There willneverbe a time in which | munion or vifible charity with each the officers of a nation may fit at their eafe, and fay, We may now lay afide fear and exertion, all is well, and like to be well without our further anxiety and care. other, endeavors to relax difcipline to introduce carnal men-to excite differences and oppofition refpecting the ordinances of the gofpel-to fink it into contempt, and to deftroy it in one way or other, have been all employed for its ruin. And minifters and Chriftians are called upon to exert themselves to counteract all these devices-defend the truth-inculcate the doctrines of the gofpel and unite to premote harmony, difcipline and vital piety, the fpread of gofpel truths, and the awakening and falvation of fouls. Care and warfare are always to be employed; there is no feafon in which we may put off the harnefs. Unlooked for evils are daily coming; one attack and perplexity is fucceeded by another. Vigilance and activity are always demanded. Hence Peter fays, Again: There is no reft to the church of Chrift in this world. Satan is continually plotting its deftruction and giving it difturbance. He is artful and malicious, and has numerous agents, who are willing to be employed at his pleasure. Now he is introducing one error, and then another. At one time he attacks it with herefies, at another with covered or open infidelity. Sometimes he introduces difcords and feparations, at others ignorance and enthusiasm, or cold unfeeling opinion, which does not affect the heart. External difficulties have fometimes oppreffed the church, and fometimes it has labored with internal embar-"Befober, be vigilant, because your raffments. The church has frequently appeared to have its very existence endangered, fometimes from one caufe, and then from another. On thefe accounts, the ministers of Christ, and all the members of his church have been conftrained by abfolute neceflity to be vigilant, prayerful and active, continually exhibiting the evidence, importance and excellency of the truth, and the falsehood and pernicious tendency of error in innumerable fhapes, anfwering objections, repelling attacks, and combatting enemies and falfe pretenfions. The watchmen are neceffitated to ftand continually on the watch-tow-en with a great chain in his hand, er, and all the foldiers of Chrift to and lay hold on the dragon, that lie upon their arms. How many old ferpent, which is the devil different attacks have been made and fatan, and bind him a thousand upon the church in the prefent gen-years.-This world is not a refting eration? Univerfalism, deifm, un-place for the church, which is in a bounded catholicifm, atheism, at- militant ftate. There remaineth a tempts to divide it into parties and reft for the people of God; but it' denominations who hold no com- is in the coming world. adverfary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about feeking whom he may devour, whom refift, ftedfait in the faith." If we look back into the hiftories of the church, we fhall find that it has always had to combat with much oppofition, and many have been called to contend even unto blood. The church has fuffered by perfecution, by falfe teachers, by corruption, by herefies, by enemies without, and by falfe brethren who have crept in at unawares to fpy out and fubvert its liberty. And this will be the case, until the angel fpoken of in the Revelations, fhall come down from heav Further There is in this life, no reft to individual Chriftians. They have fo many trials and temptations, and fuch a fwarm of remaining corruptions, that they are obliged to watch and pray without ceafing. Some infidious enemy lies concealed at every turn, and there are many that are openly fet against them. They are affailed by ridicule and infinuating enticements, perplexed with the sophistry of such as lie in wait to deceive, are always encumbered with a body of death, and a law in the members, warring against the law of the mind. Now worldly troubles and perplexing cares, fteal upon them, and now they are injured by outward profperity. At one time they have lit tle of the light of God's countenance and fink almost into a state of defpondency, and then they are in danger from fpiritual pride, and an over confidence in themfelves. A ftrange unfeelingness palfies their hearts and prevents their fruitfulness at this time, and a falfe zeal annoys them at that. Peter was too confident one hour, and too timid the next. Their exertions one day are fuccefsful, on the day follow ing they feem to labor in vain and fpend their ftrength for nought. Smiles and chaftifements come up on them in a varied fucceffion, They are often furprifed on a fudden with unexpected trials and temptations, which wound them before they are aware. All believers, who have any confiderable acquaintance with the Chriflian life, will bear me witnefs, that their past experience correfponds with this reprefentation. This is certainly the language of the holy fcriptures. Chriftians muft expect that fuch things will remain until they arrive to glory. We must thro' much tribulation * Romans vii. enter into the kingdom of God." Thus there is no reft for men in this world as individuals or com munities-not even for the church and people of God. Therefore it is folly for men to flatter themfelves, that if they can furmount the exifting difficulties, they fhall