a settled peace in their hearts1

 are obliged  to undergo the same       
degrees of conviction4 ,no2 ,god has    
various ways of  bringing ,his children 
home2 ,his sacred ,spirit bloweth when1 
and where1  and how it listeth4 ,but1   
however1 ,i will venture to affirm this3
 that  before ever you can speak peace  
to your heart1 whether by shorter or    
longer continuance of your convictions1 
whether in a more pungent or  in a more2
 gentle way1 you must undergo what ,i   
shall hereafter lay  down in the        
following discourse4    ,first1 then1   
before you can speak peace to your      
hearts1 you must be  made to see1 made  
to feel1 made to weep over1 made to     
bewail1 your  actual transgressions     
against the law of ,god4 ,according to  
the  covenant of works1 the soul that   
sinneth it shall die2 curst is that     
man1 be he what he may1 be he who he    
may1 that continueth not in all  things 
that are written in the book of the law 
to do them4    ,we are not only to do   
some things1 but we are to do all       

things1 and we  are to continue to do   
so1 so that the least deviation from the
 moral  law1 according to the covenant  
of works1 whether in thought1 word1  or 
deed1 deserves eternal death at the hand
 of ,god4 ,and if one evil  thought1 if 
one evil word1 if one evil action       
deserves eternal  damnation1 how many   
hells1 my friends1 do every one of us   
deserve  whose whole lives have been one
 continued rebellion against ,god6      
,before ever1 therefore1 you can speak  
peace to your hearts1 you must  be      
brought to see1 brought to believe1 what
 a dreadful thing it is to  depart from 
the living ,god4    ,and now1 my dear   
friends1 examine your hearts1 for ,i    
hope you came  hither with a design to  
have your souls made better4 ,give me   
leave to  ask you1 in the presence of   
,god1 whether you know the time1 and if 
you  do not know exactly the time1 do   
you know there was a time when ,god     
wrote bitter things against you1 when   
the arrows of the ,almighty were  within

 you8 ,was ever the remembrance of your 
sins grievous to you8 ,was  the burden  
of your sins intolerable to your        
thoughts8 ,did you ever see  that ,god's
 wrath might justly fall upon you1 on   
account of your actual  transgressions  
against ,god8 ,were you ever in all your
 life sorry for  your sins8 ,could you  
ever say1 ,my sins are gone over my head
 as a  burden too heavy for me to bear8 
,did you ever experience any such  thing
 as this8 ,did ever any such thing as   
this pass between ,god and  your soul8  
,if not1 for ,jesus ,christ's sake1 do  
not call yourselves  ,christians2 you   
may speak peace to your hearts1 but     
there is no peace4  ,may the ,lord      
awaken you1 may the ,lord convert you1  
may the ,lord give  you peace1 if it be 
,his will1 before you go home6    ,but1 
further1 you may be convinced of your   
actual sins1 so as to be  made to       
tremble1 and yet you may be strangers to
 ,jesus ,christ1 you may  have no true  
work of grace upon your hearts4 ,before 

ever1 therefore1  you can speak peace to
 your hearts1 conviction must go deeper2
 you  must not only be convinced of your
 actual transgressions against the  law 
of ,god1 but likewise of the foundation 
of all your transgressions4  ,and what  
is that8 ,i mean original sin1 that     
original corruption each  of us brings  
into the world with us1 which renders us
 liable to ,god's  wrath and damnation4 
,there are many poor souls that think   
themselves  fine reasoners1 yet they    
pretend to say there is no such thing as
  original sin2 they will charge ,god   
with injustice in imputing ,adam's  sin 
to us2 altho we have got the mark of the
 beast and of the devil  upon us1 yet   
they tell us we are not born in sin4    
,let them look abroad  and see the      
disorders in it1 and think1 if they can1
 if this is the  paradise in which ,god 
did put man4 ,no6 everything in the     
world is out  of order4    ,i have often
 thought1 when ,i was abroad1 that if   
there were no other  arguments to prove 

original sin1 the rising of wolves and  
tigers  against man1 nay1 the barking of
 a dog against us1 is a proof of        
original sin4 ,tigers and lions durst   
not rise against us unless it  were as  
much as to say1 ,you have sinned against
 ,god1 and we take up  our master's     
quarrel4 ,if we look inwardly1 we shall 
see enough of  lusts and man's temper   
contrary to the temper of ,god4 ,there  
is pride1  malice1 and revenge in all   
our hearts2 and this temper can not come
  from ,god2 it comes from our first    
parent1 ,adam1 who1 after he fell  from 
,god1 fell out of ,god into the devil4  
,however1 therefore1 some people may    
deny this1 yet when conviction  comes1  
all carnal reasonings are battered down 
immediately1 and the  poor soul begins  
to feel and see the fountain from which 
all the  polluted streams do flow4 ,when
 the sinner is first awakened1 he begins
  to wonder1 ,how came ,i to be so      
wicked8 ,the ,spirit of ,god then       
strikes  in1 and shows that he has no   

good thing in him by nature2 then he    
sees that he is altogether gone out of  
the way1 that he is altogether  become  
abominable1 and the poor creature is    
made to lie down at the  foot of the    
throne of ,god and to acknowledge that  
,god would be just to  damn him1 just to
 cut him off1 tho he never had committed
 one actual  sin in his life4    ,did   
you ever feel and experience this1 any  
of you--to justify ,god in  your        
damnation--to own that you are by nature
 children of wrath1 and  that ,god may  
justly cut you off1 tho you never       
actually had offended  ,him in all your 
life8 ,if you were ever truly convicted1
 if your hearts  were ever truly cut1 if
 self were truly taken out of you1 you  
would be  made to see and feel this4    
,and if you have never felt the weight  
of  original sin1 do not call yourselves
 ,christians4 ,i am verily persuaded    
original sin is the greatest burden of a
 true convert2 this ever  grieves the   
regenerate soul1 the sanctified soul4   

,the indwelling of  sin in the heart is 
the burden of a converted person2 it is 
the burden  of a true ,christian4 ,he   
continually cries out3 ,oh6 who will    
deliver  me from this body of death1    
this indwelling corruption in my heart8 
,this is that which disturbs a poor soul
 most4 ,and1 therefore1 if you  never   
felt this inward corruption1 if you     
never saw that ,god might  justly curse 
you for it1 indeed1 my dear friends1 you
 may speak peace  to your hearts1 but ,i
 fear1 nay1 ,i know1 there is no true   
peace4    ,further1 before you can speak
 peace to your hearts you must not only 
be troubled for the sins of your life1  
the sins of your nature1 but  likewise  
for the sins of your best duties and    
performances4    ,when a poor soul is   
somewhat awakened by the terrors of the 
,lord1  then the poor creature1 being   
born under the covenant of works1  flies
 directly to a covenant of works again4 
,and as ,adam and ,eve hid  themselves  
among the trees of the garden and sewed 

fig-leaves together  to cover their     
nakedness1 so the poor sinner when      
awakened flies to  his duties and to his
 performances1 to hide himself from     
,god1 and goes  to patch up a           
righteousness of his own4 ,says he1 ,i  
will be mighty good  now--,i will       
reform--,i will do all ,i can2 and then 
certainly ,jesus  ,christ will have     
mercy on me4 ,but before you can speak  
peace to your  heart you must be brought
 to see that ,god may damn you for the  
best  prayer you ever put up2 you must  
be brought to see that all your         
duties--all your righteousness--as the  
prophet elegantly expresses  it--put    
them all together1 are so far from      
recommending you to ,god1  are so far   
from being any motive and inducement to 
,god to have  mercy on your poor soul1  
that ,he will see them to be filthy     
rags1 a  menstruous cloth--that ,god    
hates them1 and can not away with them1 
if  you bring them to ,him in order to  
recommend you to ,his favor4    ,my dear

 friends1 what is there in our          
performance to recommend us unto  ,god8 
,our persons are in an unjustified state
 by nature2 we deserve to  be damned ten
 thousand times over2 and what must our 
performance be8  ,we can do no good     
thing by nature3 ,they that are in the  
flesh can not  please ,god4    ,you may 
do things materially good1 but you can  
not do a thing formally  and rightly    
good2 because nature can not act above  
itself4 ,it is  impossible that a man   
who is unconverted can act for the glory
 of ,god2  he can not do anything in    
faith1 and whatsoever is not of faith is
  sin4    ,after we are renewed1 yet we 
are renewed but in part1 indwelling sin 
continues in us1 there is a mixture of  
corruption in every one of our  duties1 
so that after we are converted1 were    
,jesus ,christ only to  accept us       
according to our works1 our works would 
damn us1 for we can  not put up a prayer
 but it is far from that perfection     
which the moral  law requireth4 ,i do   

not know what you may think1 but ,i can 
say that ,i  can not pray but ,i sin--,i
 can not preach to you or any others but
  ,i sin--,i can do nothing without sin2
 and1 as one expresseth it1 my          
repentance wants to be repented of1 and 
my tears to be washed in the  precious  
blood of my dear ,redeemer4    ,our best
 duties are so many splendid sins4      
,before you can speak peace  to your    
heart you must not only be sick of your 
original and actual  sin1 but you must  
be made sick of your righteousness1 of  
all your  duties and performances4      
,there must be a deep conviction before 
you  can be brought out of your         
self-righteousness2 it is the last idol 
taken out of our heart4 ,the pride of   
our heart will not let us submit  to the
 righteousness of ,jesus ,christ4 ,but  
if you never felt that you  had no      
righteousness of your own1 if you never 
felt the deficiency of  your own        
righteousness1 you can not come to      
,jesus ,christ4    ,there are a great   

many now who may say1 ,well1 we believe 
all this2 but  there is a great         
difference betwixt talking and feeling4 
,did you ever  feel the want of a dear  
,redeemer8 ,did you ever feel the want  
of ,jesus  ,christ1 upon the account of 
the deficiency of your own              
righteousness8  ,and can you now say    
from your heart ,lord1 thou mayest      
justly damn  me for the best duties that
 ever ,i did perform8 ,if you are not   
thus  brought out of self1 you may speak
 peace to yourselves1 but yet there  is 
no peace4    ,but then1 before you can  
speak peace to your souls1 there is one 
particular sin you must be greatly      
troubled for1 and yet ,i fear there  are
 few of you think what it is2 it is the 
reigning1 the damning sin  of the       
,christian world1 and yet the ,christian
 world seldom or never  think of it4    
,and pray what is that8    ,it is what  
most of you think you are not guilty    
of--and that is1 the  sin of unbelief4  
,before you can speak peace to your     

heart1 you must be  troubled for the    
unbelief of your heart ,but can it be   
supposed that  any of you are           
unbelievers here in this churchyard1    
that are born in  ,scotland1 in a       
reformed country1 that go to church     
every ,sabbath8 ,can  any of you that   
receive the sacrament once a year--oh1  
that it were  administered oftener6--can
 it be supposed that you who had tokens 
for  the sacrament1 that you who keep up
 family prayer1 that any of you do  not 
believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ8    
,i appeal to your own hearts1 if you    
would not think me uncharitable1  if ,i 
doubted whether any of you believed in  
,christ3 and yet1 ,i fear  upon         
examination1 we should find that most of
 you have not so much  faith in the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ as the devil       
himself4 ,i am persuaded  that the devil
 believes more of the ,bible than most  
of us do4 ,he  believes the divinity of 
,jesus ,christ2 that is more than many  
who call  themselves ,christians do2    

nay1 he believes and trembles1 and that 
is  more than thousands amongst us do4  
,my friends1 we mistake a historical    
faith for a true faith1 wrought  in the 
heart by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,you fancy
 you believe because you  believe there 
is such a book as we call the           
,bible--because you go to  church2 all  
this you may do and have no true faith  
in ,christ4 ,merely  to believe there   
was such a person as ,christ1 merely to 
believe there  is a book called the     
,bible1 will do you no good1 more than  
to believe  there was such a man as     
,caesar or ,alexander the ,great4 ,the  
,bible is a  sacred depository4 ,what   
thanks have we to give to ,god for these
 lively  oracles6 ,but yet we may have  
these and not believe in the ,lord      
,jesus  ,christ4    ,my dear friends1   
there must be a principle wrought in the
 heart by  the ,spirit of the living    
,god4 ,did ,i ask you how long it is    
since you  believed in ,jesus ,christ1  
,i suppose most of you would tell me you

  believed in ,jesus ,christ as long as 
ever you remember--you never did        
misbelieve4 ,then1 you could not give me
 a better proof that you never  yet     
believed in ,jesus ,christ1 unless you  
were sanctified early1 as  from the     
womb2 for they that otherwise believe in
 ,christ know there  was a time when    
they did not believe in ,jesus ,christ4 
,you say you love ,god with all your    
heart1 soul1 and strength4 ,if ,i  were 
to ask you how long it is since you     
loved ,god1 you would say1 ,as  long as 
you can remember2 you never hated ,god1 
you know no time when  there was enmity 
in your heart against ,god4 ,then1      
unless you were  sanctified very early1 
you never loved ,god in your life4      
,my dear friends1 ,i am more particular 
in this1 because it is a most  deceitful
 delusion1 whereby so many people are   
carried away1 that they  believe        
already4 ,therefore it is remarked of   
,mr4 ,marshall1 giving  account of his  
experiences1 that he had been working   

for life1 and he  had ranged all his    
sins under the ten commandments1 and    
then1 coming  to a minister1 asked him  
the reason why he could not get peace4  
,the  minister looked to his catalog4   
,away1 says he1 ,i do not find one  word
 of the sin of unbelief in all your     
catalog4 ,it is the peculiar  work of   
the ,spirit of ,god to convince us of   
our unbelief--that we have  got no      
faith4 ,says ,jesus ,christ1 ,i will    
send the comforter2 and when  he is     
come1 he will reprove the world of the  
sin of unbelief2 of  sin1 says ,christ1 
because they believe not on me4    ,now1
 my dear friends1 did ,god ever show you
 that you had no faith8  ,were you ever 
made to bewail a hard heart of unbelief8
 ,was it ever the  language of your     
heart1 ,lord1 give me faith2 ,lord1     
enable me to lay  hold on ,thee2 ,lord1 
enable me to call ,thee my ,lord and my 
,god8 ,did  ,jesus ,christ ever convince
 you in this manner8 ,did he ever       
convince  you of your inability to close

 with ,christ1 and make you to cry out  
to  ,god to give you faith8 ,if not1 do 
not speak peace to your heart4 ,may  the
 ,lord awaken you and give you true1    
solid peace before you go hence  and be 
no more6    ,once more1 then3 before you
 can speak peace to your heart1 you must
  not only be convinced of your actual  
and original sin1 the sins of  your own 
righteousness1 the sin of unbelief1 but 
you must be enabled  to lay hold upon   
the perfect righteousness1 the          
all-sufficient  righteousness1 of the   
,lord ,jesus ,christ2 you must lay hold 
by faith  on the righteousness of ,jesus
 ,christ1 and then you shall have peace4
  ,come1 says ,jesus1 unto me1 all ye   
that are weary and heavy laden1  and ,i 
will give you rest4    ,this speaks     
encouragement to all that are weary and 
heavy laden2  but the promise of rest is
 made to them only upon their coming and
  believing1 and taking ,him to be their
 ,god and their all4 ,before we can     
ever have peace with ,god we must be    

justified by faith through our  ,lord   
,jesus ,christ1 we must be enabled to   
apply ,christ to our hearts1  we must   
have ,christ brought home to our souls1 
so as ,his righteousness  may be made   
our righteousness1 so as ,his merits may
 be imputed to our  souls4 ,my dear     
friends1 were you ever married to ,jesus
 ,christ8 ,did  ,jesus ,christ ever give
 ,himself to you8 ,did you ever close   
with ,christ  by a lively faith1 so as  
to feel ,christ in your hearts1 so as to
 hear  ,him speaking peace to your      
souls8 ,did peace ever flow in upon your
  hearts like a river8 ,did you ever    
feel that peace that ,christ spoke to   
,his disciples8 ,i pray ,god he may come
 and speak peace to you4 ,these  things 
you must experience4    ,i am now       
talking of the invisible realities of   
another world1 of  inward religion1 of  
the work of ,god upon a poor sinner's   
heart4 ,i am  now talking of a matter of
 great importance1 my dear hearers2 you 
are  all concerned in it1 your souls are

 concerned in it1 your eternal          
salvation is concerned in it4 ,you may  
be all at peace1 but perhaps the  devil 
has lulled you asleep into a carnal     
lethargy and security1 and  will        
endeavor to keep you there till he gets 
you to hell1 and there  you will be     
awakened2 but it will be dreadful to be 
awakened and find  yourselves so        
fearfully mistaken when the great gulf  
is fixt1 when  you will be calling to   
all eternity for a drop of water to cool
 your  tongue and shall not obtain it4  
,,blair    ,,the ,,hour ,,and ,,the     
,,event ,,of ,,all ,,time               
,,biographical ,,note      ,hugh ,blair1
 the preacher and divine1 was born in   
,edinburgh1 #agah4 ,he  entered the     
university of his native town and       
graduated in #agci4 ,two  years later he
 was licensed to preach2 he was ordained
 minister of  ,colossie1 ,fife1 in      
#agdb1 but returned to ,edinburgh and in
 #agfb  was made regius professor of    
rhetoric and belles-lettres to the      

university4 ,he became a member of the  
great literary club1 the ,poker1  where 
he associated with ,hume1 ,a4 ,carlyle1 
,adam ,ferguson1 ,adam ,smith  and      
others1 and enjoyed a high reputation as
 a preacher and critic4  ,the lectures  
he published on style are elegantly     
written1 but weak in  thought1 and his  
sermons share the same fault4 ,they are 
composed with  great care1 and sometimes
 a single discourse cost him a week's   
labor1  but they are formal and         
destitute of feeling and sometimes even 
affected in style4 ,blair was notable   
for fastidiousness in dress and         
manners1 and took very seriously the    
reputation he was given for  refinement 
and common-sense as one of the moderate 
divines4 ,he died in  #ahjj4            
,,blair    #agah--ahjj    ,,the ,,hour  
,,and ,,the ,,event ,,of ,,all ,,time   
,jesus lifted up ,his eyes to heaven1   
and said1 ,father6 the hour is          
come4--,john xvii41 #a4      ,these were
 the words of our blest ,lord on a      

memorable occasion4 ,the  feast of the  
,passover drew nigh1 at which ,he knew  
that ,he was to  suffer4 ,the night was 
arrived wherein ,he was to be delivered 
into the  hands of ,his enemies4 ,he had
 spent the evening in conference with   
,his  disciples1 like a dying father in 
the midst of his family1 mingling       
consolations with ,his last             
instructions4 ,when ,he had ended ,his  
discourse to them1 he lifted up his eyes
 to heaven1 and with the  words which ,i
 have now read1 began that solemn prayer
 of intercession  for the ,church1 which
 closed ,his ministry4 ,immediately     
after1 ,he went  forth with ,his        
disciples into the garden of ,gethsemane
 and surrendered  ,himself to those who 
came to apprehend ,him4    ,such was the
 situation of our ,lord at the time of  
,his pronouncing  these words4 ,he saw  
,his mission on the point of being      
accomplished4  ,he had the prospect full
 before ,him of all that ,he was about  
to  suffer--,father6 the hour is come4  

,what hour8 ,an hour the most  critical1
 the most pregnant with great events1   
since hours had begun  to be numbered1  
since time had begun to run4 ,it was the
 hour at which  the ,son of ,god was to 
terminate the labors of ,his important  
life by a  death still more important   
and illustrious2 the hour of atoning1 by
  ,his sufferings1 for the guilt of     
mankind2 the hour of accomplishing      
prophecies1 types1 and symbols1 which   
had been carried on through a  series of
 ages2 the hour of concluding the old   
and of introducing into  the world the  
new dispensation of religion2 the hour  
of ,his triumphing  over the world1 and 
death1 and hell2 the hour of ,his       
creating that  spiritual kingdom which  
is to last forever4 ,such is the hour4  
,such are  the events which you are to  
commemorate in the sacrament of our     
,lord's  ,supper4    ,i4 ,this was the  
hour in which ,christ was glorified by  
,his sufferings4  ,the whole of ,his    
life had discovered much real greatness 

under a mean  appearance4 ,through the  
cloud of ,his humiliation1 ,his native  
luster  often broke forth2 but never did
 it shine so bright as in this last1    
this trying hour4 ,it was indeed the    
hour of distress and of blood4 ,he  knew
 it to be such2 and when ,he uttered the
 words of the text1 ,he had  before ,his
 eyes the executioner and the cross1 the
 scourge1 the nails1  and the spear4    
,but by prospects of this nature ,his   
soul was not to be  overcome4 ,it is    
distress which ennobles every great     
character2 and  distress was to glorify 
the ,son of ,god4 ,he was now to teach  
all  mankind by ,his example1 how to    
suffer and to die4 ,he was to stand     
forth before ,his enemies as the        
faithful witness of the truth1          
justifying by ,his behavior the         
character which ,he assumed1 and sealing
  by ,his blood the doctrines which ,he 
taught4    ,what magnanimity in all ,his
 words and actions on this great        
occasion6  ,the court of ,herod1 the    

judgment-hall of ,pilate1 the hill of   
,calvary1  were so many theaters        
prepared for ,his displaying all the    
virtues of a  constant and patient mind4
 ,when led forth to suffer1 the first   
voice  which we hear from ,him is a     
generous lamentation over the fate of   
,his  unfortunate tho guilty country2   
and to the last moment of ,his life we  
behold ,him in possession of the same   
gentle and benevolent spirit4 ,no       
upbraiding1 no complaining expression   
escaped from ,his lips during the  long 
and painful approaches of a cruel death4
 ,he betrayed no symptom  of a weak or a
 vulgar1 of a discomposed or impatient  
mind4 ,with the  utmost attention of    
filial tenderness ,he committed ,his    
aged mother to  the care of ,his beloved
 disciple4 ,with all the dignity of a   
sovereign  ,he conferred pardon on a    
fellow-sufferer4 ,with a greatness of   
mind  beyond example1 ,he spent ,his    
last moments in apologies and prayers   
for  those who were shedding ,his blood4

