were absurd. "How shall we, that are dead to sin;" that is, who in Christ have already borne the penalty, "how shall we live any longer therein?" And again he saith very boldly: "Sin shall not have dominion over you"-it is impossible in the nature of things" for ye are not under the law, but under grace;" ye are no longer under the curse of a broken law, dreading and hating God; ye are under grace; under a system of peace and friendship with God.

But is there any one ready to object to me, that if these things be so, if nothing more than that a man be brought into peace with God is needful to a holy life and conversation, how comes it that believers do still sin? I answer, it is indeed too true that believers do sin; but it is just as true that unbelief is the cause of their sinning. If, brethren, you and I were to live with our eye so closely on Christ bearing double for all our sins, freely offering to all a double righteousness for all our sins; and if this constant view of the love of Christ maintained within us, as assuredly it would, if we looked with a straightforward eye; the peace of God which passeth all understanding; the peace that rests on nothing in us, but upon the completeness that is in Christ, then, brethren, I do say, that, frail and helpless as we are, we should never sin; we should not have the slightest object in sinning. But, ah! my friends, this is not the way with us. How often in the day is the love of Christ quite out of view! How often is it obscured to us! sometimes hid from us by God himself, to teach us what we are. How often are we left without the realizing sense of the complete ness of his offering, the perfectness of his righteousness, and with out the will or the confidence to claim an interest in him! Who can wonder, then, that, where there is so much unbelief, dread and hatred of God should again and again creep in, and sin should often display its poisonous head? The matter is very plain, brethren, if only we had spiritual eyes to see it. If we live a life of faith on the Son of God, then we shall assuredly live a life of holiness. I do not say we ought to do so; but I say, we shall, as a matter of necessary consequence. But in as far as we do not live a life of faith, in so far we shall live a life of unholiness. It is through faith that God purifies the heart; and there is no other

way.

Is there one of you, then, brethren, desirous of being made new, of being delivered from the slavery of sinful habits and affec tions? We can point you to no other remedy but the love of Christ. Behold how he loved you! See what he bore for you; put your finger, as it were, into the prints of the nails, and thrust your hand into his side; and be no more faithless, but believing. Under a sense of your sin, flee to the Saviour of sinners. As the timorous dove flies to hide itself in the crevices of the rock, so do you flee to hide yourself in the wounds of your Saviour; and when you have found him, like the shadow of a great rock in a

weary land; when you sit under his shadow, with great delight; you will find that he hath slain all the enmity; that he hath accomplished all your warfare. God is now for you. Planted together with Christ in the likeness of his death, you shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Dead unto sin, you shall be alive unto God.

But now

2. The love of Christ to man constraineth the believer to live a holy life; because that truth not only takes away our fear and hatred, but stirs up our love.-When we are brought to see the reconciled face of God in peace, that is a great privilege. But how can we look upon that face, reconciling and reconciled, and not love him who hath so loved us! Love begets love. We can hardly keep from esteeming those on earth who really love us, however worthless they may be. But, ah! my friends, when we are convinced that God loves us, and convinced in such a way as by the giving up of his Son for us all, how can we but love him, in whom are all excellences-everything to call forth love? I have already shown you that the Gospel is a restorative scheme; it brings us back to the same state of friendship with God which Adam enjoyed, and thus takes away the desire of sin. I wish to show you, that the Gospel does far more than restore us to the state from which we fell. If rightly and consistently embraced by us, it brings us into a state far better than Adam's. It constrains us by a far more powerful motive. Adam had not this strong love of God to man shed abroad in his heart; and, therefore, he had not this constraining power to make him live to God. have seen this great sight. Before us Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified. If really we believe, his love hath brought us into peace, through pardon; and because we are pardoned and at peace with God, the Holy Ghost is given us. Why, just to shed abroad this truth over our hearts, to show us more and more of this love of God to us, that we may be drawn to love him who hath so loved us, to live to him who died for us and rose again.

But

our eyes

What to do?

It is truly admirable to see how the Bible way of making us holy is suited to our nature. Had God proposed to frighten us into a holy life, how vain would have been the attempt! Men have always an idea, that if one came from the dead to tell us of the reality of the doleful regions where dwell, in endless misery, the spirits of the damned, that that would constrain us to live a holy life; but, alas! brethren, what ignorance does this not show of our mysterious nature! Suppose that God should this hour unveil before our eyes the secrets of those dreadful abodes where nope never comes; nay, suppose, if it were possible, that you were actually made to feel for a season the real pains of the lake of living agony, and the worm that never dies; and then that you were brought back again to the earth, and placed in your old situation, among your old friends and companions; do you really

think that there would be any chance of your walking with God as a child? I doubt not you would be frightened out of your positive sins; the cup of godless pleasure would drop from your hand; you would shudder at an oath, you would tremble at a falsehood, because you had seen and felt something of the torment which awaits the drunkard, and the swearer, and the liar, in the world beyond the grave; but do you really think that you would live to God, any more than you did; that you would serve him better than before? It is quite true you might be driven to give larger charity; yea, all your goods to feed the poor, and your body to be burned; you might live strictly and soberly, most fearful of breaking one of the commandments, all the rest of your days but this would not be living to God; you would not love him one whit more. Ah! brethren, you are sadly blinded to your curiously formed hearts, if you do not know that love cannot be forced; no man was ever frightened into love, and, therefore, no man was ever frightened into holiness.

