SERMON II.

THE GOSPEL THE BEST MIRROR TO EXHIYIT THE

GLORY OF GOD.

According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God. 1ST TIM. 1 CHAP. 11 VER.

Natural divinity revealeth the God of Creation and Providence; and man's conscience and reason testify that there is a God. Because that which may be known of God is manifest to them, for that God hath shewed it unto them. For the visible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse for their ignorance of God, and their idolatry, for the brightness of the glory of the Deity was shining strongly and so weighty on their consciences; but they did not glorify God according to the light that was given them, therefore they could not love him, nor be thankful unto him.

The first part of Paul's sermon in Athens was founded on natural divinity. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, to the unknown God. Whom, therefore, ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the

earth, and natn determined the times before appointeu, and the bounds of their habitations; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being; he has made us, and not we ourselves. It is he that supports us in our actions, presides over our motions, and inspects our several conditions. By the light of natural divinity a man may be terrified so much as to ask a thousand questions relative to his state and condition; but the four oracles of nature, creation, providence, conscience, and reason, are not able to answer one of them. The light of nature leaves every man with the deists, in the land of asking questions full of doubts and fears; but the mys tery which had been hid for ages, and from generations, is now made manifest to the saints relative to the salvation of lost and perishing sinners, through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Son of God. Our under. standings being darkened, our wills perverse, and our affections carnal, the light of nature and the power of reason, however excellent, are infinitely too short to be the rule of our life and conduct; neither can they be our directory to the fountain of life and happiness. God, therefore, of his infinite mercy, has given us his word, which is the only rule of faith and practice, by which we ought to live, and by which we shall be judged in the last day; by which our fears are dispelled, and the all important questions relative to the way of obtaining the favor of our offended God, are most satisfactorily answered.

The christian's hope of glory is founded entirely on the atonement of Christ, and the influences of the Holy Spirit. Divine revelation, though infinitely above human reason, does not in the least oppose it. It is so far from being contrary to reason, that we might

truly say, nothing is more reasonable than a revelation from God to man. We know it is possible, for there can be no impossibility on the part of God to impart, and there is no impossibility on the part of man to receive such a revelation, God is able to communicate his will, in any way he pleases. He can stamp it on the minds of men, and make them sensible, that it is he who speaks unto them. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. We ought therefore, to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Is the gospel the truth of God or not? much has been written on this question. The arguments that have been advanced to prove the important truth that the Bible is the word of God, have not been answered, neither can they be overthrown by all the sceptics in the world.

The revelation of the method of salvation, was first given in the garden of Eden, to our first Parents; since that period great talents have been employed (that were worthy of a better cause) in ridiculing the Bible, and its author, but to very little purpose. The character of the Book of God stands firm as a mountain in the midst of the thick gathered clouds, and the boisterous storms of opposition from the infidel; and shines brighter than gold tried in the furnace of the blasphemies of deists; while the theoretical and practical unbelievers, with all their presumptuous taunts, and talented opposition to the word of the Lord, wither as grass, and the flowers of the field, and sink into eternal darkness. The chief wisdom and deepest sagacity in the world, the religion of the world, the vices and virtues of the world, and all the powers of the world combined with the demons of dam

of the firmament, the fingres of the eternal power are evidently see in the sun moon and stars. also bears the image of its blessed Author. I real, and meditate upon it I can see,

The Bible Every time

"Eternity with its flaming eye gazing upon me.'

To me it unfolds the mysteries of the eternal world; it opens the doors, the windows, and the chambers of eternity; and informs me who made and supports the "un verse." It leads me to the spring and original cause of all things; and places me immediately before the ‚ eyes of the eternal God; so that I find myself both kii. led and made alive;—most dreadfully oppressed, and set at perfect liberty :—melted down in the valley of repent“ance and humiliation, and lifted up on the top of Pisgah, rejoicing in the God of my salvation;-full of fears and full of joy, feeling as though I wanted to hide myself, and at the same time wishing to abide in the light of his countenance forever.

Methinks I can see omnisciency, as a divine'eye, in every chapter, in every doctriae, and in every ordinance of the Gospel, gazing upon me, and searching me torou by, so that I en`i 'e nothing from him: light and darkness are both alike unto him. The Bible has giver me a true representation of myself, even the inmost secrets of my heart, before and after I tasted of the grace of God. Futurity is clear light before the Book of the Lord. It could look forward for some hundreds of years, and see such small things as the gall that was mingled with the drink, and the lot that was cast upon the vestire of Jesus, who fulfilled all things that was written in the Psalms and the Prophets concerning him. There is something so wonderful in this penetrating eye, which makes me confess against myself, my sins unto the Lord, and to cry out for a new heart and a right

spirit within me, and to wash me in the blood of the Lamb, that I might be whiter than snow.

When I meditate under a feeling sense of the corrup. tion of my nature, and see the tops of the dark moun tains of afflictions, and the terrors of the grave; there I see infinite goodness, with an eye more cheerfulthan the Shekina of old, looking upon me from the con fines of eternity, as the smiles of the immortal King, from the throne of Grace. Sovereign love, infinite merit, rich mercy and boundless grace, constrain me to gaze upon it, and listen to the still small voice that fol lows, till I am lifted up upon my feet, from the cave of despair, at the foot of the dark mountain, to hear the proclamation of the mysteries of the upper court, sound. ing with great power and energy, Behold, I come in the volume of the Book that was written of me, to suf fer, bleed and die, for sinners; to seek and to save that which was lost.

Holiness, justice, purity, truth, and hatred to sin; like so many flaming eyes of consuming fire gaze upen me from the yery heart of the doctrine of the Bible; as from the fire of Sinai, to the children of Israel, or the great I AM from the flaming bush, that make me fear and tremble, at the same time wishing to behold the brilliancy of that glory, which is so much tempered with mercy. I take off my shoes and crawl upon my hands and knees to behold it. I cannot live in sin while

this eye is upon me. Here the eternal power with one hand hides me under the shade of mortal wounds, and with the other hand showing me his glory as the Just and Holy God, while freely justifying all them that believe in Jesus, In the doctrine of the Bible, I see the eternal power like the eyes of God himself, as a twoedged sword, without asking my leave, it penetrates even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of