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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/17122.txt b/17122.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f210b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/17122.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6065 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Twenty-Four Short Sermons On The Doctrine +Of Universal Salvation, by John Bovee Dods + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Twenty-Four Short Sermons On The Doctrine Of Universal Salvation + +Author: John Bovee Dods + +Release Date: November 21, 2005 [EBook #17122] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWENTY-FOUR SHORT SERMONS *** + + + + +Produced by Sperry J. Russ + + + + + +TWENTY-FOUR SHORT SERMONS ON THE DOCTRINE OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION + +By John Bovee Dods Pastor of the First Universalist Society, in +Taunton, Massachusetts. + +Boston: Printed By G. W. Bazin....Trumpet Office 1832. + +******************************************************************** + +SERMON I + +"What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days that he may +see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; +depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm +xxxiv:12-14. + +Self-preservation and the desire of protracting the momentary span of +life is the first principle of our nature, or is at least so +intimately interwoven with our constitution as to appear inherent. So +powerful is this desire, that in defiance of pain and misery, it +seldom quits us to the last moments of our existence. To endeavor to +lengthen out our lives is not only desirable, but is a duty enjoined +upon us in the scriptures, and is most beautifully and forcibly +expressed in our text. + +We might here introduce many observations of a philosophical character +on _air_ and _climate, meat_ and _drink, motion_ and _rest, sleeping_ +and _watching, &c._ and show how sensibly they contribute to health; +and we might furnish many examples of long life, but we pass these, +and proceed to notice the affections of the mind upon which our text +is grounded. + +The due regulation of the passions contributes more to health and +longevity than climate, or even the observance of any course of diet. +Our Creator has so constituted our natures, that _duty, health, +happiness_ and _longevity_ are inseparably blended in the same cup. To +suppress, and finally subdue all the passions of malice, anger, envy, +jealousy, hatred and revenge, and to exercise (till they become +familiar) all the noble passions of tenderness, compassion, love, hope +and joy, is a duty that heaven solemnly enjoins upon us, and in the +performance of which our years will be multiplied. But we must guard +not only our moral natures from the ravages of the corroding and +revengeful passions, but also our physical natures by observing the +strictest rules of temperance in _eating, drinking, cleanliness_ and +_exercise_. + +The book of God commands us to "be temperate in all things." The +observance of this duty gives us a firm constitution, robust health, +and prepares us to participate in all the innocent and rational +enjoyments of life. Here we may witness the goodness of the Divine +Being in uniting our duty, happiness and interest in one; and so +firmly are they wedded together, and so absolutely does each depend +upon the other that they cannot exist alone. They are alike laid in +ruins the moment they are separated. If we trace this idea still +further, we witness the same wise arrangement, and the same +incomprehensible skill and goodness of the Author of our being in the +constitution of our mental natures. In these also he has wholly united +our duty, happiness and longevity in one. Jesus says, "Love your +enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and +pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye +may be the children of your Father in heaven." Paul says--"Let all +bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put +away from you, with all malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender +hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath +forgiven you." + +Here then is our duty plainly pointed out. If we will exercise this +spirit of benignity to our enemies, subdue all our revengeful +passions, and indulge a spirit of love and friendship, of meekness and +cheerfulness towards our friends and neighbors, we shall not only be +happy as our natures can bear, not only revel in all the rational +enjoyments this life can impart, but we shall in the common course of +providence live to old age. All those, with very few exceptions, who +have lived to 80, 90, and 100 years, have been remarked for their +equanimity. They were mild spirited, kind, cheerful, and of such a +temperament, that neither misfortune, nor any outward circumstances, +that agitated the world, could disturb their heaven-born repose. + +Thus we see that the path of duty, enjoined in the sacred scriptures, +is not only the path of peace and joy, but conducts to a good old age. +The goodness of the Divine Being is most strikingly exemplified in +uniting health and temperance, happiness and longevity, and our duty +to our fellow creatures, all in one. + +Long life and good days, however, depend more upon the state of our +minds than upon almost any other circumstance. He who lives in fear +and trouble arising from any cause whatever; whether from +contemplation of endless misery in the future world, or from the +apprehension that his earthly prospects will be blasted and his +fortune laid in ruins--or if he is continually involved in quarrels, +broils and tumults with his neighbors, has but little prospect of +living to old age, and certainly no hope of seeing good days. He is in +a constant hell. Here then we see the beauty and propriety of our +text: "What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he +may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking +guile; depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." + +The first _condition_ for a long life is, "keep thy tongue from evil +and thy lips from speaking guile." But the question arises, in what +sense can the violation of that _condition_ have any effect upon the +length of life? The answer is at hand--the slanderer is ever a busy +body in other men's matters. He is secretly endeavoring to injure his +neighbors. He circulates falsehoods about them from house to house. +One and another hears the reports put into circulation. They call upon +the author for an explanation of his conduct. Involved in trouble, +arising from fear, guilt and mortification, he tells a thousand +falsehoods to clear up one. All this preys upon his inmost vitals, +while perhaps with another, whom he has slandered, he is involved in a +quarrel, and it terminates in a settled hatred; and a third case +becomes an incurable distemper of rancour and revenge. Here is a man +who by slander has rendered his existence wretched. He is like the +troubled ocean whose waters find no rest. + +There is but little hope of his reaching the common age of man. +Instead of seeing good days he is walking in the regions of night and +wo. Says the wise man, "where there is no fuel the fire goeth out, so +where there is no tattler, strife ceaseth." Yes, "where there is +envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work." + +Violent anger excites powerfully the caloric in the human system, +boils the blood, and in this state throws it suddenly upon the brain. +The powerful shock propels it instantly to the exterior surface, and +torrent-like contracts it back again in redoubled fury upon the brain, +and leaves the countenance pale and ghastly. It deranges in a great +measure the mind, and unfits it for useful action. It darts its +electric fire of vengeance along the optic nerve, expands the retina, +and gives to every object a magnified and false appearance, while the +very eye-balls by a wild and savage glare proclaim the dreadful storm +that is raging within, and pouring the poisonous streams of premature +death through all the healthful channels of existence! It suddenly +braces the nervous system, and then on the opposite extreme leaves it +depressed and weakened. It gradually brings on rheumatic complaints, +and lays the whole system open to the most formidable and painful +disorders that afflict the human race. It cannot have escaped medical +observation that fevers and consumptions are much more frequent among +persons who are very irritable and exercise little or no rule over +their passions, than among those who are of a mild temperament, either +naturally, or from early restraint and education. + +There is a connexion between the mind and the body so subtle that it +has hitherto eluded the eagle-eye of Physiology, and will perhaps +remain inscrutible forever to human comprehension. But that this +connexion exists is fully demonstrated by medical experience, and +observation. Many bodily disorders derange the mind, and have in many +instances totally destroyed it. So on the other hand diseases of the +mind effect the body in return, and _grief, despair_ and _melancholy_ +have so preyed upon the vitals as to emaciate the body, and bring it +to the grave. It is not uncommon that consumptions are brought on by +_trouble_ of mind, by _guilt_, and by _melancholy_ and _grief_. And +many instances have occurred, where persons in excessive violent anger +have dropped down dead. What is so dreadful, when carried to extreme, +must be very injurious to health, and long life, when indulged +frequently and even moderately. + +There being then such an intimate connexion between the mind and body, +and so many thousands of ways in which one alternately acts upon, and +effects the other, and brings millions to an untimely grave, we see at +once the propriety of not only guarding our health by temperance in +eating and drinking, but more particularly by avoiding troubles of a +mental character. These are generally brought upon individuals, +families and neighborhoods, by the bad use of the tongue. Would you +live long that you may see good days? Then keep thy tongue from evil, +and thy lips from speaking guile, seek peace and pursue it. Avoid +every species of iniquity that would have a tendency to blast your own +or the peace of others. Avoid it as you would the poisonous +exhalations of the Bohon Upas, and fly it as you would the dreadful +Samiel of the Arabian desert. + +SERMON II + +"What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may +see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; +depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it." Psalm +xxxiv:12-14. + +We have shown in our last number that the truth of this text is based +upon philosophy, and verified by experience and observation: that +nothing is more destructive to health and longevity than to indulge in +the revengeful passions of our nature; and that constant fear, grief +and melancholy are also destructive to the human constitution, and +withering to the dearest joys of life. We have shown that violent +anger, revenge and most of the malignant passions originate from the +bad use of the tongue; and that if we would live long and see good, we +must give heed to our ways by following the injunctions of the text. +We now propose a further discussion of this subject, addressed +particularly to the young. + +A single spark of fire has often wrapped a city in conflagration. +Great effects not unfrequently flow from small causes. The apostle +James says, see chap. iii--"Behold also the ships, which though they +be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about +with a very small helm whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the +tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great +a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of +iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the +whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on +fire of hell. For every kind of beasts and of birds, and of serpents, +and of things in the sea is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But +the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly member full of deadly +poison." The apostle, in the above quotation, has reference to those +who have so long indulged in evil speaking that it has become, as it +were, an incurable habit. If any man makes a practice of slandering +his neighbors, and disturbing the peace of the community, it is +immaterial to what church he may belong, or what os-tentatious +professions he may make, he is, notwithstanding all this, destitute of +christianity. + +It is a painful fact that the religion of the present day is too much +accommodated to the fashions and customs of the world. Let a man, for +instance, use profane language, or get intoxicated, and he will +readily be suspended from the communion of the church. But let him +slander his neighbors, and little or no notice is taken of his +conduct. And let him slander other denominations; and it becomes, as +it were, a virtue; whereas the fact is that the latter, according to +the book of God, is much the greatest crime. It is therefore wise to +lay, in early youth, a foundation for a tranquil, virtuous and long +life. + +Thus you see my young friends that virtue and happiness, temperance, +prosperity and longevity are inseparably connected by the Author of +our being, who has made them to depend in a great measure upon our +conduct. You have also seen that sin and misery, intemperance in body, +and also intemperance in mind, such as evil speaking, violent anger, +commotions, griefs and troubles, and a premature grave, are likewise +inseparably and wisely connected. + +And now, my young friends, which will you choose? If you love life and +desire to see many days, let me exhort you to choose the _former_, and +to drink freely out of that golden cup in which every earthly joy of +unbroken felicity is mingled by the unerring hand of divine mercy; and +let me warn you to reject the _latter_, for in it are mingled the +bitter drugs of misery. Be temperate in eating and drinking. Be +temperate in all your pursuits in life, and in all your desires. Be +temperate in your conduct; and (as an able writer observes) pitch upon +that course of life which is the most excellent, and habit will soon +render it the most delightful. Avoid not only every word and action +that may lead to discord and contention, but, as our text says, depart +from evil and _do good_, seek peace, and pursue it. Let us do good to +all our fellow creatures, and endeavor to overcome their hatred with +love, and their evil with good. + +Yes, my young friends, affectionately and solemnly would I urge you to +begin early to curb your passions, and to study sweetness of +disposition. It will soon become to you perfectly natural, and thus +you will lay the foundation for a virtuous and tranquil old age. But, +asks the youth, shall I live longer for subduing my passions and doing +good, for seeking peace and pursuing it? Certainly. Our text teaches +this; so does philosophy, and the scriptures generally. Jesus Christ +says, "Blessed are the _meek_, for they shall inherit the earth." That +is, they shall long enjoy it. "Blessed are the peace-makers for they +shall be called the children of God." The fifth Commandment says, +"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the +land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." By honoring our parents, we +are to understand a filial and submissive obedience to their precepts +by not departing from that way in which with many exhortations, +prayers and tears, they sought to train us up. In this case, honoring +them would of course require us to walk in the paths of virtue and +temperance, and to live an honest, quiet and peaceable life which +would ensure the promise, and give us many days. + +Not only do the scriptures promise long life to the peaceable, +temperate and meek, but they on the other hand just as solemnly +declare that "the wicked shall not live out half their days." This +passage has occasioned much dispute among religious denominations; one +affirming that every man's time is appointed in the counsels of heaven +by the decree of God, who "declares the end from the beginning;" and +another affirming that _it is not_, for the above passage teaches that +the life of man may be shortened. But there is no occasion for dispute +on this point, for they are both right, as we have seen in the course +of our remarks. This passage is but the counterpart of our text. It is +the decree of God that the wicked, the abandoned shall not reach the +extreme of human life, because they indulge in those very crimes, +which, in the constitution of things, must inevitably carry them to an +early tomb. Of the truth of this we see thousands of instances in the +world. And God has decreed that the meek, the peaceable shall reach +the extreme of life, because they pitch upon that happy course of +conduct which naturally leads to it. All that we are to understand by +his _decree_, is that he has inseparably connected the _end_ with the +_means_ by so constituting our natures, and so ordering his providence +that _sin, dissipation, anger,_ and _revenge_ shall not only destroy +happiness, but shorten life, so certain as men pursue such a wretched +course. And that the opposite course of conduct shall not only +communicate happiness, but protract life so certain as they engage in +it. + +Here then, my young friends, you may readily perceive how God punishes +vice and rewards virtue. He does not do it by any abstract law, or +arbitrary mode of procedure, but lie has in infinite wisdom +interwoven, the whole in the very constitution of our natures, so that +the wicked cannot go unpunished, nor the righteous unrewarded. To +teach that man can indulge in vice, and yet escape its punishment by +future repentance, is not only dangerous to the morals of society, but +is a direct impeachment of the divine administration, as it must in +such case, be defective. And to teach that men may live righteously +and godly and yet go unrewarded, is equally dangerous to the morals of +the community, as it is but discouraging them from engaging in a +virtuous course of conduct. To teach that men are to be rewarded in a +future world for their _goodness_ here, is but in substance saying +that virtue is attended with mental misery, and so far as it fails of +rewarding its possessor _here_, the balance is to be made up +_hereafter_. And to teach that men are to be punished in a future +state for their _badness_ here, is but in substance saying, that vice +is attended with some mental joys, and so far as it fails of punishing +its possessor _here_, the balance is to be made up _hereafter_. + +It is readily granted that the righteous may suffer. But we ought ever +to make a plain distinction between afflictions and punishments, for +the Bible does this. It is impossible in the nature of things that +punishment can exist except in connexion with guilt. Paul and Silas +were cast into prison and fastened in the stocks, on account of their +religion. But nothing could disturb their mental peace--their heaven-born +repose. They joyfully sung psalms, and lifted up their voices in +prayer to God in the calm enjoyment of a pure unsullied conscience. +They suffered afflictions that were, under the government of God, to +work out for their good. There were no doubt others in that prison +justly suffering for their crimes. To them it was punishment. Because +the _former_ were suffering _affliction_, the _latter, punishment_. +The scriptures say, "Great peace have they that love thy law; and +nothing shall offend them." "There is no peace, saith my God, to the +wicked;" and he who says there _is_, contradicts Jehovah. + +If you would, my young friends, avoid punishment, avoid sin. If you +would be happy, and enjoy a long and tranquil life, follow carefully +the directions of our text; for rest assured that a contrary course of +conduct will not only involve you in misery and wretchedness, but +bring you to a premature grave. Let us then take warning, and not +become our own executioners. Let us make the most of life we may, and +not turn our present existence, which is one of heaven's choicest +blessings, into a curse. Let us do good in our day and generation, and +render ourselves blessings to mankind, by living soberly, righteously +and peaceably in the world? Let us do justly, love mercy, and walk +humbly with God--visit the widow and the fatherless in their +affliction, and keep ourselves unspotted from the world. + +SERMON III + +"And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with +the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as +oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the +Most High ruleth in the kingdom of, men, and giveth it to whomsoever +he will." Daniel iv:32. + +That reason, as well as revelation, teaches an overruling providence, +very few deny. There must exist in nature an omnipotent and benevolent +Being to keep all her works in harmony--to touch the most secret and +subtle springs of the vast machinery of the universe--to regulate seed +time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night; and to throw the +enrapturing charms of countless variety not only over the landscape, +but over all that we behold in the heavens above, or in the earth +beneath. Globes roll in the paths assigned them, and by some unseen +hand are wisely kept from interfering in their orbits, and disturbing +each other's motions. These facts demonstrate the existence of an +omniscient, omnipotent, and Benevolent Being; and every event, +transpiring in the government of the world, proclaims an omnipresent +Jehovah. + +He not only works in the majesty of the lightning, and in the grandeur +of the storm regulating and directing the whole in its sublime career, +but he notices the fall of a sparrow, and numbers the very hairs of +our head. Events, the most trivial in