    ,by wonders in heaven and wonders on
 earth1 was this hour  distinguished4   
,all nature seemed to feel it2 and the  
dead and the  living bore witness of its
 importance4 ,the veil of the temple was
 rent  in twain4 ,the earth shook4      
,there was darkness over all the land4  
,the  graves were opened1 and many who  
slept arose1 and went into the holy     
city4 ,nor were these the only prodigies
 of this awful hour4 ,the most  hardened
 hearts were subdued and changed4 ,the  
judge who1 in order to  gratify the     
multitude1 passed sentence against ,him1
 publicly attested  ,his innocence4 ,the
 ,roman centurion who presided at the   
execution1  glorified ,god1 and         
acknowledged the ,sufferer to be more   
than man4  ,after he saw the things     
which had passed1 he said1 ,certainly   
this  was a righteous person3 truly this
 was the ,son of ,god4 ,the ,jewish     
malefactor who was crucified with ,him  
addrest ,him as a king1 and  implored   
,his favor4 ,even the crowd of          

insensible spectators1 who had  come    
forth as to a common spectacle1 and who 
began with clamors and  insults1        
returned home smiting their breasts4    
,look back on the  heroes1 the          
philosophers1 the legislators of old4   
,view them1 in their  last moments4     
,recall every circumstance which        
distinguished their  departure from the 
world4 ,where can you find such an      
assemblage of  high virtues1 and of     
great events1 as concurred at the death 
of  ,christ8 ,where so many testimonials
 given to the dignity of the dying      
person by earth and by heaven8    ,,ii4 
,this was the hour in which ,christ     
atoned for the sins of mankind1  and    
accomplished our eternal redemption4 ,it
 was the hour when that  great sacrifice
 was offered up1 the efficacy of which  
reaches back  to the first transgression
 of man1 and extends forward to the end 
of  time2 the hour when1 from the cross1
 as from a high altar1 the blood  was   
flowing which washed away the guilt of  

the nations4    ,this awful dispensation
 of the ,almighty contains mysteries    
which are  beyond the discovery of man4 
,it is one of those things into which   
the  angels desire to look4 ,what has   
been revealed to us is1 that the  death 
of ,christ was the interposition of     
heaven for preventing the  ruin of human
 kind4 ,we know that under the          
government of ,god misery  is the       
natural consequence of guilt4 ,after    
rational creatures had1 by  their       
criminal conduct1 introduced disorder   
into the divine kingdom1  there was no  
ground to believe that by their         
penitence and prayers  alone they could 
prevent the destruction which threatened
 them4 ,the  prevalence of propitiatory 
sacrifices throughout the earth         
proclaims  it to be the general sense of
 mankind that mere repentance was not of
  sufficient avail to expiate sin or to 
stop its penal effects4 ,by the         
constant allusions which are carried on 
in the ,new ,testament to the           

sacrifices under the law1 as            
pre-signifying a great atonement made by
  ,christ1 and by the strong expressions
 which are used in describing the       
effects of ,his death1 the sacred       
writers show1 as plainly as language    
allows1 that there was an efficacy in   
,his sufferings far beyond  that of mere
 example and instruction4 ,the nature   
and extent of that  efficacy we are     
unable as yet fully to trace4 ,part we  
are capable of  beholding2 and the      
wisdom of what we behold we have reason 
to adore4  ,we discern1 in this plan of 
redemption1 the evil of sin strongly    
exhibited and the justice of the divine 
government awfully  exemplified1 in     
,christ suffering for sinners4 ,but let 
us not imagine  that our present        
discoveries unfold the whole influence  
of the  death of ,christ4 ,it is        
connected with causes into which we can 
not  penetrate4 ,it produces            
consequences too extensive for us to    
explore4  ,god's thoughts are not as our

 thoughts4 ,in all things we see only   
in part2 and here1 if anywhere1 we see  
also as through a glass4  darkly4       
,this1 however1 is fully manifest1 that 
redemption is one of the most  glorious 
works of the ,almighty4 ,if the hour of 
the creation of the  world was great and
 illustrious1 that hour when1 from the  
dark and  formless mass1 this fair      
system of nature arose at the divine    
command1  when the morning-stars sang   
together1 and all the sons of ,god      
shouted  for joy1 no less illustrious is
 the hour of the restoration of the     
world2 the hour when1 from condemnation 
and misery1 it emerged into  happiness  
and peace4 ,with less external majesty  
it was attended2 but  it is1 on that    
account1 the more wonderful that1 under 
an appearance  so simple1 such great    
events were covered4    ,,iii4 ,in this 
hour the long series of prophecies1     
visions1 types1 and  figures were       
accomplished4 ,this was the center in   
which they all met3  this the point     

toward which they had tended and verged1
 throughout the  course of so many      
generations4 ,you behold the law and the
 prophets  standing1 if we may speak so1
 at the foot of the cross1 and doing    
homage4 ,you behold ,moses and ,aaron   
bearing the ,ark of the ,covenant2      
,david and ,elijah presenting the oracle
 of testimony4 ,you behold all  the     
priests and sacrifices1 all the rites   
and ordinances1 all the  types and      
symbols assembled together to receive   
their consummation4  ,without the death 
of ,christ1 the worship and ceremonies  
of the law  would have remained a       
pompous1 but unmeaning1 institution4 ,in
 the hour  when ,he was crucified1 the  
book with the seven seals was opened4   
,every rite assumed its significancy2   
every prediction met its event2  every  
symbol displayed its correspondence4    
,the dark and seemingly ambiguous method
 of conveying important  discoveries    
under figures and emblems was not       
peculiar to the sacred  books4 ,the     

spirit of ,god in presignifying the     
death of ,christ1 adopted  that plan1   
according to which the whole knowledge  
of those early  ages was propagated     
through the world4 ,under the veil of   
mysterious  allusion1 all wisdom was    
then concealed4 ,from the sensible world
  images were everywhere borrowed to    
describe things unseen4 ,more was       
understood to be meant than was openly  
exprest4 ,by enigmatical rites  the     
priests communicated his doctrines2 by  
parables and allegories  the philosopher
 instructed his disciples2 even the     
legislator1 by  figurative sayings1     
commanded the reverence of the people4  
,agreeably  to this prevailing mode of  
instruction1 the whole dispensation of  
the  ,old ,testament was so conducted as
 to be the shadow and figure of  a      
spiritual system4 ,every remarkable     
event1 every distinguished  personage1  
under the law1 is interpreted in the    
,new ,testament1 as  bearing reference  
to the hour of which we treat4 ,if      

,isaac was laid  upon the altar as an   
innocent victim2 if ,david was driven   
from his  throne by the wicked1 and     
restored by the hand of ,god2 if the    
brazen  serpent was lifted up to heal   
the people2 if the rock was smitten by  
,moses1 to furnish drink in the         
wilderness2 all were types of ,christ   
and alluded to ,his death4    ,in       
predicting the same event the language  
of ancient prophecy was  magnificent1   
but seemingly contradictory3 for it     
foretold a ,messiah1  who was to be at  
once a sufferer and a conquerer4 ,the   
,star was to come  out of ,jacob1 and   
the ,branch to spring from the stem of  
,jesse4 ,the  ,angel of the ,covenant1  
the desire of all nations1 was to come  
suddenly  to ,his temple2 and to ,him   
was to be the gathering of the people4  
,yet1 at the same time1 ,he was to be   
despised and rejected of men2 ,he  was  
to be taken from prison and from        
judgment1 and to be led as a  lamb to   
the slaughter4 ,tho ,he was a man of    

sorrows1 and acquainted  with grief1 yet
 the ,gentiles were to come to his      
light1 and kings  to the brightness of  
his rising4 ,in the hour when ,christ   
died1 those  prophetical riddles were   
solved3 those seeming contradictions    
were  reconciled4 ,the obscurity of     
oracles1 and the ambiguity of typos     
vanished4 ,the sun of righteousness     
rose2 and1 together with the dawn  of   
religion those shadows passed away4     
,,iv4 ,this was the hour of the         
abolition of the law1 and the           
introduction of the gospel2 the hour of 
terminating the old and of  beginning   
the new dispensation of religious       
knowledge and worship  throughout the   
earth4 ,viewed in this light1 it forms  
the most august  era which is to be     
found in the history of mankind4 ,when  
,christ was  suffering on the cross1 we 
are informed by one of the evangelists  
that  ,he said1 ,i thirst2 and that they
 filled a sponge with vinegar1 and  put 
it to ,his mouth4 ,after he had tasted  

the vinegar1 knowing that  all things   
were now accomplished1 and the          
,scriptures fulfilled1 he  said1 ,it is 
finished2 that is1 this offered draft of
 vinegar was the  last circumstance     
predicted by an ancient prophet that    
remained to  be fulfilled4 ,the vision  
and the prophecy are now sealed3 the    
,mosaic  dispensation is closed4 ,and he
 bowed his head and gave up the ghost4  
,it is finished4 ,when ,he uttered these
 words ,he changed the state of  the    
universe4 ,at that moment the law       
ceased1 and the gospel commenced4  ,this
 was the ever memorable point of time   
which separated the old and  the new    
worlds from each other4 ,on one side of 
the point of separation  you behold the 
law1 with its priests1 its sacrifices1  
and its rites1  retiring from sight4 ,on
 the other side you behold the gospel1  
with  its simple and venerable          
institutions1 coming forward into view4 
,significantly was the veil of the      
temple rent in this hour2 for the  glory

 then departed from between the         
cherubim4 ,the legal high priest        
delivered up his urim and thummim1 his  
breast-plate1 his robes1 and  his       
incense3 and ,christ stood forth as the 
great high priest of all  succeeding    
generations4 ,by that one sacrifice     
which ,he now offered1 ,he  abolished   
sacrifices forever4 ,altars on which the
 fire had blazed for  ages1 were now to 
smoke no more4 ,victims were no more to 
bleed4 ,not  with the blood of bulls and
 goats1 but with his own blood he now   
entered into the holy place1 there to   
appear in the presence of ,god  for us4 
,this was the hour of association and   
union to all the worshipers of  ,god4   
,when ,christ said1 ,it is finished1 ,he
 threw down the wall of  partition which
 had so long divided the ,gentile from  
the ,jew4 ,he  gathered into one all the
 faithful out of every kindred and      
people4  ,he proclaimed the hour to be  
come when the knowledge of the true ,god
  should be no longer confined to one   

nation1 nor ,his worship to one  temple2
 but over all the earth1 the worshipers 
of the ,father should  serve ,him in    
spirit and in truth4 ,from that hour    
they who dwelt  in the uttermost ends of
 the earth1 strangers to the covenant of
  promise1 began to be brought nigh4 ,in
 that hour the light of the  gospel     
dawned from afar on the ,british        
,islands4    ,during a long course of   
ages1 ,providence seemed to be occupied 
in  preparing the world for this        
revolution4 ,the whole ,jewish economy  
was intended to usher it in4 ,the       
knowledge of ,god was preserved         
unextinguished in one corner of the     
world1 that thence1 in due time1  might 
issue forth the light which was to      
overspread the earth4  ,successive      
revelations gradually enlarged the views
 of men beyond the  narrow bounds of    
,judea1 to a more extensive kingdom of  
,god4 ,signs and  miracles awakened     
their expectation and directed their    
eyes toward  this great event4 ,whether 

,god descended on the flaming mountain1 
or  spoke by the prophet's voice2       
whether ,he scattered ,his chosen people
  into captivity1 or reassembled them in
 their own land1 ,he was still  carrying
 on a progressive plan1 which was       
accomplished at the death of  ,christ4  
,not only in the territories of ,israel1
 but over all the earth1 the  great     
dispensations of ,providence respected  
the approach of this  important hour4   
,if empires rose or fell2 if war        
divided1 or peace  united1 the nations2 
if learning civilized their manners1 or 
philosophy enlarged their views2 all    
was1 by the secret decree of  ,heaven1  
made to ripen the world for that fulness
 of time1 when  ,christ was to publish  
the whole counsel of ,god4 ,the         
,persian1 the  ,macedonian1 the ,roman  
conqueror1 entered upon the stage each  
at his  predicted period4 ,the          
revolutions of power1 and the succession
 of  monarchies1 were so arranged by    
,providence1 as to facilitate the       

progress of the gospel through the      
habitable world1 after the day had      
arrived1 when the stone which was cut   
out of the mountain without  hands1     
should become a great mountain and fill 
the earth4 ,this was  the day which     
,abraham saw afar off1 and was glad4    
,this was the day  which many prophets1 
and kings1 and righteous men desired to 
see1  but could not2 the day for which  
the earnest expectation of  the         
creature1 long opprest with ignorance1  
and bewildered in  superstition1 might  
be justly said to wait4    ,v4 ,this was
 the hour of ,christ's triumph over all 
the powers of  darkness2 the hour in    
which ,he overthrew dominions and       
thrones1 led  captivity captive1 and    
gave gifts unto men4 ,the contest which 
the  kingdom of darkness had long       
maintained against the kingdom of light 
was now brought to its crisis4 ,the     
period was come when the seed of  the   
woman shall bruise the head of the      
serpent ,for many ages the  most gross  

superstition had filled the earth4 ,the 
glory of the  incorruptible ,god was    
everywhere1 except in the land of       
,judea1  changed into images made like  
to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and   
beasts1 and creeping-things4 ,the world1
 which the ,almighty created  for       
,himself1 seemed to have become a temple
 of idols4 ,even to vices  and passions 
altars were raised2 and what was        
entitled religion1 was  in effect a     
discipline of impurity4 ,in the midst of
 this universal  darkness1 ,satan had   
erected his throne1 and the learned and 
the  polished1 as well as the savage    
nations1 bowed down before him4 ,but at 
the hour when ,christ appeared on the   
cross1 the signal of ,his defeat  was   
given4 ,his kingdom suddenly departed   
from ,him2 the reign of  idolatry passed
 away3 ,he was beheld to fall like      
lightning from  heaven4 ,in that hour   
the foundation of every pagan temple    
shook4 ,the  statue of every false god  
tottered on its base4 ,the priest fled  

from  his falling shrine2 and the       
heathen oracles became dumb forever4    
,as on the cross ,christ triumphed over 
,satan1 so ,he overcame ,his  auxiliary1
 the world4 ,long had it assailed ,him  
with its temptations  and               
discouragements2 in this hour of severe 
trial ,he surmounted them  all4         
,formerly ,he had despised the pleasures
 of the world4 ,he now  baffled its     
terrors4 ,hence ,he is justly said to   
have crucified the  world4 ,by ,his     
sufferings ,he ennobled distress2 and   
,he darkened  the luster of the pomp and
 vanities of life4 ,he discovered to    
,his  followers the path which leads1   
through affliction1 to glory and to     
victory2 and ,he imparted to them the   
same spirit which enabled ,him to       
overcome4 ,my kingdom is not of this    
world4 ,in this world ye shall  have    
tribulation1 but be of good cheer1 ,i   
have overcome the world4    ,death also1
 the last foe of man1 was the victim of 
this hour4 ,the  formidable appearance  

of the specter remained2 but his dart   
was taken  away4 ,for1 in the hour when 
,christ expiated guilt1 ,he disarmed    
death1  by securing the resurrection of 
the just4 ,when ,he said to ,his        
penitent  fellow sufferer1 ,to-day thou 
shalt be with me in paradise1 ,he       
announced to all ,his followers the     
certainty of heavenly bliss4 ,he        
declared the cherubim to be dismissed   
and the flaming sword to be  sheathed1  
which had been appointed at the fall1 to
 keep from man the  way of the tree of  
life4 ,faint1 before this period1 had   
been the  hope1 indistinct the prospect1
 which even good men enjoyed of the     
heavenly kingdom4 ,life and immortality 
were now brought to light4 ,from  the   
hill of ,calvary the first clear and    
certain view was given to the  world of 
the everlasting mansions4 ,since that   
hour they have been the  perpetual      
consolation of believers in ,christ4    
,under trouble1 they  soothe their      
minds2 amid temptation1 they support    

their virtue2 and in  their dying       
moments enable them to say1 ,o death6   
where is thy sting8  ,o grave6 where is 
thy victory8    ,,vi4 ,this was the hour
 when our ,lord erected that spiritual  
kingdom  which is never to end4 ,how    
vain are the counsels and designs of    
men6  ,how shallow is the policy of the 
wicked6 ,how short their triumphing6    
,the enemies of ,christ imagined that in
 this hour they had successfully        
accomplished their plan for ,his        
destruction4 ,they believed that they   
had entirely scattered the small party  
of ,his followers1 and had  extinguished
 ,his name and ,his honor forever4 ,in  
derision they addrest  ,him as a king4  
,they clothed ,him with purple robes2   
they crowned ,him  with a crown of      
thorns2 they put a reed into ,his hand2 
and1 with  insulting mockery1 bowed the 
knee before ,him4 ,blind and impious    
men6  ,how little did they know that the
 ,almighty was at that moment setting   
,him as a king on the hill of ,zion2    

giving ,him the heathen for his         
inheritance1 and the uttermost parts of 
the earth for his possession6  ,how     
little did they know that their badges  
of mock royalty were at  that moment    
converted into the signals of absolute  
dominion1 and the  instruments of       
irresistible power6 ,the reed which they
 put into ,his  hands became a rod of   
iron1 with which ,he was to break in    
pieces  his enemies1 a scepter with     
which ,he was to rule the universe in   
righteousness4 ,the cross which they    
thought was to stigmatize ,him with     
infamy1 became the ensign of ,his       
renown4 ,instead of being the reproach  
of ,his followers1 it was to be their   
boast and their glory4 ,the cross  was  
to shine on palaces and churches        
throughout the earth4 ,it was to  be    
assumed as the distinction of the most  
powerful monarchs1 and to  wave in the  
banner of victorious armies when the    
memory of ,herod and  ,pilate should be 
accurst1 when ,jerusalem should be      

reduced to ashes1  and the ,jews be     
vagabonds over all the world4    ,these 
were the triumphs which commenced at    
this hour4 ,our ,lord saw  them already 
in their birth2 ,he saw of the travail  
of ,his soul1 and  was satisfied4 ,he   
beheld the ,word of ,god going forth1   
conquering1 and  to conquer2 subduing1  
to the obedience of ,his laws1 the      
subduers of  the world2 carrying light  
into the regions of darkness1 and       
mildness  into the habitations of       
cruelty4 ,he beheld the ,gentiles       
waiting below  the cross1 to receive the
 gospel4 ,he beheld ,ethiopia and the   
,isles  stretching out their hands to   
,god2 the desert beginning to rejoice   
and to blossom as the rose2 and the     
knowledge of the ,lord filling the      
earth1 as the waters cover the sea4     
,well pleased1 ,he said1 ,it is         
finished4 ,as a conqueror ,he retired   
from the field1 reviewing ,his          
triumphs3 ,he bowed his head and gave up
 the ghost4 ,from that hour1  ,christ   

was no longer a mortal man1 but ,head   
over all things to the  ,church1 the    
glorious ,king of men and angels1 of    
whose dominion there  shall be no end4  
,his triumphs shall perpetually         
increase4 ,his name  shall endure       
forever2 it shall last as long as the   
sun2 men shall be  blest in him1 and all
 nations shall call him blest    ,such  
were the transactions1 such the effects1
 of this ever-memorable  hour4 ,with all
 those great events was the mind of our 
,lord filled1  when ,he lifted ,his eyes
 to heaven1 and said1 ,father6 the hour 
is  come4    ,from this view which we   
have taken of this subject1 permit me to
  suggest what ground it affords to     
confide in the mercy of ,god for the    
pardon of sin2 to trust to ,his         
faithfulness for the accomplishment of  
all ,his promises2 and to approach to   
,him1 with gratitude and devotion1  in  
acts of worship4    ,in the first place1
 the death of ,christ affords us ground 
to confide  in the divine mercy for the 

pardon of sin4 ,all the steps of that   
high  dispensation of ,providence1 which
 we have considered1 lead directly to   
this conclusion1 ,he that spared not his
 own ,son1 but delivered him up  for us 
all1 how shall he not with him also     
freely give us all things8  ,this is the
 final result of the discoveries of the 
gospel4 ,on this  rests the great system
 of consolation which it hath reared up 
for men4  ,we are not left to dubious   
and intricate reasonings concerning the 
conduct which ,god may be expected to   
hold toward ,his offending  creatures3  
but we are led to the view of important 
and illustrious  facts which strike the 
mind with evidence irresistible4 ,for it
 is  possible to believe that such great
 operations1 as ,i have endeavored  to  
describe1 were carried on by the        
,almighty in vain8 ,did ,he excite  in  
the hearts of ,his creatures such       
encouraging hopes1 without any          
intention to fulfil them8 ,after so long
 a preparation of goodness1  could ,he  

mean to deny forgiveness to the penitent
 and the humble8 ,when  overcome by the 
sense of guilt1 man looks up with an    
astonished eye to  the justice of his   
,creator1 let him recollect that hour of
 which the  text speaks1 and be         
comforted4 ,the signals of divine mercy1
 erected in  his view1 are too          
conspicuous to be either distrusted or  
mistaken4    ,in the next place1 the    
discoveries of this hour afford the     
highest  reason to trust in the divine  
faithfulness for the accomplishment of  
every promise which remains yet         
unfulfilled4 ,for this was the hour of  
the completion of ,god's ancient        
covenant4    ,it was the performance of 
the mercy promised to the fathers4 ,we  
behold the consummation of a great plan1
 which1 throughout a course  of ages1   
had been uniformly pursued2 and which1  
against every human  appearance1 was1 at
 the appointed moment1 exactly          
fulfilled4 ,no  length of time alters   
,his purpose4 ,no obstacles can retard  

it4 ,toward  the ends accomplished in   
this hour1 the most repugnant           
instruments  were made to operate4 ,we  
discern ,god bending to ,his purpose the
  jarring passions1 the opposite        
interests1 and even the vices of men2   
uniting seeming contrarieties in ,his   
scheme2 making the wrath of man  to     
praise him2 obliging the ambition of    
princes1 the prejudices of  ,jews1 the  
malice of ,satan1 all to concur1 either 
in bringing forward  this hour1 or in   
completing its destined effects4 ,with  
what entire  confidence ought we to wait
 for the fulfilment of all ,his other   
promises in their due time1 even when   
events are most embroiled and  the      
prospect is most discouraging3 ,altho   
thou sayst thou canst not  see him1 yet 
judgment is before him2 therefore trust 
thou in him4 ,be  attentive only to     
perform thy duty2 leave the event to    
,god1 and be  assured that1 under the   
direction of ,his ,providence1 all      
things shall  work together for a happy 

issue4    ,lastly1 the consideration of 
this whole subject tends to excite      
gratitude and devotion1 when we approach
 to ,god in acts of worship4  ,the hour 
of which ,i have discust1 presents ,him 
to us in the amiable  light of the      
deliverer of mankind1 the restorer of   
our forfeited  hopes4 ,we behold the    
greatness of the ,almighty1 softened by 
the mild  radiance of condescension and 
mercy4 ,we behold ,him diminishing the  
awful distance at which we stand from   
,his presence1 by appointing for  us a  
mediator and intercessor1 through whom  
the humble may1 without  dismay1        
approach to ,him who made them4 ,by such
 views of the divine  nature1 ,christian
 faith lays the foundation for a worship
 which shall  be at once rational and   
affectionate2 a worship in which the    
light of  the understanding shall concur
 with the devotion of the heart1 and    
the most profound reverence be united   
with the most cordial love4  ,christian 
faith is not a system of speculative    

truths4 ,it is not a  lesson of moral   
instruction only4 ,by a train of high   
discoveries which  it reveals1 by a     
succession of interesting objects which 
it places  in our view1 it is calculated
 to elevate the mind1 to purify the     
affections1 and by the assistance of    
devotion1 to confirm and  encourage     
virtue4 ,such1 in particular1 is the    
scope of that divine  institution1 the  
sacrament of our ,lord's ,supper4 ,to   
this happy purpose  let it conduce1 by  
concentering in one striking point of   
light all  that the gospel has displayed
 of what is most important to man4      
,touched with such contrition for past  
offenses1 and filled with a  grateful   
sense of divine goodness1 let us come to
 the altar of ,god1  and1 with a humble 
faith in ,his infinite mercies1 devote  
ourselves to  ,his service forever4     
,,dwight    ,,the ,,sovereignty ,,of    
,,god    ,,biographical ,,note          
,timothy ,dwight was born at            
,northampton1 ,massachusetts1 in #ageb4 