have no further occafion for anxie ty. It is as idle, as for the infant to fay, If I can but obtain that straw or rattle, my forrows will be over and all will be paradife. It is not the defign of providence that we should in this life be free from the neceffity of care and exertion. Nations will continue to be in critical circumstances. It is folly for the church in the prefent age to expect the day when there will be no enemies, corruptions, herefies, divifions and difficulties. Offences must needs come, that the true difciples may be tried and stand ap proved; but woe unto him by whom the offence cometh. Individual Christians, in this militant ftate, have no reafon to promife themselves much quiet repofe. They may receive an hundred fold in this life; but Chrift fays it will be with perfecutions. They may rejoice; but it must be in tribulation. They may have great peace with God; but it will be with much running, wrestling, ftriving and fighting. When one difficulty is paffed, perhaps a much worfe will fucceed. Raised expectations of tranquillity will only mul tiply disappointments. But Chrif tians are not to faint or be difcour aged on this account. There re. mains a reft, and an heavenly inheritance for them, when they will reft from their labors, and their works will follow them. It is our bufinefs-our proper calling to conflict with evil in this life. Def pife not the chaftening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebu ked of him.' In due feafon we; FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN- Chrift up fhall reap if we faint not.' How fuitable it is that we fhould account ourfelves pilgrims and strangers on earth. What folly to fuffer our hearts to be fixed upon any thing here. We should fet our affections on things that are above, and feek a city which hath foundations. How miferable to be intoxicated with any thing on earth.--How fweet will heaven be to the people of God, after being weather-beaten, and toffed by the ftorms of this world through life. How fweet for foldiers to obtain the victory, and be permitted to lay afide the watchings, fatigues and dangers of an hard campaign. How delightful to hear our Lord fay, Well done, good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' Then the labors of this life will be richly compenfated. But how wretched must they be, who never enter into rest. There is no reft to the wicked faith my God.' It will be quite infupportable to contemplate an hopeless eternity, of extreme wretchednefs, in endless profpect. Let us then lay hold on the hope that is fet before us, and fight the good fight of faith. MIKROS. Heb. v. 7. of his flesh, when he had offered up "Who in the days ftrong crying and tears, unto him prayers and fupplications, with who was able to fave him from death; and was heard in that he feared." HESE words have a plain Treference to the prayer and agony of Chrift in the garden, of which the evangelifts give a histo ry; and perhaps to what he faid when on the crofs, when he cried with a loud voice," My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me?" In thefe fupplications and this ago ny he prayed that the fufferings of which he now had an extraordina ry, and more dreadful and overwhelming view and fenfe, than he ever had before, he asked that if it were poffible and confiftent with the will of the Father, that the dreadful hour of fuffering, the bit. ter cup which was now full in view, and filled his foul with distress which feemed intolerable, might pafs from him, and he be excufed from drinking: But if this could not be, that he might be fupported and carried through this dreadful fcene, fo that all the ends of his fuffering might be fully answered, in the glory of God and the complete falvation of all the elect. It was wifely ordered, and of great importance, that the human nature of Chrift fhould have a clear and full view of the sufferings he muft undergo in order to make atonement for the fins of men, while he bore their fins, and took the guilt and punishment on himfelf, and knew what it would coft him, that he might voluntarily give himself up to this, and confent to bear it all, in the most impreffive fenfe and view of it, cau fed by the immediate hand of God. In order to this the cup he muft drink in his fufferings was fet before him in the garden, in all the dreadful bitterness of it, that he might have opportunity to refufe or choose to drink it, while it was thus before him in all the dreadfulnefs of it. And what he said in this fituation, ferved to make the most clear and affecting discovery of the impoffibility of the falvation of finners in any way but by his drinking this cup, and fuffering all that was implied in it; and of his love to God and his people, in voluntarily giving himself up to thefe fufferings, in a full view of them, on the fuppofition of the impoffibility of the falvation of finners in any other way confiftent with the will and glory of God. There is no reafon to fuppofe that the agonizing feelings and exercifes of the Saviour were caufed by the influence and affaults of fatan on his mind, at this time. The fcripture intimates no fuch thing. But the whole tranfaction is reprefented as being between his Father and him, except that it is faid, an angel was prefent to aflift and ftrengthen him. | come; behold the son of man is betrayed into the hands of finners." verfe 