their nature, are the objects of +his notice, as well as those of the most momentous character. Were not +this the case, universal disorder and ruin would soon find their way +into his works, break the chain of events, and reduce all, that we now +admire, from its present harmony and glory, down to its general +confusion and chaos. This conclusion is unavoidable, because some of +the greatest events that have transpired in the world, owe their +existence to something of a very trivial nature. + +If God did not, in the general government of the world, direct also +_small events_, then he could not be the author of those great events +which flow from them. On this principle there might transpire +countless events of the greatest magnitude without the direction and +superintendance of Deity. The admission of _this_ is but practical +Atheism. It is acknowledging a God in words, but in works denying him. +It alike makes _chance_ the governor of the world to those who +acknowledge such a God, as to those who wholly deny his existence. + +In our text a presiding Deity is solemnly recognized by the prophet +Daniel, and his supremacy over the affairs of men is throughout the +whole chapter most strikingly set forth before the Assyrian king. He +had dreamed a dream which none of the wise men of Babylon were able to +interpret. Daniel was called to him; who after making known to that +proud monarch his destiny involved in that dream, expostulates with +him on his conduct. He did not threaten him with endless punishment in +tile immortal world, but informed him that there was a God that ruled +the heavens, and presided over the affairs of men; and exhorted him to +forsake his iniquities. This is his language: "And whereas they +commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, thy kingdom shall be +sure unto thee, after thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. +Wherefore, O king! Let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break +off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy +to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. All this +came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months, he +walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and +said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of my +kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? +While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from +heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar! To thee it is spoken; the +kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and +thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make +thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until +thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth +it to whomsoever he will." + +Nebuchadnezzar was the Son of Nabopolasser, and the second king of +Assyria. He was Regent with his father in the Empire 607 years before +the birth of our Lord, and the next year, he raised a powerful army, +marched against Jerusalem, and took Jehoiakim, king of Judah, +prisoner. While making preparations to carry him and his subjects into +captivity, in Babylon, Jehoiakim solemnly promised submission, and +begged the privilege of holding his throne under the sceptre of +Nebuchadnezzar. This favor was granted, and he was permitted to remain +at Jerusalem. Three years after this, he made an unsuccessful attempt +to throw off the Assyrian yoke and regain his former independence. +This brought on the general captivity of the Jewish nation, which +lasted 70 years. + +Nebuchadnezzar extended his conquests till he subjugated the +Ethiopians, Arabians, Idumeans, Philistines, Syrians, Persians, Medes, +Assyrians, and nearly all Asia to his sceptre. These splendid +conquests, and being now king of kings, lifted up his heart with +pride, that he caused a golden image to be reared on the plains of +Dura. He issued a royal edict, and commanded the princes and rulers of +all these nations as well as their principal subjects to assemble; and +being assembled, he commanded them to fall down and worship his golden +god. Daniel's companions refused to do this, and were cast into the +fiery furnace. + +From this circumstance he was brought to acknowledge a Supreme Being, +and even issued a decree that any one who spoke amiss against the God +of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be cut in pieces. But as he +was gazing upon the massy walls of Babylon--a work of gigantic +achievement; as he was surveying, from the height of his palace, the +hanging gardens and lofty towers, (an aerial world!) as he was +admiring his own magnificence, by the sentence of that God whom he had +glorified, he was driven from men, and in the Hebrew style of +expression, is said to have eaten grass like oxen. By this we are to +understand that he was suddenly seized with a disease called by the +Greeks lycanthropy, and which is known among physicians at the present +day by the name of hypochondria. It is a species of madness that +causes persons to run into the fields and streets in the night, and +sometimes to suppose themselves to have the heads of oxen, horses, +dogs, or fancy themselves to be like some other animal, and doomed to +fare like them. And some have imagined themselves to be made of glass. +At the end of seven years Nebuchadnezzar's understanding returned to +him, and he was restored to his throne and glory. He died 562 years +before Christ in the 43rd year of his reign. + +It is our intention to consider this text in a moral point of view, as +applicable to all men of all ages, and in all conditions in life. +While pursuing the various occupations to which our inclination, or +fancy may lead, we are too apt to lose sight of that Being who holds +our destinies in his hand; and more particularly so in seasons of +prosperity, when blest with health and other sublunary enjoyments. +Strange as it may seem, yet it is substantially true, that in +proportion as man is successful in the accomplishment of his plans, he +becomes arrogant and haughty in his feelings, and instead of +acknowledging his dependence on God, and feeling the bursts of +gratitude for the favors and enjoyments heaven scatters in his path, +he loses sight of the benign hand that blesses him, and, like the +proud Assyrian monarch, ascribes all his prosperity to his own plans, +and to the effect of his own peculiar management. He surveys the lands +he has purchased, the beautiful buildings he has erected, the wealth +he has accumulated, and in view of these achievements of his hand, as +he is floating on the full tide of prosperity, he is ready to breathe +out in exultation,--"is not this great Babylon which I have built for +the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of +my majesty." + +When success becomes common, man forgets his dependence on Him who +rules in the armies of heaven, and over the affairs of men. It is our +duty as intelligent creatures to exercise our reason in viewing things +as they really are. He, who will not do this, but goes through life +thoughtless, so far resigns the man, and assumes the brute. Even some, +who bear the christian name, proclaim against reason, call her carnal, +and prostrate her as it were at the shrine of enthusiasm. They lean +upon certain frames and feelings of the animal nature. They are so far +driven from men. I say it is our duty as rational intelligences to +hold our station in the scale of being, and to exercise our reason in +viewing things as they are. We ought candidly and solemnly to weigh +the blessings of God, and consider the relation in which we stand to +him as our Creator and Benefactor. Who can tell the value of +existence, or number its countless joys? What a wonderful production +is man! He has given us the most beautiful symmetry of parts,--has +moulded our limbs with accuracy, and freely bestowed these admirable +lineaments of form! He has formed the ear for sound, and awakened in +its vocal chambers the flowing charms of music, the harmony of +rejoicing nature, the dear voices of parents and children, and the +sweet whisperings of love and friendship! He has moulded the +transparent eye, bedded it in its bony socket, and on its retina +painted the universe! He has bid it not only to disclose, all the +varied passions of the soul, but to roll with softness and affection +on the fond companion of our ways, on the countless beauties of +nature, and bid it with infinite ease sweep the entire vault of +heaven. He has set in motion the warm current of life that rolls +through our veins, pouring nourishment, health and animation through +all the channels of existence. It is he who throbs the heart, who +heaves the lungs, and who bids the ten thousand complicated parts of +this organized frame move on. In all this, his goodness is every +moment felt, and yet we are thoughtless of these manifestations of his +loving kindness. They are so common that we have ceased to prize them. +When sickness and distress come upon us, it is then we learn the value +of health and ease, and are often awakened to the reality that the +Most High rules. + +In view of the trials incident to life, we hear the Psalmist exclaim +"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." +This seems to be the lamentable condition of man. When rolling in the +calm tide of uninterrupted prosperity, and rejoicing in the vigor of +health, he forgets there is a God, or becomes thoughtless that the +heavens do rule, and begins, like the king of Babylon, to ascribe all +his success to his own power, foresight and management, and is +practically an atheist. But however thoughtless men may be, yet there +is a God who governs the world, and will so order and direct his +providence, that every one who goes counter to the principles of +rectitude is _doomed, inevitably_ doomed, to suffer the consequences. + +There is too much practical atheism in the world. By this we mean that +there are too many of those who acknowledge a God in words, that deny +him in conduct. Every one, who lives upon the bounties of heaven, who +enjoys the sweets of existence, and remains thoughtless of God, is +practically an atheist. As saith Paul, "They profess that they know +God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and +unto every good work reprobate." He, who goes on in the ways of +transgression and multiplies his iniquities, must either believe there +is no God, or else conclude that he does not rule over the affairs of +men; and on this ground flatters himself that he shall escape +punishment. And not only so, but in opposition to the express +declaration of Jehovah, he believes that he shall enjoy a degree of +happiness in the indulgence of sin. All such are driven from those +rational reflections and moral principles, which virtually constitute +the man, and have yet to learn, "that the heavens do rule." + +SERMON IV + +"And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with +the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as +oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the +Most High ruleth in the kingdom of, men, and giveth it to whomsoever +he will." Daniel iv:32. + +Every man, who believes that the path of virtue is thorny, and that of +vice is pleasurable, is not only deceived, but has not yet learned +that the Most High holds the reins of government, and dispenses to his +creatures their rewards and punishments. It is evident, if every man +solemnly believed that a course of sin would bring upon him certain +and unavoidable misery--and that every species of dishonesty would +lessen his fortune in the world, he would abandon his course, and turn +his feet to the testimonies of God. The transgressor is therefore +deceiving himself, is resting under a strong delusion, and is yet +ignorant that the Almighty rules throughout his vast dominions. +Certain it is that a wicked man was never happy while remaining in +that condition, and it is equally certain that no one ever yet went +unpunished. + +To this point we intend to invite your serious attention in this +discourse. The expression in our text, "till thou know that the Most +High ruleth in the kingdom of men," does not only imply a knowledge of +the existence of a Supreme Intelligence, who governs the world, but an +obedience to the moral laws of his empire. On this proposition we +purpose to offer a few rational, and not only rational, but +irresistible arguments. We will first notice the condition of those +who are guilty of heinous crimes, and then come down to the common +walks of life, and bestow a few remarks on those who are indifferent +about their condition, and only guard their conduct so far as comports +with the customs and manners of that portion of the community, who +have no higher principle of action than to be considered respectable +among men. + +Though we come before the public to defend the doctrines of Christ, +yet, my friends, you will bear in mind that it is also our duty to +enforce his precepts, and exhort to the obedience of the gospel. That +we should point out the road of sin, error and misery, and also +endeavor to throw the light of heavenly truth on the pathway of human +life. + +We will begin with the murderer, who wantonly embrues his hands in the +blood of his fellow. So far as he has violated the laws of his +country, he is a subject for public execution, and has nothing to hope +for, at the tribunal of human justice. His misery, whether it arise +from the contemplation of an ignominious death, from the fear of +detection, or from the consciousness of having violated the moral +principles of his nature, is alike insupportable, as well as +indescribable. + +Is he detected? Shut out from the world and confined in his loathsome +cell, he is left to his own reflections, and to all the horrors of the +gathering storm. But even admitting that he should escape detection, +and be left to his own meditations on his deed of blood, he would, +like Cain, breathe out in agony of soul, "my punishment is greater +than I can bear!" He might, indeed, mingle with the busy throng--he +might even smile, and wear a face of pleasure, but behind this mantled +mask he would conceal a heart of pain. He might, indeed, gaze upon the +landscape, listen to the songs of the grove, and contemplate the +glories of nature, but the charm, that once gave him ecstatic delight +and solid joy, is vanished from his sight; and all, that once was fair +and lovely, wears the frown of darkness and indignation. He gazes upon +little children, and hears their artless and innocent prattle, +reflects what he once was, and every joy, that sparkles in their eyes, +sends a dagger to his heart. The rustling of a leaf strikes him with +terror and alarm, and every passing breeze bears to his tormented soul +the groans of the dying man, and conscience forces him to listen to +the heart-rending tale of wo. Fain would he fly from himself, and +enjoy one hour's repose; but alas! That God, who rules in the kingdom +of men, has written a law in his heart, where he reads and feels his +condemnation, and where conscience sits on the judgment seat, +constantly holds him arraigned at her tribunal, and fans up in his +bosom the burning flames of hell! He may lie down on his pillow, but +spectres haunt his brain; and awake, asleep, at home, abroad, he finds +that he has rendered his own existence a curse. He lives in misery, +and in darkness expires. + +Let us next notice the thief, who plunders our property. His crime is +of less magnitude than the above, but his guilt is in proportion. No +one by such means has ever enriched himself. He, who obtains property +by dishonorable means, is ignorant of its value, and will dishonorably +spend it. He has forgotten that God governs the world. Our +state-prisons and penitentiaries not only (so far as human laws are +concerned) reveal his fate, but speak his woes. But suppose he escape +detection, and is only exposed to the naked and fearful grandeur of +that law which God has written in the heart. He hears its thunders, +and he feels its fires. He his taken from some fellow being his hard +earnings; and sees him and perhaps his children mourning their +misfortune and suffering the miseries of adversity. Guilt takes +possession of his soul, and misery, which the hand of time cannot +extinguish, rolls its dark waves of damnation upon him, and drowns his +dearest joys, while poverty marks him for her own. + +God has so constituted his plans in the government of the world that +the plunderer cannot prosper. Inward horrors and fears of detection +abstract his mind from the proper duties of life, so that misfortune +and defeat find their way into his plans, which might otherwise by +calm deliberation have succeeded, and disappointment and misery, +satiety and disgust, and all the evils that are the offspring of his +iniquity, commingling in a thousand ways, render his existence +wretched. Relying upon dishonesty for support, he becomes but a +midnight beggar. His slumbers are haunted by frightful dreams; and +fear of detection, prisons and dungeons are torturing his imagination +and incessantly sporting with his broken peace. He is a stranger to +those solid joys arising from the practice of virtue, is doomed to +encounter all the miseries that attend his ill-chosen career, and to +drink every drug of wormwood and gall that heaven has mingled in the +cup of dishonor. He lives a nuisance and pest to society, and dies +covered with infamy. + +In all this we shall see the truth of our text exemplified, that God +rules in the kingdom of men, and brings punishment, not only upon a +haughty monarch seated on the throne of nations, but upon every +transgressor however obscure may be his condition in the walks of +private life. The sovereign decree of his empire is--"THOUGH HAND JOIN +IN HAND, YET SHALL THE WICKED NOT GO UNPUNISHED." + +But we take our leave of flagitious crimes and proceed to notice men +in the common walks of life. Every man who makes riches, or public +honors the chief end of all his pursuits, and gives all his attention +to the attainment of his object, and over-reaches in bargains whenever +an opportunity offers, or sets various prices on his merchandise, +according to the person with whom he deals--such a man will never feel +himself filled with riches, nor satisfied with honors. The reasons are +obvious. He commences his career under the impression that happiness, +contentment and all the rational enjoyments of life consist in wealth, +and in human greatness. He soon finds himself in possession of as +large a fortune as he first supposed would make him happy. But his +desires for more, having imperceptibly expanded, he finds within an +increased restlessness, and even greater desires for _more_ than when +he first set out. He still believes, according to his original +impression, that happiness lies in gold; and that the only reason why +he has not obtained those solid joys in possession which he first +anticipated, is because he still needs more. But though wealth may +flow upon him in oceans, his cravings for more will ever swell beyond +what earth can give, and leave him a more wretched being than he was +at the commencement of his course. Here is his loss--here is his +punishment. God has not placed happiness in wealth. _"A competence is +all we can enjoy, O, be content where heaven can give no more."