,he  graduated from ,yale in #agfi1     
served as chaplain in the army during   
the  ,revolutionary ,war and was chosen 
president of his university in #agie4   
,he died1 after holding that office for 
twelve years1 in #ahag4 ,lyman          
,beecher1 who attributed his conversion 
to him1 says3 ,he was of noble  form1   
with a noble head and body1 and had one 
of the sweetest smiles  that ever you   
saw4 ,when ,i heard him preach on 'the  
harvest is passed1  the summer is ended1
 and we are not saved1' a whole         
avalanche rolled  down on my mind4 ,i   
went home weeping every step4           
,,dwight    #ageb--ahag    ,,the        
,,sovereignty ,,of ,,god    ,o ,lord1 ,i
 know that the way of man is not in     
himself3 it is not in  man that walketh 
to direct his steps4--,jeremiah x41 #bc4
      ,few of this audience will        
probably deny the truth of a direct     
,scriptural declaration4 ,with as little
 reason can it be denied that  most of  
them apparently live in the very manner 

in which they would  live if the        
doctrine were false3 or that they rely1 
chiefly at least1  on their own         
sagacity1 contrivance and efforts for   
success in this  life and that which is 
to come4 ,as little can it be questioned
 that  such self-confidence is a guide  
eminently dangerous and deceitful4      
,safe as we may feel under its          
direction1 our safety is imaginary4 ,the
  folly of others in trusting to        
themselves we discern irresistibly4 ,the
  same folly they perceive1 with equal  
evidence1 in us4 ,our true  wisdom lies 
in willingly feeling1 and cheerfully    
acknowledging1 our  dependence on ,god2 
and in committing ourselves with humble 
reliance to  ,his care and direction4   
,with these observations ,i will now    
proceed to illustrate the truth of  the 
doctrine4 ,the mode which ,i shall      
pursue will1 probably1 be thought       
singular4 ,i hope it will be useful4    
,metaphysical arguments1 which are      
customarily employed for the purpose of 

establishing this and several  other    
doctrines of theology1 are1 if ,i       
mistake not1 less satisfactory  to the  
minds of men at large than the authors  
of them appear to  believe4 ,facts1     
wherever they can be fairly adduced for 
this end1  are attended with a superior 
power of conviction2 and commonly leave 
little doubt behind them4 ,on these1    
therefore1 ,i shall at the present  time
 rely for the accomplishment of my      
design4 ,in the first place1 the        
doctrine of the text is evident from the
 great fact that the birth and          
education of all men depend not on      
themselves4    ,the succeeding events of
 life are derived1 in a great measure at
  least1 from our birth4 ,by this event1
 it is in a prime degree  determined    
whether men shall be princes or         
peasants1 opulent or poor1  learned or  
ignorant1 honorable or despised2 whether
 they shall be  civilized or savage1    
freemen or slaves1 ,christians or       
heathens1  ,mohammedans or ,jews4    ,a 

child is born of ,indian parents in the 
western wilderness4 ,by his  birth he   
is1 of course1 a savage4 ,his friends1  
his mode of life1 his  habits1 his      
knowledge1 his opinions1 his conduct1   
all grow out of this  single event4 ,his
 first thoughts1 his first instructions1
 and all the  first objects with which  
he is conversant1 the persons whom he   
loves1  the life to which he assumes are
 all savage4 ,he is an ,indian from the 
cradle2 he is an ,indian to the grave4  
,to say that he could not be  otherwise1
 we are not warranted2 but that he is   
not is certain4    ,another child is    
born of a ,bedouin ,arab4 ,from this    
moment he begins to  be an ,arabian4    
,his hand is against every man2 and     
every man's hand  is against him4       
,before he can walk1 or speak1 he is    
carried through  pathless wastes in     
search of food2 and roams in the arms of
 his  mother1 and on the back of a      
camel1 from spring to spring1 and from  
pasture to pasture4 ,even then he begins

 his conflict with hunger and  thirst2  
is scorched by a vertical sun2 shriveled
 by the burning sand  beneath2 and      
poisoned by the breath of the simoom4   
,hardened thus  through his infancy and 
childhood1 both in body and mind1 he    
becomes1  under the exhortations and    
example of his father1 a robber from    
his youth2 attacks every stranger whom  
he is able to overcome2 and  plunders   
every valuable thing on which he can lay
 his hand4    ,a third receives his     
birth in the palace of a ,british       
nobleman2 and is  welcomed to the world 
as the heir apparent of an ancient1     
honorable  and splendid family4 ,as soon
 as he opens his eyes on the light1 he  
is  surrounded by all the enjoyments    
which opulence can furnish1 ingenuity   
contrive1 or fondness bestow4 ,he is    
dandled on the knee of indulgence2      
encircled by attendants1 who watch and  
prevent alike his necessities  and      
wishes2 cradled on down2 and charmed to 
sleep by the voice of  tenderness and   

care4 ,from the dangers and evils of    
life he is guarded  with anxious        
solicitude4 ,to its pleasures he is     
conducted by the  ever-ready hand of    
maternal affection4 ,his person is      
shaped and  improved by a succession of 
masters2 his mind is opened1 invigorated
  and refined by the assiduous          
superintendence of learning and wisdom4 
,while a child he is served by a host of
 menials and flattered by  successive   
trains of visitors4 ,when a youth he is 
regarded by a band  of tenants with     
reverence and awe4 ,his equals in age   
bow to his rank2  and multitudes1 of    
superior years acknowledge his          
distinction by  continual testimonies of
 marked respect4 ,when a man1 he engages
 the  regard of his sovereign2 commands 
the esteem of the senate2 and earns  the
 love and applause of his country4    ,a
 fourth child1 in the same kingdom1 is  
begotten by a beggar1 and  born under a 
hedge4 ,from his birth he is trained to 
suffering and  hardihood4 ,he is nursed1

 if he can be said to be nursed at all1 
on a  coarse1 scanty and precarious     
pittance2 holds life only as a tenant   
at will2 combats from the first dawnings
 of intellect with insolence1  cold and 
nakedness2 is originally taught to beg  
and to steal2 is  driven from the doors 
of men by the porter or the house dog2  
and is  regarded as an alien from the   
family of ,adam4 ,like his kindred      
worms1  he creeps through life in the   
dust2 dies under the hedge1 where he is 
born2 and is then1 perhaps1 cast into a 
ditch1 and covered with earth  by some  
stranger1 who remembers that1 altho a   
beggar1 he still was a  man4    ,a child
 enters the world in ,china2 and unites1
 as a thing of course1  with his sottish
 countrymen in the stupid worship of the
 idol ,fo4  ,another prostrates himself 
before the ,lama1 in consequence of     
having  received his being in ,tibet1   
and of seeing the ,lama worshiped by all
  around him4    ,a third1 who begins   
his existence in ,turkey1 is carried    

early to the  mosque2 taught to lisp    
with profound reverence the name of     
,mohammed2  habituated to repeat the    
prayers and sentences of the ,koran as  
the  means of eternal life2 and induced1
 in a manner irresistible1 to  complete 
his title to ,paradise by a pilgrimage  
to ,mecca4    ,the ,hindu infant grows  
into a religious veneration for the cow2
 and  perhaps never doubts that1 if he  
adds to this solemn devotion to         
,juggernaut1 the ,gooroos1 and the      
,dewtahs1 and performs carefully his    
ablutions in the ,ganges1 he shall wash 
away all his sins1 and obtain1  by the  
favor of ,brahma1 a seat among the      
blest4    ,in our own favored country1  
one child is born of parents devoted    
solely to this world4 ,from his earliest
 moments of understanding1 he  hears and
 sees nothing commended but hunting1    
horse-racing1 visiting1  dancing1       
dressing1 riding1 parties1 gaming1      
acquiring money with  eagerness and     
skill1 and spending it in gaiety1       

pleasure and luxury4  ,these things1 he 
is taught by conversation and example1  
constitute all  the good of man4 ,his   
taste is formed1 his habits are riveted1
 and the  whole character of his soul is
 turned to them before he is fairly     
sensible that there is any other good4  
,the question whether virtue and  piety 
are either duties or blessings he       
probably never asks4 ,in the  dawn of   
life he sees them neglected and despised
 by those whom he  most reverences2 and 
learns only to neglect and despise them 
also4 ,of  ,jehovah he thinks as little1
 and for the same reason as a ,chinese  
or  a ,hindu4 ,they pay their devotions 
to ,fo and to ,juggernaut3 he his to    
money and pleasure4 ,thus he lives1 and 
dies1 a mere animal2 a stranger  to     
intelligence and morality1 to his duty  
and his ,god4    ,another child comes   
into existence in the mansion of        
knowledge and  virtue4 ,from his        
infancy1 his mind is fashioned to wisdom
 and piety4  ,in his infancy he is      

taught and allured to remember his      
,creator2  and to unite1 first in form  
and then in affection1 in the household 
devotions of the morning and evening4   
,god he knows almost as soon as  he can 
know anything4 ,the presence of that    
glorious being he is taught  to realize 
almost from the cradle2 and from the    
dawn of intelligence  to understand the 
perfections and government of his       
,creator4 ,his own  accountableness1 as 
soon as he can comprehend it1 he begins 
to feel  habitually1 and always4 ,the   
way of life through the ,redeemer is    
early1  and regularly explained to him  
by the voice of parental love2 and      
enforced and endeared in the house of   
,god4 ,as soon as possible1 he  is      
enabled to read1 and persuaded to search
 the ,scriptures4 ,of the  approach1 the
 danger and the mischiefs of            
temptations1 he is tenderly  warned4 ,at
 the commencement of sin1 he is kindly  
checked in his  dangerous career4 ,to   
,god he was solemnly given in baptism4  

,to ,god he  was daily commended in     
fervent prayer4 ,under this happy       
cultivation he  grows up like an        
olive-tree in the courts of the ,lord2  
and1 green1  beautiful and flourishing1 
he blossoms2 bears fruit2 and is        
prepared  to be transplanted by the     
divine hand to a kinder soil in the     
regions  above4    ,how many1 and how   
great1 are the differences in these     
several  children6 ,how plainly do they 
all1 in ordinary circumstances1 arise   
out of their birth6 ,from their birth is
 derived1 of course1 the  education     
which ,i have ascribed to them2 and from
 this education  spring in a great      
measure both character and their        
destiny4 ,the place1  the persons1 the  
circumstances1 are here evidently the   
great things  which1 in the ordinary    
course of ,providence1 appear chiefly to
  determine what the respective men     
shall be2 and what shall be those       
allotments which regularly follow their 
respective characters4 ,as1  then1 they 

are not at all concerned in contriving  
or accomplishing  either their birth or 
their education2 it is certain that1 in 
these  most important particulars1 the  
way of man is not in himself4 ,god only 
can determine what child shall spring   
from parents1 wise or foolish1  virtuous
 or sinful1 rich or poor1 honorable or  
infamous1 civilized or  savage1         
,christian or heathen4    ,i wish it to 
be distinctly understood1 and carefully 
remembered1 that  in the moral conduct  
of all these individuals no physical    
necessity  operates4 ,every one of them 
is absolutely a free agent2 as free as  
any created agent can be4 ,whatever he  
does is the result of choice1           
absolutely unconstrained4    ,let me    
add1 that not one of them is placed in a
 situation in which1 if  he learns and  
performs his duty to the utmost of his  
power1 he will  fail of being finally   
accepted4    ,secondly4 ,the doctrine is
 strikingly evident from this great     
fact1  also1 that the course of life1   

which men usually pursue1 is very       
different from that which they have     
intended4    ,human life is ordinarily  
little else than a collection of        
disappointments4 ,rarely is the life of 
man such as he designs it shall  be4    
,often do we fail of pursuing1 at all1  
the business originally  in our view4   
,the intentional farmer becomes a       
mechanic1 a seaman1  a merchant1 a      
lawyer1 a physician1 or a divine4 ,the  
very place of  settlement1 and of       
residence through life1 is often        
different1 and  distant1 from that which
 was originally contemplated4 ,still    
more  different is the success which    
follows our efforts4    ,all men intend 
to be rich and honorable2 to enjoy ease2
 and to pursue  pleasure4 ,but how small
 is the number of those who compass     
these  objects6 ,in this country1 the   
great body of mankind are1 indeed1      
possest of competence2 a safer and      
happier lot than that to which they     
aspire2 yet few1 very few are rich4     

,here1 also1 the great body of  mankind 
possess a character1 generally          
reputable2 but very limited is  the     
number of those who arrive at the honor 
which they so ardently  desire1 and of  
which they feel assured4 ,almost all    
stop at the  moderate level1 where human
 efforts appear to have their boundary  
established in the determination of     
,god4 ,nay1 far below this level  creep 
multitudes of such as began life with   
full confidence in the  attainment of   
distinction and splendor4    ,the       
lawyer1 emulating the eloquence1        
business1 and fame of ,murray or        
,dunning1 and secretly resolved not to  
slacken his efforts1 until all  his     
rivals in the race for glory are        
outstript is often astonished1 as  well 
as broken-hearted1 to find business and 
fame pass by his door1  and stop at the 
more favored mansion of some competitor1
 in his view  less able1 and less       
discerning1 than himself4    ,the       
physician1 devoted to medical science1  

and possest of  distinguished powers of 
discerning and removing diseases1 is    
obliged  to walk2 while a more fortunate
 empiric1 ignorant and worthless1 rolls 
through the streets in his coach4       
,the legislator beholds with anguish and
 amazement the suffrages of his         
countrymen given eagerly to a rival     
candidate devoid of knowledge and       
integrity2 but skilled in flattering the
 base passions of men1 and  deterred by 
no hesitations of conscience1 and no    
fears of infamy1 from  saying and doing 
anything which may secure his election4 
,the merchant often beholds with a      
despairing eye his own ships sunk in    
the ocean2 his debtors fail2 his goods  
unsold1 his business cramped2  and      
himself1 his family and his hopes       
ruined2 while a less skilful but  more  
successful neighbor sees wealth blown to
 him by every wind1 and  floated on     
every wave4    ,the crops of the farmer 
are stinted2 his cattle die2 his markets
 are  bad2 and the purchaser of his     

commodities proves to be a cheat1 who   
deceives his confidence and runs away   
with his property4    ,thus the darling 
schemes and fondest hopes of man are    
daily frustrated  by time4 ,while       
sagacity contrives1 patience matures1   
and labor  industriously executes1      
disappointment laughs at the curious    
fabric1  formed by so many efforts and  
gay with so many brilliant colors1  and 
while the artists imagine the work      
arrived at the moment of  completion1   
brushes away the beautiful web1 and     
leaves nothing behind4    ,the designs  
of men1 however1 are in many respects   
not infrequently  successful4 ,the      
lawyer and physician acquire business   
and fame2 the  statesman1 votes2 and the
 farmer1 wealth4 ,but their real        
success1  even in this case1 is often   
substantially the same with that already
  recited4 ,in all plans1 and all       
labors1 the supreme object is to become 
happy4 ,yet1 when men have actually     
acquired riches and honor1 or  secured  

to themselves popular favor1 they still 
find the happiness1  which they         
expected1 eluding their grasp4 ,neither 
wealth1 fame1  office1 nor sensual      
pleasure can yield such good as we need4
 ,as these  coveted objects are         
accumulated1 the wishes of man always   
grow faster  than his gratifications4   
,hence1 whatever he acquires1 he is     
usually as  little satisfied as before1 
and often less4    ,a principal design  
of the mind in laboring for these things
 is to  become superior to others4 ,but 
almost all rich men are obliged to see1 
and usually with no small anguish1      
others richer than themselves2          
honorable men1 others more honorable2   
voluptuous men1 others who enjoy  more  
pleasure4 ,the great end of the strife  
is therefore unobtained2  and the       
happiness expected never found4 ,even   
the successful competitor  in the race  
utterly misses his aim4 ,the real       
enjoyment existed1 altho  it was        
unperceived by him1 in the mere strife  

for superiority4 ,when  he has outstript
 all his rivals the contest is at an    
end3 and his  spirits1 which were       
invigorated only by contending1 languish
 for want  of a competitor4    ,besides1
 the happiness in view was only the     
indulgence of pride1  or mere animal    
pleasure4 ,neither of these can satisfy 
or endure4 ,a  rational mind may be1 and
 often is1 so narrow and groveling as   
not to  aim at any higher good1 to      
understand its nature or to believe its 
existence4 ,still1 in its original      
constitution1 it was formed with a      
capacity for intellectual and moral     
good1 and was destined to find in  this 
good its only satisfaction4 ,hence1 no  
inferior good will fill  its capacity or
 its desires4 ,nor can this bent of its 
nature ever be  altered4 ,whatever other
 enjoyment1 therefore1 it may attain1 it
 will1  without this1 still crave and   
still be unhappy4    ,no view of the    
ever-varying character and success of   
mankind in  their expectations of       

happiness1 and their efforts to obtain  
it1 can  illustrate this doctrine more  
satisfactorily than that of the progress
  and end of a class of students in this
 seminary4 ,at their first  appearance  
here they are all exactly on the same   
level4 ,their  character1 their hopes   
and their destination are the same4     
,they are  enrolled on one list2 and    
enter upon a collegiate life with the   
same  promise of success4 ,at this      
moment they are plants1 appearing just  
above the ground2 all equally fair and  
flourishing4 ,within a short  time1     
however1 some begin to rise above       
others2 indicating by a more  rapid     
growth a structure of superior vigor1   
and promising both more  early and more 
abundant fruit4444    ,were ,i to ask   
the youths who are before me what are   
their designs  and expectations         
concerning their future life1 and write 
down their  several answers1 what a vast
 difference would ultimately be found   
between those answers and the events    

which would actually befall them6  ,to  
how great a part of that difference     
would facts1 over which they  could have
 no control1 give birth6 ,how many of   
them will in all  probability be less   
prosperous1 rich1 and honorable than    
they now  intend3 how many devoted to   
employments of which at present they do 
not even dream2 in circumstances1 of    
which they never entertained even  a    
thought1 behind those whom they expected
 to outrun1 poor1 sick1 in  sorrow or in
 the grave4    ,first4 ,you see here1 my
 young friends1 the most solid reasons  
for  gratitude to your ,creator4        
,god1 only1 directed that you should be 
born in this land1 and in the  midst of 
peace1 plenty1 civilization1 freedom1   
learning and religion2  and that your   
existence should not commence in a      
,tartarian forest  or an ,african waste4
 ,god1 alone1 ordered that you should be
 born of  parents who knew and worshiped
 ,him1 the glorious and eternal         
,jehovah2  and not of parents who bowed 

before the ,lama or the ox1 an image of 
brass or the stock of a tree4 ,in the   
book of ,his counsels1 your names1  so  
far as we are able to judge1 were       
written in the fair lines of  mercy4 ,it
 is of ,his overflowing goodness that   
you are now here2  surrounded with      
privileges1 and beset with blessings1   
educated to  knowledge1 usefulness and  
piety1 and prepared to begin an endless 
course of happiness and glory4 ,all     
these delightful things have  been      
poured into your lap1 and have come1    
unbidden1 to solicit your  acceptance4  
,if these blessings awaken not          
gratitude1 it can not be  awakened by   
the blessings in the present world4 ,if 
they are not  thankfully felt by you1 it
 is because you know not how to be      
thankful4  ,think what you are1 and     
where you are2 and what and where you   
just as  easily might have been4        
,remember that1 instead of cherishing   
tender  affections1 imbibing refined    
sentiments1 exploring the field of      