But thrice blessed be God, he hath invented a way more powerful than hell and all its terrors; an argument mightier far than even a sight of those torments; he hath invented a way of drawing us to holiness. By showing us the love of his Son, he calleth forth our love. He knew our frame, he remembered that we were dust, he knew all the peculiarities of our treacherous hearts; and, therefore, he suited his way of sanctifying to the creature to be sanctified. And thus, the Spirit doth not make use of terror to sanctify us, but of love: "The love of Christ constraineth us." He draws us by the cords of love, by the bands of a man." What parent does not know that the true way to gain the obedience of a child, is to gain the affections of the child? And think you, God, who gave us this wisdom, doth not himself know? Think you he would set about obtaining the obedience of his children, without first of all gaining their affections? To gain our affections, brethren, which by nature rove over the face of the world, God hath sent his son into the world to bear the curse of our sins. "Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich."

And oh! if there is but one of you who will consent this day, under a sense of undoneness, to flee for refuge to the Saviour, to find in him the forgiveness of all sins that are past, I know well, that from this day forth you will be like that poor woman which was a sinner, which stood at Christ's feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head; and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Forgiven much, you will love much; loving much, you will live to the service of Him whom you love. This is the grand master-principle of which we spoke; this is the secret spring of all the holiness of the saints. The life of holiness is not what the world falsely

represents it, a life of preciseness and painfulness, in which a man crosses every affection of his nature. There is no such thing as self-denial in the Popish sense of that word in the religion of the Bible. The system of restrictions and self-crossings is the very system which Satan hath set up as a counterfeit of God's way of sanctifying. It is thus that Satan frightens away thousands from Gospel peace and Gospel holiness; as if to be a sanctified man were to be a man who crossed every desire of his being, who did everything that was disagreeable and uncomfortable to him. My friends, our text distinctly shows you that it We are constrained to holiness by the love of Christ; the love of him who loved us, is the only cord by which we are bound to the service of God. The scourge of our affections is the only scourge that drives us to duty. Sweet bands and gentle scourges! Who would not be under their power?

is not so.

And, finally, brethren, if Christ's love to us be the object which the Holy Ghost makes use of, at the very first, to draw us to the service of Christ, it is by means of the same object that he draws us to persevere even unto the end. So that if you are visited with seasons of coldness and indifference, if you begin to be weary, or lag behind in the service of God, behold! here is the remedy: Look again to the bleeding Saviour. That Sun of Righteousness is the grand attractive centre, round which all his saints move swiftly, and in smooth harmonious concert," not without song." As long as the believing eye is fixed upon his love, the path of the believer is easy and unimpeded; for that love always constraineth. But lift off the believing eye, and the path becomes impracticable, the life of holiness a weariness. Whosoever, then, would live a life of persevering holiness, let him keep his eye fixed on the Saviour. As long as Peter looked only to the Saviour, he walked upon the sea in safety, to go to Jesus; but when he looked around, and saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried, "Lord, save me!" Just so will it be with you. As long as you look believingly to the Saviour, who loved you, and gave himself for you, so long you may tread the waters of life's troubled sea, and the soles of your feet shall not be wet; but venture to look around upon the winds and waves that threaten you on every hand, and, like Peter, you begin to sink, and cry," Lord, save me!" How justly, then, may we address to you the Saviour's rebuke to Peter: "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Look again to the love of the Saviour, and behold that love which constraineth thee to live no more to thyself, but to him that died for thee and rose again.

College Church, August 30, 1835

SERMON XXXI.

ARISE, SHINE.

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." -Isa. lx., 1-3

THESE words are yet to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. It has been long trodden down by the Gentiles, its walls are desolate, its temple burnt, and the Mosque of Omar raised over it in cruel mockery. The ways of Zion do mourn; because none come to the solemn feasts. No sunbeam pours upon the dark brow of Judah; no star of Bethlehem sparkles in their sky. But another day is at hand. The time is coming when a voice shall be heard saying to Jerusalem; "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

Observe, 1. It shall be a time when the world is in darkness; "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." The whole Bible bears witness that the time when the Jew is to be enlightened is to be a time when the world is dark and unenlightened. Paul says plainly that the world will be dead, one great dead mass, when God gives life to the Jews: "If the casting away of them has been the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?"

2. In that time of darkness, the Lord Jesus shall reveal himself to the Jews, the veil shall be taken away, and that glorious Bridegroom shall come forth to them: "The Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." Like the rising sun appearing above the hills, tinging all Mount Olivet with living gold, then pouring down upon the prostrate ruins of Jerusalem, till the holy hills smile again in his cheering ray; so shall it be with desolated Judah. Christ shall arise upon their souls, the day shall dawn, and the day-star arise on their hearts. Christ shall appear beautiful and glorious, and they shall submit with joy to put on his imputed righteousness. His glory, his beauty, his comeliness shall be seen upon them.

3. Observe the command of God to the enlightened Jews: "Arise, shine.", Hitherto they have been sitting on the ground, desolate, in darkness; but when Christ is revealed to them, they shall give life to the dead world, they shall be the lights of a dark world. The word is, "Arise, shine." As Christ rises upon them, so they must rise on the dark world; as Christ shines upon them, so they must reflect his beauty and his brightness all around. Even as the moon, in itself dark and desolate, does not drink in