_ + +Or let him rise to that station of honor, which he now believes will +satisfy him, and his ambition would aspire to one more exalted. Let +him govern one kingdom, and he would desire to subjugate another till +the whole world bowed to his nod. And were every star an inhabited +world, and did he possess means to invade them, his ambition would +continue to soar till he ruled the universe, and were there no object +left to which he might still direct his ambition and continue to soar, +he would set down in despair, and, like Alexander the Great, weep and +sigh for more worlds to conquer. + +All this restlessness and misery arise from false notions of: +happiness--from not realizing that the Most High rules in the kingdom +of men--and from a want of confidence in his word, which points the +rich and the poor alike to that noble path of virtue and religion, +where true happiness and unbroken peace forever reign. By men +embracing virtue, and in their feelings and actions ever acknowledging +the supremacy of Jehovah, inevitably leads to happiness and +contentment. But in doing this we are not to deprive ourselves of the +enjoyment of honest gotten wealth, nor of the rational pursuits and +interchanges of social and domestic life. Religion was not given to +deprive us of the common comforts and conveniences of life, but to +sweeten them. Our Redeemer says, "seek first the kingdom of God and +his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Sin +and misery in this world are inseparable: so are righteousness and +happiness. If they are not, then it remains for the advocates for a +future retribution to show how men are to be sufficiently rewarded and +punished in the future world. + +There is my friends no solid happiness, no permanent satisfaction only +in the contemplation that God governs the world, and in the practice +of pure and rational piety. This you may know by studying your own +bosom. Have any of you thus far spent your days in striving to find +perfect bliss in the various pursuits of life? Have you aspired to one +object, abandoned it, and taken up another? If so, can you say that +you have found the happiness you anticipated, and so earnestly sought? +No! What is the reason? There is one thing needful. Whatever may be +your pursuit, if you are thoughtless that God governs the world, and +if instead of rendering him the homage of a grateful heart, you +blaspheme his name, or are selfish and regardless of the happiness of +your fellow creatures, you must, according to the established laws of +his empire, remain in that same restless and dissatisfied condition +till you know by experience that the heavens do rule--till you bow to +the sublime requirements of his word. _That dissatisfaction_ varied +according to the condition of moral character is the punishment God +sends upon us for our indifference. From this indifference we may rise +to that unquenchable thirst for riches, already noticed, and our +sufferings will receive new accessions according to our moral light. +And from this we may rise to a desire for honour and power, till we +are hurried on by ambition to conquest and slaughter where we are +doomed to suffer all the miseries a Buonaparte endured. From this we +may rise to dishonour, fraud and theft; and as we rise in crime, our +miseries increase in degree, till we imbrue our hands in innocent +blood, and thus render our bosoms a hell and our very existence a +burthen. + +Every man is in a condition of uneasiness, suffering, guilt, hardness +of heart and blindness of mind exactly in proportion to his moral +conduct. Let us then be wise;--and if we desire happiness, let us seek +it in that course where the unerring word of God assures us it can +alone be found. Let us acknowledge "that the heavens do rule," and +rest assured that He, who notices the fall of a sparrow, will not wink +at our evil doings. + +SERMON V + +"For what if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith +of God without effect? God forbid; yea let God be true, but every man +a liar." Romans iii:3, 4. + +The doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ, is worthy the solemn +consideration of all men. It is this, that rendered a revelation +necessary. It is this that kindled the flame of transport in celestial +bosoms, and raised that triumphant song, "glory to God in the highest, +on earth peace, good will towards men." Salvation is the doctrine of +the Bible, and ought ever to be the theme of the pulpit. Salvation is +the oracle of heaven around which all denominations assemble, receive +their instructions, and believe according to the force of evidence. + +Prefaced with these remarks, we will now proceed to state what we +conceive to be the _law and gospel_--point out the distinction between +them, and defend the gospel doctrine of salvation of faith. + +The law was a conditional covenant between God and man. It was +predicated on works. Under this covenant, if a man were strictly moral +in his external deportment--if he lived up to its letter, he was +considered righteous. This covenant was imperfect, because it could be +kept externally without reaching the heart. They could exclaim like +the young man, who came to Jesus--"all these things have I kept from +my youth up," and still lack the one great point, charity. Therefore +by the deeds of the law no flesh could be justified in the sight of +God. The law, being temporary in its nature, had nothing to do with +eternal things. + +Paul says, "sin is the transgression of the law. Where there is no law +there is not the knowledge of sin." From this it appears that sin, +being a transgression of that law, which was given us for the +regulation of our conduct in this life, can receive no punishment in +the future world. If sin should be committed in the future state, then +in the future state it would be punished. The same argument will apply +to our obedience to the law, which can receive, for the same reason, +no reward in that world. "No flesh shall be justified by the deeds of +the law." "Eternal life is the gift of God." If so, then it cannot be +"of works, lest any man should boast." God, being infinite in wisdom, +could not have failed to enact a law so perfect, and so exactly +adapted to the nature of man, that _obedience_ would render him a rich +reward, and _disobedience_ a condign punishment. The wise man says +that "the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the +wicked and the sinner." + +We now turn to the spirit of the law.--"To love the Lord thy God with +all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself is the fulfillment of the +law;" and if we are not to be saved by the law, then our _love_ to God +and each other cannot save us; for that is the law. By what then are +we to be saved? Answer: by the gospel, which is God's love manifested +to his creatures. The conclusion then is that we are not to be saved +by our _love_ to God, but by God's _love_ to us. This, I presume, no +one will dispute. Here then we discern the difference between the law +and the gospel. God's love is the _cause_ of salvation--human love is +the _effect_. "Herein (says John) is love; not that we loved God, but +that he loved us." "We love him _because_ he _first_ loved us." How +many did he love? He so loved the world who were dead in trespasses +and sins, that he freely delivered up his Son for us all--he by the +grace of God tasted death for every man. This is the gospel-love that +God commendeth towards us, and the love that will finally save us. + +Many persons contend that we must love God and do certain duties, or +we cannot be saved. This is preaching ourselves. It is preaching the +love of man as the cause of his salvation, instead of the love of God. +And while thus preaching, they will perhaps at the same time tell the +sinner that God is his enemy. But will the sinner's love make God his +friend--will it cause his Creator to love him? No; right the reverse +of this is the doctrine of Christ. "We love God because he first loved +us." If we deny God's _first_ love to the sinner, we then destroy the +very _cause_ by which _alone_ the sinner can be made to love God. If +we make men believe that God is their enemy and hates them, then we +use all the means in our power to drive them from the bosom of their +Father, and keep them in darkness and sin. + +The sinner, in this situation, can never be made to serve God, only by +being driven to it by terror, the same as some wretched slave is made +to cower and submit in fear and dread to some revengeful tyrant. But +this is not the service God requires. He requires a service which is +delightful, and in which his creature feels an abundant reward. We +grant that men, under the first covenant, were called upon to fear +God. The reason of this obvious, when we reflect that God had +covenanted to bestow certain blessings upon them, providing they would +do their duty. If they failed, then he would execute the temporal +judgments upon them, which the law points out, and threatens. Under +this covenant men had just as much reason to fear, as they were liable +to transgress it. + +But when an angel announced the dawn of a better covenant; he said +"fear not, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy." In this +is nothing to be feared. All the fear lies in the first, and thunders +out to ever sinner, "cursed is every one that continueth not in all +things written in the law to do them?" But John, speaking in view of +the second covenant, says, "there is no fear in love; but perfect love +casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not +made perfect in love." The _first_ covenant is founded on works, and +is _conditional_;--but the _second_ is founded on the immutable +promise of God, and is _unconditional_. In the law, we are commanded +_to do_ according to the reasonableness of its requirements; but in +the gospel we are exhorted _to believe_ in view of evidence and fact. +And as no man can believe, or disbelieve what he pleases, therefore +conditions are excluded. + +What is the meaning of gospel? It is good tidings of great joy. It is +life and immortality brought to light at the appearing of our Lord and +Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death by giving us the +assurance of a resurrection from corruption to incorruption and glory. +It is news. In view of news, what is the first thing necessary? +Answer, _belief_. It is impossible to work news; therefore the gospel +is not of works. In the law, the first requirement is _to do_;--but in +the gospel the first requirement is _to believe_. The law-covenant is +therefore temporary, fallible and uncertain; but the gospel-covenant +is eternal, infallible, and in all things well ordered and sure. The +_first_ rests on the obedience of the creature, but the _second_ on +the promises of Jehovah. Paul therefore calls it a better covenant +established upon _better_ promises. + +Perhaps someone may feel disposed to ask--whether faith is all that is +necessary? We reply that it is the cause which produces its effect. +Paul answers this question thus--"We conclude that a man is justified +by faith without the deeds of the law, Do we then make void the law +through faith? God forbid; yea we establish the law." Here let the +question be asked;--how do we establish the law by _faith_? Answer, +"Faith will have its perfect work." But what is that perfect work, +which faith produces? Ans. Faith works love in the soul; and if we +love God, we will keep his commandments. And _faith, love_ and +_keeping_ the commandments are the three exercises, that form the +christian character. Faith is the foundation; works are not. We cannot +begin to build on works. Instead of being the _first_, they are the +_last_ christian grace. They are the visible _effects_ of an inward, +living faith. + +Faith and faith _only_ is the seed rooted and grounded in the truth, +and (to use a Bible figure) it becometh a tree, and produces all the +fruits of the spirit-love, joy, meekness, temperance, long-suffering, +forbearance. This is what the apostle calls the "righteousness of +faith" in contradistinction to "the righteousness of the law," +produced by fear. Paul compares faith to a good olive tree. "The Jews +through unbelief were broken off," and "thou (the Gentile) standest by +faith." Jesus says; "if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye +shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it +shall remove." Here, in parable, faith is represented as removing +mountains of sin. He further says--"Thy _faith_ hath made thee +whole";--not thy works. Paul exclaims, "Faith works by love, purifies +the heart and overcomes the world." John says, "and this is the +victory that overcometh the world even our faith." + +It is a certain fact, that none of these salutary effects are ascribed +to human works. The apostles in no instance say, that _works_ purify +the heart, or overcome the world--or that this is the victory, even +your _works_; The whole is ascribed to _faith_; because that is the +living tree on which the good fruits grow. Works are, in scripture, +called fruits. "By their _fruits_ ye shall know them"--that is by +their _works_. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil _fruit_." To carry +out this figure, we would remark that, fruit can have no existence +till the tree is first produced. Therefore in a gospel sense, no good +works, acceptable to God, can be produced without a true and living +faith. The apostle declares, "without faith it is impossible to please +God." The gospel being good tidings, or news, are you satisfied that +thing necessary? I presume all denominations will assent to the fact, +that faith is the first religious exercise of the creature. We shall +then obey the command of the apostle, and "contend earnestly for the +faith once delivered to the saints." + +But asks the reader, what matter is it which is first in order, +whether _love, faith_ or _works_? I reply that it is a matter of vast +importance, and without understanding this fact, we cannot come to the +knowledge of the truth, even though we should be ever learning. If +these three christian graces _faith, love_ and _works_, are preached +in a confused and mixed manner, we cannot arrive at a true +understanding of a gospel salvation, neither can we tell the +difference between law and gospel. The law is of works, and the gospel +is of faith. And no man can fulfill the spirit of the law without +faith in the gospel. When the sinner exercises faith in the love and +goodness of God in freely giving him eternal life, which infinitely +transcends all other blessings--that moment faith works love in his +heart, and causes him to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of +glory. He then loves God because God first loved him. And when the +sinner loves God, he is passed from death unto life, and that love is +the fulfillment of the law. + +We are now led to see the consistency of faith being the first step. +It is the very _cause_ that produces _love_ to God, and _love_ induces +us to keep the commandments. "Faith works by love," and "if ye love +me," says Jesus, "ye will keep my commandments." + +We will now introduce an example, which will plainly show the +distinction between the law and gospel and in what manner they affect +the sinner. Suppose a king sentences six of his subjects to +imprisonment during life, and commands them to spend their days in +hard labor. They are put in confinement, refuse to obey his commands-- +refuse to labor, and in the midst of their miseries curse his name. +They are now in disobedience under the condemnation of the law. + +The king says to his only Son, I love those subjects and I covenant +with you to set them free in three years. The Son says, Father I +delight to do thy will. Let me go and reveal to them, the glad tidings +of this covenant promise. The king answers--my Son, in the fullness of +time I will send you. Let them remain, one year, under the law. But +says the Son, they are now transgressing your law, and need +instruction. The king replies, I will send my servant to enforce that +law. Let him go and inform the prisoners, that I am angry with them +for their conduct; and if they will obey my commands, and labor +faithfully, they shall have excellent food and good clothing as a +reward. But if they will not comply, they shall be chained, and kept +on bread and water as a punishment for their disobedience. + +The servant goes and delivers to them this message. Three of those +subjects, for fear of the punishment and in _hope_ of the reward, obey +the king, and outwardly respect his commands, but perhaps have little, +or no love for him. (Here we see the righteousness of the law which is +not acceptable to God.) They accordingly receive, day by day, the +promised reward. But the other three prisoners despise these +conditions and refuse to obey. They are chained, fed on bread and +water, and meet their deserts. + +Here, then, are six prisoners laboring under the law, and groaning in +bondage with no hopes of deliverance. The law knows of no deliverance +--no redemption. It simply serves as a school master to teach them the +difference between right and wrong--to teach them the will of the +king, and thus prepare them to receive a better covenant, which is to +be revealed to them by the king's Son. But under the covenant they now +are, they have no motives to prompt them to obedience, but the _fear_ +of punishment and the _hope_ of reward. In our next, this will be +fully illustrated. + +SERMON VI + +"For what if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith +of God without effect? God forbid; yea let God be true, but every man +a liar." Romans iii:3, 4. + +We resume the argument, in this discourse, concerning those prisoners +brought forward in our last. We left them in bondage under the +sentence of the law with no hopes of deliverance. The first year rolls +away. The king says, my son, the time has come--go, and reveal my love +to the prisoners by bringing the promise of their redemption to light. +The son flies on wings of love, enters the prison and exclaims--I +bring you good tidings of great joy. My father, the king, is your +friend. He loves you; and that love has induced him to proclaim your +liberation as a free gift. He has promised (and he cannot lie) that in +two years from this day you shall be free. This covenant, so far as +concerns its fulfillment, is unconditional. Believe, and you will be +saved, by faith in the promise, from your present fears, and +condemnation under the law. + +Those stubborn prisoners see a sufficiency of evidence to believe the +promise. They exercise unshaken faith in this second covenant between +the father and son. This faith works by love in their hearts, and +purifies them from disobedience. Their souls melt in view of the love +and goodness of the king revealed to them by his son. In fine, they +love him because he first loved them. They are now saved by faith in +his promise from not only all their miseries and sorrows, but from +their disobedience, and look forward with joy to the day of +redemption. Here we perceive the "_righteousness of faith_," which far +exceeds the "_righteousness of the law_." They now delight to obey the +king because they are under the influence of love. + +Here let the question be asked--are these three men to be let out of +prison at the appointed time because they believe the promise, or love +and obey the king? They are not. Their redemption depended on the +truth and faithfulness of the king's promise which he made to his son, +and that promise would have been fulfilled, even if it had not been +revealed to them till the day of their deliverance. They are not to be +set free as a reward for their _faith, love and obedience_. They have +great peace and joy in believing that promise. They are in the happy +enjoyment of a salvation by faith, and that is all the reward they +deserve, or have reason to expect. We here perceive that these three +men are made to establish the law of their king by faith in the good +news he sent them by his son, which is to them a gospel. We now see +the propriety of the apostle's language--"We conclude that a man is +justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Do we then make void +the law through faith? God forbid; yea we establish the law." We also +perceive that these three men are not to be liberated from prison +because they believe the promise, or love and obey the king. But on +the contrary it is the king's love and promise to them which sets them +free. + +Let us now notice the other three prisoners. One says I do not believe +that we shall ever be released from prison. It is too good news to be +true. Well, shall his unbelief make the king's promise of none effect? +The king forbid; yea let the king be true, but that man a liar. But +let it be remembered that he cannot be proved a liar unless he is +liberated. Would you now go and tell that man-sir, because you will +not _believe_, you shall never come forth from prison? But do you not +perceive that by so doing you would give the king the lie? It would be +saying that his promise was good for nothing unless the man would +believe it. It would be contending that the unbelief of this prisoner +will make the king's promise of none effect. + +The other two prisoners exclaim--we believe this _second_ covenant, +but it must bear some resemblance to the first which is conditional. +We believe that we shall get out of this prison if we continue to +serve the king as, we have heretofore, by keeping his commandments.