science1 and assuming the name and      
character of the sons of ,god1 you      
might as easily have been dozing in the 
smoke of a wigwam1 brandishing  a       
tomahawk1 or dancing round an emboweled 
captive2 or that you might  yourself    
have been emboweled by the hand of      
superstition1 and burnt on  the altars  
of ,moloch4 ,if you remember these      
things1 you can not but  call to mind1  
also1 who made you to differ from the   
miserable beings  who have thus lived   
and died4    ,secondly4 ,this doctrine  
forcibly demands of you to moderate     
desires  and expectations4    ,there are
 two modes in which men seek happiness  
in the enjoyments of  the present world4
 ,most persons freely indulge their     
wishes1 and  intend to find objects     
sufficient in number and value to       
satisfy  them4 ,a few aim at            
satisfaction by proportioning their     
desires to  the number and measure of   
their probable gratifications4 ,by the  
doctrine of the text1 the latter method 

is stamped with the name of  wisdom1 and
 on the former is inscribed the name of 
folly4 ,desires  indulged grow faster   
and farther than gratifications extend4 
,ungratified desire is misery4          
,expectations eagerly indulged and      
terminated by disappointment are often  
exquisite misery4 ,but how  frequently  
are expectations raised only to be      
disappointed1 and  desires let loose    
only to terminate in distress6 ,the     
child pines for  a toy3 the moment he   
possesses it1 he throws it by and cries 
for  another4 ,when they are piled up in
 heaps around him1 he looks at them     
without pleasure1 and leaves them       
without regret4 ,he knew not that  all  
the good which they could yield lay in  
expectation2 nor that his  wishes for   
more would increase faster than toys    
could be multiplied1  and is unhappy at 
last for the same reason as at first3   
his wishes  are ungratified4 ,still     
indulging them1 and still believing that
 the  gratification of them will furnish

 the enjoyment for which he pines1  he  
goes on1 only to be unhappy4    ,men are
 merely taller children4 ,honor1 wealth 
and splendor are the  toys for which    
grown children pine2 but which1 however 
accumulated1  leave them still          
disappointed and unhappy4 ,god never    
designed that  intelligent beings should
 be satisfied with these enjoyments4 ,by
 his  wisdom and goodness they were     
formed to derive their happiness and    
virtue4    ,moderated desires constitute
 a character fitted to acquire all the  
good which this world can yield4 ,he who
 is prepared1 in whatever  situation he 
is1 therewith to be content1 has learned
 effectually the  science of being      
happy1 and possesses the alchemic stone 
which will  change every metal into     
gold4 ,such a man will smile upon a     
stool1  while ,alexander at his side    
sits weeping on the throne of the world4
    ,the doctrine of the text teaches   
you irresistibly that1 since you can    
not command gratifications1 you should  

command your desires2 and that1  as the 
events of life do not accord with your  
wishes1 your wishes  should accord with 
them4 ,multiplied enjoyments fall to but
 few men1  and are no more rationally   
expected than the highest prize in a    
lottery4 ,but a well-regulated mind1 a  
dignified independence of the  world1   
and a wise preparation to possess one's 
soul in patience1  whatever             
circumstances may exist1 is in the power
 of every man1 and is  greater wealth   
than that of both ,indies1 and greater  
honor than ,caesar  ever required4      
,thirdly4 ,as your course and your      
success through life are not under  your
 control1 you are strongly urged to     
commit yourselves to ,god1 who  can     
control both4    ,that you can not      
direct your course through the world1   
that your best  concerted plans will    
often fail1 that your sanguine          
expectations will  be disappointed1 and 
that your fondest worldly wishes will   
terminate  in mortification can not     

admit of a momentary doubt4 ,that ,god  
can  direct you1 that ,he actually      
controls all your concerns1 and that1   
if you commit yourselves to ,his care1  
,he will direct you kindly and  safely1 
can be doubted only of choice4 ,why1    
then1 do you hesitate to  yield         
yourselves and your interests to the    
guidance of your ,maker8  ,there are two
 reasons which appear especially to     
govern mankind in  this important       
concern2 they do not and will not       
realize the agency of  ,god in their    
affairs2 and they do not choose to have 
them directed  as they imagine ,he will 
direct them4 ,the former is the result  
of  stupidity2 the latter1 of impiety4  
,both are foolish in the extreme1  and  
not less sinful than foolish4    ,the   
infinitely wise1 great and glorious     
benefactor of the universe  has offered 
to take men by the hand1 lead them      
through the journey of  life1 and       
conduct them to ,his own house in the   
heavens4 ,the proof of  ,his sincerity  

in making this offer has been already   
produced4 ,he has  given ,his own ,son  
to live1 and die1 and rise1 and reign1  
and intercede  for our race4 ,herein is 
love1 if there ever was love2 not that  
we  have loved him1 but that he has     
loved us4 ,that ,he1 who has done this1 
should not be sincere is impossible4    
,st4 ,paul1 therefore1 triumphantly     
asks what none can answer3 ,he1 that    
spared not his own ,son1 but  delivered 
him up for us all1 how shall he not with
 him also freely  give us all things8   
,trust1 then1 ,his word with undoubting 
confidence2  take ,his hand with humble 
gratitude1 and with all thy heart obey  
,his  voice1 which you will everywhere  
hear1 saying1 this is the way1 walk  ye 
therein4 ,in sickness and in health1 by 
night and by day1 at home  and in       
crowds1 ,he will watch over you with    
tenderness inexpressible4  ,he will make
 you lie down in green pastures1 lead   
you beside the still  waters and guide  
you in paths of righteousness1 for ,his 

name's sake4  ,he will prepare a table  
before you in the presence of your      
enemies1  and cause your cup to run over
 with blessings4 ,when you pass through 
the waters of affliction ,he will be    
with you1 and through the rivers  they  
shall not overflow you4 ,when you walk  
through the fire1 you shall  not be     
burned2 neither shall the flame kindle  
on you4 ,from their  native heavens ,he 
will commission those charming twin     
sisters1  goodness and mercy1 to descend
 and follow you all your days4    ,but  
if you wish ,god to be your guide and   
your friend1 you must conform  to his   
pleasure4 ,certainly you can not wonder 
that the infinitely ,wise  should prefer
 ,his own wisdom to yours1 and that he  
should choose for  ,his children their  
allotments1 rather than leave them to   
choose for  themselves4 ,that part of   
,his pleasure1 which you are to obey1 is
 all  summed up in the single word duty1
 and it is perfectly disclosed in  the  
,scriptures4 ,the whole scheme is so    

formed as to be plain1 easy1            
profitable1 and delightful2 profitable  
in hand1 delightful in the  possession4 
,every part and precept of the whole is 
calculated for this  end1 and will make 
you only wise1 good1 and happy4    ,life
 has been often styled an ocean1 and our
 progress through it a  voyage4 ,the    
ocean is tempestuous and billowy1       
overspread by a cloudy  sky1 and fraught
 beneath with shelves and quicksands4   
,the voyage  is eventful beyond         
comprehension1 and at the same time full
 of  uncertainty1 and replete with      
danger4 ,every adventurer needs to be   
well prepared for whatever may befall   
him1 and well secured against  the      
manifold hazards of losing his course1  
sinking in the abyss1 or of  being      
wrecked against the shore4    ,these    
evils have all existed at all times4    
,the present1 and that  part of the past
 which is known to you by experience1   
has seen them  multiplied beyond        
example4 ,it has seen the ancient and   

acknowledged  standards of thinking     
violently thrown down4 ,religion1       
morals1  government1 and the estimate   
formed by man of crimes and virtues1 and
  of all the means of usefulness and    
enjoyment1 have been questioned1        
attacked1 and in various places1 and    
with respect to millions of  the human  
race1 finally overthrown4 ,a            
licentiousness of opinion and  conduct1 
daring1 outrageous1 and rending asunder 
every bond formed by  ,god or man1 has  
taken place of former good sense and    
sound morals1 and  has long threatened  
the destruction of human good4          
,industry1 cunning1  and fraud have     
toiled with unrivaled exertions to      
convert man into  a savage and the world
 into a desert4 ,a wretched and         
hypocritical  philanthropy1 also1 not   
less mischievous1 has stalked forth as  
the  companion of these ravages3 a      
philanthropy born in a dream1 bred in a 
hovel1 and living only in professions4  
,this guardian genius of human          

interests1 this friend of human rights1 
this redresser of human  wrongs1 is yet 
without a heart to feel1 and without a  
hand to bless4  ,but she is well        
furnished with lungs1 with eyes1 and a  
tongue4 ,she can  talk1 and sigh1 and   
weep at pleasure1 but can neither pity  
nor give4  ,the objects of her          
attachment are either knaves and        
villains at home1  or unknown sufferers 
beyond her reach abroad4 ,to the former1
 she  ministers the sword and the       
dagger1 that they may fight their way   
into  place1 and power1 and profit4 ,at 
the latter she only looks through a     
telescope of fancy1 as an astronomer    
searches for stars invisible  to the    
eye4 ,to every real object of charity   
within her reach she  complacently says1
 ,be thou warmed1 and be thou filled2   
depart in  peace4    ,by the daring     
spirit1 the vigorous efforts1 and the   
ingenious cunning  so industriously     
exerted on the one hand1 and the smooth 
and gentle  benevolence so softly       

profest on the other1 multitudes have   
been1  and you easily may be1 destroyed4
 ,the mischief has indeed been met1     
resisted1 and overcome2 but it has the  
heads and the lives of the  hydra1 and  
its wounds1 which at times have seemed  
deadly1 are much  more readily healed   
than any good man could wish1 than any  
sober man  could expect4 ,hope not to   
escape the assaults of this enemy3 ,to  
feel  that you are in danger will ever  
be a preparation for your safety4 ,but  
it will be only such a preparation2 your
 deliverance must ultimately  and only  
flow from your ,maker4 ,resolve1 then1  
to commit yourselves  to ,him with a    
cordial reliance on ,his wisdom1 power1 
and protection4  ,consider how much you 
have at stake1 that you are bound to    
eternity1  that your existence will be  
immortal1 and that you will either rise 
to  endless glory or be lost in absolute
 perdition4 ,heaven is your proper      
home4 ,the path1 which ,i have          
recommended to you1 will conduct you    

safely and certainly to that happy      
world4 ,fill up life1 therefore1  with  
obedience to ,god1 with faith in the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and  repentance   
unto life1 the obedience to the two     
great commands of the  gospel1 with     
supreme love to ,god and universal      
good-will to men1 the  obedience to the 
two great commands of the law4 ,on all  
your sincere  endeavors to honor ,him1  
and befriend your fellow men1 ,he will  
smile2  every virtuous attempt ,he will 
bless2 every act of obedience ,he will  
reward4 ,life in this manner will be    
pleasant amid all its sorrows2 and      
beams of hope will continually shine    
through the gloom1 by which it  is so   
often overcast4 ,virtue1 the seed that  
can not die1 planted from  heaven1 and  
cultivated by the divine hand1 will grow
 up in your hearts  with increasing     
vigor1 and blossom in your lives with   
supernal beauty4  ,your path will be    
that of the just1 and will gloriously   
resemble the  dawning light1 which      

shines brighter and brighter1 to the    
perfect  day4 ,peace will take you by   
the hand1 and offer herself as the      
constant and delightful companion of    
your progress4 ,hope will walk  before  
you1 and with an unerring finger point  
out your course2 and  joy1 at the end of
 the journey1 will open her arms to     
receive you4 ,you  will wait on the     
,lord1 and renew your strength2 will    
mount up with  wings as eagles2 will    
run1 and not be weary2 will walk1 and   
not faint4          ,,robert ,,hall     
,,marks ,,of ,,love ,,to ,,god          
,,biographical ,,note      ,robert      
,hall1 ,baptist divine1 was born at     
,arnesby1 near ,leicester1  ,england1 in
 #agfd4 ,destined for the ministry1 he  
was educated at the  ,baptist ,academy  
at ,bristol1 and preached for the first 
time in  #aggi4 ,in #aghc he began his  
ministry in ,bristol and drew crowded   
congregations of all classes4 ,the      
tradition of ,hall's pupit oratory  has 
secured his lasting fame4 ,many minds of

 a high order were  fascinated by his   
eloquence1 and his conversation was     
brilliant4  ,his treatment of religious 
topics had the rare merit of commending 
evangelical doctrine to people of taste4
 ,dugald ,stewart declares that  his    
writings and public utterances exhibited
 the ,english language in  its          
perfection4 ,he died in #ahca4          
,,robert ,,hall    #agfd--ahca          
,,marks ,,of ,,love ,,to ,,god    ,but  
,i know you1 that ye have not the love  
of ,god in you4--,john v41  #db4        
,the persons whom our ,lord addrest in  
these words made a high  profession of  
religion1 valued themselves upon their  
peculiar  opportunities of knowing the  
true ,god and ,his will1 and proclaimed 
themselves as the ,israel and the temple
 of the ,lord1 while they  despised the 
surrounding pagans as those who were    
strangers to the  divine law4 ,yet the  
self-complacent ,pharisees of our       
,savior's age were  as far from the love
 of ,god1 he assures them in the text1  

as any of  those who had never heard of 
,his name4 ,in this respect1 many of the
  first were last1 and the last first4  
,the rejection of the gospel  evinces a 
hardness of heart which is decisive     
against the character2  and1 in the case
 of the ,pharisees1 it gave ample       
evidence that they  possest no love of  
,god4 ,had they really known ,god1 as   
our ,lord argues1  they would have known
 ,himself to be sent by ,god3 whereas1  
in proving  the bitter enemies of       
,christ1 they proved that they were in a
 state of  enmity against ,god4 ,by     
parity of reason1 we1 my brethren1 who  
know ,god  and ,his ,word in the way of 
,christian profession1 ought not to take
 it  for granted that we possess the    
love of ,god1 and are in the way of     
eternal life3 the same self-delusion may
 overtake us also2 and similar          
admonitions may be no less necessary to 
many present1 than to the  ,pharisees of
 old4 ,suffer then1 my brethren1 the    
word of exhortation1  while ,i invite   

each individual seriously to consider   
this subject1  with a view to the       
discovery of his real character4    ,in 
proceeding to lay down certain marks of 
grace1 let it be premised1  that either 
these marks partake of the nature of    
true religion1 or  they do not4 ,if they
 do1 they must be identified with it1   
and here the  mark is the thing3 if they
 do not partake of its nature1 some of  
them may exist as indications where     
genuine religion is not4 ,it is         
necessary1 then1 that we combine a      
variety of particular signs of  grace3  
any one taken by itself1 may1 or may    
not1 exist1 without true  religion2 but 
where many are combined1 no just doubt  
can remain4    ,whether you have the    
love of ,god in your soul presents a    
most  critical subject of inquiry2 since
 the love of ,god will be  acknowledged 
by all to be the great1 the essential1  
principle of  true religion4 ,the simple
 question1 then1 to which ,i would call 
your  attention1 is this3 ,am ,i1 or am 

,i not1 a sincere lover of the ,author  
of my being8    ,in endeavoring to      
assist you in the decision of this      
momentous  question1 as it respects     
yourselves4 ,i shall entreat your       
attention  while ,i suggest a variety of
 marks which indicate love to ,god2 and 
supposing the conviction produced by the
 statement to be1 that you  have not the
 love of ,god1 ,i shall point out the   
proper improvement of  such a           
conviction4    ,in suggesting various   
marks by which you may ascertain whether
 you  love ,god or not1 ,i would mention
 the general bent and turn of your      
thoughts1 when not under the immediate  
control of circumstances2 for  these1   
you are aware1 give a new and peculiar  
bias to our thoughts1  and stamp them   
with an impress of their own4 ,there is 
an infinite  variety of thoughts        
continually passing through the mind of 
every  individual3 of these1 some are   
thrown up by occasions2 but others1 and 
often the greater part1 follow the      

habitual train of our associations4  ,it
 is not to thoughts of the former kind  
that ,i refer2 it is to those  of the   
latter class--those involuntary thoughts
 which spring up of  themselves in the  
mind of every person3 it is these1 not  
the former1  that afford clear          
indication of the general temper and    
disposition4  ,the question ,i would    
propose to you is1 ,what is the bent of 
your  thoughts when1 disengaged from the
 influence of any particular            
occurrence1 you are left to yourselves1 
in the intervals of retirement  and     
tranquillity1 in the silence of the     
midnight watches1 and1 in  short1       
whenever your mind is left free to its  
own spontaneous musings8  ,are the      
thoughts most familiar to your mind1 at 
such times1 thoughts  of ,god and the   
things of ,god--or are they thoughts    
that turn upon the  present world and   
its transient concerns8 ,are they       
confined1 for the  most part1 within the
 narrow circle of time and sense2 or do 

they make  frequent and large excursions
 into the spiritual and eternal world8  
,the answer to this question will go far
 to decide whether you have1 or  have   
not1 the love of ,god4 ,it is impossible
 that such an object as the  divine     
,being should be absent long from your  
thoughts2 impossible  that ,his         
remembrance should long remain merged in
 the stream of other  imaginations2     
unless you are supposed chargeable with 
a decided  indifference to divine       
things6 ,unless you are destitute of    
love to ,god  you can never be so       
utterly uncongenial in sentiment and    
feeling with  the psalmist1 when he     
says1 ,my mouth shall praise thee with  
joyful  lips1 while ,i meditate upon    
thee in the night watches4 ,how precious
  are thy thoughts unto me1 ,o ,god6    
,when that man of ,god gazed upon the   
starry heavens1 his mind was not merely 
wrought into astonishment at  the       
physical energy there displayed2 he was 
still more deeply lost in  grateful     

admiration of the mercy of ,providence  
as manifested to man--a  sinful child of
 dust1 and yet visited by ,god in the   
midst of so  magnificent a universe6    
,but when day passes after day1 and     
night after  night1 without any serious 
thoughts of ,god1 it is plain that ,he  
is not  the home of your mind1 not your 
portion1 center1 and resting-place3  and
 if this is the case1 it is equally     
plain that you are not in a  state of   
acceptance with ,him2 since nothing can 
be more certain than  that1 as our      
thoughts are1 such must be our          
character4 ,i do not ask  what are your 
thoughts at particular times1 or under  
the influence  of some particular event3
 there may be little difference1 on some
  occasions1 between those who remember1
 and those who neglect1 ,god            
habitually4 ,the charge against the     
ungodly is1 that ,god is not in all     
their thoughts4 ,if there are any here  
who feel this charge as bearing  against
 themselves1 let them take that solemn  

warning given by ,god  himself at the   
close of the fiftieth psalm1 ,oh1       
consider this1 ye  that forget ,god1    
lest ,i tear you in pieces1 and there be
 none to  deliver you6    ,let me       
request you to consider seriously how   
you stand disposed to the  exercises of 
religion4 ,if ,god is the object of your
 love1 you will  gladly avail yourselves
 of the most favorable opportunities of 
cultivating a closer friendship with the
 ,father of your spirits3 on  the       
contrary1 he who feels no regard for    
these opportunities1 proves  that he has
 no love to ,god1 and will never be able
 to establish the  conviction that ,god 
is his friend4 ,wherever there exists a 
sincere  friendship1 opportunities of   
cultivating it are gladly embraced1 and 
the opposite privations are regretted4  
,where a habitual neglect of  sacred    
exercises prevails it must be           
interpreted as if it said1 like  those  
whom the prophet describes1 ,cause the  
,holy ,one of ,israel to  cease from    

amongst us4 ,depart from us1 for we     
desire not the knowledge  of thy way6   
,if your closets seldom witness your    
private devotions1  if your moments in  
retirement are languid and              
uninteresting--your  religion can have  
no hold on your heart2 and the reason   
why your  religion has no hold on your  
heart is because you have no love of    
,god4  ,there are some whose religion   
sits easy and delightful upon them2 its 
acts and functions are free and lively3 
there are others who seem to  bear their
 religion as a burden1 to drag their    
duties as a chain--as  no vital part of 
themselves1 but rather a cumbrous       
appendage3 this is  a decisive and      
melancholy symptom of a heart alienated 
from ,god4 ,there  is no genuine        
religion1 no real contact of the heart  
with the best of  beings1 unless it     
makes us continually resort to ,him as  
our chief joy4  ,the psalmist is always 
expressing his fervent desires after    
,god3 after  the light of the divine    

countenance1 and the sense of the divine
  favor3 but do you suppose such desires
 peculiar to the state of  believers    
under the ,old ,testament8 ,no1 my      
brethren2 there exist more  abundant    
reasons than ever1 since the gospel of  
,christ has been  displayed in all the  
glorious fulness of its blessings1 why  
our souls  should be inflamed with such 
feelings as those which inspired  the   
psalmist1 when he exclaimed1 ,as the    
hart panteth for the  water-brooks1 so  
longeth my soul after thee1 ,o ,god6    
,if you would ascertain whether you love
 ,god1 consider how you stand  affected 
toward the ,word of ,god4 ,we can       
entertain no just thoughts of  ,god1 but
 such as we derive from ,his own ,word3 
we can acquire no true  knowledge of    
,god1 nor cherish any suitable          
affections toward ,him1  unless they are
 such as ,his own revelation authorizes4
 ,otherwise we  must suppose that       
revelation insufficient for its specific
 purposes1  and set the means against   

the end4 ,all1 therefore1 who sincerely 
love  ,god1 are students of ,his ,word2 
they here1 also accord in soul with the 
psalmist1 and like him1 can say1 ,o how 
,i love thy word6 in it is my           
meditation all the day3 they eat it as  
food for their souls1 and find  it      
sweeter than honey4 ,they go to it as to
 an inexhaustible fountain1  and drink  
from it streams of sacred light and joy4
 ,a neglected ,bible  is too unambiguous
 a sign of an unsanctified heart2 since 
that blest  book can not fail to attract
 every one that loves its divine        
,author4  ,how is it possible to delight
 in ,god1 and yet neglect that ,word    
which  alone reveals ,him in ,his true  
and glorious character--alone discovers 
the way by which ,he comes into unison  
with us1 and condescends to  pardon us1 
to love us1 and to guide us through all 
this mysterious  state of being8 ,it is 
observable that the only persons who are
  inattentive to their own sacred books 
are to be found among  ,christians4     

