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their hearts. The smallest portion of it is a peculiar gift bestowed on very fewe; and one which neither men nor devils ever shall deprive them off. Yet God has not chosen them to enjoy a small portion of it, but "to be rich in it:" he would have them "strong in faith, not staggering at any promise"," but "living," both for temporal and spiritual things, altogether "by faith in the Son of God"," fully assured, that all things needful shall be supplied for their bodies', and that all things shall work together for the good of their souls*.

The Levites were not suffered to have any inheritance among their brethren; but the Lord their God was their inheritance'. And this, so far from being a grievance to them, was deemed their highest privilege. Thus privileged are the poor: they have little of this world; but, if they have God for their portion, they are the richest people upon earth.]

2. Their eternal inheritance

[God has provided "a kingdom for them that love him;" a kingdom worthy to be possessed by those, whom God delights to honour. And it is his will that "the poor of this world" should not only aspire after it, but consider themselves as "heirs" to it. While they are destitute, perhaps, of food to eat, or of raiment to put on, he would have them like minors that are heirs to a large estate, who delight to survey the grounds which they are speedily to possess: he would have them survey all the glory of heaven, and say, "That is my patrimony: the instant I attain the age appointed by my Father's will, I shall have a host of angels sent to bear me on their wings to the mansions prepared for me."]

To vindicate the ways of God, we shall proceed to shew,

II. Why he has chosen this portion for them in particular-

That God has chosen this portion for the poor is beyond a doubt

[If the Apostle had only affirmed it, no room would have been left for doubt; but he ventured to appeal even to the rich themselves respecting it, and that too at the very time that he was reproving them for their contempt of the poor; yea, he even grounded the reproof itself upon that very appeal. He could not possibly express more strongly his own persuasion

d Acts xv. 9.

f John iv. 14.

i Matt. vi. 33.

1 Numb. xviii. 20.

e Isai. liii. 1. John xii. 38. Rom. x. 16.
g Rom. iv. 20.
h Gal. ii. 20.

k Rom. viii. 28.

Josh. xiii. 33.

of the truth in question. But it is capable of abundant proof both from Scripture and experience. Who were the people that received the testimony of our blessed Lord? "Did any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe on himm?" Who constituted the great majority of the Church in the apostolic age? St. Paul informs us; "Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are"." And we might appeal to you at this day; Who are they that crowd the churches where the Gospel is preached, notwithstanding they meet with the same contemptuous treatment that the Apostle so justly complains of? Who are they that "receive the word with meekness, and have it engrafted" in their hearts, and exemplified in their lives? are these the rich? A few there may be; but it is "to the poor chiefly that the Gospel is preached"," and it is "the common people that hear it gladly1.”]

Nor are we at a loss to assign reasons for this procedure

[God has thus distinguished the poor, in order to stain the pride of man. Men, if they are exalted above their fellowcreatures in wealth or dignity, are ready to conceive that they are as great in the eyes of God as they are in their own eyes. They think themselves (I had almost said) above God himself: they are too wise to learn of God, and too great to be controlled by him. God therefore pours contempt on them, as they do on him. He will let them see that their possessions or endowments, however great, are not a child's portion, but only as crumbs cast to the dogs. He will render the poor as superior to them in spiritual things, as they are to the poor in temporal things: he will "lift up the beggar from the dunghill, and set him among the princess," while he casts down the mighty from their thrones to the lowest abyss of shame and misery.

Moreover, in thus distinguishing the poor, God further

m John vii. 48.

n 1 Cor. i. 26-28.

• How many will open their pews to a rich or well-dressed person, that would suffer a poor man, however pious or infirm, to "stand" during the whole service, without ever offering him a seat, when they had room enough to accommodate many! Yea, how many rich persons will absent themselves from the ordinances, and lock up their pews, to prevent their being occupied! What would St. James have said to these things? See ver. 2-4, 9.

P Matt. xi. 5.

1 Sam. ii. 30.

9 Mark xii. 37.

s 1 Sam. ii. 8.

designs to magnify the riches of his own grace. If God bestowed his favours principally on the rich, we should be ready to think that they had some peculiar claim upon him, and that his attention to them was no more than their due: or perhaps we should rather conclude, that their superior talents enabled them to unravel the divine mysteries, and to attain heaven by their own unassisted efforts. But when we see the Gospel "hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed to babes," we are constrained to acknowledge the marvellous condescension, and uncontrollable sovereignty, of our God.]

ADDRESS

1. Those who despise the portion that God has chosen

[It is to be lamented that many even among the poor themselves are regardless of the "true riches"." But what madness is it to reject that which would assuage all their present sorrows; and to render themselves infinitely more destitute in the next world than they are in this! O that they would accept the portion that God offers them!