-- +Here are two men trusting in the _first covenant_ for deliverance. +They are trusting in the law. They are depending on their own _love +and faithfulness_ to the king for redemption, and not on the king's +_love, promise and faithfulness_ to them. Here then we see the +righteousness of the law in those two prisoners; in another we see the +effect of unbelief; and in those three who remained disobedient under +the first covenant, we see the righteousness which is of faith when +they heard the glad tidings of redemption in the second covenant. + +At length the day of their redemption dawns. They are all brought to +the knowledge of the truth. Those three prisoners, who were saved by +faith in the promise during those two years of suspense, now find +their faith lost in certainty. Their salvation, by faith has come to +an end. And so has the unbelief, condemnation and doubtings of the +other three prisoners. In one word--the _belief and unbelief_ of the +six are lost in knowledge, and they burst out in songs of deliverance +So we perceive that a salvation by faith, and a condemnation in +unbelief can last no longer than till we come to the knowledge of the +truth. + +Let us now apply this to the scriptures. Man sinned, and not only +involved himself in guilt and misery, but was sentenced to that very +death with which God threatened him--"Dust thou art and unto dust +shalt thou return." Here was the end of the first covenant, and the +termination of all the miseries of life. It is evident from revelation +as well as reason that man at death drops to a state of insensibility, +and knows no more till he is made alive in Christ, who is himself the +second covenant. The language of scripture is, the dead know not any +thing--they sleep--and the apostle (in 1 Cor. xv Chap.) reasons that +if there be no resurrection, then there will be no future existence-- +that they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished--that +preaching was vain--faith was also vain, and that the christians were +yet in their sins. On such language as this, I can put no other +construction than that the resurrection is our salvation and eternal +life, our deliverance from sin and imperfection. Under the first +covenant the resurrection in Christ was not revealed to the human +family, and they remained of course under the sentence of condemnation +with no hopes of a future existence. "By the offense of one judgment +came upon all men to condemnation." Obedience to the law was enforced +by threatenings on the one hand, and promises of temporal rewards on +the other, which were communicated to the fathers by the prophets. + +But God has in these latter days spoken unto us by his Son, and +through him revealed the second covenant in which he "gave him the +heathen for an inheritance, and the utter most parts of the earth for +a possession," and declared him to be the resurrection and life of the +world. If in the divine counsels no Christ had been provided, the +human family it appears would have remained in eternal slumber. They +would have known but one covenant, which would have rewarded and +punished them according to their deeds, and consigned them to the +regions of the dead. "But since by man came death, by man came also +the resurrection of the dead." + +God saw fit to keep the human family for four thousand years under the +first covenant, without the knowledge of eternal life through the +resurrection of the dead. But it was, at length, "made manifest by the +appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and +brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Yes, he +first brought it to light, and through his apostle declared "In hope +of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world +began, but hath in due time manifested his word through preaching." +This promise of eternal life, all men are called upon to believe. The +moment they believe, they are saved by faith, and are at peace; and +they that doubt are damned--they are already under condemnation. But +shall their unbelief make God's promise of eternal life of none +effect? God forbid; yea let God be true but every man a liar. "For he +hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon +all." + +We have now noticed the two covenants--the _law and gospel_--have +pointed out the distinction between them--shown that all _conditions_ +are confined to the law, and that the gospel is _unconditional_, and +justly requires our faith and confidence. We will now bring to view +the scripture doctrine of salvation by faith, and show that divine +truth must have an existence before we can be called upon to believe. + +All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is based upon eternal +and unchanging truth. Truth is one of the attributes of Jehovah and +the unshaken pillar that supports the throne of eternity. In truth and +righteousness he governs the world, and by an omnipotent arm wields +the destinies of men. Truth is the sun of divine revelation pouring +its beams on intelligent creation and calling upon all men to believe. +If a man assert that which does exist, it is a truth; but if he assert +that which does not exist, it is a falsehood. Whatever has an +existence in the compass of reality is a truth to be believed, and +whatever has no such existence is a falsehood not to be believed. It +is beyond the power of man to create one solitary divine truth. All +that he can do is to declare the existence of that which may be hidden +from others, or relate some circumstances respecting that which does +absolutely exist. An absolute truth must, therefore, be presented to +the understandings of men before they can be called upon to believe +it, or before they can be called believers for embracing it, or +_unbelievers_ for rejecting it. No man can be an unbeliever for +rejecting that which does not exist. + +We now commence plain argument by using great plainness of speech. In +preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ truth must be the foundation. If +then truth must exist before men can be called upon to believe, the +question arises what is that truth which the second covenant reveals +for the belief of mankind? Answer, it is the record God hath given of +his Son. But what is the _record_? Let John answer--"this is the +record, God hath given us _eternal life_, and this life is in his +Son." It then follows that we are to believe that God has given us +eternal life in his Son before the world began, and unchangeably +promised it. Paul says--"In hope of eternal life which God that cannot +lie promised before the world began." If we believe the record, we are +in the scriptures recognized as _believers_ and are saved by faith, +and will of course exhibit in our life and conversation the +righteousness of faith. + +The great error of any who read the Bible, consists in supposing there +is but one salvation. But there are two. The _first_ is a special +salvation by belief in the promise, and the second is our eternal +salvation beyond the grave, where we shall be brought to the knowledge +of the truth involved in the promise, and to _know_ shall be life +eternal. Faith shall then be lost in certainty. Now if we disbelieve +the record will that make it false? No; our unbelief cannot alter the +fact. Let the record then be proclaimed to every creature--saying God +has promised and given you eternal life in Christ before the world +began, and calls upon all to believe it. But suppose they should all +reject it saying we do not believe one word of it, would their +_unbelief_ make the promise or record false? No. Would not then the +record prove true? It would. Then the whole world would, of course, +receive that eternal life which is promised and given them in Christ. +No, says the objector, they will not believe. But can their unbelief +make God's promise of none effect? Can it put that truth out of +existence and make it a falsehood? We would ask the objector, what +will they not believe? Answer; they will not believe that God has +given them eternal life in his Son. Very well,--then the whole amount +of the objection is that God has given them eternal life in Christ, +but they will not believe it, and because they will not believe it, +they never shall obtain it! Then we must contend (if they never obtain +it) that it was never given to them, and if not given, then the record +is false; because the record declares that God has given them eternal +life in his Son. It then follows that their unbelief can make the +faithfulness of God without effect by rendering the word, he has +given, false. + +But says the objector it ought to be stated conditionally as follows-- +God first calls upon men to believe, and if they will believe, then +Christ will become their Saviour, and then they will receive eternal +life in him and not before. But does not the objector see that he has +stated no fact for them to believe in order to make Christ their +Saviour? I ask what does God call upon them to believe? There must be +some truth presented before men can be called upon to believe. God +calls upon men to believe, what--That Christ is their Saviour? But you +said he was not their Saviour till after they believed. It then +follows, according to the objector's statement, that he is not the +Saviour of unbelievers. Now do you not perceive that if you should +call upon them to believe that he was their Saviour, you would call +upon them to believe a lie--that you would call upon them to believe +what did not exist? And what does not exist cannot be true. Grant says +the objector that he is the Saviour of the world, still as many as do +not believe in him shall never be saved. But how can he be the Saviour +of a man, he never saves? Two individuals are drowning in the water; +you exert all your power to save them, but fail. Can you call yourself +the saviour of those two men from temporal death? Impossible. In order +for Christ to be called the Saviour of the world, he must save the +world; otherwise there is not a shadow of propriety in giving him that +name. And John says "We have seen and do testify that the Father sent +the Son to be the Saviour of the world."--"We know, indeed, that this +is the Messiah the Saviour of the world." + +In our next, we will conclude this subject, and trust we shall do it +to the satisfaction of our readers. + +SERMON VII + +"For what if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith +of God without effect? God forbid; yea let God be true, but every man +a liar." Romans iii:3, 4. + +We now resume the argument in reference to Christ the Saviour of men, +as we proposed in our last. We here inquire of the objector--do you +then grant that he is the Saviour of all men--the Saviour of the world +as the scriptures declare? If so, we assure you that, he will save the +number of whom he is declared to be the Saviour. But, replies the +objector, he is not the Saviour of any man till he believes. We ask-- +till he believes what? Why, replies the objector, till he believes +that Christ is his Saviour--if he believes so, it will be so. Let us +understand this--you say _he is not_ the Saviour of an unbeliever, +still he must believe that he is, and that will make him so. Then he +must first believe a lie and that will create a truth. This is (as +Paul says) "turning the truth of God into a lie." But let us notice +the record. "This is the record, God hath given us eternal life, and +this life is in his Son." Do you grant, that God has given eternal +life in Christ to every man? No, says the objector. Very well, then +they cannot be called upon to believe it. Finally, says the objector, +grant that he has. This being granted, we would ask, whether they will +not come in possession of it, if God's promise stands? Certainly. But, +replies the objector, it is not theirs, till they believe. Then the +record is not true till they believe it; because, on this principle, +they must first believe, that they have eternal life in Christ before +it exists, and believing this lie will create it. + +But, replies the objector, it is impossible that any man has eternal +life given him in Christ, till he believes. We then ask, what truth do +you wish him to believe, so that he may obtain this eternal life? The +fact is, there is none. He must believe _this truth_, itself because +it is the record, but this, you have taken from him. You cannot call +upon a man to believe, till you admit the existence of that very truth +you wish him to believe. In order fully to expose the inconsistency of +this conditional salvation, we will introduce an example. Suppose a +father tell his servant, I have a son in London, nineteen years of +age, who is in poverty and distress. I have given him in my will five +thousand dollars, and I promise that it shall be put into his +possession in two years. It is recorded and that record is true. Go my +servant, and proclaim to him glad tidings of great joy, and call upon +him to believe, so that he may enjoy a salvation by faith during those +two years of suspense, and be made happy even amidst his wants by +looking forward to when it shall be put into his possession. + +The servant sets out on his mission, and believes that he understands +his errand. Being arrived, he addresses him as follows--Son, your +father is very rich, and he has not willed you five thousand dollars, +nor given it to you on record; and he never will, unless you _first +believe_ that he has. But, replies the son, according to your message, +if I should believe that he has given me five thousand dollars, I +should believe a lie. Let my father give the money, deposit it in some +bank; send me evidence of the fact, and with joy I will believe him. +Well replies the servant you are a disobedient, stubborn unbeliever! +Because, if you would only believe so, it would be so, and you would +have the money in two years. + +You perceive (dear reader) that this servant has presented no truth +for this son to believe. He wishes to give this son the impression +that the obtaining of this fortune depends on his _believing_, and not +on the _testament record, and faithfulness_ of his father. In fact, he +denies the existence of the father's _will_, and the _record_, and +requires the son to believe a lie so as to create the truth. The +servant does not understand his message, and the son does not know on +what certainty to rest for the money. + +In the same manner we are called upon to secure an _interest_--an +eternal life in the Saviour. They will not admit its existence till we +believe. Then _belief_ must create it. But may we spend our last +breath in convincing poor sinners that it is already secured in Christ +for them, so that they may believe, and live by faith on the son of +God. + +This father sends another messenger. He tells this son of the goodness +of his father, and that he has _willed_ him five thousand dollars, +that the _will_ is put on record, and that this fortune will be put +into his possession in two years. The son does not believe it. Now he +is an unbeliever. But does his unbelief alter the truth of the _will_ +or of the record. No. The certainty, of his obtaining the money, rests +on the faithfulness of his kind parent. This servant perseveres, uses +convincing arguments and the son at length believes he is saved by +faith from all his miseries, and he rejoices with joy unspeakable. But +his _believing_ does not make the record any more true than it was +before he believed it. It simply alters his present condition by +kindling in his bosom the joys arising from faith and anticipation.-- +We have now answered the objections that would naturally be brought +forward by those who believe that our eternal salvation is predicated +on conditions. As _works_ are not the requirements of the gospel only +so far as they flow from faith in the truth, and as _faith_ must +precede works, therefore the truth of our eternal life in Christ, must +exist previous to our believing. Consequently all conditions are +excluded from the gospel covenant. + +We will now meet the objector on the doctrine of election and +reprobation, the substance of which is as follows--After man fell, God +was pleased to provide a Saviour for a part of the human family. That +elect number he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world, +gave them eternal life in him, and for them only he tasted death. The +gospel is now to be preached to the whole world, and as long as they +reject it, they are unbelievers. But the elect shall sooner, or later, +all be brought to believe. + +We will examine the foundation on which this statement rests. To bring +it clearly before you, we will take an example. Suppose there is a +congregation of one hundred persons. Fifty of them were elected to +everlasting life before the foundation of the world--were secured by a +Saviour, and the rest were reprobated to endless wo. For them no +Saviour was designed, and no eternal life ever has, or ever will be +given them in him. Suppose a sermon is preached to those one hundred; +and the fifty, who are elected, believe the record of their eternal +life, are brought to the obedience of faith, while the other fifty +remain unmoved. The preacher turns upon them and pronounces them +_unbelievers_. But In what sense are they unbelievers? There has been +no truth presented to them, which they disbelieve. Must they believe +that Christ is their Saviour, or that they have an eternal life in +him? But they would in such case believe a lie. If they believed right +the reverse of the elect,--_believed_ that God was their enemy and +that Christ was not their Saviour, they would be _believers_. But if +they believed what the fifty converts did, they would be +_unbelievers_. We here repeat one premise laid down in our last +discourse--viz. In order for any man to be styled a _believer or +unbeliever_, there must first be presented some truth for him to +embrace or reject. + +Now either God has given us eternal life in Christ before the world +began, or he has not. If he has, then we are _unbelievers_ if we +reject it. If he has not given it, and should we still believe that he +has, we would then believe a lie. But neither our _belief, or +unbelief_ can ever alter the fact. + +God has "chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that +we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having +predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to +himself according to the good pleasure of his will." * * * "Having +made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good +pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation +of the fullness of times, he might gather together, in one, all things +in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in +him." Some apply the above to the elect. But it embraces all things in +heaven and earth, which are to be gathered together in Christ, and be +new creatures. In addition to this we will introduce two more passages +"Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according +to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was +given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." "In hope of eternal +life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." In +these scriptures we are assured _first_, that God chose us in Christ, +before the foundation of the world--_second_, that he saved us +according to his own purpose and grace before the world began, and +_third_ that he promised eternal life before the world began. These +things being embraced in his original plan, and purpose, their +performance is therefore certain as that the whole plan of God will be +carried unto execution. + +There is, in my humble opinion, a strange inconsistency in the common +doctrine. They contend that on account of the transgression of our +first parent, all mankind were fallen creatures and even came into +existence totally depraved. To show the justice of God in the +constitution of our nature, they contend that Adam was our covenant +head, and had he maintained his original purity, we would also have +stood perfect in holiness, and no one would have had any reason to +complain. Now since Adam has fallen, and involved us in ruin, it is +equally just in God that we should share the fate of our covenant head +in the one instance as in the other. But if we make use of this same +argument in relation to Christ, the second Adam--if we contend that he +was the covenant head of every man, that the covenant was not made for +_this_, but for the _future_ world--that this covenant of grace being +made between the Father and the Son, was to stand independent of man-- +that eternal life was promised and given us in him before the world +began--that as our covenant head, he resisted all temptations, and +perfectly fulfilled the law--that he died, and appeared alive beyond +the tomb free from temptation, and in a holy and immortal +constitution. If we contend for this, making use of their own +arguments, saying that it is just as rational that we should appear in +the image of Christ in the future world as that we should come into +this world in the image of Adam, they will pronounce the argument so +far as applicable to Adam, _sound logic_, but so far as this same +argument of theirs is applied by Universalists to Christ, they +pronounce it perfect jargon. + +But, says the objector, there is one point you have not settled, and I +will here rest the whole of my argument upon it. It is this--God has, +in no instance, promised eternal to _unbelievers_; and unless you can +prove that the promise does extend to them, your arguments must fall +like rottenness to the ground. We have certainly proved this, and to +attend to the objector's request would but be, in some measure, going +over the ground already occupied. We will, however, just touch this +point again. We will introduce the following words of Paul to Titus. +"In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the +world began." + +If God promised his creatures eternal life before the world began, +will they not obtain it? They will for this passage says that he +_cannot lie_. But says the objector, he has not promised it to the +unbeliever. We would then inquire, what is it that constitutes him an +_unbeliever_? Why do you call him an _unbeliever_? Do you say because +he disbelieves the truth of God's promise? Then you must, of course, +admit the truth of God's promise to him. If so, it must stand, for God +cannot lie. You cannot call upon a sinner to _believe_, until you +admit the existence of _that very truth_, you wish him to believe, +God's promise of eternal life in Christ, is the gospel we are called +upon to believe with a sincere heart. If you contend that it is +promised to an elect number only, and not to the reprobates, then if +they should all be brought to the knowledge of the truth, what would +they believe? Ans. The elect would believe the promise of eternal life +was made to them, the reprobates would believe right the reverse of +the elect, and all would be believers. No, says the objector, the +reprobates ought to believe just as the elect do. But in this case, +they would believe that they also have the promise of eternal life. +This would be believing a lie, because you say that God has not made +them that promise? How would you preach to such persons? If you called +upon them to believe the truth of the gospel, which is eternal life, +you would call upon them to believe a lie. How can you extricate +yourself from this difficulty? But inquires the objector, how do you +know that God has promised eternal life to all? Ans. Because the +scriptures do call all men either _believers_, or _unbelievers_, in +view of the promise that God has made. Take away that promise and +belief or unbelief respecting it can no longer have an existence-- +_Believers and unbelievers_ would be no more. + +But says the objector this is not proof that eternal life is promised +to an _unbeliever_. Well I am surprised at this assertion of my +opponent! First, I ask, what do you call a believer? Ans. One who +believes that God has promised, and given him eternal life in Christ +before the world began. Then, of course, an _unbeliever_ must be one, +to whom God has also promised and given eternal life in Christ before +the world, but will not believe it. But says the objector this cannot +be. I would then ask whether eternal life was not promised, and given +in Christ to the _believer_ before he believed it? Certainly. It must +have been the truth before he could believe. Well, what was he at that +time? An _unbeliever_ of course. Then eternal [life] is promised to +all, because it is the lack of faith in _that never failing promise_ +of Jehovah that constitutes an unbeliever. But says the objector--a +man "must do so and so," or he cannot be saved. This is not correct; +he must _believe_, or he cannot be saved. We are saved by faith in the +promise and are permitted to look forward with satisfaction and joy to +an immortal existence where we shall be free from sin, sorrow and +pain. This faith and hope fill the soul with love to God, and induce +us to break off our sins by righteousness. So a salvation by faith can +only be enjoyed in this life, and is to end when faith and hope are +lost in certainty and in joy. Though only few are saved by faith, yet +all shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least, whom to know +is life eternal. + +SERMON VIII + +"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, +Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John +iii. 3. + +As we have in the last three sermons dwelt particularly on a salvation +by _faith_, we will take the liberty to introduce the subject of the +new birth next in order, as it will be, more readily, retained by the +reader, in this connexion than otherwise. Indeed, it hears a strong +resemblance to them so far as the subject of faith is concerned in our +present exposition. But whoever is a careful reader of the New +Testament, will discover that the subject of faith, and the genuine +repentance which that faith produces, is not of trivial moment. + +There is no subject of divine revelation, on which more has been said, +preached and written than the one, which we are now about to consider. +It has been brought forward by men of talents and erudition as an +insuperable barrier against Universal Salvation, and their several +adherents have taken it for granted, that it can never be explained in +harmony with the sentiment, that all men shall eventually obtain +eternal life through the Redeemer of men. But these impressions have +arisen from the fact, that they have taken their own views and +explanations to be scripturally correct, and from these premises, they +have drawn conclusions utterly opposed to the final holiness and +happiness of God's intelligent creation. They have supposed the new +birth to be some mysterious change produced by some mysterious +operation of the divine spirit on the mind, and that it is in +substance a miracle. + +One denomination has contended that if a man once obtained this +change, he was safe, could never "finally fall from grace," but would +eventually land in the kingdom of immortal glory. Several other +denominations admit the new birth to be the same change already +noticed, but contend that the subject may fall from grace, and be +finally lost. Here then the man, who was, according to their views, +_born again_, might still never see the kingdom of God beyond the +grave. On this principle the new birth would be no security, that any +one would obtain heaven. According to this sentiment, a man might be +born again, fall away, and be born again "until seven times," and in +the end not see the kingdom of God. Those, who advocate this +sentiment, believe that _faith and repentance_ prerequisites to the +new birth, and also believe in the salvation of infants. + +This being so, it will come to pass that half of the world will be +saved, inasmuch as about that number die in what may be, justly termed +an infant state. But of those, who come to years of accountability, +they believe but few will be saved. So the greater proportion of +those, who will finally surround the throne of God, will be those, who +have never been born again according to their views. It will not, I +presume, be contended, that infants who, they believe, are totally +depraved, ever exercise _faith_, or experience the _new birth_ in this +life. + +From the above views, I shall take the liberty to dissent, and may +probably differ some from the expositions given by others. It is +evident that Jesus Christ in his instructions frequently brought +forward some natural facts plainly understood by those whom he +addressed, in order more clearly to illustrate his subject, and then +made his illustrations so nearly resemble that natural fact, that no +man could possible misunderstand him, unless he had been led into +tradition by blind guides. In the context, he makes allusion to +natural birth, of which every man knows the meaning, and says to +Nicodemus, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which +is born of the spirit is spirit." + +Natural birth pre-supposes the perfect formation of the human body by +that secret energy of nature, God only can comprehend. But that +formation, itself, is not birth. Birth is that operation, that +introduced us into this world. We are now flesh and blood, which +cannot inherit the kingdom. What is born of the flesh is flesh. We +must now be born again from mortal to immortality, otherwise we could +not see the kingdom of God. + +Must not man be born of a woman in order to see this world? Can he +look upon the beautiful objects of creation, or contemplate these +countless wonders of the Almighty before he is born into being? He +cannot. All without exception will admit, that it is impossible for +any man to enter this natural world, in which we live, without birth. +So it is equally impossible to enter the kingdom of God without being +born _again_ in the strictest sense of the word. A man cannot "be born +again" ten, or twenty years, nor even _one day_ before he sees the +kingdom of God, any more than he could be born twenty days before he +came forth out of the womb. As natural birth cannot take place any +given time before we enter this world, but is the _circumstance_ that +introduces us, so a _second birth_ cannot take place any given time +before we enter the kingdom of God in the next world but is the _very +thing_, that shall introduce us into it; and the moment we are born +again, we shall see it,--we shall be spirit, and beyond the dominion +of death and sin. He that is born of the flesh, _is flesh_, so long as +he lives; and he that is born of the spirit _is spirit_. As we now +"bear the image of the earthly" through a _natural_ birth, "so we +shall also bear the image of the heavenly" through a _spiritual_ +birth. And as no man in this world is a spirit, so no man has in +reality passed the new birth. When we were born into this world, we +were brought from insensibility to an existence entirely new. So in +order to enter the kingdom of God, which is not of this world, we must +be born again from the insensibility of death into a new and happy +existence beyond the grave. + +The question now arises, when does this new birth take place? We reply +when this mortal puts on immortality through a resurrection. When we +shall be aroused from the sleep of death to a precipient existence in +heaven--when we shall awake satisfied with the likeness of God. Paul, +in the xv. Chap. 1 Cor. Plainly states that the spiritual body is +prepared and put on after death. Birth then must _follow_, not +_precede_ that spiritual body. It is impossible that birth should take +place, till the body is first prepared. Man's natural body is +organized in the womb, and then born into this world. He drops to a +state of insensibility in death, a reorganization of the spiritual +body takes place to the natural eye imperceptible, and its nature +indestructible. It is gradually brought forward through a resurrection +similar to the grain of wheat to which Paul compares it, is awakened +to a conscious existence, and bears the image of the heavenly as it +once bore the image of the earthy. The resurrection is therefore every +moment progressing, and every man is raised in his own order of time. + +But says the reader, if the resurrection be the new birth, then +Christ, himself must have been born again, in order to enter the +kingdom of God! Certainly. But inquires the reader, where do the +scriptures teach that Christ was ever born again? In Colossians chap. +i:15. are these words--"Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible +God, the _first born_ of every creature." This cannot mean that he was +the first born into this state of existence; but he was the first one +whom human eyes ever saw alive beyond the destruction of death to die +no more, and the only one that mortal eye will ever see, for he arose +in his natural body, (being the only true witness, appointed of God,) +to bring life and immortality to light through the gospel. + +But that passage, says the reader, does not satisfy me, that Christ +was born again. Then listen once more--verse 18--"who is the +beginning, the _first born_ from the dead that in all things he might +have the pre-eminence." Rev. chap. i. 5. "Jesus Christ the faithful +witness, and the _first begotten_ from the dead." Here it is plainly +stated that he is the "first born from the dead" "the _first begotten_ +from the dead" These scriptures in connexion with several others, that +might be quoted, prove that Christ was born again, and that the +resurrection is called birth. + +It is evident that man falls to a state of insensibility in death, and +remains in sleep while the spiritual body is forming out of those +subtle materials, that at death pass into _hades_; and when the +reorganization is completed, the new being is born into the kingdom of +immortal glory. A drowning man, we know, falls to a state of +unconsciousness. Fainting--yes, even a night's sleep proves that the +mind is susceptible of falling into insensibility, or suspending its +mental operations, and disproves the notion of its entering a future +state, only through a resurrection of the dead. This fact is not only +substantiated by reason, but it is the doctrine of Revelation. The +wise man says, "the dead know not any thing." Paul, in the xv. Chap. 1 +Cor. Predicates the truth of our resurrection on the fact that Christ +rose from the dead; and on this ground he reasons, that if there be no +resurrection, then preaching is vain, faith is also vain, the +christians were yet in their sins, and they that were fallen asleep in +Christ were perished, and concludes by saying, "let us eat, drink, for +tomorrow we die." Suppose a christian should this moment die, and, +according to common opinion, enter immediately on an immortal +existence. Could we now say--if there be no resurrection, he is fallen +asleep in Christ and perished? No, because, instead of being perished, +i.e. _Annihilated_, he would remain in infinite happiness and glory, +even if there should, never, be any resurrection. So you perceive that +Paul did not believe any one could enter eternity only through a +resurrection. He believed, they would fall asleep in Christ, and in +that sleep remain till in Christ they were made alive. He embraces the +whole in the following words--"Since by man came death, by man came +also the resurrection of the dead." + +When the sentence of death was pronounced upon Adam, which was to pass +upon all men, the promise of a Saviour then made, was, it appears, not +understood. Their posterity looked forward for a temporal king, and +had no idea of an immortal existence beyond the "narrow house." Death +the king of terrors, was not yet disarmed of his sting by the +resurrection of our triumphant Redeemer. This truth was not yet +revealed to men. Here the human family were without hope, and +trembling at the darkness--the seven fold darkness of the tomb. No ray +of light and joy beamed from that cheerless mansion to ease the aching +heart, or dispel that melancholy gloom, which pervaded the parental +bosom when gazing for the last time upon the struggles of a dying +child. + +Here was a world born into existence under the certain sentence of +death, and groaning in the bondage of corruption, without any hope of +being delivered from it, by an immortal birth, "into the glorious +liberty of the children of God." In this period of anxiety and +distress, the glad tidings were proclaimed to the shepherds on the +plains of Judea, announcing the birth of the Saviour of the world. A +new birth, which is not mentioned in the old Testament, was at length +proclaimed by a Saviour in the _new_. He died on the cross, and was +"the first born from the dead." + +He is the head of every man, by the grace of God tasted death for +every man, and rose again for their justification. The scriptures +declare that "we shall be saved by his life" that he is "the bread of +God that cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world." He is +our way, our truth and life, and "because he lives we shall live +also." "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made +alive," or born from the dead. And he that is made alive in Christ is +a new creature, old things are passed away--all things are become new. + +But says the reader, though the resurrection of Jesus is set forth by +a birth from death, yet the resurrection of the human family is never +so represented. You mistake. Out of the many passage that might be +adduced, we have room, in this discourse, for only one. It shall, +however, be satisfactory. In Romans, 8th chapter, Paul says, "Because +the creature itself also, shall be delivered from the bondage of +corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for we +know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together +until now." [We would remark, that the word _creature, is ktisis_ in +the Greek, and is the same that is rendered _creation_ in the next +verse.] In this quotation, you perceive, that Paul represents the +whole creation as groaning in travail pains, and declares that the +whole creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into +the glorious liberty of the sons of God. He compares them to a woman +in pain ready for delivery; and that they are delivered from +corruption to incorruption at the resurrection is certain. [See 1 Cor. +xv:42.] + +You now understand what I mean by the new birth. It is to pass from +death to life and immortality, in Christ, beyond the grave, where +flesh and blood can never enter. For that which is born of the flesh +is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. + +We have now pointed out the new birth, and shown that it bears some +resemblance to the natural birth, with which Jesus compared it. And +how truly sublime and cheering the thought, that the great family of +man, who are all born into existence under the certain sentence of +death, are to receive a second birth into an existence entirely new, +and the whole of his dying family are to be made the children of Jesus +Christ by adoption. + +In our next, we shall notice the change we experience in this life, +called in scripture the new birth, and explain the term, "kingdom of +God." + +SERMON IX + +"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, +except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John +iii. 3. + +In our last, we have shown, that the _spiritual_ birth bears some +resemblance to a natural birth with which Jesus compared it--and as +the _first_ introduces us into this world, so the _second_ will +introduce us into the future and immortal world at the resurrection, +where we shall be as the angels of God in heaven, and "be the +_children_ of God _being the children of the resurrection_." There we +shall be completely free from sin and pain. There the gushing tear of +sorrow shall cease to flow, and the brow of disconsolate humanity be +ruffled no more. + +We will now attend to the present effects that the truth of this birth +has upon us here, and notice at the same the phrase, "_kingdom of +God_." + +The question now arises; do not some experience the new birth in this +life? They do. But in what sense do they experience it? Ans. By +_faith_. In this world we pass from death to life: not that we have +actually been in the grave and brought to life beyond it; but the +believer experiences this by faith. And _this faith_ has a most +powerful and happifying influence on his affections, and consequently +on his life and conduct. All, that God has revealed for the salvation +of the world--our justification, our sanctification, our new birth, +our heaven, our all--yes, all these important and heavenly changes are +summed up, and embraced in our immortal resurrection, will actually +take place through death; and while in this world we can embrace them, +_only by faith_. + +The scriptures declare that "we walk by faith and, not by sight." Paul +says, "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of +the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Paul knew that +he had eternal life given him in Christ, before the world began, and +faith in that glorious truth produced a happiness--a divine life in +his heart, called the kingdom of God within. Let us notice these +several points. + +1. First; "Christ rose again for our justification." Our justification +then exists in our resurrection state, and will _there_ in all its +reality take place. But cannot a man be justified _here_? Yes; he can +be justified _through faith_ in that truth. + +2. Second; "By the which will, we are _sanctified_ through the +offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Our +_sanctification_ then, by the will of God, will take place through +death. But cannot a man be _sanctified_ while _here_? Yes; he can be +sanctified _through faith in that truth!_ + +3. Third; Christ was "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the +spirit." So in his resurrection he passed from death to life, and thus +revealed the truth that we shall also pass from death to life by the +power of God, and be like him who is the "first fruits." But cannot a +man pass from death to life while on earth? Yes; he can pass from +death to life _through faith in that truth_. Jesus says--"He that +heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting +life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death +unto life." + +4. Fourth; our eternal life will be realized beyond death. "The things +that are not seen are spiritual and eternal." But can we not enjoy it +_here_? Yes; "He that believeth on the Son _hath_ everlasting life;"-- +that is, he enjoys it faith. + +5. Fifth; Christ was the "first born from the dead." So we also shall +pass the reality of the new birth by faith. But can we not enjoy it +here? John says--"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, +and this is the victory that overcometh world _even our faith_." + +Thus it is evident that a man may in this life be _justified, +sanctified_, pass from _death to life, may enjoy eternal life_, and be +_born again_ through faith in _these several correspondent facts_. His +faith, however, can make them no more _certain_; because they _must +exist_, and be solemn and unalterable facts before he can be called +upon to believe them. The truth of the above _five facts_, we +perceive, are embraced in our resurrection. If we are not, in our +resurrection, to be _justified, sanctified, born again_, and obtain +eternal life, then we cannot be _justified, sanctified or born again +here_ through faith in those truths;--because there would be no such +truths in existence for us to exercise faith in. If the objector will +not allow these facts unalterably to exist _previous_ to believing, +what then will he call upon us to believe? Will he call upon us to +believe that we have an eternal life in Christ when no such fact +exists, and contend that our believing this lie will create the fact? +This would be the most ridiculous absurdity. + +But the truth exists, and the believer by faith enjoys it before hand. +He enjoys it by anticipation, not in _reality_. It can be brought to +his understanding or experience no other way, only through the gospel +medium of faith. I challenge the objector to show me between the lids +of the new Testament, any regeneration, new birth, justification, or +sanctification, that has already taken place in any other sense than +through faith. All these things in their _reality_ are to take place +in our resurrection, when we shall be like the angels of God and by +faith we bring them present to our minds and enjoy them _here_. Dr. +Watts says--"Faith brings distant prospects home, Of things a thousand +years ago, Or thousand years to come." Paul, therefore, exhorts us to +forget the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are +before--to press to the mark &c. because the reality--the object of +our faith lies before us. But persons, who do not understand the +operations of faith on the mind in view of its correspondent truth, +and who honestly believe that the new birth has in reality already +taken place with them, are always looking back to the time they were +born again, and telling over their "old experiences" Now this is right +in them, if they have passed through the _reality_; for every man +ought to look to the substance in which he exercises faith and hope. +But certainly the scriptures exhort us to look forward, and anchor our +faith and hope within the vail, where our forerunner hath for us +entered. It is therefore certain that the reality exists there, and is +yet to come. Such persons then, in looking back to their experience, +are mistaking the birth produced by faith for the real birth itself. +This is just as unreasonable as it would be to suppose that the +foretaste, we sometimes enjoy of immortal life, was that life itself. +It is true we at times enjoy a heaven on earth. But as it respects the +kingdom of immortal glory, "eye hath not seen, ear heard, neither hath +it entered into the heart of man to conceive the glory that shall be +revealed in us." The reality is therefore yet to come, and by faith we +receive only an antepast of its joys. + +From the above observation we infer that, the resurrection is the only +gospel faith and hope of a future, happy conscious state of being. +When our minds are enlightened to see the mighty changes, that we +mortals are represented, in the scriptures of truth, as destined to +experience by being raised in a holy and deathless constitution, we +are then led to consider the resurrection of embracing all those +realities that we are called upon by Jesus Christ and his apostles to +embrace by faith and enjoy in this life. So great and sublime is the +gift of God, and so far surpassing thought does it magnify the +perfections of the divine character, and in so amiable a light does it +manifest his love to the children of men, that a living faith in its +reality cannot but obtain a salutary influence on our life and +conversation. So much stress did the apostles lay upon its importance, +that