,mohammedans commit large portions of   
the ,koran to memory2  the ,jews regard 
the ,old ,testament with reverence2 the 
,hindu ,brahmans  are enthusiastically  
attached to their ,shastra2 while       
,christians alone  neglect their ,bible4
 ,and the reason is1 that the           
,scriptures are so  much more spiritual 
than the religious books received by    
others2 they  afford so little scope for
 mere amusement or self-complacency2    
they  place the reader alone with ,god2 
they withdraw him from the things  that 
are seen and temporal1 and fix him among
 the things that are  unseen and        
eternal2 they disclose to his view at   
once the secret evils  of his own       
condition1 and the awful purity of that 
,being with whom he  has to do4 ,no     
wonder the ungodly man hates their      
light1 neither comes  to their light1   
but retires from it farther and farther 
into the  shades of guilty ignorance4   
,how melancholy the infatuation of such 
a  character6    ,estimate your         

character in respect to your love of    
,god1 by reflecting1  with what         
sentiments you regard the people of     
,god4 ,god has a people  peculiarly ,his
 own3 they are not of that world to     
which they outwardly  belong--not       
conformed to it in the spirit of their  
mind2 they stand  apart1 many of them at
 least1 in conspicuous conformity to    
,jesus  ,christ1 and in earnest         
expectation of the glory which ,he had  
promised4  ,how1 then1 do you regard    
these decided followers of ,god8 ,do you
 shun  their society with aversion and  
secret shame2 or do you enjoy  their    
communion as one of the most delightful 
among your ,christian  privileges8 ,are 
you content merely to be the companion  
of those who  have a name to live1 but  
are dead3 or can you say with the       
psalmist1  ,my delight is in the        
excellent of the earth8 or1 with the    
beloved  disciple1 ,we know that we have
 passed from death unto life1 because   
we love the brethren8 for1 as he adds1  

,he that loveth him that  begot1 loveth 
him that is begotten2 if you do not love
 the image  which you have seen1 how can
 you love the unseen original8 ,if the  
features of holiness and grace in the   
creature are not attractive to  your    
view1 how can your affections rise to   
the perfect essence8 ,how  can you      
ascend to the very sun itself1 when you 
can not enjoy even the  faint reflection
 of its glory8 ,he who knew the heart1  
could alone say  to those around ,him1  
,i know you1 that ye have not the love  
of ,god  in you3 but tho none can       
address you now in the same tone of     
divine  authority1 yet we may hear it   
uttered by a voice--the voice of your   
own conscience3 you may know1 without   
any perturbations of hope or  fear1 by  
the spiritual insensibility and inaction
 of your soul--by  this you may know1   
with equal certainty as by a voice from 
heaven1  that you have not the love of  
,god in you4    ,consider the           
disposition you entertain toward the    

person and office of  the ,son of ,god4 
,if ye had loved the ,father1 ye would  
have loved me  also1 was the constant   
argument of ,jesus ,christ to those     
,pharisees  whom ,he addresses in the   
text ,for ,jesus ,christ is the express 
image of  ,god3 the effulgence of the   
divine character is attempered in ,him1 
to  suit the views of sinful humanity4  
,in the life of ,jesus ,christ we see   
how the divine ,being conducts ,himself 
in human form and in our own            
circumstances3 we behold how ,he bears  
all the sorrows1 and passes  through all
 the temptations1 of flesh and blood4   
,such1 indeed1 is the  identity1 so     
perfect the oneness of character1       
between the man ,christ  ,jesus and the 
divine ,being--that our ,savior         
expressly assures us1 ,he  that hath    
seen me1 hath seen the ,father2 ,i and  
my ,father are one4 ,the  purpose for   
which ,god was manifested in the flesh  
was not to reveal  high speculations    
concerning the nature of the ,deity3 it 

was to bear  our sorrows1 and to die for
 our sins4 ,but can you contemplate     
,him1  thus stooping to your condition1 
thus mingling with every interest of    
your own1 and not be moved by such a    
spectacle8--not be attracted1  fixt1    
filled with grateful astonishment and   
devotion--crucified1 as  it were1 on the
 cross of ,christ1 to the flesh1 and to 
the world8 ,what  mark1 then1 of our    
possessing no love of ,god can equal    
this1 that we  are without love to      
,jesus ,christ8--that neither the       
visibility of ,his  divine excellence1  
nor ,his participation of all our human 
sufferings1  can reach our hearts and   
command our affections8    ,in examining
 whether you love ,god1 examine how you 
are affected by ,his  benefits4 ,these  
are so numerous and so distinguished    
that they  ought to excite our most     
ardent gratitude3 night and day they are
  experienced by us2 they pervade every 
moment of our being4 ,we know  that     
favors from an enemy derive a taint from

 the hands through which  they are      
received1 and excite alienation rather  
than attachment3 but  the kindness of a 
friend1 by constantly reminding us of   
himself1  endears that friend more and  
more to our hearts2 and thus1 he that   
has  no love to ,god receives all ,his  
favors without the least attraction     
toward their ,author1 whom he regards   
rather as an enemy than as a  friend4   
,but the ,christian feels his love of   
,god excited by every fresh  goodness4  
,the mercies of ,god have accompanied   
you through every  stage of your        
journey2 and they are exhibited to you  
in ,his word as  stretching through a   
vast eternity4 ,are these the only      
benefits you  can receive without       
gratitude1 and suffer to pass unregarded
 ,how1  then1 can any love of ,god dwell
 in your bosom8    ,consider1 in the    
next place1 in what manner you are      
imprest by  the sense of your sins4 ,the
 question is not whether you have any   
sins1--none can admit a doubt on this   

point2 the only inquiry is1 how  you are
 affected by those sins8 ,are they      
remembered by you with a  sentiment of  
tender regret1 of deep confusion and    
humiliation1 that  you should ever have 
so requited such infinite goodness8 ,and
 is this  sentiment combined with a     
sacred resolution to go and sin no      
more1--to  devote yourself to the       
service of your divine ,benefactor8 ,if 
you  can live without an habitual sense 
of penitential tenderness and           
reverential fear1 be assured you can not
 love ,god2 you have no  experience of  
those ,scripture declarations3 ,they    
shall fear the ,lord  and his goodness  
in the latter days2 ,there is           
forgiveness with thee1  that thou mayst 
be feared2 you know not that the        
goodness of ,god  leadeth to repentence4
 ,if the mind is softened by the love of
 ,god1  all ,his favors serve to inflame
 its gratitude1 and confirm its         
devotion to ,his will3 but he who has no
 love of ,god in his soul1  thinks of   

nothing but how he may escape from      
,god's hand1 and selfishly  devours all 
,his favors1 without an emotion of      
gratitude to the ,giver4    ,finally1   
let me remind you to consider how you   
are affected to the  present world4 ,if 
you could only be exempt from its       
afflictions1 would  you wish it to be   
your lasting home8 ,if you could        
surround yourself  with all its         
advantages and enjoyments1 would you be 
content to dwell  in it forever8 ,yet   
you know that it is a place of          
separation and exile  from the divine   
majesty2 that it is a scene of darkness1
 in comparison  with heaven1 very       
faintly illuminated with the beams of   
,his distant  glory2 that its inhabitant
 is constrained to say1 ,i have heard   
of thee by the hearing of the ear1 but  
mine eye hath not yet seen  thee2--while
 heaven is the proper dwelling-place of 
,god and ,his  people6 ,could you then  
consent to remain here always1 without  
ever  seeing as you are seen--seeing    

light in ,his light--without ever       
beholding ,his glory2 without ever      
drinking at the fountain1  and basking  
in that presence which is fulness of    
joy1 and  life forevermore8 always to   
remain immersed in the shadows of       
time--entombed in its corruptible       
possessions8 never to ascend up on  high
 to ,god and ,christ and the glories of 
the eternal world8 ,if such  is the     
state of your spirit1 you want the      
essential principle of a                
,christian--you want the love of ,god4  
,the genuine ,christian1 the lover  of  
,god1 is certain to feel himself a      
stranger on the earth4 ,no  splendor1 no
 emolument of this world1--not all the  
fascinations of  sensual pleasure1--can 
detain his heart below the skies1 or    
keep him  from sympathizing with the    
sentiment of the psalmist3 ,as for me1  
,i  shall behold thy face in            
righteousness2 ,i shall be satisfied    
when ,i  wake in thy likeness4 ,i do not
 ask whether you have1 at present1 a    

desire to depart3 perhaps you may not be
 as yet sufficiently prepared  and      
established to entertain so exalted a   
desire2 but still1 if you  have received
 a new heart1 you will deprecate nothing
 so much as  having your portion in this
 life1--as having your eternal abode on 
earth4 ,it is the character of faith to 
dwell much in eternity3 the  apostle    
says1 in the name of all real believers1
 ,we look not at the  things that are   
seen1 but the things that are not seen2 
for the things  that are seen are       
temporal1 but the things that are not   
seen are  eternal4    ,and now1 my      
brethren1 supposing the preceding       
remarks to have produced  in any of you 
the conviction that you have not the    
love of ,god in you1  permit me very    
briefly to point out the proper         
improvement of such a  conviction4      
,first1 it should be accompanied with   
deep humiliation4 ,if you labored  under
 the privation of some bodily organ1    
requisite to the discharge  of an animal

 function1 you would feel it as in some 
degree a  humiliating circumstance2 but 
what would be any defect of this kind1  
however serious1 in comparison with that
 great want under which you  labor--the 
want of piety1 the calamity of a soul   
estranged from the  love of ,god6 ,what 
are the other subjects of humiliation   
compared with  this--a moral fall1 a    
spiritual death in sin3 and this1 unless
 it be  removed1 the sure precursor of  
the second death--eternal ruin6 ,this   
is a lamentation indeed1 and it shall be
 for a lamentation4    ,suppose the     
children of a family1 reared and        
provided for by the most  affectionate  
of parents1 to rise up in rebellion     
against their father1  and cast off all 
the feelings of filial tenderness and   
respect2 would  any qualities those     
children might possess1 any appearance  
of  virtue they might exhibit in other  
respects1 compensate for such  an       
unnatural1 such an awful deformity of   
character8 ,transfer this               

representation to your conduct in       
relation to ,god3 ,if ,i1 says ,he1  am 
a father1 where is my fear8 if ,i am a  
master1 where is my honor8  ,hear1 ,o   
heavens1 and give ear1 ,o earth6 ,i have
 nourished and brought  up children1 and
 they have rebelled against me3 the ox  
knoweth his  owner1 and the ass his     
master's crib3 but ,israel doth not     
know1 my  people doth not consider4     
,and let your humiliation be accompanied
 with concern and alarm4 ,to be         
alienated from the great ,origin of     
being2 to be severed1 or to sever       
yourself from the essential ,author and 
element of all felicity1 must  be a     
calmity which none can understand1 an   
infinite wo which none can  measure or  
conceive4 ,if the stream is cut off from
 the fountain1 it  soon ceases to flow1 
and its waters are dissipated in the    
air3 and  if the soul is cut off from   
,god1 it dies6 ,its vital contact with  
,god1--its spiritual union with the     
,father of spirits through the blest    

,mediator1 is the only life and beauty  
of the immortal soul4 ,all1  without    
this1 are dead--dead in trespasses and  
sins6 ,a living  death--a state of      
restless wanderings1 and unsatisfied    
desires6 ,what  a condition theirs6     
,and1 oh6 what a prospect for such1 when
 they look  beyond this world6 who will 
give them a welcome when they enter an  
eternal state8 ,what reception will they
 meet with1 and where8 ,what            
consolation amid their losses and their 
sufferings1 but that of the             
fellow-sufferers plunged in the same    
abyss of ruin8 ,impenitent sinners  are 
allied to evil spirits1 they have an    
affinity with the kingdom  of darkness2 
and when they die1 they are emphatically
 said to go to  their own place6        
,this is an awful state for any to be in
 at present2 but1 blest be ,god1  it is 
not yet a hopeless situation4 ,let no   
person say1 ,i find by what  ,i have    
heard1 that ,i do not love ,god1 and    
therefore ,i can entertain  no hope4    

,there is a way of return and recovery  
open to all4 ,jesus  ,christ1 my dear   
brethren1 proclaims to you all1 ,i am   
the way4 ,no man  can come to the       
,father but by me3--but every one that  
will may come  by this new and living   
way2 and1 if you lose life eternal1 you 
lose  it because--according to his words
 just before the text--because you  will
 not come to ,christ that you may have  
life4 ,if you feel the  misery1         
deformity1 and danger of your state1    
then listen to ,his  invitation1 and    
embrace ,his promise4 ,see the whole    
weight of your  guilt transferred to    
,his cross6 ,see how ,god can be at once
 the just  and the justifier6 ,take of  
the blood of sprinkling1 and be at      
peace6  ,his blood cleanseth from all   
sin3 ,he will send that ,spirit into    
your  heart which will manifest ,him to 
you2 and where that ,spirit is1 there   
is liberty and holy love4 ,he is the    
mystical ladder1 let down from  heaven  
to earth1 on which angels are           

continually ascending and  descending1  
in token of an alliance established     
between ,god and man4  ,united by faith 
to ,jesus ,christ1 you shall become a   
habitation of ,god  through the ,spirit2
 the ,father will make you a partaker of
 ,his love1  the ,son of ,his grace1    
angels of their friendship2 and you     
shall be  preserved1 and progressively  
sanctified1 until1 by the last change1  
all remains of the great epidemic source
 of evils shall be forever  removed from
 your soul2 and the love of ,god shall  
constitute your  eternal felicity4      
,,evans    ,,the ,,fall ,,and ,,recovery
 ,,of ,,man    ,,biographical ,,note    
,christmas ,evans1 a ,welsh ,baptist    
preacher1 was born at ,isgaerwen1       
,cardiganshire1 ,south ,wales1 in #agff4
 ,brought up as a ,presbyterian1  he    
turned ,baptist in #aghh1 and was       
ordained the following year and         
ministered among the ,baptists in       
,carmaerthenshire4 ,in #agib he became a
  sort of bishop to those of his        

denomination in ,anglesey1 where he took
  up his residence4 ,after a somewhat   
stormy experience with those he         
undertook to rule1 he removed to        
,carmaerthen in #ahcb4 ,he distinguished
  himself by his debt-raising tours1 in 
which his eloquence brought  him much   
success4 ,it is said that once when he  
was preaching on the  subject of the    
prodigal son1 he pointed to a distant   
mountain as he  described the father    
seeing him while yet a great way off1   
whereupon  thousands in his congregation
 turned their heads in evident          
expectation of seeing the son actually  
coming down the hills4 ,he died  in     
#ahch4          ,,evans    #agff--ahch  
,,the ,,fall ,,and ,,recovery ,,of ,,man
    ,for if1 through the offense of one1
 many be dead1 much more the grace  of  
,god1 and the gift by grace1 which is by
 one man1 ,jesus ,christ1 hath  abounded
 unto many4--,romans v41 #ae4      ,man 
was created in the image of ,god4       
,knowledge and perfect holiness  were   

imprest upon the very nature and        
faculties of his soul4 ,he had  constant
 access to his ,maker1 and enjoyed free 
communion with ,him1 on  the ground of  
his spotless moral rectitude4 ,but1     
alas6 the glorious  diadem is broken2   
the crown of righteousness is fallen4   
,man's purity  is gone1 and his         
happiness is forfeited4 ,there is none  
righteous2 no1  not one4 ,all have      
sinned1 and come short of the glory of  
,god4 ,but  the ruin is not hopeless4   
,what was lost in ,adam is restored in  
,christ4  ,his blood redeems us from the
 bondage1 and ,his gospel gives us back 
the forfeited inheritance4 ,for if1     
through the offense of one1 many  be    
dead2 much more the grace of ,god1 and  
the gift by grace1 which is  by one man1
 ,jesus ,christ1 hath abounded unto     
many4 ,let us consider1  first1 the     
corruption and condemnation of man2 and 
secondly1 his  gracious restoration to  
the favor of his offended ,god4    ,i4  
,to find the cause of man's corruption  

and condemnation1 we must go  back to   
,eden4 ,the eating of the forbidden tree
 was the offense of  one1 in consequence
 of which many are dead4 ,this was the  
sin1 the  act of disobedience1 which    
brought death into the world1 and all   
our wo4 ,it was the greatest ingratitude
 to the divine bounty1 and the  boldest 
rebellion against the divine            
sovereignty4 ,the royalty of ,god  was  
contemned2 the riches of ,his goodness  
slighted2 and ,his most  desperate enemy
 preferred before ,him1 as if he were a 
wiser counsellor  than infinite wisdom4 
,thus man joined in league with hell    
against  heaven2 with demons of the     
bottomless pit against the almighty     
maker  and benefactor2 robbing ,god of  
the obedience due to ,his command and   
the glory due to ,his name2 worshiping  
the creature instead of the  creator2   
and opening the door to pride1 unbelief1
 enmity1 and all the  wicked and        
abominable passions4 ,how is the noble  
vine1 which was  planted wholly a right 

seed1 turned into the degenerate plant  
of a  strange vine6    ,who can look for
 pure water from such a fountain8 ,that 
which is born  of the flesh is flesh4   
,all the faculties of the soul are      
corrupted by  sin2 the understanding    
dark2 the will perverse2 the affections 
carnal2  the conscience full of shame1  
remorse1 confusion1 and mortal fear4    
,man  is a hard-hearted and stiff-necked
 sinner2 loving darkness rather than    
light1 because his deeds are evil2      
eating sin like bread1 and drinking     
iniquity like water2 holding fast       
deceit1 and refusing to let it go4  ,his
 heart is desperately wicked2 full of   
pride1 vanity1 hypocrisy1  covetousness1
 hatred of truth1 and hostility to all  
that is good4    ,this depravity is     
universal4 ,among the natural children  
of ,adam1 there  is no exemption from   
the original taint4 ,the whole world    
lieth  in wickedness4 ,we are all as an 
unclean thing1 and all our              
righteousness is as filthy rags4 ,the   

corruption may vary in the  degrees of  
development1 in different persons2 but  
the elements are in  all1 and their     
nature is everywhere the same2 the same 
in the blooming  youth1 and the withered
 sire2 in the haughty prince1 and the   
humble  peasant2 in the strongest giant1
 and the feeblest invalid4 ,the enemy   
has come in like a flood4 ,the deluge of
 sin has swept the world4  ,from the    
highest to the lowest1 there is no      
health or moral soundness4  ,from the   
crown of the head to the soles of the   
feet1 there is nothing  but wounds1 and 
bruises1 and putrefying sores4 ,the     
laws1 and their  violation1 and the     
punishments everywhere invented for the 
suppression  of vice1 prove the         
universality of the evil4 ,the bloody   
sacrifices1  and various purifications1 
of the pagans1 show the handwriting of  
remorse upon their consciences2 proclaim
 their sense of guilt1 and  their dread 
of punishment4 ,none of them are free   
from the fear which  hath torment1      

whatever their efforts to overcome it1  
and however great  their boldness in the
 service of sin and ,satan4 ,menel      
,tekel6 is  written on every human      
heart4 ,wanting6 wanting6 is inscribed  
on  heathen fanes and altars2 on the    
laws1 customs1 and institutions of      
every nation2 and on the universal      
consciousness of mankind4    ,this      
inward corruption manifests itself in   
outward actions4 ,the tree  is known by 
its fruit4 ,as the smoke and sparks of  
the chimney show  that there is fire    
within2 so all the filthy conversation  
of men1  and all the unfruitful works of
 darkness in which they delight1        
evidently indicate the pollution of the 
source whence they proceed4  ,out of the
 abundance of the heart the mouth       
speaketh4 ,the sinner's  speech         
betrayeth him4 ,evil speaking proceeds  
from malice and envy4  ,foolish talking 
and jesting are evidence of impure and  
trifling  thoughts4 ,the mouth full of  
cursing and bitterness1 the throat an   

open  sepulcher1 the poison of asps     
under the tongue1 the feet swift to shed
  blood1 destruction and misery in their
 paths1 and the way of peace  unknown to
 them1 are the clearest and amplest     
demonstration that men  have gone out of
 the way1 have together become          
unprofitable4 ,we  see the bitter fruit 
of the same corruption in robbery1      
adultery1  gluttony1 drunkenness1       
extortion1 intolerance1 persecution1    
apostasy1  and every evil work--in all  
false religions2 the ,jew1 obstinately  
adhering to the carnal ceremonies of an 
abrogated law2 the ,mohammedan1         
honoring an impostor1 and receiving a   
lie for a revelation from ,god2  the    
papist1 worshiping images and relics1   
praying to departed saints1  seeking    
absolution from sinful men1 and trusting
 in the most absurd  mummeries for      
salvation2 the pagan1 attributing       
divinity to the works  of his own hands1
 adoring idols of wood and stone1       
sacrificing to  malignant demons1       

casting his children into the fire or   
the flood  as an offering to imaginary  
deities1 and changing the glory of the  
incorruptible ,god into the likeness of 
the beast and the worm4    ,for these   
things' sake the wrath of ,god cometh   
upon the children of  disobedience4     
,they are under the sentence of the     
broken law2 the  malediction of eternal 
justice4 ,by the offense of one1        
judgment came  upon all men unto        
condemnation4 ,he that believeth not is 
condemned  already4 ,the wrath of ,god  
abideth on him4 ,curst is every one that
  continueth not in all things written  
in the book of the law1 to do  them4 ,wo
 unto the wicked2 it shall be ill with  
him1 for the reward  of his hands shall 
be given him4 ,they that plow iniquity1 
and sow  wickedness1 shall reap the     
same4 ,upon the wicked the ,lord shall  
rain  fire1 and snares1 and a horrible  
tempest2 this shall be the portion of   
their cup4 ,god is angry with the wicked
 every day2 if he turn not he  will whet

 his sword2 he hath bent his bow1 and   
made it ready4    ,who shall describe   
the misery of fallen man6 ,his days1 tho
 few1 are  full of evil4 ,trouble and   
sorrow press him forward to the tomb4   
,all  the world1 except ,noah and his   
family1 are drowning in the deluge4  ,a 
storm of fire and brimstone is fallen   
from heaven upon ,sodom and  ,gomorrah4 
,the earth is opening her mouth to      
swallow up alive ,korah1  ,dathan1 and  
,abiram4 ,wrath is coming upon the      
beloved city1 even  wrath unto the      
uttermost4 ,the tender and delicate     
mother is  devouring her darling infant4
 ,the sword of men is executing the     
vengeance of ,god4 ,the earth is        
emptying its inhabitants into the       
bottomless pit4 ,on every hand are      
confused noises1 and garments  rolled in
 blood4 ,fire and sword fill the land   
with consternation and  dismay4 ,amid   
the universal devastation wild shrieks  
and despairing  groans fill the air4    
,god of mercy6 is ,thy ear heavy1 that  