41. And, the hour and his hour is frequently used to denote the time of his laft fufferings, Matt. xxvi. 45. "Behold the hour is at hand, and the fon of man is betrayed into the hands of finners." John xii. 27. “Now is my foul troubled; and what fhall I fay? Father, fave me from this hour? But for this caufe came I unto this hour." chap. xiii. 1. "When Jefus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world." chap. xvii. 1. "Father the hour is come; glorify thy Son," &c. And that the cup does not mean what he faffered in the garden is certain, from his fpeaking of drinking this cup after that diftrefs and agony was over. When Peter had cut off the right ear of the high-priest's servant, Chrift faid to him, "Put up thy fword into the fheath: The cup which my Father hath given me, fhall I not drink it?" John xviii. 11. It has been supposed that Chrift praying the cup might be removed in the fenfe above explained, is inconfiftent with what he fays John xii. 27. What fhall I fay, Father, fave me from this hour? But for this caufe came I to this hour. Here he feems to say, that he neither could nor would ask to be de as he knew the great defign of his coming into the world was to fuffer this death, as without this no finner could be faved. From the above reprefentation, and other paffages of fcripture it appears that the cup, and the hour which Chrift prayed might be taken away, was not his diftrefs, and agony which took place in the gar-livered from death on the cross ; den, fearing this would put an end to his life. Mark xiv. 35. it is faid Chrift prayed, that if it were poffible the bour might pafs from hina. And in the following verfe the fame thing is expreffed by this cup. Hence it appears that the hour and cup are the fame thing: But the hour did not mean what he fuffered in the garden; for after this was over, he faid, not the hour is paft; but "The hour is Anfwer 1. The human nature of Chrift was not in itself omnifcient or unchangeable; his feelings and exercifes were according to the view he had of the objects which were before him, and he gave more attention to, and was more impreffed by thofe fcenes which were immediately before him than with those which were further off, and more out of fight. When the city of Jerufalem and the miserable inhabitants were in full view, and their folly and miferable end were impreffed on his mind, he wept over it, faying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at leaft in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But Dow they are hidden from thine eyes, &c. At another time, and a different fituation, he rejoiced in fpirit, and faid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes. The different fituation in which Christ was when he prayed in the garden, from that in which he fpake the words recorded in John, and from which he had been in all his life before, which has been defcribed above, will account for his different feelings and language, efpecially if we confider the defign which was to be answered by it, which has been briefly mentioned. Different feeling and language; but not contrary: for, Anf. 2. He did not fay in the garden, Father fave me from this hour, unconditionally; but if it were poffible and confiftent with the glory and will of God, and the falvation of the elect, otherwife he did not afk or defire the cup might pafs from him. His language ffill was, Father, glorify thy name. Anf. 3. It would be really inconfiftent with his words which John relates, and his knowing and often predicting that he should die on the cross, to pray now that he might not die in the garden; for this was inconfiftent and impoffible if he were to be crucified. Therefore the objector by trying to avoid one fuppofed inconfiftency, runs into a real and palpable one, in making the objection. But it has been said, that when Chrift prayed earnestly unto him who was able to fave him from death, he was heard, and delivered from the death he feared, which therefore must be his being faved from dying in the garden, which he feared; for he was not faved from dying on the cross. fo Answer. It is not said, that in being heard, he was faved from death, either in the garden, or on the cross; but that he was delivered from the evil which he feared. This was not merely dying on the crofs, as he actually did, but finking down and perishing under the wrath of God against finners, whofe place he had taken, and the weight of their amazing guilt which now. he clearly apprehended, and was foon in a true fenfe, to fall on him. He felt that the human nature was altogether unequal to bear up under this infinite weight, and go through this fcene of fuffering, as to anfwer the end propofed; but would certainly fink and perish, and fail of the whole defign propofed in the redemption of the elect, unlefs he was fupported by the almighty hand of God. This was what he above all things feared; and in this he was heard, and delivered from fuch a death. When he had refigned to the will of God, and was willing to fuffer, he, under the apprehenfions juft mentioned, agonized and prayed more earnefly that he might be fupported and carried through the awful scene before him with propriety and fuccefs, fo that all the glorious purpofes of his fufferings might be anfwered, and all the elect obtain falvation. It is now left to the reader to judge between the explication here |