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Gofpel, he adds, Many shall run to and fro, and know

ledge shall be increased *.

11. THESE teftimonies fufficiently prove what our Lord afferts, namely,-That his Gospel fhall be preached to all nations; fo that all the ends of the earth fhall fee the falvation of God. How, or when, God may be pleased to fulfil his great deûgns, is a matter which we cannot determine. Wife and good men have been herein much mistaken in their conjectures, and, therefore, it is not for us to know the times, and the seasons, which the Father hath referved in his own power.-A Meffiah was expected, and, by many, much defired; but the manner of his coming was fo contrary to the general notions of the Jews, that when he came, they neither knew him, nor would they receive him! hence, though he came to his own, yet his own received him not, + but oppofed him with all their power.

12. No wonder, then, that we should be ignorant of the time and manner, how or when the Almighty will bring about fo great a revolution as that which the Scriptures fo largely speak of, and which has been the principal fcope of this difcourfe. God hath faid it, and he will not fail to make it good. There were many Prophecies concerning the out-pouring of the Spirit; and yet we find they were but very little understood, not even by the Jews; no, nor even by the Difciples; nay, it seems as if Peter did not fully understand

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derftand the words which he uttered on the day of Pentecoft, when he faid, The promife is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call *. For when he was commanded to go to the house of Cornelius, he made many objections, as doubting whether he should go to preach to any that were not Jews; and hence, when he was better convinced, he acknowledged his error, faying, that God had taught him not to call any man common or unclean +. So fhort-fighted are the best of men till God teaches them better ;-therefore we muft believe what God has faid, though we cannot comprehend how it shall be done. Here, we walk by faith, and, by faith, we must receive the promises, seeing it is that which gives glory to God. There are but very few things which reafon can comprehend, even in common life-much less the secret chains of his unsearchable providences. I have pointed out what appears the most probable from the living oracles; and farther than this we cannot go. The fall of Antichrift, the chaining of the Dragon, and Wars and Fightings ceafing, are happy forerunners, and seem to pave the way for the sweet meffage to be founded to the ends of the earth. The many late difcoveries made by navigation, and the enlarging intercourse in distant nations, feem to open the way for fpreading the balmy found, even as far as the dire disease hath spread.

13. Now

* A&ts ii. 39.

† Ibid x. 28.

13. Now what have we to do, but to pray for the accomplishment of this great event, and to use all the means in our power for propagating the bleffed Gofpel-either by preaching, conversation, spreading useful books, or contributing to the preaching of the Gofpel in dark and diftant parts. Several laudable attempts of this fort have been set on foot during these fifty years by past; and, one would hope, they are happy beginnings of good times, and will increase more and

more.

14. LET us, who profess Religion, fhew that we are not profeffors only, but that there is some reality in it, and that it is not a cunningly-devised fable, but the power of God to an endless life. In general, it feems as if people must be wrought upon more by their senses than their understandings; hence abstract reasoning feldom answers the end in religion; fo that few will make the diftinction between religion and fuch as profess the fame. There may be a Judas, a Simon Magus, an Anannias and Saphira, yet what is all that to the purpose? The foundation ftandeth fure-and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Let all unite in crying out,—

Let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven. Yes, gracious Lord, To Thee let all the nations flow,

Let all obey the Gospel word;
Let all their bleeding Saviour know,
Fill'd with the glory of the Lord.

SERMON

SERMON V.

The general out-pouring of the Spirit.

JOEL . 28.

I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh.

WE

E commonly find the most awful threatenings contrasted with fweet and encouraging promifes. To give particular inftances of this would be to quote a great part of the Old Teftament, especially the Prophecies. This fhort Prophecy is a proof hereof: Can any threatenings be more dreadful, or more general, than the threatenings in this and the preceding Chapter ?-In the former, an univerfal famine is fpoken of, infomuch, that the labour of the husbandmen, and the vine-dreffers, would utterly fail, and all ranks of people, flocks and herds, fhould feel the terrible effects thereof. The rivers are dried up; and the paftures of the wildernefs are confumed by fcorching heat. A dreadful army is likewife to invade them, exceedingly fierce, fo that they fhew no mercy; exceedingly strong and powerful,, fo that there is no refifting; remarkably fwift, fo that there is no efcaping them; and, confequently, no refuge, no remedy from

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any quarter. Every thing proclaims ruin and desolation; fuch terrible vengeance is awakened to plead against rebellious worms, and vindicate the injured rights of the long provoked Majesty of Heaven.

NOT only these earthly calamities, but the heavens cast a dismal, frowning afpect, in like manner; as if heaven and earth were all combined against tranfgreffors. Hence it is faid, The earth shall quake before them; the heavens fhall tremble: the fun and the moon fhall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining : The Lord fhall utter his voice before his army; for his camp is very great: for he is ftrong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great, and very terrible; and who can abide it? * Thus, we fee, he whets his glittering fword, and his right hand takes hold on vengeance, fo that he may render recompence unto his adverfaries.

BUT, to fhew that ftill mercy is well mingled with juftice, and that grace doth more than fin abound, he directs them into the way of confeffing and forfaking fin, that they may obtain mercy. This he orders his fervants to proclaim, in the most public manner, so that both priests and people may take a fhare in the general mourning; fo will the Lord be jealous for his land, and he will pity his people +. Thus, we find, there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared; and not only feared, but fupremely loved. Then the Lord breaks out with a chain of great and precious promiles;

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