,thou canst  not hear8 or ,thy arm      
shortened1 that ,thou canst not save8   
,the heavens  above are brass1 and the  
earth beneath is iron2 for ,jehovah is  
pouring  ,his indignation upon ,his     
adversaries1 and ,he will not pity or   
spare4    ,verily1 the misery of man is 
great upon him6 ,behold the wretched    
fallen creature6 ,the pestilence pursues
 him4 ,the leprosy cleaves to  him4     
,consumption is wasting him4            
,inflammation is devouring his vitals4  
,burning fever has seized upon the very 
springs of life4 ,the destroying  angel 
has overtaken the sinner in his sins4   
,the hand of ,god is upon  him4 ,the    
fires of wrath are kindling about him1  
drying up every well  of comfort1 and   
scorching all his hopes to ashes4       
,conscience is  chastizing him with     
scorpions4 ,see how he writhes6 ,hear   
how he shrieks  for help6 ,mark what    
agony and terror are in his soul1 and on
 his brow6  ,death stares him in the    
face1 and shakes at him his iron spear4 

,he  trembles1 he turns pale1 as a      
culprit at the bar1 as a convict on  the
 scaffold4 ,he is condemned already4    
,conscience has pronounced the          
sentence4 ,anguish has taken hold upon  
him4 ,terrors gather in battle  array   
about him4 ,he looks back1 and the      
storms of ,sinai pursue him2  forward1  
and hell is moved to meet him2 above1   
and the heavens are on  fire2 beneath1  
and the world is burning4 ,he listens1  
and the judgment  trump is calling2     
again1 and the brazen chariots of       
vengeance are  thundering from afar2 yet
 again1 the sentence penetrates his soul
  with anguish unspeakable--,depart6 ye 
accurst6 into everlasting fire1         
prepared for the devil and his angels6  
,thus1 by one man1 sin entered into the 
world1 and death by sin2 and  so death  
passed upon all men1 for that all have  
sinned4 ,they are  dead in trespasses   
and sins1 spiritually dead1 and legally 
dead2  dead by the mortal power of sin1 
and dead by the condemnatory sentence   

of the law2 and helpless as sheep to the
 slaughter1 they are driven  fiercely on
 by the ministers of wrath to the       
all-devouring grave and  the lake of    
fire6    ,but is there no mercy8 ,is    
there no means of salvation8 ,hark6 amid
 all  this prelude of wrath and ruin1   
comes a still small voice1 saying3      
,much more the grace of ,god1 and the   
gift by grace1 which is by one  man1    
,jesus ,christ1 hath abounded unto many4
    ,,ii4 ,this brings us to our second 
topic1 man's gracious recovery to the   
favor of his offended ,god4    ,i know  
not how to present to you this glorious 
work1 better than by  the following     
figure4 ,suppose a vast graveyard1      
surrounded by a lofty  wall1 with only  
one entrance1 which is by a massive iron
 gate1 and  that is fast bolted4 ,within
 are thousands and millions of human    
beings1 of all ages and classes1 by one 
epidemic disease bending to  the grave4 
,the graves yawn to swallow them1 and   
they must all perish4  ,there is no balm

 to relieve1 no physician there4 ,such  
is the condition  of man as a sinner4   
,all have sinned2 and it is written1    
,the soul that  sinneth shall die4 ,but 
while the unhappy race lay in that      
dismal  prison1 ,mercy came and stood at
 the gate1 and wept over the melancholy 
scene1 exclaiming--,oh1 that ,i might   
enter6 ,i would bind up their  wounds2  
,i would relieve their sorrows2 ,i would
 save their souls6 ,an  embassy of      
angels1 commissioned from the court of  
heaven to some other  world1 paused at  
the sight1 and heaven forgave that      
pause4 ,seeing  ,mercy standing there1  
they cried3--,mercy6 canst thou not     
enter8 ,canst  thou look upon that scene
 and not pity8 ,canst thou pity1 and not
  relieve8 ,mercy replied3 ,i can see6  
and in her tears she added1 ,i  can     
pity1 but ,i can not relieve6 ,why canst
 thou not enter8 inquired  the heavenly 
host4 ,oh6 said ,mercy1 ,justice has    
barred the gate  against me1 and ,i must
 not--can not unbar it6 ,at this moment1

 ,justice  appeared1 as if to watch the 
gate4 ,the angels asked1 ,why wilt thou 
not suffer ,mercy to enter8 ,he sternly 
replied3 ,the law is broken1  and it    
must be honored6 ,die they1 or ,justice 
must6 ,then appeared  a form among the  
angelic band like unto the ,son of ,god4
 ,addressing  ,himself to ,justice1 ,he 
said3 ,what are thy demands8 ,justice   
replied3  ,my demands are rigid2 ,i must
 have ignominy for their honor1 sickness
  for their health1 death for their     
life4 ,without the shedding of blood    
there is no remission6 ,justice1 said   
the ,son of ,god1 ,i accept thy  terms6 
,on me be this wrong6 ,let ,mercy enter1
 and stay the carnival  of death6 ,what 
pledge dost thou give for the           
performance of these  conditions8 ,my   
word2 my oath6 ,when wilt thou perform  
them8 ,four  thousand years hence1 on   
the hill of ,calvary1 without the walls 
of  ,jerusalem4 ,the bond was prepared1 
and signed and sealed in the  presence  
of attendant angels4 ,justice was       

satisfied1 the gate was  opened1 and    
,mercy entered1 preaching salvation in  
the name of ,jesus4  ,the bond was      
committed to patriarchs and prophets4 ,a
 long series of  rites and ceremonies1  
sacrifices and obligations1 was         
instituted to  perpetuate the memory of 
that solemn deed4 ,at the close of the  
four  thousandth year1 when ,daniel's   
seventy weeks were accomplished1        
,justice and ,mercy appeared on the hill
 of ,calvary4 ,where1 and  ,justice1 is 
the ,son of ,god8 ,behold him1 answered 
,mercy1 at the  foot of the hill6 ,and  
there ,he came1 bearing ,his own cross1 
and  followed by ,his weeping church4   
,mercy retired1 and stood aloof from    
the scene4 ,jesus ascended the hill like
 a lamb for the sacrifice4  ,justice    
presented the dreadful bond1 saying1    
,this is the day on which  this article 
must be canceled4 ,the ,redeemer took   
it4 ,what did ,he do  with it8 ,tear it 
to pieces1 and scatter it to the winds8 
,no6 ,he nailed  it to ,his cross1      

crying1 ,it is finished6 ,the victim    
ascended the  altar4 ,justice called on 
,holy ,fire to come down and consume the
  sacrifice4 ,holy ,fire replied3 ,i    
come6 ,i will consume the sacrifice1    
and then ,i will burn up the world6 ,it 
fell upon the ,son of ,god1 and  rapidly
 consumed ,his humanity2 but when it    
touched ,his deity1  it expired4 ,then  
was there darkness over the whole land1 
and an  earthquake shook the mountain2  
but the heavenly host broke forth in    
rapturous song--,glory to ,god in the   
highest6 on earth peace6 good  will to  
man6    ,thus grace has abounded1 and   
the free gift has come upon all1 and the
  gospel has gone forth proclaiming     
redemption to every creature4 ,by  grace
 ye are saved1 through faith2 and that  
not of yourselves2 it is  the gift of   
,god2 not of works1 lest any man should 
boast4 ,by grace ye  are loved1         
redeemed1 and justified4 ,by grace ye   
are called1 converted1  reconciled and  
sanctified4 ,salvation is wholly of     

grace4 ,the plan1 the  process1 the     
consummation are all of grace4    ,where
 sin abounded1 grace hath much more     
abounded4 ,through the  offense of one1 
many were dead4 ,and as men multiplied1 
the offense  abounded4 ,the waters      
deluged the world1 but could not wash   
away the  dreadful stain4 ,the fire fell
 from heaven1 but could not burn out the
  accurst plague4 ,the earth opened her 
mouth1 but could not swallow up  the    
monster sin4 ,the law thundered forth   
its threat from the thick  darkness on  
,sinai1 but could not restrain1 by all  
its1 terrors1 the  children of          
disobedience4 ,still the offense        
abounded1 and multiplied  as the sands  
on the seashore4 ,it waxed bold1 and    
pitched its tents on  ,calvary1 and     
nailed the ,lawgiver to a tree4 ,but in 
that conflict sin  received its mortal  
wound4 ,the victim was the victor4 ,he  
fell1 but in  ,his fall ,he crusht the  
foe4 ,he died unto sin1 but sin and     
death were  crucified upon ,his cross4  

,where sin abounded to condemn1 grace   
hath  much more abounded to justify4    
,where sin abounded to corrupt1 grace   
hath much more abounded to purify4      
,where sin abounded to harden1 grace    
hath much more abounded to soften and   
subdue4 ,where sin abounded to  imprison
 men1 grace hath much more abounded to  
proclaim liberty to  the captives4      
,where sin abounded to break the law and
 dishonor the  ,lawgiver1 grace hath    
much more abounded to repair the breach 
and  efface the stain4 ,where sin       
abounded to consume the soul as with    
unquenchable fire and a gnawing worm1   
grace hath much more abounded to        
extinguish the flame and heal the wound4
 ,grace hath abounded6 ,it hath         
established its throne on the merit of  
the ,redeemer's sufferings4  ,it hath   
put on the crown1 and laid hold of the  
golden scepter1 and  spoiled the        
dominion of the prince of darkness1 and 
the gates of the  great cemetery are    
thrown open1 and there is the beating of

 a new  life-pulse throughout its       
wretched population and immortality is  
walking among the tombs6    ,this       
abounding grace is manifested in the    
gift of ,jesus ,christ1 by  whose       
mediation our reconciliation and        
salvation are effected4 ,with  ,him1    
believers are dead unto sin1 and alive  
unto ,god4 ,our sins were  slain at ,his
 cross1 and buried in ,his tomb4 ,his   
resurrection hath  opened our graves1   
and given us an assurance of            
immortality4 ,god  commendeth his love  
toward us1 in that while we were yet    
sinners1  ,christ died for us2 much     
more1 then1 being now justified by his  
blood1  we shall be saved from the wrath
 through him2 for if1 when we were      
enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god by  
the death of his ,son1 much more1  being
 reconciled1 we shall be saved by his   
life4    ,the carnal mind is enmity     
against ,god2 it is not subject to the  
law  of ,god1 neither indeed can be4    
,glory to ,god1 for the death of ,his   

,son1 by which this enmity is slain1 and
 reconciliation is effected  between the
 rebel and the law6 ,this was the       
unspeakable gift that  saved us from    
ruin2 that wrestled with the storm1 and 
turned it  away from the devoted head of
 the sinner4 ,had all the angels of ,god
  attempted to stand between these two  
conflicting seas1 they would have  been 
swept to the gulf of destruction4 ,the  
blood of bulls and goats1  on ,jewish   
altars slain1 could not take away sin1  
could not pacify the  conscience4 ,but  
,christ1 the gift of divine grace1      
,paschal ,lamb by ,god  appointed1 a    
sacrifice of nobler name and richer     
blood than they1  bore our sins and     
carried our sorrows1 and obtained for us
 the boon  of eternal redemption4 ,he   
met the fury of the tempest1 and the    
floods  went over ,his head2 but ,his   
offering was an offering of peace1      
calming  the storms and the waves1      
magnifying the law1 glorifying its      
,author1  and rescuing its violator from

 the wrath and ruin4 ,justice hath laid 
down his sword at the foot of the cross1
 and amity is restored between  heaven  
and earth4    ,hither1 ,o ye guilty6    
come and cast away your weapons of      
rebellion6  ,come with your bad         
principles and wicked actions2 your     
unbelief1 and  enmity1 and pride2 and   
throw them off at the ,redeemer's feet6 
,god is  here waiting to be gracious4   
,he will receive you2 ,he will east all 
your sins behind ,his back1 into the    
depths of the sea2 and they shall  be   
remembered against you no more forever4 
,by ,heaven's unspeakable  gift1 by     
,christ's invaluable atonement1 by the  
free1 infinite grace  of the ,father and
 ,son1 we persuade you1 we beseech you1 
we entreat  you1 be ye reconciled to    
,god6    ,it is by the work of the ,holy
 ,spirit with us that we obtain a       
personal  interest in the work wrought  
on ,calvary for us4 ,if our sins are    
canceled1 they are also crucified4 ,if  
we are reconciled in ,christ1 we  fight 

against our ,god no more4 ,this is the  
fruit of faith4 ,with the  heart man    
believeth unto righteousness4 ,may the  
,lord inspire in every  one of us that  
saving principle6    ,but those who have
 been restored to the divine favor may  
sometimes be  cast down and dejected4   
,they have passed through the sea1 and  
sung  praises on the shore of           
deliverance2 but there is yet between   
them  and ,canaan a waste howling       
wilderness1 a long and weary pilgrimage1
  hostile nations1 fiery serpents1      
scarcity of food1 and the river of      
,jordan4 ,fears within and fightings    
without1 they may grow discouraged1  and
 yield to temptation and murmur against 
,god1 and desire to return  to ,egypt4  
,but fear not1 thou worm ,jacob6        
,reconciled by the death of  ,christ2   
much more1 being reconciled1 thou shalt 
be saved by ,his life4  ,his death was  
the price of our redemption2 ,his life  
insures liberty to  the believer4 ,if by
 ,his death ,he brought you through the 

,red ,sea in  the night1 by ,his life   
,he can lead you through the river      
,jordan in the  day4 ,if by ,his death  
,he delivered you from the iron furnace 
in ,egypt1  by ,his life ,he can save   
you from all perils of the wilderness4  
,if by  ,his death ,he conquered        
,pharaoh1 the chief foe1 by ,his life   
,he can  subdue ,sihon1 king of the     
,amorites1 and ,og1 the king of ,bashan4
 ,we  shall be saved by his life4       
,because ,he liveth1 we shall live also4
  ,be of good cheer6 ,the work is       
finished2 the ransom is effected2 the   
kingdom of heaven is open to all        
believers4 ,lift up your heads and      
rejoice1 ye prisoners of hope6 ,there is
 no debt unpaid1 no devil  unconquered1 
no enemy within your hearts that has not
 received a  mortal wound6 ,thanks be   
unto ,god1 who giveth us the victory1   
through  our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6      
,,schleiermacher    ,,christ',s         
,,resurrection ,,an ,,image ,,of ,,our  
,,new ,,life    ,,biographical ,,note   

,friedrich ,ernst ,daniel               
,schleiermacher1 ,german theologian and 
philosopher1 was born at ,breslau in    
#agfh4 ,he was brought up in a          
religious home and in #aghg went to the 
,university of ,halle1 and in  #aghi    
became a ,privat-,docent4 ,in #agid he  
was ordained and preached  successively 
at ,landsberg and ,berlin4 ,the literary
 and philosophical  side of his         
intellect developed itself in sympathy  
with the  ,romanticists1 but he never   
lost his passion for religion1 a subject
 on  which he published five discurses  
in #agii4 ,we find in them a trace  of  
the pantheism of ,spinoza4 ,his         
translation of ,plato1 accomplished     
between #ahjd and #ahjf1 gave him high  
rank as a classical scholar4  ,in #ahag 
he joined the movement toward the union 
of the ,lutheran and  ,reformed         
churches4 ,as a preacher he was         
unprepossessing in appearance1  being   
sickly and hunchbacked1 but his         
simplicity of manner1 and his  clear1   

earnest style endeared him to many      
thousands4 ,he died in ,berlin  in      
#ahcd4          ,,schleiermacher        
#agfh--ahcd    ,,christ',s              
,,resurrection ,,an ,,image ,,of ,,our  
,,new ,,life    ,as ,christ was raised  
up from the dead by the glory of the    
,father1  even so we should walk in     
newness of life4--,romans vi41 #d4      
,it is natural1 my friends1 that the    
glorious festival of our ,savior's      
resurrection should attract the thoughts
 of believers to a far remote  time1 and
 that it should make them rejoice to    
think of the time when  they shall be   
with ,him who1 after ,he had risen from 
the dead1 returned  to ,his and our     
,father4 ,but the apostle1 in the words 
of our text1  recalls us from what is   
far off to what is close to us--to the  
immediate present of our life here4 ,he 
takes hold of what is the most          
immediate concern1 of what we are at    
once to share in and which is to  form  
us1 even here1 into the likeness of     

,christ's resurrection4 ,we are  buried 
with ,him1 ,he says1 unto death1 that as
 ,he was raised from the  dead through  
the glory of the ,father1 we also might 
walk in newness of  life4 ,and this new 
life is that which1 as the ,lord        
,himself says1 all  who believe in ,him 
possess even now as having passed       
through death to  life4 ,the apostle    
compares this with those glorious days  
of our ,lord's  resurrection2 and how   
could we more appropriately keep this   
feast--a  feast in which1 above all     
others1 many ,christians draw renewed   
strength for this new life from the most
 intimate union with our  heavenly      
,head--how could we better celebrate it 
than by endeavoring to  receive this    
directly for ourselves from the words of
 the apostle8  ,let us then1 according  
to the teaching of these words1 consider
 the  resurrection life of our ,lord1 as
 the apostle presents it to us1 as a    
glorious1 tho it may be unattainable1   
model of the new life in which  we are  

all to walk through ,him4    #a4 ,this  
new life is like that of our risen      
,savior1 first1 in the  manner of ,his  
resurrection4 ,in order to appear to    
,his disciples in  that glorified form1 
which already bore in it the indications
 of the  eternal and immortal glory1 it 
was necessary that the ,savior should   
pass through the pains of death4 ,it was
 not an easy transformation2  it was    
necessary for ,him1 tho not to see      
corruption1 yet to have the  shadow of  
death pass over ,him2 and friends and   
enemies vied with each  other in trying 
to retain ,him in the power of the      
grave2 the friends  rolling a stone     
before it1 to keep the beloved corpse in
 safety1 the  enemies setting a watch   
lest it should be taken away4 ,but when 
the  hour came which the ,father had    
reserved in ,his own power1 the angel   
of the ,lord appeared and rolled away   
the stone from the tomb1 and the  watch 
fled1 and at the summons of omnipotence 
life came back into the  dead form4     

,thus1 my friends1 we know what is the  
new life that is to be like the         
resurrection life of the ,lord4 ,a      
previous life must die2 the apostle     
calls it the body of sin1 the law of sin
 in our members1 and this  needs no     
lengthened discussion4 ,we all know and 
feel that this life1  which ,scripture  
calls a being dead in sins1 pleasant and
 splendid as  may be the form it often  
assumes1 is yet nothing but what the    
mortal  body of the ,savior also was1 an
 expression and evidence of the power   
of death1 because even the fairest and  
strongest presentation of this  kind    
lacks the element of being imperishable4
 ,thus with the mortal  body of the     
,savior1 and thus also with the natural 
life of man1 which  is as yet not a life
 from ,god4    ,and this our old man    
must die a violent death in the name of 
the law1  such as the ,savior died1 not 
without severe suffering and painful    
wounds4 ,for if the body of sin dies out
 in a man of itself1 through  satiety of

 earthly things1 and because no         
excitement can any longer  affect his   
exhausted powers1 that is a death from  
which we see no new  life proceed4 ,the 
power of sin must be slain in a man by  
violence2 a  man must go through the    
torture of self-knowledge1 showing him  
the  contrast between his wretched      
condition and the higher life to which  
he is called2 he must hear the cry1 and 
accept it as an irrevocable  sentence2  
that an end is to be put to this life2  
he must groan and  almost sink under the
 preparations for the execution of that 
sentence2  all his accustomed habits of 
life must cease2 he must be conscious of
  the wish that he were safely through  
it all1 and it were at an end4    ,and  
when he has yielded up the old life to a
 welcome death1 and the  old man is     
crucified with ,christ1 then the world1 
which knows nothing  better than that   
previous life1 if it only goes on well  
and easily1  uses all kinds of efforts  
to hinder the rising up of the new life1

  some of them well-meaning1 others     
self-interested and therefore  hostile4 
,some1 with good intentions1 like those 
friends of the ,savior1  consult        
together1 and try all in their power1   
keeping away all  extraneous influences1
 to preserve at least the appearance of 
their  friend from being defaced1 and   
tho no joyful movement can ever again   
be awakened1 to preserve the form of the
 old life4 ,others1 seeking  their own  
interest and pleasure in a way by which 
they almost  certainly accuse           
themselves1 try to prevent an abuse     
being practised  in this state of       
things1 and also to guard against the   
gay1 merry life  which they lead1 and   
into which they like so much to lead    
others1  being brought into contempt by 
a question of a new life arising after  
this dying off of the old man1 when1 as 
they think1 there is really  nothing    
else and nothing better here on earth   
and when it is a vain  pretense for some
 to assert that they know this new life1

 and a  mischievous delusion for others 
to attempt attaining it4 ,therefore     
wherever they perceive such a state of  
things1 they have their spies  to watch 
against every deception that might be   
practised about such  a new life1 or at 
least at once to discover and publish   
what kind of  delusions prevail in      
connection with it4    ,but when the    
hour has come which the ,father has kept
 in ,his own power1  then in one form or
 another ,his life-bringing angel       
appears to such a  soul4 ,yet how little
 do we know about what part the angel   
had in the  ,savior's resurrection6 ,we 
do not know if the ,savior saw him or   
not2 we  can not determine the moment at
 which he rolled away the stone from    
the tomb and the reanimated ,savior came
 forth2 no one witnessed it1  and the   
only persons of whom we are told that   
they might have been  able to see it    
with their bodily eyes were smitten with
 blindness4 ,and  in like manner1       
neither do we know how the soul1 lying1 

so to speak1  in the tomb of            
self-destruction1 is wrought upon by the
 angel of the  ,lord in order to call   
forth the life of ,god in it4 ,it arises
 unseen in  that grave-like silence1 and
 can not be perceived until it is       
actually  present2 what is properly the 
beginning of it is hidden1 as every     
beginning usually is1 even from him to  
whom the life is imparted4 ,but  this is
 certain1 as the apostle says1 that the 
,lord was raised from  the dead by the  
glory of the ,father1 and thus also1    
according to the  words of the ,savior1 
no man comes to the ,son except the     
,father draw  him2 that same glory of   
the ,father1 which then called forth the
 ,savior  from the tomb1 still awakens  
in the soul that has died to sin the new
  life1 like the resurrection life of   
the ,lord4 ,indeed1 among all the       
proofs of the ,father's glory in heaven 
and earth1 there is none  greater than  
this1 that he has no pleasure in the    
death-like condition  of the sinner1 but

 that at some time or another the       
almighty1  mysterious1 life-giving call 
sounds in his ears--,arise and live4    
#b4 ,and1 secondly1 this new life       
resembles its type and ideal1 the       
resurrection life of ,christ1 not only  
in being risen from death1 but  also in 
its whole nature1 way and manner4       
,first1 in this respect1 that  tho a new
 life1 it is1 nevertheless1 the life of 
the same man1 and in  the closest       
connection with his former life4 ,thus1 
with our ,savior2  ,he was the same1 and
 was recognized by ,his disciples as the
 same1 to  their great joy2 ,his whole  
appearance was the very same2 even in   
the glory of ,his resurrection ,he bore 
the marks of ,his wounds as a           
remembrance of ,his sufferings and as   
the tokens of ,his death2 and  the      
remembrance of ,his former state was    
most closely and constantly  present    
with ,him4 ,and just so it is with the  
new life of the ,spirit4  ,if the old   
man has died in sin1 and we now live in 

