wages of sin is death, yet, eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus God can be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. Sin is completely pardoned, and yet utterly condemned, and completely discountenanced. Thou Lord hast promised eternal life to every one who believes, and cordially falls in with thy plan of redemption. He will in nowise cast out any that come unto God by him. And well may we believe his invitations and promises! Thou, Lord, art so dignified,

being the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth. He is Immanuel, God manifest in the flesh. The brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person. Thou art so authorized, having come on this kind errand with thy Father's perfect concurrence, being sent and sealed by him; attested by him. Thou hast done and suffered so much to procure eternal life for sinners; hast perfectly fulfilled the law, and become obedient unto death; hast shown supreme love to God, and such disinterested love to man, at one time, and in the same act, in laying down thy life for thy sheep. Thou art so gracious and so faithful. The chief of sinners need not hesitate at returning to God in his name; he will receive them, and will keep them to the last day. Thou hast taken possession of heaven for us. Thou art appointed to judge the world at last. How safely may we depend on such a Saviour!

His words have been proved to be the words of eternal life, by the strongest evidence. By their effect on the conscience, filling it with peace, producing purity of heart, holiness of life, peace in death.

Without knowing the words of eternal life, how can any man enjoy even present happiness? Worldly riches, honors, pleasures, cannot give it. And surely any one would look in vain to his own righteousness; in vain to any other mediator! O come, as a lost sinner to Jesus; for he, and he alone, has the words of eternal life.

LXXVI.

DEPRAVITY THE CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE. JOHN viii. 43.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

WE are assured, that even they who were sent to apprehend the blessed Jesus, avowed, when they returned to their employers, that never man spake as he spake; and yet multitudes heard him in vain! Heard him and disregarded him, misunderstood him, murmured at him, and rejected him and his doctrine! Where then did the fault lie? Not in him, but in them, you will all allow. And though the best preachers of his gospel will not affirm that they are thus free from all fault or defect; yet, wherever the same truths are faithfully declared, those who reject them will be found to have been influenced chiefly by the like causes which induced the hearers of the Saviour to reject him.

The truth does not suit the carnal heart. Hence the opposition made to both law and gospel: the former indeed, is alarming, the latter encouraging. But they that disregard the former are seldom influenced by mere dread; they do not often realize the truth enough to produce it: and when we come to exhibit the latter, its humiliating import is nearly as disgusting as the terrors of the law; nor is its suitableness to our condition sufficient to reconcile the unrenewed heart to admit it sincerely and without reserve. An evil heart is the great source of infidelity, and an unwillingness to return to God causes sinners to reject the Saviour, who would restore them both to the divine favor, and the divine image; who would secure them from condemnation, but bring them back to voluntary subjection. "Mercy becomes as offensive as justice, when offered on such terms as contradict the reigning unholiness of the soul. We learn,

FIRST, There are many, who, though they enjoy the best means of instruction, yet do not understand the language and doctrine of Christ.

They do not understand what he has spoken respecting the extensive claims of the divine law. On this our Lord

insisted most expressly. Matt. xxii. 37-40. Justifying its demands of the whole heart for God, and its requiring disinterested love to mankind. But most men think it enough to abstain from profaneness, or to comply with external worhip, without much sensible gratitude, and without any cordial esteem for God's moral character, delight in him, zeal for his glory, or devotedness to his service. And as to their fellow-men, if they do not injure others, if they love those who love them, are kind to a little circle around them, and yield to the impulse of sympathy when objects of distress fall immediately under their notice, they think this enough. Not so our Lord. Luke x. 29-37. Matt. v. 44-48.

They do not understand what he has said of the great evil of sin. Being blind to the glory of God, they see not the greatness of their obligations, nor the evil of violating them. They condemn gross immoralities, and are sensible enough of injuries offered by others to themselves, or of their neglect of duty towards them. But the evil of their own sins, of sin as it is against God, of heart sins, they do not understand; especially not so as to admit that every transgression, deviation, or defect, deserves the divine displeasure; that the wages of sin is death; and that they are justly liable to the curse of the divine law, and exposed to everlasting punishment.

