How awful is the

would be a dreadful evil. vengeance of the Most High! Yet how justly due to sin! How terrible! And yet how righteous! All should say, Amen!

1. We learn from these transactions on Mount Ebal, The utter impossibility of acceptance with God on the footing of personal obedience. This is Paul's inference. See Gal. iii. 10. It is impossible that the law should justify its transgressor. It cannot accept the obedience of a sinner. Nothing less than perfect righteousness can entitle a man to eternal life. Therefore,

2. We infer, the necessity of a Redeemer to deliver from the curse of the broken law. So Paul, Gal. iii. 13. Nor could this have been done but by one of infinite dignity, and infinite compassion; whose obedience unto death could magnify the law, and satisfy the justice of God; answering fully by his sufferings, every end that should otherwise have been answered by ours.

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3. We fairly deduce from hence, the infinite obligations of believers to the Saviour.-Surely they are his property, and not their own; are bound to love him, and live to him; are not without law unto God, but under the law unto Christ." They are redeemed from the curse, but redeemed from all iniquity also; and bound by stronger ties than ever, to obedience.

4. Learn in what way believers should show their gratitude. -Sanctified but in part, yet conscious that sinless conformity to the divine will is justly due, we may expect to find them humbled under a sense of infinite blame. Theirs must be a life of self-loathing, justifying God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness; watching, praying, wrestling, fighting against sin, must be the life of the Christian. While daily experience increases his dependence on free grace; and at last he dies "looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ."

5. We must infer the certain and awful ruin of them that abide under the curse.-If Christ be rejected, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. They who will not see the evil of sin in his sufferings, must feel it in their own. Deut. vii. 10. "He repayeth them that hate him." xxxii. 41. "If I whet my glittering sword," &c. xxix. 19, 20. "The Lord will not

spare him," &c. Ezek. xxii. 14. "Can thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong," &c.

6. May I take the liberty to add, that to me it appears of great importance, that ministers should preach the law in subserviency to the gospel?-I feel no disposition to dictate to my brethren. I would neither make a man an offender for a word, nor for the want of a word; or oblige others to weigh out divine truth by my scales, or to administer it exactly in my proportion. But I should feel very guilty myself, if I omitted these subjects; and had rather undergo the reproach of being a legal preacher from men, than the reproach of my own conscience for omitting them.

I am fully persuaded, That as far as means are concerned, there is nothing so well adapted to kill a self-righteous spirit, as a thorough conviction of the extent, spirituality, perfection, and immutability of the divine law. I can put no other sense on the words of the Apostle: "I, through the law, am dead to the law." A conviction of its spirituality killed all illegal hope in him; and a conviction of its equity killed all desire of justifying himself. If we could hurry men into a superficial assent to salvation by grace, while unconvinced of the justice of God in the condemnation of sinners, they would easily give it up, or else abuse it. But did not Paul complain of some who desired to be teachers of the law? Yes, of those who understood neither what they said, nor whereof they affirmed; "but we know, (said he,) that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." Now, I conceive, that we make a legitimate use of the law, when we endeavour thereby to lead men into the knowledge of sin, and of the absolute need of a Saviour and a Sanctifier; and also when we use it to teach believers how to depart from iniquity, and adorn the gospel.

The generality of those who have encouraged a selfrighteous spirit, have either laid a stress on mere forms and ceremonies, or at least have taught a very partial morality; talking superficially of justice and mercy, but omitting walking humbly with God. "I am afraid of you, (said Paul,) lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain." Why so? Because you listen to preachers who insist on human

obligation, and the perfection of the divine law? who say it is a great sin not to love God supremely, and your neighbour as yourself? Nay-But "ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." Ye are entangled with the yoke of bondage to those ceremonies, which, to the ancient Jewish believers, were figures of good things to come; the substance of which is in Christ, but which the unbelieving Jews abused, by putting the type in the room of the antitype.

VII.

IMPLICIT SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE WILL.

1 SAM. iii. 16.

It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.