,christ1 and with  ,him in ,god1 yet we 
are the same persons that we were       
before4 ,as the  resurrection of the    
,lord was no new creation1 but the same 
man1 ,jesus1  who had gone down into the
 grave1 come forth again from it2 so in 
the  soul before it died the death which
 leads to life in ,god1 there must  have
 lain the capability of receiving that  
life when the body of sin  should die   
and perish2 and that life is developed  
in the same human  soul amid the same   
outward circumstances as before1 and    
with its other  powers and faculties    
remaining unchanged4 ,we are entirely   
the same  persons1 only that the fire of
 the higher life is kindled in us1 and  
also that we all bear the signs of      
death1 and that the remembrance  of our 
former state is present with us4 ,yes1  
in manifold ways we are  often reminded 
of what we were and what we did before  
the call to new  life sounded in our    
hearts2 and it is not so easy to efface 
the scars  of the wounds1 and the       

numberless traces of the pains under    
which the  old man had to die that the  
new man might live4 ,and as the glad    
faith  of the disciples rested on the   
very fact that they recognized the ,lord
  as being1 in the glory of ,his        
resurrection1 the same person that ,he  
was before2 so also in us1 the          
confidence in this new life1 as a       
permanent and now natural state with us1
 rests only on this--that we  recognize 
ourselves in it as the same persons that
 we were before2  that there are the    
same faculties1 lower and higher1 of the
 human  soul1 which formerly served sin1
 but are now created anew as            
instruments of righteousness4 ,indeed1  
all the traces of that death1  as well  
as of the former life1 make us more     
vividly conscious of the  great change  
that the life-giving call of ,god has   
produced in us1 and  call for the most  
heartfelt gratitude4    ,and as the     
,savior was the same person in the days 
of ,his resurrection1  so ,his life was 

also again of course a vigorous and     
active life2  indeed1 we might almost   
say it bore the traces of humanity1     
without  which it could be no image of  
our new life1 even in this1 that it     
gradually grew stronger and acquired new
 powers4 ,when the ,savior first        
appeared to ,mary1 ,he said1 as if ,his 
new life had been1 as it were1  timid   
and sensitive1 ,touch me not1 for ,i am 
not yet ascended to my  ,god and your   
,god4 ,but after a few days ,he showed  
,himself to ,thomas1  and bade him      
boldly touch ,him1 put his hand in the  
,master's side1 and  his fingers into   
the marks left by the nails of the      
cross1 so that ,he  did not shrink from 
being touched even on the most sensitive
 spots4  ,and also even in the earliest 
days1 and as if the new life were to be 
fully strengthened by doing so1 we find 
,him walking from ,jerusalem to         
,emmaus1 and from ,emmaus back to       
,jerusalem1 as well as going before ,his
  disciples into ,galilee1 and leading  

them back to ,jerusalem1 where ,he  then
 ascended to heaven in their sight4 ,and
 as ,he thus walked among  them1 living 
a life with them1 human in every part1  
and exercising a  human influence on    
them2 so also ,his most important       
business was to  talk with them of the  
kingdom of ,god1 to reprove and rouse   
them up  from their slowness of heart1  
and to open the eyes of their minds4    
,now  so it is1 my friends1 with our new
 life--that is like the resurrection    
life of the ,lord4 ,oh1 how very        
gradually it gains its faculties in us1 
grows and becomes strong1 only bearing  
still more than the new life  of the    
,lord the traces of earthly             
imperfection4 ,i can appeal on this     
point to the feeling of us all1 for     
assuredly it is the same in all4  ,how  
intermittent at first are the           
manifestations of this new life1  and   
how limited the sphere of its action6   
,how long does it retain  its sensitive 
spots1 which can not be touched without 

pain1 or even  without injurious        
consequences1 and those are always the  
places in  which the old man has been   
most deeply wounded in his dying hours6 
,but  in proportion as it becomes       
stronger1 this new life ought the less  
to  give the impression of being a mere 
fantom life1--the impression the        
,lord's disciples had when in the first 
moments they thought in their  fear that
 they saw a spirit1 so that ,he was     
obliged to appeal to the  testimony of  
all their senses1 that they might       
perceive ,he was no  spirit1 but had    
flesh and bones4 ,and thus if our new   
life in ,god  consisted in mere states  
of feeling and emotions1 which were not 
in  the least capable of passing into   
action1 or perhaps did not even aim  at 
doing so2 which were too peculiar and   
special to ourselves to be  actually    
communicated to others or to move them  
with good effect1 but  rather might     
touch them with a chill sense of awe2   
what would such  a life be but a        

ghost-like apparition that would no     
doubt excite  attention1 but would find 
no credence1 and would make men uneasy  
in  their accustomed course1 but without
 producing any improvement in it8  ,no1 
it is a life of action1 and ought to be 
ever becoming more so2 not  only being  
nourished and growing stronger and      
stronger through the  word of the ,lord 
and through heart-communion with ,him1  
to which ,he  calls us1 giving ,himself 
to us as the meat and drink of eternal  
life1  but every one striving to make   
his new life intelligible to others     
about him1 and to influence them by it4 
,oh1 that we had our eyes more  and more
 steadily fixt on the risen ,savior6    
,oh1 that we could ever be  learning    
more and more from ,him to breathe out  
blessing1 as ,he did  when ,he imparted 
,his ,spirit to the disciples6 ,oh1 that
 we were more  and more learning like   
,him to encourage the foolish and slow  
of heart  to joyful faith in the divine 
promises1 to active obedience to the    

divine will of their ,lord and ,master1 
to the glad enjoyment and use of  all   
the heavenly treasures that ,he has     
thrown open to us6 ,oh1 that we  were   
ever speaking more effectively to all   
connected with us1 of the  kingdom of   
,god and of our inheritance in it1 so   
that they might see  why it was         
necessary for ,christ to suffer1 but    
also into what glory ,he  has gone6     
,these are our desires1 and they are not
 vain desires4 ,the  life-giving        
,spirit1 whom ,he has obtained for us1  
effects all this in  each in the measure
 that pleases ,him2 and if once the life
 of ,god is  kindled in the human soul  
if we have once1 as the apostle says1   
become  like ,him in ,his resurrection1 
then ,his powers are also more and more 
abundantly and gloriously manifested in 
us through the efficacy of ,his  ,spirit
 for the common good4    ,but along with
 all this activity and strength1 the    
life of the risen  ,savior was yet1 in  
another sense1 a secluded and hidden    

life4 ,it is  probable that when1 in    
order to show ,himself to ,his          
disciples1 ,he went  here and there from
 one part of the land to another1 he was
 seen by  many besides them1 who had    
known ,him in ,his previous life4 ,how  
could  it be otherwise8 ,but the eyes of
 men were holden1 that they did not     
recognize ,him2 and ,he made ,himself   
known only to those who belonged  to    
,him in faithful love4 ,at the same     
time1 however1 ,he said to them1  ,blest
 are they who do not see1 yet believe6  
,and what was the little  number of     
those who were counted worthy of seeing 
,him1 even if we add  to them the five  
hundred whom ,paul mentions1 compared   
with the number  of those who afterward 
believed in their testimony to the      
,lord's  resurrection8 ,and thus it is  
also1 my friends1 with the new life in  
which we walk1 even if it is1 as it     
ought to be1 strong and vigorous1  and  
ever at work for the kingdom of ,god2   
yet it is at the same time an  unknown  

and hidden life1 unrecognized by and    
hidden from the world1  whose eyes are  
holden2 and he who should set himself to
 force  the knowledge of it upon them1  
who should hit upon extraordinary       
proceedings in order to attract their   
attention to the difference  between the
 life of sin and the resurrection life1 
would not be  walking in the likeness of
 the ,lord's resurrection4 ,as the      
people  in the time of ,christ had      
opportunity enough to inquire about ,his
  resurrection1 in seeing how ,his      
disciples continued to hold together1   
so our neighbors also see our close     
alliance1 which has nothing to do  with 
the affairs of this world2 and if they1 
because of this1 inquire  about what    
unites us1 the answer will not be       
lacking to them4 ,but our  inner history
 we will as little thrust upon them as  
the risen ,christ  thrust ,his presence 
on those who had slain ,him1 and who had
 therefore  no desire to see ,him4      
,instead of this1 as ,he showed ,himself

 only to  ,his own1 we also will make   
known our inner life only to those who  
are  just in the same way our own2 who1 
glowing with the same love1 and  cheered
 by the same faith1 can tell us in      
return how the ,lord has  revealed      
,himself to them4 ,not by any means as  
if we followed some  mysterious course1 
and that those only whose experiences   
had been  entirely alike should separate
 themselves into little exclusive       
groups2 for even the days of the ,lord's
 resurrection present examples  of      
various kinds of experience1 and of one 
common inner fellowship  connected with 
them all4 ,and not only so1 but even    
those who as yet  have experienced      
nothing at all are not sent empty away4 
,only they  must first become aware1 by 
what they see without our thrusting  it 
upon them1 that here a spirit is        
breathing to which they are  strangers1 
that here is manifested a life as yet   
unknown to them4 ,then  will we1 as was 
done then1 lead them by the word of our 

testimony to  the foundation of this new
 life2 and as1 when the word of         
preaching  pierced men's hearts1 when to
 some of them the old man began to      
appear  as he really is1 and they felt  
the first pangs that precede the death  
of the sinful man1 there also sprang up 
faith in the resurrection of  ,him whom 
they had themselves crucified2 so will  
it always be with the  knowledge of the 
new life proceeding from ,him who has   
risen4 ,therefore  let us have no       
anxiety2 the circle of those who        
recognize this life  will always be     
widening1 just because they are         
beginning to share in  it4 ,and as soon 
as even the slightest premonition of it 
arises in a  man's soul1 as soon as he  
has come only so far as to be no longer 
pleased and satisfied with the perishing
 and evil things of the world1  as soon 
as his soul absorbs even the first ray  
of heavenly light1 then  his eyes are   
opened1 so that he recognizes this life1
 and becomes  aware what a different    

life it is to serve righteousness1 from 
living  in the service of sin4    #c4   
,and lastly1 my friends1 we can not feel
 all these comforting and  glorious     
things in which our new life resembles  
the resurrection life  of our ,lord1    
without being at the same time1 on      
another side1 moved  to sorrow by this  
resemblance4 ,for if we put together all
 that the  evangelists and apostles of  
the ,lord have preserved for us about   
,his  resurrection life1 we still can   
not out of it all form an entirely      
consecutive history4 ,there are separate
 moments and hours1 separate            
conversations and actions1 and then the 
,risen ,one vanishes again from  the    
eyes that look for ,him2 in vain we ask 
where ,he can have tarried1  we must    
wait till ,he appears again4 ,not that  
in ,himself there was  anything of this 
broken or uncertain life1 but as to our 
view of it1  it is and can not be but   
so2 and we try in vain to penetrate into
 the  intervals between those detached  

moments and hours4 ,well1 and is  it    
not1 to our sorrow1 with the new life   
that is like ,christ's  resurrection    
life8 ,i do not mean that this life is  
limited to the few  hours of social     
worship and prayer1 glorious and        
profitable as they  are2 for in that    
case there would be cause to fear that  
it was a mere  pretense2 nor to the     
services1 always but small and          
desultory1  that each of us1 actively   
working through the gifts of the        
,spirit1  accomplishes1 as it were1     
visibly and tangibly according to his   
measure1 for the kingdom of ,god4 ,in   
manifold ways besides these we  become  
conscious of this new life2 there are   
many quieter and secret  moments in     
which it is strongly felt1 tho only deep
 in our inmost  heart4 ,but             
notwithstanding this1 ,i think all1     
without exception1 must  confess that we
 are by no means conscious of this new  
life as an  entirely continuous state2  
on the contrary1 each of us loses sight 

of it only too often1 not only among    
friends1 among disturbances and  cares1 
but amid the commendable occupations of 
this world4 ,but this  experience1 my   
dear friends1 humbling as it is1 ought  
not to make us  unbelieving1 as if      
perhaps our consciousness of being a new
 creature  in ,christ were a delusion1  
and what we had regarded as indications 
of this life were only morbid and       
overstrained emotions4 ,as the ,lord    
convinced ,his disciples that ,he had   
flesh and bones1 so we may all  convince
 ourselves and each other that this is  
an actual life2 but in  that case we    
must believe that1 tho in a hidden way  
and not always  present to our          
consciousness1 yet it is always in      
existence1 just as  the ,lord was still 
in existence even at the times when ,he 
did not  appear to ,his disciples2 and  
had neither returned to the grave1 nor  
as  yet ascended to heaven4 ,only let us
 not overlook this difference4 ,in  the 
case of ,christ we do not apprehend it  

as a natural and necessary  thing that  
during those forty days ,he led a life  
apparently so  interrupted2 but each of 
us must easily understand how1 as the   
influence of this new life on our       
outward ways can only gradually  become 
perceptible1 it should often and for a  
long time be quite  hidden from us1     
especially when we are very busy with   
outward work1  and our attention is     
taken up with it4 ,but this is an       
imperfection  from which as time goes on
 we should be always becoming more free4
  ,therefore always go back1 my friends1
 to ,him who is the only fountain  of   
this spiritual life6 ,if1 ever and anon1
 we can not find it in  ourselves1 we   
always find it in ,him1 and it is always
 pouring forth  afresh from ,him the    
,head to us ,his members4 ,if every     
moment in which  we do not perceive it  
is a moment of longing1 as soon as we   
become  conscious of the void1 then it  
is also a moment in which the ,risen    
,one  appears to our spirit1 and        

breathes on us anew with ,his           
life-giving  power4 ,and thus drawing   
only from ,him1 we shall attain to      
having  ,his heavenly gifts becoming in 
us more and more an inexhaustible1      
continually flowing fountain of         
spiritual and eternal life4 ,for this   
,he rose from the dead by the glory of  
the ,father1 that we should be  made    
into the likeness of ,his resurrection4 
,that was finished in ,his  return to   
the ,father2 our new life is to become  
more and more ,his and  the ,fathers    
return into the depths of our souls2    
there they desire to  make their abode2 
and the life of ,god is to be ever      
assuming a more  continuous1 active and 
powerful form in us1 that our life in   
the  service of righteousness may       
become1 and continue even here1         
according  to the ,lord's promise1 an   
eternal life4          ,,mason          
,,messiah',s ,,throne    ,,biographical 
,,note      ,john ,mitchell ,mason1 the 
eminent divine of the ,reformed         

,presbyterian  ,church1 was born in ,new
 ,york ,city in #aggj4 ,he completed his
 studies  and took his degree at        
,columbia ,college and thence proceeded 
to take a  theological course at        
,edinburgh4 ,ordained in #agic1 he took 
charge of  the ,cedar ,street ,church1  
,new ,york ,city1 of which his father   
had been  pastor4 ,in #ahjg he became   
editor of the ,christian ,herald1 and in
  #ahba was made president of ,dickinson
 ,college1 ,carlisle1 ,pennsylvania4    
,he died in #ahbi4          ,,mason     
#aggj--ahbi    ,,messiah',s ,,throne    
,thy throne1 ,o ,god1 is for ever and   
ever4--,heb4 i41 #ah4      ,in the      
all-important argument which occupies   
this epistle1 ,paul  assumes1 what the  
believing ,hebrews had already profest1 
that ,jesus of  ,nazareth is the true   
,messiah4 ,to prepare them for the      
consequences  of their own principle--a 
principle involving nothing less than   
the  abolition of their law1 the        
subversion of their state1 the ruin of  

their city1 the final extinction of     
their carnal hopes--he leads them  to   
the doctrine of their ,redeemer's       
person1 in order to explain the  nature 
of his offices1 to evince the value of  
his spiritual salvation1  and to show1  
in both1 the accomplishment of their    
economy which was  now ready to vanish  
away4 ,under no apprehension of         
betraying the  unwary into idolatrous   
homage by giving to the ,lord ,jesus    
greater  glory than is due unto ,his    
name1 the apostle sets out with         
ascribing  to ,him excellence and       
attributes which belong to no creature4 
,creatures of most elevated rank are    
introduced2 but it is to display1  by   
contrast1 the preeminence of ,him who is
 the brightness of the  ,father's glory 
and the express image of his person4    
,angels are great  in might and in      
dignity2 but unto them hath he not put  
in subjection  the world to come4 ,unto 
which of them said he1 at any time1     
,thou art  my son8 ,to which of them1   

,sit thou at my right hand4 ,he saith   
they  are spirits1 ministering spirits1 
sent forth to minister for them  who    
shall be heirs of salvation4 ,but unto  
the ,son1 in a style which  annihilates 
competition and comparison--unto the    
,son1 he saith1 ,thy  throne1 ,o ,god1  
is for ever and ever4    ,brethren1 if  
the majesty of ,jesus is the subject    
which the ,holy ,ghost  selected for the
 encouragement and consolation of ,his  
people1 when ,he  was shaking the earth 
and the heavens1 and diffusing ,his     
gospel among  the nations1 can it be    
otherwise than suitable and precious to 
us on  this occasion8 ,shall it not     
expand our views1 and warm our hearts1  
and  nerve our arm in our efforts to    
exalt ,his fame8 ,let me implore1 then1 
the aid of your prayers1 but far more   
importunately the aids of ,his  own     
,spirit1 while ,i speak of the things   
which concern the ,king3 those  great   
things contained in the text--,his      
personal glory--,his sovereign  rule4   

,his personal glory shines forth in the 
name by which ,he is revealed2 a  name  
above every name3 ,thy throne1 ,o ,god4 
444    ,messiah's throne is not one of  
those airy fabrics which are reared by  
vanity and overthrown by time3 it is    
fixt of old2 it is staple1 and  can not 
be shaken1 for it is the throne of ,god4
 ,he who sitteth on it  is the          
,omnipotent4 ,universal being is in ,his
 hand4 ,revolution1 force1  fear1 as    
applied to ,his kingdom1 are words      
without meaning4 ,rise up in  rebellion1
 if thou hast courage4 ,associate with  
thee the whole mass of  infernal power4 
,begin with the ruin of whatever is fair
 and good in  this little globe4 ,pass  
hence to pluck the sun out of his place1
 and  roll the volume of desolation     
through the starry world4 ,what hast    
thou  done unto ,him8 ,it is the puny   
menace of a worm against ,him whose     
frown  is perdition4 ,he that sitteth in
 the heavens shall laugh4    ,with the  
stability which ,messiah's ,godhead     

communicates to ,his  throne1 let us    
connect the stability resulting from    
,his ,father's  covenant4    ,his throne
 is founded not merely in strength1 but 
in right4 ,god hath  laid the government
 upon the shoulder of ,his holy child   
,jesus1 and set  ,him upon ,mount ,zion 
as ,his ,king forever4 ,he has promised 
and sworn to  build up ,his throne to   
all generations2 to make it endure as   
the days  of heaven2 to beat down ,his  
foes before ,his face1 and plague them  
that  hate ,him4 ,but my faithfulness1  
adds ,he1 and my mercy shall be with    
him1 and in my name shall his horn be   
exalted4 ,hath he said it1 and  will he 
not do it8 ,hath he spoken it1 and shall
 it not come to pass8  ,whatever        
disappointments rebuke the visionary    
projects of men1 or the  more crafty    
schemes of ,satan1 the counsel of the   
,lord1 that shall  stand4 ,the blood of 
sprinkling1 which sealed all the        
promises made  to ,messiah1 and binds   
down ,his ,father's faithfulness to     

their  accomplishment1 witnesses        
continually in the heavenly sanctuary4  
,he  must1 therefore1 reign till he have
 put all his enemies under his  feet4   
,and altho the dispensation of ,his     
authority shall1 upon this  event1 be   
changed1 and ,he shall deliver it up1 in
 its present form1 to  the ,father1 ,he 
shall still remain1 in ,his substantial 
glory1 a priest  upon ,his throne1 to be
 the eternal bond of our union1 and the 
eternal  medium of our fellowship with  
the living ,god4    ,seeing that the    
throne of our ,king is as immovable as  
it is exalted1  let us with joy draw    
water out of that well of salvation     
which is  opened to us in the           
administration of ,his kingdom4 ,here we
 must  consider its general characters1 
and the means by which it operates4     
,the general characters which ,i shall  
illustrate are the following3    #a4    
,mystery4 ,he is the unsearchable ,god1 
and ,his government must be  like       
,himself4 ,facts concerning both ,he has

 graciously revealed4 ,these  we must   
admit upon the credit of ,his own       
testimony2 with these we must  satisfy  
our wishes and limit our inquiry4 ,to   
intrude into those things  which he hath
 not seen because ,god has not disclosed
 them1 whether  they relate to ,his     
arrangements for this world or the next1
 is the  arrogance of one vainly puffed 
up by his fleshly mind4 ,there are      
secrets in our ,lord's procedure which  
,he will not explain to us in  this     
life1 and which may not perhaps be      
explained in the life to  come4 ,we can 
not tell how ,he makes evil the minister
 of good2 how ,he  combines physical and
 moral agencies of different kind and   
order1 in  the production of blessings4 
,we can not so much as conjecture what  
bearings the system of redemption1 in   
every part of its process1 may  have    
upon the relations of providence in the 
occurrences of this  moment1 or of the  
last4 ,such knowledge is too wonderful  
for us3 it is  high1 we can not attain  

it4 ,our ,sovereign's way is in the sea1
 and  ,his path in the deep waters2 and 
,his footsteps are not known4 ,when1    
therefore1 we are surrounded with       
difficulty1 when we can not unriddle    
,his conduct in particular              
dispensations1 we must remember that ,he
 is  ,god--that we are to walk by faith2
 and to trust ,him as implicitly  when  
we are in the valley of the shadow of   
death1 as when ,his candle  shines upon 
our heads4 ,we must remember that it is 
not for us to  be admitted into the     
cabinet of the ,king of kings2 that     
creatures  constituted as we are could  
not sustain the view of ,his unveiled   
agency2 that it would confound1 and     
scatter1 and annihilate our little      
intellects4 ,as often1 then1 as ,he     
retires from our observation1  blending 
goodness with majesty1 let us lay our   
hands upon our mouths  and worship4     
,this stateliness of our ,king can      
afford us no just ground  of uneasiness4
 ,on the contrary1 it contributes to our

 tranquillity4    #b4 ,for we know that 
if ,his administration is mysterious1 it
 is also  wise4 ,great is our ,lord1 and
 of great power2 his understanding is   
infinite4 ,that infinite understanding  
watches over1 and arranges1  and directs
 all the affairs of ,his ,church and of 
the world4 ,we are  perplexed at every  
step1 embarrassed by opposition1 lost in
 confusion1  fretted by disappointment1 
and ready to conclude1 in our haste1    
that  all things are against our own    
good and our ,master's honor4 ,but this 
is our infirmity2 it is the dictate of  
impatience and indiscretion4  ,we forget
 the years of the right hand of the     
,most ,high4 ,we are slow  of heart in  
learning a lesson which shall soothe our
 spirits at the  expense of our pride4  
,we turn away from the consolation to be
 derived  from believing that tho we    
know not the connections and results of 
holy providence1 our ,lord ,jesus knows 
them perfectly4 ,with ,him there  is no 
irregularity1 no chance1 no conjecture4 