they went every where preaching the resurrection of the dead, as +the gospel of Christ. + +There is one point we will here notice. All denominations acknowledge +that for any man _by faith_ to pass from death to life is a change for +the better. If so, then the _reality_, namely to pass from the sleep +of death to an immortal existence, must be a change for the better. +Because it is by believing that future reality we are said to have +passed from death to life here. The conclusion is unavoidable that the +_reality_ must correspond with its antepast _by faith_. To understand +this let us reverse it. Suppose it should be an established law in the +nature and constitution of things that all mankind should pass from +death to immortal misery in the future world. Let this be revealed and +proclaimed as an unchanging truth. As many as believed it would of +course pass from death to immortal misery in _faith_, which would lead +them to curse the being who made them, and destined them to this +unhappy end. It would be a change for the worse. + +Our subject is now so far plain (according to our views) that the +phrase "_kingdom of God_" will be readily understood. Though it has, +by different writers, been made to bear many different significations, +yet we shall take the liberty to contend that it simply means as +follows--1. First an immortal existence beyond the grave brought to +light by the resurrection of Christ;--and 2. Second a belief in _that +reality_ is the kingdom of God we here enter and enjoy _by faith_. +Into this kingdom, infants, idiots and heathen and unbelievers do not +enter, because faith is the only condition. This is the kingdom of +heaven that men, blind leaders of the blind, shut up. They neither +enter themselves, nor suffer those that would enter to go in. They +keep the evidence of the reality out of sight so that men cannot look +beyond the vail to its brighter glories and enjoy its peaceful reign +in their hearts by faith. When faith is lost in certainty, _then_ this +kingdom will be delivered up, and to know shall be life eternal. This +definition we believe will hold good, and apply to any passage in the +New Testament where it may occur. Though some contend that it very +seldom has reference to an immortal existence, yet we strenuously +contend that there is no propriety in the phrase only in connexion +with such an existence. We cannot enter or be born into the kingdom of +God by faith, unless we admit the reality in the first place to have +an existence, any more than we could, by faith, enjoy eternal life +unless there is such a reality as eternal life beyond the grave. The +above, the reader will please to fix in his mind. + +We now perceive that man drops into the sleep of death, and that the +resurrection, or new birth is his only hope of a future happy state of +existence, and is the only change that can free him from imperfection, +and sin, and make him a new creature in a new and immortal existence +beyond the grave. + +We will here introduce an example to make our argument so far plain. +Suppose you were now in ignorance respecting the doctrine of life and +immortality through a resurrection. You know you must die, and +sincerely think that death will terminate your existence forever. You +see your children one after another laid upon their dying bed, and +with distraction shake the farewell hand of eternal separation, and +with the most solemn melancholy and wo, look forward to the period +when you must follow them down to the chambers of eternal silence, and +cease to be. + +In this moment of dread solemnity and gloom, suppose some kind angel +should appear at the bed-side of your expiring child, and kindly +inquire, why are you troubled? You answer, because my children have +fallen!--the last of my infant train lies panting for breath, and the +dreadful hour has come when all those silken affections, that build +our hearts love, must be rent assunder, and in the awful bosom of +death, be extinguished forever!--Suppose your guardian angel smiling +over the ruins of death, should point you far beyond these changing +scenes, and with rapture exclaim, you shall meet this darling child +again and commingle with your little fallen flock in glory! You and +they and all mankind shall be born from the dead into the kingdom of +God, and be new creatures free from sin and pain, and "be the children +of God being the children of the resurrection." Jesus your Lord "was +the first born from the dead," and you shall pass from death to life +and live forever. + +Now suppose you positively believed his words; could you not say in +the scripture form of the expression that through faith you was +already "passed from death to life?"--that you was born of faith, and +by faith was in the kingdom of God? You certainly could, and it would +in every sense of the word be true. Through faith, you would be +justified, through faith sanctified; through faith you would enjoy +eternal life--in fine, through faith you would be saved. This faith +would give love unmeasured to your Creator, and fill your soul with +joy unspeakable and full of glory. "Faith works by love, purifies the +heart and overcomes the world." + +Reader, do you not love the Lord for his wonderful goodness to his +children? What glorious hopes are here! "and he that hath this hope in +him purifieth himself even as he is pure"--you now see why the gospel +rings with the word _faith_ from one end to the other. + +The world previous to the coming of Jesus Christ had no knowledge of +immortality through a resurrection, into the kingdom of God. The +phrase "_born again_" is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and of +course means something more than a _conversion_. This subject will be +continued in our next. + +SERMON X + +"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, +except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John +iii. 3. + +The literal rendering of this passage seems to be--"_except a man be +born above_." The word _above_ being substituted for _again_ more +forcibly demonstrates the correctness of my views in the two former +discourses. + +Many charge the Universalists with denying the necessity of a new +birth, or regeneration. But take from me my faith and hope in that +glorious truth, and I must at that moment resign the salvation of +every human being. Convince me that not another child will be born +into this world, and you will at once convince me that this world will +shortly be destitute of a solitary inhabitant. Convince me that a man +will not be born again, and you will not only convince me that no one +will ever enter the kingdom of God, but that the many worlds, that +have already passed from the stage of mortal being, and those that +shall hereafter follow, will alike be consigned to eternal silence! +Endless misery is out of the question. That could have had no +existence even had there been no resurrection in _Him_ who is the life +of the world; but death would have terminated the existence of all. +Such a punishment is not threatened in all the writings of Moses and +the prophets. And we cannot reasonably suppose, if such were a +principal truth in revelation, that God would suffer four thousand +years to elapse without warning his creatures of such an awful doom. +Upon our first parents, for transgressing the law, he pronounced all +the miseries of life, and uttered the closing sentence, "Dust thou art +and unto dust shalt thou return." Here the doctrine of endless misery +(if that be the sentence of the violated law) ought to have been +clearly stated to the "covenant head" of our race, so that the same +sentence might pass upon all that have sinned, unless they complied +with the conditions set before them. + +But we leave this point, and will notice the 5th verse which may, +perhaps, be considered as an objection to my views, and urged as proof +that the new birth is wholly confined to this life. "Except a man be +born of _water_, and of the spirit," &c. What is here meant by +"_water_"? Ans. Baptism by immersion. This, instead of being an +objection to my views, will strengthen them. Baptism in water is +nothing more than a _figure_ of our death and resurrection, by _which_ +we manifest our _faith_ in the resurrection of the dead, by which +_faith_ our hearts are baptized into the spirit and truth of the +gospel of Christ. + +Paul says, I Cor. xv:29 "Else what shall they do, which are baptized +for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized +for the dead?" Baptism being only a _figure_ of our death and +resurrection, is perhaps, in a gospel sense, of but little consequence +to christians in the present day. + +Christ went to John and was baptized of him in Jordan. His being put +under water signified his death, when the condemning power of the law +under the first dispensation should lose its force--and his being +raised out of the water signified his resurrection from the cold +Jordan of death to immortal life in the kingdom of God, where the +victory shall be sung over _death and sin_; and over the _law_ which +"is the strength of sin." Having passed in figure through his own +death and resurrection, and having manifested to man that he was +baptized by the Holy Spirit into the faith and "powers of the world to +come," he perfectly lived up to his obligation, by never committing +one sin. He went through life free from transgression as though he +were already in eternity. When his crucifixion hour approached, he +said, [Luke xii:50] "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am +I straitened" [Greek--pained] "till it be accomplished." Here he had +reference to his being buried in death, (which was to be attended with +extreme sufferings) and rising again from it, which would be the +_reality_ of which his baptism in Jordan was but a _figure_. + +To be put under water signifies our _death_, and to be raised out +again signifies our _resurrection_. A person, who is baptized, ought +therefore, to endeavor, as much as in him lies, to live as though he +were already in his resurrection state. Enjoying in faith the baptism +of the "Holy Spirit and of fire," he ought to consider himself as dead +to the world and alive to God walking in newness of life. + +Let us introduce Rom. vi:3, 4. "Know ye not that so many of us as were +baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into _his death_? Therefore +we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was +raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also +should walk in newness of life." Here we perceive they were baptized +into his death, and were rejoicing in hope of the _resurrection_, +having their hearts purified faith in the reality, Acts xxii. 16 And +now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, +&c. Now, it is not only a scripture doctrine, but all denominations +acknowledge, that baptism in water is an _emblem_ of the washing away +of our sins. We then ask--are our sins to be wished in a stream of +water? No. Where then? The objector says, our sins are taken away _in +this life_ by the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and with fire." This +cannot be; because Paul told the believers that if there were no +resurrection, their faith was vain, and they were _yet in their sins_. +[See I. Cor. xv. 17.] This proves that believers receive the +forgiveness of their sins in this life _by faith only_, not in +_reality_. + +The question returns, are our sins washed away in a stream of water? +No. Where then? Ans. Through death and the resurrection, for that is +the real baptism. And it is certain that the _reality_ must embrace +all that the _figure_ in water teaches. We then solemnly ask the +reader,--if baptism in water is a _figure_ of our death and +resurrection, and if _that water baptism_ signifies the washing away +of our sins, will not then our sins be washed away through death and +the resurrection? Yes; otherwise the figure in water has no meaning. + +Thus we perceive that being born of the water is no objection to our +views of the new birth, but affords them an unshaken support. If any +one contend that the sins of our race are not to be taken away through +death, we would then ask, where will the christian's sins be washed +away? The scriptures declare that there is not a just man upon earth +that doeth good and sinneth not,--and if there is no change through +death then there will not be a just man beyond the grave that doeth +good and sinneth not. But the baptism "with the Holy Spirit and with +fire" in all its solemn and interesting reality will take place in +death and the resurrection, and to exercise a living faith in that +truth, so as to influence our life and conduct according to the spirit +of the gospel, is what the scriptures term being baptized with the +spirit and with fire in this life. But this present enjoyment is not +the _reality_, but an antepast of _that reality_; because "we walk by +faith and not by sight." It is immaterial whether the scripture speaks +of _pardon, of justification; of sanctification, of redemption, of +regeneration, or baptism_ "with the Holy Spirit and with fire," it +simply means that those facts in the divine counsels unchangeably +exist, and will burst upon the whole groaning creation in the +resurrection world, while the believer only enjoys them in this state +of being through faith, which baptizes him into the spirit of Christ. +But if there be no resurrection, and nought is presented to our +anticipation but the dreary prospect of a beamless eternity, then +"preaching is vain," "faith is also vain," "christians are yet in +their sins," "and they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." + +The taking away the sin of the world by the Lamb of God, who is the +resurrection and the life, is through death. Through death, to our +faith and hope, he has destroyed "him who hath the power of death, +that is the devil." The washing away of all sin, by the power of God, +is through death and the resurrection. _Then_ and not till then shall +the song of triumph be sung by redeemed millions--"O death! Where is +thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, +and the strength of sin is the law", &c. + +All the figures of baptism point to _death_--all the sacrifices for +sin, slain under the law for 4000 years, point to death, declaring +that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. There the +reality lies. There we are called upon to anchor our faith and hope +even within the veil. And it must be a _certain truth_ that our sins +are to be washed away through the Jordan of death, before we can be +called upon to believe it. It must be a _certain reality_ that sin is +there to be purged away, before we could, with any propriety, use +baptism in water as a shadow of it; because the _shadow_ cannot create +the _substance_. + +We have now shown that as man is naturally born into this world, so he +shall be spiritually born into the kingdom of God. We have shown by +comparison that except a man be born of a woman, he cannot see this +world; and as this does not mean that he must be born twenty days +before he comes forth from the womb, as a preparation for entering +this world, so the expression, "except a man be born again he cannot +see the kingdom of God," does not mean that he must be born twenty +days before death as a preparation for entering a future existence. +The new birth, no more means a _reality_ that is to transpire _here_, +than natural birth means some change we underwent prior to our being +brought forth into life. + +I believe in all the reformation or new birth here that others do, and +believe in much more to come. That change _here_, which they call the +new birth, I call the new birth in faith, or being born of faith, +while the solemn reality is yet to transpire, and that is to be born +from the dead in Christ our head. These facts we will now make plain +to every reader by the following example, so that our views on this +subject may not be misrepresented. + +Suppose that before we were born, we had been able to conceive ideas. +And suppose it had been spoken to us by the Son of God--except you are +born of the flesh, you cannot see the natural world, which is most +beautiful to to behold, having sun, moon, and stars, and songsters, +fields and groves. It has never entered your heart to conceive the +glory to be revealed in you. Now suppose some of us had believed this +revelation, we would that moment, have been born of faith, and +rejoiced in hope of the glory to be revealed in us; and by faith have +looked forward to the reality. This, however, would not have made our +birth any more certain, because it must have been an absolute truth +before we could have, with any propriety, believed it. Suppose, +further, that some of us had rejected it; would this circumstance have +prevented our being born? Certainly not. All of us, who believed, +would have been born of faith, having an earnest of the reality, and +the unbelievers would have come short of that enjoyment by faith; but +their unbelief could in no sense make the truth of none effect. The +moment we were born, belief and unbelief would be lost in certainty. + +Now suppose that some of had said--the Son of God has declared "except +we are born of the flesh, we cannot see the natural world." This must +mean some great change we are to experience in the womb--we must be +born some number of days before we enter the natural world, as a +preparation, otherwise we can never see it. + +We now ask the reader, whether it would not be folly to give to the +word _birth_ such an explanation? The Conclusion is unavoidable. We +then ask, whether it does not involve the same folly to contend, in +view of our text, ("except a man be born again, he cannot enter into +the kingdom of God") that it means, he must be born again in this +world, as a preparation for another? It certainly does. + +We once more repeat it--that as natural birth was the _very thing_ +that introduced us all into this world of imperfection, sorrow and +pain; so the spiritual birth will be the _very thing_, that shall +introduce us all into another, where, imperfection, sorrow and pain +shall be no more. + +The poor heathen, and infants, and all, will therefore be born again +into the kingdom of God, and "be equal unto the angels, die no more, +and be the children of God, _being the children of the resurrection_." +The only advantage we enjoy above them is, that we have heard the good +news, believed it, are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of +incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever," +and "have entered into rest." We are rejoicing in hope of the glory of +God to be revealed in us, while they are groping in darkness, +inasmuch, as they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard. + +In our next, we shall close this subject by urging the importance of +the new birth through faith in the truth. + +SERMON XI + +"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, +except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John +iii. 3. + +In our last three discourses we have endeavoured to lay our views of +the new birth thus far plainly before the reader, and wish him to bear +in mind that the three sermons, preceding those on the new birth, are +also to be read, and carefully kept in view, so that, from the whole +connexion, the gospel doctrine of salvation by _faith_ may be made +clear to his understanding. We dwelt so long, and laid so much stress +upon _faith_, because it is the _first_ christian grace, we are +exhorted to put on, and is the _first_ assent of the mind to the great +and interesting _truth_ revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which +is _life and immortality_ for the human family. + +We have shown that the new birth has a higher signification than +simply to be converted from the evil of our doings, as was required +under the first dispensation. The new birth, so far as it concerns the +present existence, embraces not only _conversion_, but the whole +spiritual life of the christian's soul, denominated the kingdom of +heaven within. This mental felicity--this "weight of glory," cannot be +enjoyed, but by the exercise of a living faith in Christ. Such a faith +begets a sincere obedience in our life and conversation. It is a faith +"that works by love, purifies the heart and overcomes the world." The +great apostle to the Gentiles exclaims--"the life that I now live in +the flesh, I live by the _faith_ of Son of God, who loved me and gave +himself for me." We therefore "walk by _faith_, not by _sight."