The promise, that he will keep them, is a gracious promise. It is altogether a work of grace, which God hath begun, and will carry on in true believers, until the day of Jesus Christ. Thus the good hope of eternal life, which all penitent believers have, is wholly through divine, free, sovereign Grace. The foundation of it was laid by grace on Christ the precious corner stone; grace carries up the building by the operation of the Holy and Divine Spirit; and when the top stone shall be laid, all the redeemed of the Lord will cry, "Grace, grace, unto it." The discourse will now be closed with two or three Reflections, and a word of Exhortation. 1. There is reason to fear, that very many cherish a false and groundless hope of eternal life. Every good hope of salvation is through grace. All those hopes of future happiness, therefore, which men derive through any other medium, must be delusive. If there are any, who hope they shall be saved, because, in their view, sin does not deserve endless punishment, their hope must be false; for it is not through grace. If sin does not deserve endless punishment; then there can be no grace in exempting mankind from such a punishment. After they shall have been punished as long as they deserve, they may demand deliverance, as matter of justice. The hope of those, who do not believe that men deserve an endless punishment for their sins, is through justice; and essentially different from that good hope, which is through grace. If there be any, who hope they shall be saved, because they think God is so good, that he will not punish any of mankind forever; their hope is groundless. If the goodness of God is of such a nature, that it will not allow him to execute justice; then it must be of such a nature, as to preclude his showing mercy. For mercy cannot pardon those, whom justice might not punish. The hope, therefore, of those, who think God is too good to inflict upon men the penalty of his Law, is not through grace; and is, consequently, a groundless hope. If there be any, who hope they shall be saved, because Christ hath made an atonement for the sins of all men; their hope is groundless. If the atonement, alone, gave any one good ground to hope, it must be, because it took away guilt, or desert of punishment, from all, for whom it was made. But, if the atonement bas taken away the guilt of men, then there can be no grace in their salvation. Those who build their hope upon the atonement simply, have not the good hope, which is through grace; but a delusive hope, derived from an imaginary transfer of the sins of men to Christ. If there be any, who hope they shall be saved, because they have not been so great sinners as some others; they have a false hope. Suppose it be so, that they have not had ability and opportunity to commit so many and so great sins as some others; will this render them undeserving of punishment for the sins they have committed? If it will; then they have no need of grace, but may be saved on the ground of justice. But, all good hope is through Sermon they do make satisfaction for their sins, then their hope is not through grace, but through works. Finally, if there be any, who hope they shall be saved, while -they feel unreconciled to Divine Justice; their hope is manifestly groundless. So long as men feel as if they could not love God, should he do them justice; they never can sincerely ask for mer=cy; and of course, remain strangers to that good hope, which is entirely through Grace. 2. It is easy to see, why those, who have a good hope of salva tion, should be pleased with the The Gospel Doctrines of Grace. is a scheme of Divine Grace ; and hence, the leading and peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, are, with propriety, called DOCTRINES GRACE. OF Such is the doctrine of the total depravity or sinfulness of mankind by nature, which places them in perishing need of Divine Grace; the doctrine of the atonement of Christ, which opened the way for God consistently and honourably to display his Grace upon men; the doctrine of election, which is God's eternal purpose to make as many of mankind, and such individuals, vessels of mercy, as will be consistent with the greatest good; the doctrine of regeneration, which begins the accomplishment of God's gracious purpose of salvation; the doctrine of justification, by faith, through the Grace of God in Christ; and the doctrine of the saint's perseverance, which is owing to a continued work of Divine Grace in the heart. Now, as all good hope is through grace, those, who entertain such a hope, rely wholly upon the Grace of God for pardon and eternal life. Hence they are pleased with all those doctrines, which represent salvation to be entirely of Grace. These doc trines exactly meet the views of Set aside, and, in their view, the ed. 3. To those, whose hope of eternal life is through grace, death is on the whole, a desiraIn itself, ble and happy event. death is ever terrible to nature; but, in its consequences, it is great gain to all those, who have that hope, which is through divine grace. It is a hope, which death cannot destroy. It is a hope which will never fail, or disappoint those who entertain it. Such a hope illuminates the dark valley of the shadow of death. It is an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast, when launching into the Those, who ocean of eternity. have this blessed hope, as soon as absent from the body, are present with the Lord. They pass into glory. They exchange a world of sin and sorrow, for a world of holiness and joy. Let all here present, duly appreciate the inestimable value of a good hope through grace. It is a pearl of great price. Compared with this, worlds will appear like the small dust of the ballance, in a dying hour. This glorious hope is set before you all, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May you all experience that strong consolation,' which those have, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon this hope.' Let none rest secure a moment, till Christ is in them, the hope of glory.' Fear lest a promise being left you, of entershould ing into rest, any of you seem to come short of it. Instead of going about to establish your own righteousness, submit, to the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ. If like the Publican, you plead for mercy; like him you will be justified." It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin FOR THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE. SINNERS WITHOUT EXCUSE FOR NOT lieved the things which were spo ken, and some believed not.” Some were persuaded to embrace the gospel, to the saving of their souls; but others rejected it, to their own destruction. But what not believe, for rejecting the gospel, more than others, who em. braced it? These Jews all had the advantages of the law and the prophetic writings concerning Christ. They were all capable. of understanding the prophecies as explained by the apostle. What reason, then, had one, for rejecting the gospel, more than another? No good reason can be offered. So of sinners at the present day. If those Jews, who rejected Christ had no more reason for rejecting him, than those who embraced the gospel; those sinners, who now turn away their ears from the truth, and despise the offers of mercy, have no more reason for conducting in this manner, than those who secure the salvation of their souls by faith in the divine Redeemer. Hence, we are led to consider the