They do not understand what our Lord has said respecting the impossibility of a sinner's justifying himself. He taught, that nothing short of perfect obedience can satisfy the requirements of the law; nor can any suffering, less than the full penalty, compensate for transgression. Repentance itself, even if sincere, can do nothing towards it. They that trust in their own righteousness are blinded by pride, and are some of the farthest from the kingdom of God.

They do not understand what he has said of the need of his atonement. He himself said that he came to seek and save the lost, to give himself a ransom for many. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John the Baptist pointed to him as the "Lamb of God, who taketh

"I am the way,

away the sin of the world." He affirmed, the truth, and the life." "I am the good Shepherd, the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." "I am that bread of life." "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." "God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him may not perish, but have everlasting life.” Many said this was a hard saying, and murmured at it.

They do not understand what he said of the necessity of of the new birth. John iii. 3-7. They are not aware how entirely man is perverted and depraved, and consequently see not the need of his being converted and renewed. Reformation may be needful for some, but they will not admit that regeneration is needful for all. They know not how far man is from God, and how averse to return. And therefore understand not.

They understand not his doctrine of the sovereignty of divine grace. Nothing gave more violent offence to the Jews than this doctrine. Luke iv. 25-28. Yet if sinners are so guilty, that nothing but an atonement of infinite value could render their salvation consistent with the divine honor; and are so depraved, that nothing but Almighty grace can induce them to obey the most righteous commands, or comply with the kindest invitations, or make them willing to repent and embrace the gospel; surely God has a right to be gracious to whom he will.

They understand not his speech concerning the necessity of self-denial and bearing the cross. To cease from their. own wisdom; not to lean to their own understandings; but, renouncing all pre-conceived prejudices, sit down at his feet; to abjure all self-righteousness, and glory only in the cross; to deny self-will, and distrust our own strength; bowing to Christ's yoke, fighting under his banner; to own him as Prophet, Priest, and King, and encounter all opposition for his sake;—all this seems a hard requisition.

They understand not the tendency of the doctrine of grace to promote holiness. That through the law, we are dead

to the law, and yet live to God; that we renounce selfrighteousness, and yet yield new obedience; that we are crucified with Christ, and yet live; and feel the love of Christ constrain us. All this surpasses their comprehension.

They understand not what he has said of the nature of heavenly happiness. Not sensual, not selfish, all pure and holy. To see God, enjoy God, be conformed to him, serve him. All delight in each other's happiness, as if it were their own. We learn,

SECONDLY, That the reason why men do not understand the language of Christ, is because their sinful disposition lays them under a moral inability to hearken to his words. No obscurity or indecision in the divine Teacher, nor want of sufficient plainness and clearness in his words, is the Nor were the hearers destitute of mental pow

cause.

ers, &c.

But,

One who has no holy bias, no divine taste, cannot tell how to admit the justice of the divine claims and requirements; the truth of the divine charges; or the need and glory of the divine plan of reconciliation.

He cannot bear to admit that all his idols are worthless, compared with the living and true God, the great source of being and blessedness. Or that he is infinitely to blame for disregarding the divine glory, and disobeying the divine will.

He that is under the dominion of sinful selfishness, cannot bear to be required to treat every possible subject of the divine goodness, as if his happiness was of as much value as his own.

He that is under the dominion of sin cannot bear to hear that he is justly condemned, and is unable to make any compensation for his transgressions; or that sin is infinitely odious to God, and deserves his wrath and curse, and that all his best works are defective, and deeply contaminated with sin.

He who is unwilling to admit that he himself is worthy of death, cannot perceive any need of Christ's dying for him; he cannot see the necessity or propriety of Christ's mediation; or of salvation through a surety and a sacrifice of