,disposed before ,his eye  in the most  
luminous and exquisite order1 the whole 
series of events  occupy the very place 
and crisis where they are most          
effectually to  subserve the purposes of
 ,his love4 ,not a moment of time is    
wasted1 nor  a fragment of action       
misapplied4 ,what ,he does1 we do not   
indeed know  at present1 but1 as far as 
we shall be permitted to know hereafter1
 we  shall see that his most inscrutable
 procedure was guided by consummate     
wisdom2 that our choice was often as    
foolish as our petulance was  provoking2
 that the success of our own wishes     
would have been our  most painful       
chastisement1 would have diminished our 
happiness1 and  detracted from ,his     
praise4 ,let us study1 therefore1       
brethren1 to  subject our ignorance to  
,his knowledge2 instead of prescribing1 
to  obey2 instead of questioning1 to    
believe3 to perform our part without    
that despondency which betrays a fear   
that our ,lord may neglect ,his1  and   

tacitly accuses ,him of a less concern  
than we feel for the glory  of ,his own 
name4 ,let us not shrink from this duty 
as imposing too  rigorous a condition   
upon our obedience4    #c4 ,a third     
character of ,messiah's administration  
is righteousness4  ,the scepter of his  
kingdom is a right scepter4 ,if clouds  
and  darkness are around about him1     
righteousness and judgment are the      
habitation of his throne4 ,in the times 
of old1 ,his redeemed wandered  in the  
wilderness in a solitary way2 but1      
nevertheless1 he led them  forth by the 
right way1 that they might go to a city 
of habitation4  ,he loves ,his ,church  
and the members of it too tenderly to   
lay upon  them any burdens1 or expose   
them to any trials1 which are not       
indispensable to their good4 ,it is     
right for them to go through  fire and  
through water1 that ,he may bring them  
out into a healthy  place--right to     
endure chastening1 that they may be     
partakers of ,his  holiness--right to   

have the sentence of death in           
themselves1 that they  may trust in the 
living ,god1 and that ,his strength may 
be perfect  in their weakness4 ,it is   
right that ,he should endure with much  
long-suffering the vessels of wrath     
fitted to destruction2 that ,he  should 
permit iniquity to abound1 the love of  
many to wax cold1 and  the dangers of   
,his ,church to accumulate1 till the    
interposition of ,his  arm be necessary 
and decisive4 ,in the day of final      
retribution1 not  one mouth shall be    
opened to complain of injustice4 ,it    
will be seen  that the ,judge of all the
 earth has done right2 that the works of
 ,his  hands have been verity and       
judgment1 and done1 every one of them1  
in  truth and uprightness4 ,let us then 
think not only respectfully but         
reverently of ,his dispensations1       
repress the voice of murmur1 and  rebuke
 the spirit of discontent2 wait1 in     
faith and patience1 till  ,he become    
,his own interpreter1 when the heavens  

shall declare his  righteousness1 and   
all the people see his glory4    ,you   
will anticipate me in enumerating the   
means which ,messiah employs  in the    
administration of ,his kingdom3    #a4  
,the gospel1 of which ,himself1 as an   
all-sufficient and  condescending       
,savior1 is the great and affecting     
theme4 ,derided by the  world1 it is1   
nevertheless1 effectual to the salvation
 of them who  believe4 ,we preach       
,christ crucified3 to the ,jews a       
stumbling-block1  and to the ,greeks    
foolishness2 but to them who are called1
 both ,jews  and ,greeks1 ,christ the   
power of ,god1 and the wisdom of ,god4  
,the  doctrine of the cross connected   
with evangelical ordinances--the        
ministry of reconciliation2 the holy    
,sabbath2 the sacraments of ,his        
covenant3 briefly1 the whole system of  
instituted worship--is the rod  of the  
,redeemer's strength1 by which ,he      
subdues sinners to ,himself1  rules even
 in the midst of ,his enemies1 exercises

 ,his glorious  authority in ,his       
,church1 and exhibits a visible proof to
 men and  angels that ,he is ,king in   
,zion4    #b4 ,the efficient means to   
which the gospel owes its success1 and  
the  name of ,jesus its praise1 is the  
agency of the ,holy ,ghost4             
,christianity is the ministration of the
 spirit4 ,all real and  sanctifying     
knowledge of the truth and love of ,god 
is from ,his  inspiration4 ,it was the  
last and best promise which the ,savior 
made  to ,his afflicted disciples at the
 moment of parting1 ,i will send the    
,comforter1 the ,spirit of ,truth2 he   
shall glorify me1 for he shall take  of 
mine and shall show it unto you4 ,it is 
,he who convinces the world  of sin1 of 
righteousness1 and of judgment3 who     
infuses resistless  vigor into means    
otherwise weak and useless4 ,for the    
weapons of our  warfare are not carnal1 
but mighty through ,god1 ,god the       
,spirit1 to the  pulling down of        
strongholds4 ,without ,his benediction1 

the ministry of  an archangel would     
never convert one sinner from the error 
of his way4  ,but when ,he descends with
 ,his life-giving influence from ,god   
out of  heaven1 then foolish things of  
the world confound the wise2 and weak   
things of the world confound the things 
which are mighty2 and base  things of   
the world1 and things which are         
despised1 yea1 and things  which are    
not1 bring to naught things which are4  
,it is this  ministration of the ,spirit
 which renders the preaching of the     
gospel  to men dead in trespasses and   
sins a reasonable service4 ,when ,i am  
set  down in the valley of vision1 and  
view the bones1 very many and very  dry1
 and am desired to try the effects of my
 own ability in recalling  them to life1
 ,i will fold my hands and stand mute in
 astonishment and  despair4 ,but when   
the ,lord ,god commands me to speak in  
,his name1 my  closed lips shall be     
opened2 when ,he calls upon the breath  
from the  four winds to breathe upon the

 slain that they may live1 ,i will      
prophesy without fear1 ,oh1 ye dry      
bones1 hear the words of the ,lord2     
and1 obedient to ,his voice1 they shall 
come together1 bone to ,his  bone--shall
 be covered with sinews and flesh--shall
 receive new life1  and stand up upon   
their feet1 an exceeding great army4 ,in
 this manner1  from the graves of       
nature1 and the dry bones of natural    
men1 does the  ,holy ,spirit recruit the
 armies of the living ,god1 and make    
them1  collectively and individually1 a 
name1 and a praise1 and a glory to  the 
,captain of their salvation4    #c4     
,among the instruments which the ,lord  
,jesus employs in the  administration of
 ,his government1 are the resources of  
the physical  and moral world4          
,supreme in heaven and in earth1        
upholding all things by the word of  his
 power1 the universe is ,his magazine of
 means4 ,nothing which acts  or exists1 
is exempted from promoting in its own   
place the purposes of  ,his kingdom4    

,beings rational and irrational1 animate
 and inanimate2  the heavens above1 and 
the earth below2 the obedience of       
sanctified1  and the disobedience of    
unsanctified men2 all holy spirits2 all 
damned  spirits2 in one word1 every     
agency1 every element1 every atom1 are  
but  the ministers of ,his will1 and    
concur in the execution of ,his designs4
  ,and this ,he will demonstrate to the 
confusion of ,his enemies1 and the  joy 
of ,his people1 in that great and       
terrible day when ,he shall sit  upon   
the throne of ,his glory1 and dispense  
ultimate judgment to the  quick and the 
dead4    ,upon these hills of holiness  
the stability of ,messiah's throne1 and 
the perfect administration of ,his      
kingdom1 let us take our station1  and  
survey the prospects which rise up      
before the ,church of ,god4    ,when ,i 
look upon the magnificent scene1 ,i can 
not repress the  salutation1 ,hail1 thou
 that art highly favored6 ,she has the  
prospect  of preservation1 of increase  

and of triumph4    ,the long existence  
of the ,christian ,church would be      
pronounced1 upon  common principles of  
reasoning1 impossible4 ,she finds in    
every man a  natural and inveterate     
enemy4 ,to encounter and overcome the   
unanimous  hostility of the world1 she  
boasts no political stratagem1 no       
disciplined legions1 no outward coercion
 of any kind4 ,yet her  expectation is1 
that she shall live forever4 ,to mock   
this hope and  blot out her memorial    
from under heaven1 the most furious     
efforts of  fanaticism1 the most        
ingenious arts of statesmen1 the        
concentrated  strength of empires1 have 
been frequently and perseveringly       
applied4  ,the blood of her sons and her
 daughters has streamed like water2 the 
smoke of the scaffold and the stake1    
where they won the crown of  martyrdom  
in the cause of ,jesus1 has ascended in 
thick volumes to  the skies4 ,the tribes
 of persecutors have sported over her   
woes and  erected monuments1 as they    

imagined1 of her perpetual ruin4 ,but   
where  are her tyrants1 and where their 
empires8 ,the tyrants have long since   
gone to their own place2 their names    
have descended upon the roll of  infamy2
 their empires have passed1 like shadows
 over the rock--they  have successively 
disappeared1 and left not a trace       
behind4    ,but what became of the      
,church8 ,she rose from her ashes fresh 
in beauty  and in might4 ,celestial     
glory beamed around her2 she dashed down
 the  monumental marble of her foes1 and
 they who hated her fled before her4    
,she has celebrated the funeral of kings
 and kingdoms that plotted  her         
destruction2 and1 with the inscriptions 
of their pride1 has  transmitted to     
posterity the record of their shame4    
,how shall this  phenomenon be          
explained8 ,we are1 at the present      
moment1 witnesses of  the fact2 but who 
can unfold the mystery8 ,this blest     
book1 the book of  truth and life1 has  
made our wonder to cease4 ,the ,lord her

 ,god in the  midst of her is mighty4   
,his presence is a fountain of health1  
and his  protection a wall of fire4 ,he 
has betrothed her1 in eternal covenant1 
to ,himself4 ,her living head1 in whom  
she lives1 is above1 and ,his           
quickening ,spirit shall never depart   
from her4 ,armed with divine  virtue1   
,his gospel1 secret1 silent1 unobserved1
 enters the hearts of  men and sets up  
an everlasting kingdom4 ,it eludes all  
the vigilance1  and baffles all the     
power of the adversary4 ,bars and bolts1
 and  dungeons are no obstacle to its   
approach4 ,bonds1 and tortures1 and     
death can not extinguish its influence4 
,let no man's heart tremble1  then1     
because of fear4 ,let no man despair1 in
 these days of rebuke and  blasphemy1 of
 the ,christian cause4 ,the ark is      
launched1 indeed1 upon  the floods2 the 
tempest sweeps along the deep2 the      
billows break over  her on every side4  
,but ,jehovah-,jesus has promised to    
conduct her in  safety to the haven of  

peace4 ,she can not be lost unless the  
,pilot  perish4 ,why1 then1 do the      
heathen rage1 and the people imagine a  
vain thing8 ,hear1 ,o ,zion1 the word of
 thy ,god1 and rejoice for the          
consolation4 ,no weapon that is formed  
against thee shall prosper1  and every  
tongue that shall rise against thee in  
judgment thou shalt  condemn4 ,this is  
the heritage of the servants of the     
,lord1 and their  righteousness is of   
me1 saith the ,lord4    ,mere           
preservation1 however1 tho a most       
comfortable1 is not the only  hope of   
the ,church2 she has the prospect of    
increase4    ,increase--from an         
effectual blessing upon the means of    
grace in places  where they are already 
enjoyed2 the ,lord saith1 ,i will pour  
water  upon him that is thirsty1 and    
floods upon the dry ground3 ,i will pour
  my ,spirit upon thy seed1 and my      
blessing upon thine offering2 and they  
shall spring up as among the grass1 as  
willows by the watercourses4            

,increase--from the diffusion of        
evangelical truth through pagan lands4  
,for behold1 the darkness shall cover   
the earth1 and gross darkness  the      
people2 but the ,lord shall arise upon  
thee1 and his glory shall be  seen upon 
thee4 ,and the ,gentiles shall come to  
thy light1 and kings to  the brightness 
of thy rising4 ,lift up thine eyes round
 about1 and see3  all they gather       
themselves together1 they come to thee3 
thy sons shall  come from far1 and thy  
daughters shall be nursed at thy side4  
,then  thou shalt see and flow together1
 and thy heart shall fear1 and be       
enlarged2 because the abundance of the  
sea shall be converted unto  thee1 the  
forces of the ,gentiles shall come unto 
thee4    ,increase--from the recovery of
 the rejected ,jews to the faith and    
privileges of ,god's dear children4     
,blindness in part has happened  unto   
,israel2 they have been cut off1 for    
their unbelief1 from the  olive-tree4   
,age has followed age1 and they remain  

to this hour spread  over the face of   
the earth1 a fearful and affecting      
testimony to the  truth of ,god's word4 
,they are without their sanctuary1      
without their  ,messiah1 without the    
hope of their believing ancestors4 ,but 
it shall  not be always thus4 ,they are 
still beloved for the father's sake4    
,when the fulness of the ,gentiles shall
 come in1 they too shall be  gathered4  
,they shall discover1 in our ,jesus1 the
 marks of the promised  ,messiah2 and   
with from darkness to light1 from the   
power of ,satan unto  ,god2 it must make
 you meet for the inheritance of the    
saints1 or it  shall fearfully aggravate
 your condemnation at last4 ,you pray1  
,thy  kingdom come4 ,but is the kingdom 
of ,god within you8 ,is the ,lord       
,jesus in you the hope of glory8 ,be not
 deceived4 ,the name of  ,christian will
 not save you4 ,better had it been for  
you not to  have known the way of       
righteousness2 better to have been the  
most  idolatrous pagan2 better1         

infinitely better1 not to have been     
born1  than to die strangers to the     
pardon of the ,redeemer's blood and  the
 sanctifying virtue of ,his ,spirit4    
,from ,his throne on high ,he           
calls--calls to you1 ,look unto me1 and 
be ye saved2 for ,i am ,god1 and  there 
is none else4 ,seek ye the ,lord while  
he may be found2 call ye  upon him while
 he is near2 let the wicked forsake his 
way1 and the  unrighteous man his       
thoughts2 and let him return unto the   
,lord1 and  he will have mercy upon him2
 and to our ,god1 for he will abundantly
  pardon4    ,on the other hand1 such as
 have fled for refuge to lay hold on the
  hope set before them1 are commanded to
 be joyful in their ,king4 ,he  reigns1 
,o believer1 for thee4 ,the stability of
 ,his throne is thy  safety4 ,the       
administration of ,his government is for
 thy good2 and the  precious pledge is1 
that ,he will perfect that which        
concerneth thee4  ,in all thy troubles1 
and in all thy joy1 commit thy way unto 

,him4 ,he  will guard the sacred        
deposit4 ,fear not that thou shalt lack 
any good  thing4 ,fear not that thou    
shalt be forsaken4 ,fear not that thou  
shalt  fall beneath the arm of the      
oppressor4 ,he went through the fires of
  the pit to save thee4 ,sing1 then1    
thou beloved1 ,behold1 ,god is my       
salvation2 ,i will trust1 and not be    
afraid2 for the ,lord ,jehovah is my    
strength and my song2 he also is become 
my salvation4    ,and if we have tasted 
that he is gracious2 if we look back    
with  horror and transport upon the     
wretchedness and the wrath which we     
have escaped1 with what anxiety shall we
 not hasten to the aid of our  fellow   
men1 who are sitting in the region and  
shadow of death4 ,what  zeal will be too
 ardent1 what labor too persevering1    
what sacrifice  too costly1 if1 by any  
means1 we may tell them of ,jesus1 and  
the resurrection1 and the life eternal8 
,who shall be daunted by  difficulties1 
or deterred by discouragement8 ,if but  

one pagan shall be  brought1 savingly1  
by your instrumentality1 to the         
knowledge of ,god  and the kingdom of   
heaven1 will you not have an ample      
recompense8 ,is  there here a man who   
would give up all for lost because some 
favorite  hope has been disappointed1 or
 who regrets the wordly substance which 
he has expended on so divine an         
enterprise8 ,shame on thy coward  spirit
 and thine avaricious heart6 ,do the    
holy ,scriptures1 does the  experience  
of ages1 does the nature of things      
justify the expectation  that we shall  
carry war into the central regions of   
delusion and  crime1 without opposition1
 without trial8 ,show me a plan which   
encounters not fierce resistance from   
the prince of darkness and his  allies  
in the human heart1 and ,i will show you
 a plan which never came  from the      
inspiration of ,god4 ,if missionary     
effort suffer occasional  embarrassment2
 if impressions on the heathen be less  
speedy1 and  powerful1 and extensive    

than fond wishes have anticipated2 if   
particular parts of the great system of 
operation be1 at times1  disconcerted2  
if any of the ministers of grace fall a 
sacrifice to the  violence of those whom
 they go to bless in the name of the    
,lord--these  are events which ought to 
exercise our faith and patience1 to wean
 us  from self-sufficiency1 to teach    
where our strength lies1 and where our  
dependence must be fixt2 but not to     
enfeeble hope nor relax diligence4  ,let
 us not despise the day of small things4
 ,let us not overlook1  as an important 
matter1 the very existence of that      
missionary spirit  which has already    
awakened ,christians in different       
countries from  their long and          
dishonorable slumbers1 and bids fair to 
produce1 in due  season1 a general      
movement of the ,church upon earth4 ,let
 us not1 for  one instant1 harbor the   
ungracious thought that the prayers1 and
  tears1 and wrestlings of those who    
make mention of the ,lord1 form no  link

 in that vast chain of events by which  
,he will establish1 and  will make      
,jerusalem a praise in the earth4 ,that 
dispensation which  is most repulsive to
 flesh and blood1 the violent death of  
faithful  missionaries1 should animate  
,christians with new resolution4        
,precious  in the sight of the ,lord is 
the death of his saints4 ,the cry of    
martyred blood ascends the heavens3 it  
enters into the ears of  the ,lord of   
,sabaoth4 ,it will give ,him no rest    
till ,he rain down  righteousness upon  
the land where it has been shed1 and    
which it  has sealed as a future        
conquest for ,him who in his majesty    
rides  prosperously because of truth1   
and meekness and righteousness4    ,for 
the world1 indeed1 and perhaps for the  
,church1 many calamities and  trials are
 in store1 before the glory of the ,lord
 shall be so revealed  that all flesh   
shall see it together4 ,i will shake all
 nations1 is  the divine declaration--,i
 will shake all nations1 and the desire 

of  all nations shall come4 ,the vials  
of wrath which are now running1 and     
others which remain to be poured out1   
must be exhausted4 ,the supper  of the  
great ,god must be prepared1 and his    
strange work have its  course4 ,yet the 
missionary cause must ultimately        
succeed4 ,it is the  cause of ,god and  
shall prevail4 ,the days1 ,o brethren1  
roll rapidly on1  when the shout of the 
isles shall swell the thunder of the    
continent2  when the ,thames and the    
,danube1 when the ,tiber and the ,rhine1
 shall  call upon ,euphrates1 the       
,ganges1 and the ,nile2 and the loud    
concert  shall be joined by the ,hudson1
 the ,mississippi1 and the ,amazon1     
singing with one heart and one voice1   
,alleluia1 salvation6 ,the ,lord  ,god  
omnipotent reigneth4    ,comfort one    
another with this faith and with these  
words4    ,now1 ,blest be the ,lord     
,god1 the ,god of ,israel1 who only doth
 wondrous  things4 ,and blest be his    
glorious name forever3 ,let the whole   

earth be  filled with his glory4 ,amen  
and amen4          ,,end ,,of ,,vol4    
,,iii4