THE person who first used this expression was indeed as defective a character as most of the true saints, whose lives are recorded in sacred history; and yet there are some striking evidences of his disinterested affection to God and his cause. He used the language of the text, when a most awful reproof was sent him, by the mouth of a child, who had a great respect and affection for him, and was used to wait upon him. It discovers singular meekness, humility, and submission; and shows that he was truly pious and penitent, though he had not, now in his infirm age, sufficient courage, vigour, or authority, to call his sons to account. He had neglected exerting himself properly before, and been criminally mild in his treatment of these wicked men, who now would set him at defiance. But if a sense of the divine and righteous sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness, could thus constrain him, to submit implicitly to the will of God, conscious that he could do nothing wrong; how much more ought it to reconcile us to those dispensations of providence, which, while they thwart our natural inclinations, are really promoting our present and future happiness. Let us then notice,

FIRST, The considerations on which our implicit submission should be grounded." It is Jehovah."

His infinite dignity and supreme dominion render it reasonable. Not merely yielding to necessity, as knowing resistance would be unavailing; but realizing the supreme dominion of one worthy to possess it. The throne is his by right. His infinite understanding prohibits all suspicion of mistake. His infinite power places him out of the reach of all temptHe has nothing to fear, nothing to gain. What then should influence him to act contrary to the nature and fitness of things, with which he must be infinitely well acquainted? He must know himself, and know his own creatures. And there is no other being.

ation.

The entire dependence of all creatures upon God. They live, and are moved in him; they had their being, and every power and faculty from him; they possess nothing but what he has given them; and they continue to possess it by his will. The more they have, the more do they depend upon him for. A stone, for existence; a tree, for vegetable life; a brute, for animal life; man, for rational life; angels, for superior power. Gabriel has as much more dependence on God than an oyster, as he has more being.

Consider the just responsibility of creatures.-Absolute dependence cannot destroy responsibility, but is the very foundation of it. They to whom God has given all, owe their all to him; and if they have any capacity to know him, understand his will, enjoy him, and intentionally promote his glory, they must be bound to do so. He cannot deny himself, nor give intelligent creatures leave to do so with impunity. Nor is he indifferent to their conduct towards each other. Were he indifferent to their conduct, he must be indifferent to their happiness: but he is not regardless of either. ii. 30.

The moral excellence of Jehovah's character shows this. -God is love, glorious in holiness, venerable in praises. He duly appreciates both his own glory, and the happiness of his creatures; has an infinite love to all that is right, and a proportionable hatred of sin; cannot behold iniquity with a favorable eye; will not suffer the obedient to be finally unhappy, nor the wicked finally to prosper. He can indeed pardon sin, but it shall be only in a way worthy of himself: so as to express his utter abhorrence of it, while he

forgives it. And he will subdue, as well as pardon, the iniquities of all whom he saves. He will also make it apparent that he is self-moved in the exercise of his mercy; and not induced to bestow salvation on those whom his law had condemned, from regard to any good quality, or good deed of theirs.

Consider moreover, the universal extent of his providence. -To all his creatures, in all places of his dominion; to all mankind, and all their concerns; all the events of life, the issues of death, the eternal states of man. He will decide on every character, and fix every one's final destiny.

Consider the wise reasons of his conduct.-These may not always be obvious to us, especially if we are destitute of a right spirit. But in numberless instances, his infinite wisdom has been displayed; he has often overruled the most mysterious events for wise purposes; and he deserves that we should trust him implicitly, though he gives us no account of his matters. At last, the wisdom of his plans shall fully appear to all his friends.

Consider the obligations we are under to sovereign mercy, if we have been brought into a state of reconciliation to God. Has he chosen us, called us, forgiven us, accepted us, preserved us, enabled us to hold on thus far? Has he chastened us as a man chastens a beloved child, far less than we deserve, and with a direct view to our profit? Oh, how should this affect us! Let us notice,

SECONDLY, The extent to which submission should be carried. Where will you bound it? Should we not in every case say, Let him do what seemeth good in his sight."?

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He is worthy that we should justify him, against all his final enemies.-This must not be abused to the neglect of present duty, nor to prevent a deep and earnest concern for the salvation of others, especially those whom God has committed to our care. If God's decrees do not lessen your desire to have them rich, shall they lessen your anxiety to have them saved? But still the honor of God, and the will of God, when fully made known, require a preference to every other consideration. Lev. x. 3.