_ + +We have shown that Christ was the _"first born_ from the dead" to show +light to the people and to the Gentiles, and that the whole creation +is groaning in travail-pains, and that it shall be delivered from the +bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of +God, and that we shall then be as the angels of God in heaven. We have +shown that all mankind--infants, idiots and heathen, shall be brought +to realize this birth, and that the believer, only, can only enjoy it +in this state of existence through _faith_ in the truth, and that this +_faith_ has a most powerful influence on his life and conversation, +"being born of incorruptible seed by the word of God that liveth and +abideth forever." We have shown that neither this birth, nor any of +the spiritual changes, can be experienced in this life only through +_faith_ in their correspondent truths, even as they are revealed to us +in the gospel of Christ. We have shown that by the phrase, "kingdom of +heaven" we were to understand, _first_, a holy, happy and immortal +existence "beyond the grave, incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth +not away, reserved for us in heaven," and which, with all its +perfections and joys, was revealed to us by Jesus Christ; and +_second_, a sincere and living _faith_ in this interesting _reality_, +produced that divine enjoyment, called "the kingdom of heaven within +us," the kingdom of heaven among men, &c. This kingdom the Pharisees +"shut up"--they "neither entered it themselves, nor suffered those +that were entering to go in." That is--they prevented the people from +_believing_ those interesting _realities_--those sublime doctrines of +a future world that their Messiah had brought to light through the +gospel for the present happiness of men. + +We have shown that water baptism is but a _figure, a shadow_ of our +death and resurrection, or of the washing of regeneration and renewing +of the Holy Spirit, and that this figure is of but little consequence +to us in this present day. In fine we have shown that if there were no +future existence--if nought were held up to man but the dreary +prospect of a beamless eternity, he could not be justified, +sanctified, born again, pass from death to life or enter the kingdom +of God through faith, because in such case the _objects_ of his _faith +and hope_ would be annihilated, his faith would be vain, he would be +yet in his sins. In this view of our subject, we perceive that Christ +is but "the author and finisher of our faith," having been ordained of +God "to bring life and immortality to light," to set us an example for +our imitation and happiness here below--and to die and rise in +attestation of the truth involved in his mission. Consequently his +kingdom will be delivered up when _faith and hope_ shall be lost in +certainty and joy. + +It now remains that we urge the importance of the _new birth_ through +faith in the truth. And here we shall probably meet with one objection +from the reader, viz. As we argued in sermons, No. 5, 6, and 7, that +faith was the first exercise of the creature, and that no one could +_believe or disbelieve_ what he pleased, the reader may then ask, what +necessity is there of urging the importance of the new birth through +faith in the truth, in as much as faith cannot be exercised at the +_pleasure_ or simply at the _will_ of man? And here we would remark-- +that the guilt of unbelief does not consist in rejecting a fact after +patient investigation, by collecting all the evidences in our reach, +but it consists in rejecting a fact without examination of its truth. +For instance; let the gospel be preached to a heathen, who rejects it +without attempting to acquaint himself with the evidences upon which +its truth is based. He is condemned for not believing, because he +neglects the only means by which he might be convinced of the truth. +He declines searching for evidence. Of the truth of this remark we +have a striking instance in the scriptures. Paul preached at +Thessalonica, but they heeded not his words. He preached also at +Berea, and the inspired penman says, "These were more noble than those +in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of +mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so." +It is our duty to search the scriptures prayerfully and "labor to +enter into that rest that remains to the people of God, lest any of us +through unbelief should seem to come short of it." It is our duty to +search for evidence of the fact, at least on all subjects relating to +our present happiness, and particularly those that appertain to the +future world. They are too momentous to be treated with indifference. + +There is nothing more important than that we should exercise a living +_faith_ in a future and happy existence beyond the grave. This alone +can afford the mind "joy unspeakable and full of glory." There is in +every human bosom an unceasing uneasiness, an aching void that nothing +on earth can satisfy or fill. Old and young, ignorant and learned, +heathen and christian feel the same dissatisfaction with the objects +of momentary duration. The heathen, in the midst of all his +self-denials and self-tortures to appease his gods, and in the +conscientious discharge of all his devotional duties, is still a +dissatisfied and miserable being. God has so constituted the human +mind that it cannot repose in error, however sincere may be the faith +it exercises. There is still a growing vacuum within that nothing but +the powers of truth can fill. Philosophy has endeavoured to search out +that system of moral duties, in the rigid performance of which, that +happiness, peace and joy might be found, for which all mortal beings +pant with the same aspirations of strong desire, but has sought in +vain. From the earliest ages, one system after another has been +invented, and in succession abandoned, but all have come short of +discovering any thing solid on which to rest their hopes of earthly +felicity. + +Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, has alone +accomplished what all the penetration of Pythagoras and all the moral +lessons of Seneca and Socrates failed to discover. With a bold, firm +and untrembling hand he has drawn aside the curtains of the tomb, and +pointed the human family to a second birth from the dark womb of death +into mansions of incorruptible felicity in the kingdom of God, where +they shall die no more, and where all the inquietudes, appertaining to +this fleeing existence, shall be unknown. This future state of being, +he has not only revealed, but has demonstrated its certainty by those +incontestable evidences, which can never be shaken by all the powers +of infidelity combined. He has burst the icy bands of death and risen +triumphant beyond its solemn shade, and begot in us those lively +hopes, those fond desires, that ease the aching heart--that +communicate unbroken peace amidst the various ills of life, and afford +it divine consolation and joy in the trying moment of death. In those +interesting truths the believer confides, and in every condition in +life is enabled to rejoice in the hope that when "this earthly +tabernacle is dissolved, he has a building of God, a house not made +with hands eternal in the heavens." In this faith, man's countless +wants are satisfied, inasmuch as God has secured his dearest interest. +In this faith the believer is entered into rest, is born of God, and +is translated into his kingdom. He _knows_ that by faith he has passed +from death unto life, for his soul is filled with love to God and man. +This love, this divine enjoyment, is the natural effect of _faith_, +inasmuch as it works by love, purifies the heart and overcomes, the +world. He is not only at rest respecting himself, but at rest +respecting his children and dear friends, whom he may be called to +follow to the land of silence and the shadow of death. He stands at +their dying bed and whispers to them consolation, in the joyful +assurance, that he shall meet them again beyond the dominion of death +and pain in the regions of glory. His bosom is the mansion of those +pure and holy affections and of those sublime hopes, that none can +know but those who are thus born into the kingdom of God. + +Reader, you must die. How important then that you should faithfully +and prayerfully examine the scriptures so that tormenting fears, +distraction and despair may not in that solemn moment rend the peace +of your bosom to atoms. A sweet peace and composure of soul in that +trying hour, are of incalculable worth. It is enough to struggle with +physical pain without the addition of mental woes, which present +neglect, and your ignorance of the truth and consolations of the +gospel of Christ, are sure to bring upon you. Perhaps you are a +father, and may be called to stand at the death-bed of a beloved +child. That child may call upon you as a parent to administer +consolation to its departing spirit. He clings to life, or ardently +desires to live forever in the mansions of rest beyond the grave. But +what consolation can you impart, if you are yourself ignorant of the +doctrines of the gospel of Christ? The heart-rending prospect of +endless wo, or the gloomy horrors of annihilation, could afford no +consolation to that mind, which has the principles of glory deeply +rooted in its nature and which nothing but the continuance of +existence can rationally satisfy. As you value unbroken peace in the +hour of dissolution, and as you value the happiness of these dear +pledges heaven has lent you, study for the evidence of christian +truth, search the scriptures, and labor to enter into that rest that +remains here to the believing people of God, who are born again and +_specially_ saved through _faith_ in the truth. + +This labor is not only important in view of the solemn hour of death, +but important in view of the life you here live in the flesh. +Happiness is the ultimate pursuit of all mortal beings. They vainly +imagine that it can be found in riches, honors and titles--yes, even +imagine that it can be found in the hard ways of the transgressor. +Though sensible that worlds before them have failed, and gone down to +the grave with the pangs of disappointed hope, yet man is so strangely +inconsistent as still to believe, that these earthly pursuits contain +some hidden charm which he flatters himself he shall find even though +all before him have failed. Here is the delusion, kind reader, of +which you are cautioned to beware. There is no happiness but in the +path where the hand of mercy has sown it--no happiness but in the +objects where God has placed it. It is no where to be found but in the +enjoyment of the religion of Christ. This will sweeten every earthly +pursuit, make every burden light, afford solid enjoyment in life and +divine consolation in the hour of death. Flatter not yourself that +there is any happiness beneath the sun aside from this. "There is no +peace saith my God to the wicked," and, he who says there is, +contradicts Jehovah, and is yet "in the gall of bitterness and in the +bond of iniquity." A speculative faith is of but little consequence, +so long as it does not influence our life and conversation for the +better. We must believe to the saving of the soul from the evil of the +world. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy +righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be +thy reward." + +SERMON XII + +"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving +favor rather than silver and gold." Prov. xxii:1. + +A good name involves all that can render man exalted and amiable, or +life desirable. The good opinion of mankind has, in all ages, been +considered as a blessing of the first magnitude, and has, in various +ways, been sought for by all. There is no man so dishonest, but what +labors to impress upon others the conviction of his honesty; no man so +deceptive, but what wishes to be considered sincere; nor cowardly, but +desires to be reputed brave; and no man is so abandonedly vicious, but +what desires to be considered virtuous by his fellow creatures. All +choose a good name in preference to a bad one. This being a fact the +appearance of virtue is kept up where the reality is wanting, and the +shadow is often mistaken for the substance. + +There are many, that are, at heart, insincere and false, who pass in +society generally for persons of sincerity, candor and virtue, while +their real principles are known only in their own families and among +their confidential friends. They desire a good name and outwardly +maintain it, while they in reality but little deserve it. In order to +know what a man really is, we must be acquainted, not only with his +public, but his private character. In his own family, every man +appears what he really is. There the heart, word and action art in +unison. They embrace each other. In public, they too often separate; +and the word, or action, speaks what its divorced companion, the heart +does not feel. + +Such not only literally choose, but often bear a good name. But this +is not the choice suggested by the text. All men, even the most +vicious, in some sense or other, choose a good name. But the passage +under consideration has a higher, a nobler aim, than a mere choice +unconnected with virtuous principle and action. It has a higher aim, +than to encourage men to be rotten at heart, and by an outward, +hypocritical maneuver, maintain a good name among their fellow +creatures. By the text, we are to understand, that a man should early +cultivate, in his heart, a virtuous principle, as the pure source from +which all those outward actions spring that justly merit the esteem of +mankind, force approbation even from the vicious, and thus entitle him +to that good name which is far above all price. This will not only +afford its possessor unbroken peace arising from the inward +consolations and joys of virtuous sincerity, but it will also open to +him another rich fountain of felicity, arising from the consideration, +that he enjoys the confidence and esteem of the great and the good, +with whom he is conversant in life, of his intimate friends, of his +companion and children, and above all the smiles of kind heaven and +the approbation of his God. His life is calm; his sleep is sweet and +associated with golden dreams. No fearful spectres haunt his brain, +but the kind angel of mercy is ever at his side. He looks forward to +death undismayed, yes, with satisfaction and composure looks beyond +that dark scene, to brighter worlds and more substantial joys. He +feels the assurance, that even when he shall be here no more, his name +shall live in the hearts of those he left behind, be embalmed in the +memory of the just, and that it is beyond the power of rolling ages to +sully it. This is what we understand by choosing a good name as stated +in our text. + +Of the truth of this, there can arise no misapprehension when we +compare it with the subsequent phrase with which it is contrasted--"a +good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor +than silver and gold." By the choosing of riches, we are to +understand, not only a desire to obtain them, but that this desire +shall be sufficiently strong to prompt us to use all the honorable and +efficient means in our power to accumulate them. The wise man did not +mean that every man had the offer of a fortune, and could possess +himself of it by simply making choice of it independent of means. No-- +his choice must be manifested by industry and economy. The means must +be used to secure the end. Just so in acquiring a good name. The +person desirous of obtaining it, must pursue that upright and virtuous +course of conduct, which alone could insure it. And just as well might +a man expect riches by being indolent and extravagant, as to expect a +good name by indulging in every species of vice. We are therefore to +understand our text thus--A good name, through pursuing a virtuous +course of conduct, is rather to be chosen than great riches, through +the plans and means by which they are obtained. + +Man is a being of many wants, and to supply them he is too much +inclined to forsake the path of virtue and resort to dishonorable +means to obtain wealth. + +In view of this master-passion for earthly splendor and greatness, +Solomon uttered the words of our text to recall the giddy mind from +its chase of shadows, sad turn it to the only source of unmingled +felicity in the pursuit of virtue. This would afford the mind those +rational delights that wealth, with all its dazzling splendors, cannot +impart. It does not possess the charm to convey unbroken peace to the +heart. + +But there is a strong inducement to engage in a virtuous course, +because it is the surest road to wealth and honor. The thief and +robber were never rich, nor nor could they be happy if they were. An +excellent writer, observes--the importance of a good character in the +commerce of life, seems to be universally acknowledged. To those who +are to make their own way either to wealth or honors, a good character +is as necessary as address and ability. Though human nature is often +degenerate, and corrupts itself by many inventions, yet it usually +retains to the last an esteem for excellence. But even if we arrive at +such an extreme degree of depravity as to have lost our native +reverence for virtue, yet a regard to our own interest and safety will +lead us to apply for aid, in all important transactions, to men whose +integrity is unimpeached. When we choose an assistant or a partner, +our first inquiry is concerning his character. When we have occasion +for a counsellor, an attorney, or a physician, whatever we may be +ourselves, we always choose to trust our property and lives to men of +the best character. When we fix on the tradesman, who is to supply us +with necessaries, we are we are influenced by fair reputation and +honorable dealing. Young men, therefore, whose characters are yet +unfixed, and who consequently may render them just such as they wish, +ought to pay great attention to the first steps they take on entrance +into life. They are usually careless and inattentive to this object. +They pursue their own plans with ardor, and neglect the opinions which +others entertain of them. By some thoughtless action or expression, +they suffer a mark to be impressed upon them, which no subsequent +merit can entirely erase. Every man will find some persons who, though +they are not professed enemies, yet view him with an eye of envy, and +who would gladly revive any tale to which truth has given the +slightest foundation. + +Though a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and is +the surest road to wealth, yet there are thousands, who pay but little +attention to possess themselves of so valuable a treasure. They turn a +deaf ear to that hallowed voice, which pleads with them in behalf of +their dearest interest, and take the downward road to dissipation and +vice, and, by their wretched example, lead other thousands to the dark +abodes of sorrow, grief and pain. Enchanted by the siren voice of +false and fleeting pleasure, they hurry to the tremendous precipice, +where reputation and fortune lie in broken ruins. There they drag out +a wretched existence in disappointed hope, satiety and disgust. They +pay their devotions at the shrine of ignominy, where the dark and +stagnant waters of guilt and condemnation roll. There the sweet voice +of heaven-born peace was never heard, and the beauteous feet of +religion never trod. There dwells the family of pain--there is the +hell we are cautioned to avoid. This is not an illusion of fancy--it +is no reverie of the brain, but a reality too visible in the pathway +of human life. + +Thousands, in this condition, are hurrying to a premature grave, and +go down to that dark abode covered with infamy, having robbed +themselves of all the substantial joys, that a virtuous conduct, and a +good unsullied name are calculated to awaken in the heart. Dissipation +darkens the brightest prospects of life. It rolls its floods of misery +indiscriminately over the dearest earthly hopes of companions, +children and friends, and paralyzes every pulse of joy that beats in +the human bosom. Many a child has been spurned from the presence of +its brutal father, and been beaten for asking bread to satisfy its +hunger. Intemperance stupefies man to the moral impressions of the +gospel, and hardens the heart with the touch of its benumbing powers. +It is the giant of human wo that slays his thousands and prostrates +the happiness of man. This champion of human war draws his sword of +vengeance against the balmy repose of public and private life, and his +fatal touch withers the brightest flowers of domestic hope and joy, +and mingles the poisonous bowl with the bitter drugs of misery. His +government is absolute monarchy, and his subjects the most +contemptible slaves. When he lays upon them his cursed hand, they reel +to the ground. When he strikes the stunning blow, they drop insensibly +to the earth. The oppressions and scourges of the most wretched slave +are enviable in comparison with those severe wounds inflicted by this +merciless tyrant, this infernal scourge of the human race. +Intemperance is a monster that may well be personified. He frolicks +through the blood, preys upon the vitals, ploughs up the brain, +dethrones reason and laughs at the feeble resistance of the best +constitution, and finally bears down all opposition before him. Like +the devouring flame, he presses on with irresistible force, urging his +deadly siege, till he consumes all that is fair and lovely in the eye +of virtue. His present gifts are poverty misery and distress, and his +capital prize, a premature grave. + +This champion is ravaging our beloved country, and seducing her sons +of freedom to the disgraceful ranks of slavery and oppression. +Intemperance is that tyrant that has under his control many formidable +evils that infest the world. His boasted labor is to hurry on +thousands of victims to the commission of crime, and bring down upon +them the many misfortunes that attend man in this mutable world. +Intemperance involves public broils, tumults and disturbances, and +domestic discord, misery and strife. + +We trust the number among our readers is small, who are so regardless +of a good name as to have abandoned themselves to the intoxicating +bowl, or who have sundered all the ties of moral obligation, +determined to tread the downward path of vice to a disgraceful tomb. +We hope they have a higher regard to the invaluable worth of a good +name; and we pray that they may venerate its price far above the +momentary glitter of silver and gold. That shall live, when wealth +shall have lost its lustre, and flourish immortal, when gold shall +have corroded to dust. + +Blasphemy is another unreasonable vice against which the public +speaker or writer should raise his voice. And let no one flatter +himself because we believe in the universal and unbounded goodness of +God, that a man may go on as he please. So long as a Being of infinite +wisdom is enthroned in the heavens and governs the universe, so long +he can never fail to measure out to every offence its adequate +punishment, and has all the means at his disposal to bring it +unavoidably upon the head of every transgressor. He, who flatters +himself that he can sin with impunity, is ignorant of the government +of his God, and has never