following sentiment:-That one sinner has no more reason for rejecting the gos pel, than another. To establish this sentiment is the object of the following essay. And, After Paul was brought a prisoner to Rome, on account of his appeal unto Cesar, he called to-good reason had those, who did gether the chief of the Jews in that city, and told them the reason why he had been persecuted by his countrymen; and alledged, that for the hope of Israel, he was bound with that chain. "And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee, what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and out of the prophets from morning till evening." So laborious was this faithful servant of God, to convince his brethren that Jesus was the Christ, the Saviour of sinners. He spent the whole of this appointed day, in reasoning with them out of the law and the prophets concerning the Messiah. But though his faithful labours were blessed to the conviction and hopeful conversion of some; they did not have this desirable effect upon all. For, it is written in the following verse, "Some be 1. The gospel as deeply and equally concerns one sinner as another. Sinners all deserve eternal death. They have all transgressed the Law of God, and incurred his just displeasure. So that not a soul can be saved, but by the gospel of Jesus Christ. One sinner can no more be saved but by the gospel, than another. No one has any claim to the favour of God. No one can plead any excuse for sinning against him. Hence, if it were not for the gospel of Jesus Christ, every sinner must go down to eternal perdition. Since, then, all have incurred the just displeasure of God, and no one has any claim to his favour; but God has been pleased to provide a ransom for the remission of sins; the gospel of Jesus Christ must deeply, and equally concern every sinner of the human race. For the Lord Jesus Christ "is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "And there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.-Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." The invita tion is made to the aged and the young; the high and the low; the rich and the poor; the learned and the ignorant; the popular and the despised; the prince and the beggar. How then can one sinner think himself excluded, more than another? Have they not heard? have they not seen? Yea, verily, their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world." 3. Provision is made in the gospel for one sinner as well as another. If not, the indiscriminate offers of the gospel must be inconsistent. But Christ would not be so inconsistent as to offer 2. The gospel offers salvation to one sinner, as well as to anoth-salvation to those, for whom no er. The grand commission of our Saviour to his ministers is, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." And he says, "Whoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.-Look anto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth." These invitations are indiscriminate and unconditional. They extend to any sinner in a state of probation. Hence, the invitation of the gospel must be made to one sinner, as well as another. No one can say, The invitation is not to me. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye 66 provision is made. Hence, he declares, that his oxen and his fatlings are killed, and that all things are now ready. The most ample provision is made for every sinner, who will accept the invitation, When the servant who was sent into the streets and lanes of the city, to invite guests to the marriage-feast, returned, he said, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded; and yet there is room." Christ spoke this parable, to represent the ample provision of the gospel-feast. The provision of the gospel, then, is made for one sinner as well as another; and no one has any right to say, There is no room for me.-But perhaps some one may say, I know the provisions of the gospel are vastly extensive, and that yet there is room; but as for me, the greatness and multitude of my sins must forever prevent my tasting the marriage-supper. But the greatness and mul titude of your transgressions afford not the least excuse, but powerful reason why you should immediately embrace the gospel. Did you ever know or hear of an individual's being rejected on account of the greatness or number of his transgressions; did not God pardon Manasseh, who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood? Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the church of Christ; and who declared himself to be the very chief of sinners ? and did not Christ say to the penitent thief, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise? Why, then, shall any sinner say, There is no provision for me; because my sins are exceedingly great and numerous ? Such pleas and excuses mock the atonement of Christ, and the provision of the gospel which he has spread. Provision is made in the gospel, then, for one sinner, as well as another. For " yet there is room." saved." It is just as certain, that every sinner, who embraces the gospel will escape hell, and be received to heaven, as that Christ has made an atonement for sin. or that God will remain true and faithful. The consequence d embracing the gospel, then, is the same to one sinner as to another. 5. The consequence of rejecting the gospel is the same to on: sinner as to another. The conse quence of rejecting the gospel is, eternal death. This is the conse quence to every individual, without discrimination. No sinner, who rejects the gospel, can escape the wrath of Almighty God. Sinners may flatter themselves with the hope of safety; they may make a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell: but, thus saith the Lord, "Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand." The Lord Jesus Christ has declared, "He that believeth not, shall be damned." In the day of judgment, that awful day of final decision, the Son of Man will say unto all those who have rejected the gospel, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."-" And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." How, then, can any sinner, who rejects the gospel, expect to escape the dreadful consequences? Can any one suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ will be found a liar at the last great day? Can any one suppose that God will not execute the sentence of his violated law? Be not 6. 4. The consequence of embracing the gospel is the same to one sinner as to another. The consequence of embracing the gospel is, freedom from eternal punishment, and the inheritance of everlasting life. "He that believeth shall be saved." In the last day of decision, the Lord Jesus Christ will say unto all those who have embraced the gospel, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Whoever embraces the gospel, shall surely escape death, and seeure eternal felicity. These consequences are the same to every individual. No one may say, I deceived. God will surely pour shall not escape death, or be re- out the vials of his wrath, forceived into the mansions of bless-ever, upon all those who reject edness, if I embrace the gospel. the gospel of Jesus Christ. The For God, who cannot lie, says to consequence of rejecting the gosevery sinner under the light of the pel, then, must be the same to gospel," Believe on the Lord one sinner as to another. Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 6. It is the immediate duty of |