The rich too almost universally despise the Gospel. But how painful will their reflections be in that day when the parable of Dives and Lazarus shall be realized in them! O consider, ye are not excluded; God is willing to bestow the same inestimable blessings upon you. Seek then to be rich in faith, and heaven itself shall be your everlasting inheritance.]

2. Those who desire to possess that portion

[Blessed be God, there are some among the poor that know and enjoy their privileges. But whence is it that they discern what is hid from others? Had they any thing in themselves more than others; "any thing which they have not received?" No*: they would never have chosen God, if God had not first "chosen" them". Let them then adore that grace which has been thus magnified towards them.

Do any of the rich inquire, What shall we do to get a share in this inheritance? Shall we cast away all our riches, and reduce ourselves to poverty? No; there is an infinitely better and safer way; "LOVE GOD." You may give away all your goods, and be nothing profited: but if you "love God, the kingdom is absolutely promised to you." The poor cannot be saved unless they be rich in faith: and you, if you exercise faith and love towards our adorable Saviour, shall also be saved with an everlasting salvation.]

t Matt. xi. 25.

x 1 Cor. iv. 7.

u 2 Cor. vi. 10.

y John xv. 16.

z 1 Cor. xiii. 3. Thrice is this expressly repeated in that fore-cited passage, 1 Cor. i. 26-28.

MMCCCLXIV.

THE LAW OF LIBERTY.

Jam. ii. 12. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

THE law of works contained in the Ten Commandments is continued in force under the Gospel dispensation, as a rule of life. This appears from the frequent reference which is made to it in the New Testament in this particular view. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, when inculcating the duty of love, says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.... for love is the fulfilling of the law." In like manner St. James, condemning an undue respect of persons which had obtained to a great extent in the Christian Church, says, "If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors"." The difference which exists between the Law and the Gospel, is not that the Gospel dispenses with any thing which the law had enjoined, but that it requires the same things in a different manner; the law inculcating them as the means of obtaining life; the Gospel requiring them as the means of honouring God, and of manifesting that life which God has already imparted to the soul. The law in its requirements begets a spirit of bondage: but the Gospel, whilst its requirements are the same, operates as "a law of liberty;" inspiring us with motives of a more ingenuous kind, and at the same time imparting to the believer such powerful assistance as renders obedience easy and delightful. Hence the Apostle, shewing that the conduct which he was reproving was condemned by the Gospel no less than by the law, (for the Gospel itself declares, that "he shall have judgment without mercy, who has shewn no mercy,") entreats the whole Christian Church

a Rom. xiii. 8-10.

b ver. 9.

c ver. 13.

"so to speak, and so to act, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."

Now in these words we see,

I. The true character of the Gospel

It is a law, and has all the force of a law, and must be obeyed on pain of God's heavy displeasure; but it is "a law of liberty:" and this it is,

1. As freeing men from the guilt of sin

[The Gospel proclaims, to all who receive it, pardon and peace. It holds forth a Saviour, who has bought us with his blood, and by the sacrifice of himself has effected our reconciliation with the offended Majesty of heaven. It declares, that "by receiving that Saviour," however guilty we may have been in times past, "we shall have the privilege of becoming the sons of Godd" In this it differs widely from the law: the law knew nothing of pardon: it simply said, "Do this, and live:" and if in one single instance it was violated, all hopes of acceptance by it were destroyed for ever. A certain kind of forgiveness indeed was obtained by the offering of certain sacrifices: but it was only such a measure of it as exempted the person from present punishment, but could never procure acceptance for him in the eternal world; and hence, as "it could never really take away sins," it could " make any man perfect as pertaining to the conscience." Moreover, there were some sins for which no sacrifice whatever could be received. But the Gospel offers a full and everlasting remission from all sins, and declares, that "all who believe, are justified from all things, even from those from which they could never (even in appearance) be justified by the law of Moses." Thus by announcing to the whole world, that "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus," the Gospel may justly be called "A law of liberty."]

2. As freeing men from the power of sin

never

[The promise which the Gospel makes to all who truly receive it, is this; "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace." And, whilst it gives this assurance to its votaries, it imparts to them the power of carrying it into effect. The person who is united unto Christ by faith, is like a scion, which when engrafted into a

d John i. 12.

e Compare ver. 10. with Gal. iii. 10.

f Heb. ix. 9. and x. 1-4. h Rom. viii. 1.

8 Acts xiii. 39.

i Rom. vi. 14.

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