reflected upon human life in all its varied +lights and shades. Do you profess to be a Universalist, and yet treat +with irreverence the name of HIM who made you, and whom you +acknowledge to be a faithful Creator--an indulgent Father? Your +professions are nothing. "He that hath this hope in him purifieth +himself even as he is pure." That very breath by which he inflates the +lungs, can you breathe it back in blasphemies against his holy name, +which angels never pronounce but with veneration and awe? Choose, O +choose a good name, which can only be obtained by choosing a virtuous +course of conduct. However lightly you may treat your own station in +life, or however much you may disregard the dignity of your nature, +yet remember the station you hold, however obscure, is stamped with +responsibility. You are surrounded by a generation of youth, among +whom are your own children, ready to imitate your example. Do you wish +them well! Then guard your heart and life by setting a reasonable +value on a good name, and remember you cannot move without touching +some string that may vibrate long after your head rests on its cold +pillow of earth. + +SERMON XIII + +"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving +favor rather than silver and gold." Prov. xxii:1. + +In this discourse we shall more fully show why "a good name is rather +to be chosen than great riches." + +Though wealth is desirable, and in many instances conducive to human +happiness, because it puts it in our power to relieve the wants and +distresses of our fellow creatures, yet it does not possess the charm +to convey unbroken peace or solid joy to any bosom. The value, of +anything within the range of human action, is to be estimated by its +usefulness in promoting the happiness of man. That, which pours the +most numerous and refined enjoyments into the soul, is to be +considered of the greatest worth; and that, which has a tendency to +bring upon us the most alarming miseries, misfortunes and woes, is of +course the most worthless. The one is to be fondly chosen and pursued +in proportion to its worth in administering to our enjoyments, and the +other is to be avoided in proportion to its unhappy effects in +multiplying our sorrows. This being an undeniable fact, the +superlative value of a good name, procured by a virtuous course of +conduct, appears, at once, to transcend all other considerations: A +pure unsullied conscience before heaven is the most permanent bliss +that a rational being can enjoy, and is of that enduring nature which +no earthly power or misfortune can destroy. It supports us in the hour +of adversity and trial; it comforts us in the dark hour of sorrow; it +remains unmoved amids the storms of life, and lights up the smile of +satisfaction on the lips of the dying. + +Nor is this all. It affords us other unruffled streams of unmingled +felicity in the common intercourse of life. The approbation of the +wise and the good, the confidence and esteem of our friends and +associates, and the good opinion even of the vicious, are +considerations of no ordinary moment. They awaken emotions in the +heart of the most pleasing gratification, and open in the soul all the +avenues of heaven-born felicity, imparting that peace, which this +world can neither give nor take away. But as it respects _wealth_, we +would remark, that though it may communicate happiness by enabling us +to relieve the wants of our fellow creatures, and afford us many joys +in the indulgence of our benevolence, yet it cannot of itself +communicate happiness, but virtue can. A wicked and unprincipled man +is wretched, though he roll in all the wealth and splendors that earth +can give. He feels in his bosom a _burning flame_, that all the +streams of wealth can never quench, and a _craving desire_, that +nought on earth can gratify. If his "great riches" afford him any +enjoyments, yet these are by no means permanent and lasting. The +desolating flame may lay them in ruins--the storms on the ocean may +sink them in its waves--the famine or blighting mildew may wither them +forever, and leave him stript of all his fancied joys. But nothing of +this can happen to virtue. That remains forever unharmed amidst the +shocks of earth. A good name is, therefore, of inconceivably more +value than riches and rather to be chosen than silver and gold. + +We are formed for society. God in beginning said, "it is not good that +man should be alone." This being a fact, which all past experience, +and the history of our whole race demonstrate, it is, therefore, +equally true, that our dearest enjoyments flow from the social +affections and from a sincere cultivation of the social intercourse of +life. There is, perhaps, not a human being in existence, who would +accept of all the wealth of the Indies on the condition that he should +not be respected by a single individual on earth. This circumstance +shows us, in noonday light, the superior value of a good name above +all the glittering appendages of wealth. Every man is beloved and +esteemed in proportion to his goodness and usefulness in the world, +particularly by those with whom he associate in life. If then to _love +and be beloved_ depend on our conduct in the world, and if at the same +time, our happiness is derived from the exercise of reciprocal +affection, we see the importance of pitching upon that course of life, +which alone can secure those solid pleasures resulting from a well +spent life. + +Too many persons suppose, they can be happy in sin; yes, even in +criminal indulgence. But that transgressor was never yet found, who +could point to a single wicked act in his life, the remembrance of +which ever imparted one solitary gleam of joy to his heart. They may +fancy there is happiness in sin; but here is the deception. It is +immaterial what some may preach about _the pleasures of sin_, and _the +satisfaction the transgressor often takes in a wicked course_, yet all +this amounts to nothing so long as the voice of heaven declares, +"THERE IS NO PEACE, SAITH MY GOD, TO THE WICKED." Infinite wisdom +_must know_, and infinite wisdom, _has given_ the decision, and that +decision is stamped with immortality, and from it there is no appeal. +If we impress the sinner with the idea that he is not punished and +rewarded _here_, but that the whole is to be settled in the future +world, then we, in the same proportion, weaken the force of virtue and +_strengthen_ the cause of vice. And this is one obvious reason, why +men continue in sin, as long as they dare, expecting at some future +day to repent and escape _all punishment_. They go on from day to day, +and from year to year, with all the thunders of endless and immortal +pain sounded in their ears, and even believing it true, yet continue +to indulge in sin. Would they run such an awful risk, unless, by a +certain course of education, they had been made to believe that there +was happiness in transgression? No. If they believed that sin had +nought to impart but misery, they would abandon it for its _own sake_; +because happiness is the object of all men. They have, therefore, by +some means or other, been led to the strange infatuation, that sin +possesses some secret charm to communicate that happiness to the soul, +for which every bosom throbs. This fancied happiness, they vainly +imagine, they can obtain by wallowing in the dark waters of iniquity, +be happy _here_, then repent at last, and be happy _hereafter_. As +they pass along in their wretched career, expecting every moment to +grasp the fancied pleasure, yet the fond, anticipated phantom flies +from their embrace and leaves them in the ruin of their joy. Though +disappointed again and again, yet firmly believing that there is +happiness in sin, they again push on, and thus far attribute their +want of success to some miscalculation. Insensible of the nature of +sin, blinded and self-deceived, they go on in pursuit of pleasure, +while golden dreams of false felicity fire their imaginations, till at +last, age places them on the verge of the grave; their object no +nearer attained than it was the day they set out, while habit has +fixed them in a course, that has yielded them nothing but sorrow and +pain, and vanity and vexation of spirit. Stung with remorse, and +pierced through with many sorrows, they breathe a repentance, which, +the nature of their condition, forces upon them, are perhaps +pronounced _converted_, and they sink into the darkness of death! +Their names, covered with infamy, are soon blotted from the +remembrance of the living! + +We observed, a moment ago, that the idea, of holding up a retribution +in the future world, weakens the force of virtue, and strengthens the +cause of vice. This has, perhaps, been abundantly shown in the +arguments already offered as being manifest in the daily conduct of +men; yet we will, in a word, bring the subject plainly before you. To +persuade a sinner that he is to be punished in the _future_ world for +his sins in _this_, is plainly saying that sin has many pleasures and +conveniences _here_, and so far as it failed of rendering him his due +desert, the balance is to be made up in another state of being. +Because the balance of punishment due him _there_, is to make up the +_deficiency_ of punishment, which sin did not pay him here. And +certainly, so far as sin did not pay him _here_, he must have been +happy in its commission. And the _expectation_, that he should be +happy in it _here_, was the _very cause_ that induced him to continue +in transgression, with the expectation of repenting and escaping +punishment _hereafter_. Thus he flattered himself, that he could sin +with impunity, and escape its punishment in this world and the world +to come. + +And to satisfy a man that he is to be rewarded in the _future_ world +for his righteousness in _this_ but persuading him, that virtue is +attended with misery, and that so far as it failed to reward _here_, +the balance is to be made up _hereafter_. Because the balance of +happiness due to him _there_, is to make up the deficiency of +happiness which virtue did not pay him _here_. And so far as virtue +did not pay him here, must have been miserable in its practice. And +the impression that sin is productive of many enjoyments, and that +righteousness is attended with misery, has a tendency to make him +choose the _former_ and reject the _latter_, and trust to a future +repentance. + +We often hear it proclaimed by those, who profess to be the guardians +of the public morals, that the righteous have a hard course in warring +against the corruptions of their heart, in the service of God, while +the sinner goes on unconcerned and easy in the pleasures of sin. In +doing this they defeat the very object, they are striving to obtain, +which is the _conversion_ of the sinner. These very impressions are +one obvious reason why so many continue in sin and reject the path of +righteousness and peace, which alone conducts to a good name, that is +of more worth than great riches, and more durable than silver and +gold. + +As then there is no happiness in vice, as all its allurements are +deceptive and vain, how important that we should shun it, and pursue +that bright path of virtue and peace, which will lead to the +invaluable possession of a good name. Engaging in the cultivation of +all the better affections of the heart, we shall by habit so refine +our natures, that "loving favor" will take entire possession of our +minds, and mould them into the spotless image of heaven. _This_ loving +favor is rather to be chosen than silver and gold, for these will +corrupt, and at last crumble into dust, while _this_ shall survive the +ruins of death, and flourish in those peaceful realms, where our +felicity will be unbroken and perpetual. + +Flatter not yourselves with the vain hope, that there is one solitary +thrill of joy in the indulgence of sin. He, who indulges in +dissipation and vice--he, who slanders his neighbor, who wrongs his +fellow men, or even utters one oath against the unsullied name of his +Maker, is a most profound unbeliever in the sentiment we proclaim. He, +who possesses a hope so full of immortality as to believe, that God +will finally save from sin, and bless him and all his fellow men, will +cleanse his hands and wash them in innocency. Tell me not that you are +a Universalist, when the very oceans of God's goodness do not affect +your heart, nor lead you to repentance. He, who is satisfied that +there is no happiness in sin, will abandon it. He, who deliberately +pursues a vicious course, expects to find happiness in it; and it is +impossible that he believes in God's _universal grace_. It is +absolutely impossible in the very nature of things, that he can be a +UNIVERSALIST. A salvation from sin is the doctrine of the Bible, and +holiness itself heaven. He, who believes such a salvation to be +happifying, will abandon sin, as the enemy of his peace, and seek +righteousness, which alone can afford him tranquillity. Jesus says, +the kingdom of heaven is righteousness and peace. If you wish to +satisfy men that you _really_ desire the whole human family to meet in +heaven, then show your sincerity by being righteous yourself. + +A sincere Universalist believes sin to be the cause of many mental +woes that darken the world, and the principal cause of the greater +proportion of sufferings that fall to the lot of man. He believes that +a virtuous course of conduct, guided by the burning lamp of +revelation, leads to those joys that time cannot sully, nor the hand +of death extinguish. A conviction of this truth leads him to hate sin, +to forsake its dark dominions, and enter those fields of felicity, +where the brilliant beams of virtue shed a cloudless day. Here he +walks and enjoys an antepast of heaven. Its paths are the paths of +peace. All its ways are pleasantness and delight. Its crystal streams +are pure and sweet; its breezes healthful and its fruits delicious. He +believes God to be the father of his creatures--that he governs the +world in wisdom and mercy--that he created with a benevolent +intention, and that he is not disappointed in the workmanship of his +hand, but presides over just such a world as he designed it should be. +He believes that this order of things, though dark to him, is designed +for good, and shall terminate in the happiness of all. He believes +that all rewards and punishments are instituted for some benevolent +end, and that this end, will be brought about in such a manner as to +manifest to all, the divine perfections in the clearest light, and +shed unfading glory on the supreme Majesty of heaven. This faith gives +him confidence in his heavenly Father, and fills his heart with +gratitude and veneration. It leads him to look upon the human family +as his brethren, and to do them good. He seeks their happiness, and +thus chooses and merits a good name. + +At peace with all mankind, his mind irradiated with light and enlarged +with the most noble conceptions of the divine character and +government, bout, he at length lies down in peace and composure upon +his dying bed, and gently breathes out-- + +"Farewell conflicting joys and fears, +Where light and shade alternatedwell; +A brighter, purer scene appears, +Farewell inconstant world, farewell!" + +He sweetly sinks to rest, and leaves behind him a good name, that can +never die, and an example, for others to imitate, worth more than +fortunes in gold. His memory shall survive, when the tomb, on which it +is inscribed, shall crumble into ruin, and his example be a light to +future generations. + +SERMON XIV + +"Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but +condescend to men of low estate." Romans xii. 16. + +That mysterious and incomprehensible Being, who gave us existence, has +sown in our nature the seeds of mortality. By the irresistible _laws_ +of his empire which he has, from the beginning, _established_ for the +regulating of the animal creation, we are soon to be carried to the +silent grave. All, without exception, are formed out of equal clay, +are subject to the same hopes and fears, joys and sorrows while on +earth, and are all destined to the slumbers of death, where we must +exhibit the emblem of perfect equality. Immaterial how far one may +exalt himself above another while passing through this momentary +existence--immaterial how far he may rise above his fellow men in the +scale of intellect and refinement--immaterial how exalted the station +he may have obtained--how brilliant the powers of his imagination may +sparkle, or how soft and sublime his eloquence may flow--immaterial +how nobly soever he may dazzle in the sunny smiles of fortune, or how +secure he may repose in the fond embrace of friends, yet it is a +melancholy truth, that he must, sooner or later, resign the whole, let +go his eager grasp on all those pleasing joys, bid an everlasting +farewell to those exalted splendors, and descend to the dark shades of +death, where the rich and the poor, the servant and his master, the +oppressor and oppressed, all lie mouldering and forgotten together. + +This solemn consideration, it seems, when forcibly presented to the +mind, ought to be sufficient to check the levity of man--to soften his +bosom to his fellow beings--to moderate his desire in pursuit of +wealth and greatness, and completely to unarm him of all hostile +feelings towards those with whom he associates, and with whom he is so +soon to lie down in death. This, it seems, is sufficient to make us of +one heart and mind in promoting each other's happiness and welfare in +the world, and to make us obedient to the exhortation of the text, not +to mind the high things of earth, but to condescend to men of low +estate. But such is the strange infatuation of man, that he acts as +though his residence on earth were eternal, and as though the whole +errand of life consisted in providing for an eternity below. + +We are capacitated for enjoyments of a higher and more perfect nature +than we can attain to on earth. Of this we are sensible from the fact, +that there is no condition in which we can be placed here below, that +is so adapted to our nature as to afford us permanent satisfaction. +Uninterrupted felicity is not a plant of earth. It cannot flourish in +a clime where the blighting storms of malice and envy wither all that +is fair, sweet and blooming. And though we are sensible that such is +the fact, yet, deaf to all that experience, example and observation +conspire to teach, we are exerting all our powers to obtain it here +below, where the united voice of earth and heaven assure us it cannot +be found. We cast our eyes around us, and see the human family in +every varied condition of life from the beggar on his bed of straw, up +to the king in regal splendor on the throne of nations; but in +defiance of this immense distinction, they alike breathe the deep sigh +of discontent. We also cast our eyes over the historic page, and scan +the general fate of man in by-gone ages; but here too, we learn the +same lesson, that no _external condition_ has ever added to the +rational enjoyments of the soul. We see the same uneasiness, the same +longing desires pervade every bosom. Our object is happiness; and +amidst all the various pursuits of life, what is the reason so many +fail of obtaining it? The answer is readily given. We make riches, +honors and the high things of the earth our chief pursuit and aim, and +fondly imagine that our happiness lies in them. Here is our error. Man +is destined to a world of mental felicity, where those external +pursuits of fortune will be unknown; where all that he here pursues +with so much eagerness will be removed from his desires forever, and +where all the channels of the soul will be opened to the true fountain +of felicity and completely ravished in its flowing streams. In order, +therefore, to enjoy that happiness, in this momentary state of being, +which God has placed within our reach, we must make mental felcity the +main pursuit of life, and the riches and conveniences of earth our +secondary pursuit. We must completely reverse our conduct in order to +obtain those rational enjoyments, that flow from the virtuous habits +and dispositions. We must, as Jesus says, "seek first the kingdom of +God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto +you." + +Food and raiment are all that we can enjoy of the external comforts of +life. All other enjoyments must be of a mental character. Secure first +your mental joys, a pure unsullied conscience in the punctual +discharge of all your social and relative duties to mankind, and be +you rich or poor, you will be happy. The righteous discharge of this +first great duty will not embarrass you in obtaining the comforts of +life, but on the contrary aid you. A peaceable and honest course of +conduct towards others--a condescension to men of low estate--a due +respect for the opinions and rights of others, will endear you to all, +and not only foster in your bosom the seeds of peace and contentment, +but will conduct you in the surest path to wealth and honor. The +mental powers of the soul are all that exalt our capacity for +happiness above a brutal creation. And if our chief happiness lies in +gold, which can only minister to our animal wants, then the brutes can +vie with us in all the solid enjoyments of life. In fact, they can go +beyond us. They graze the turf, and drink the unmingled stream free +from anxiety and care. While man, the lord of this lower creation, has +to toil and gain the same enjoyments by the sweat of his brow. + +But what a groveling thought to bring our exalted natures and +capacities for happiness down to a level with theirs! On this +principle, he who is the most wealthy is the most happy. Virtue is but +a name, and all the exalted principles of noble and godlike action are +but the reveries of fancy, and to practice them is but a visionary +dream. No, my friends, wealth supplies our animal wants, and if virtue +be wanting, it leaves our minds in wretched starvation and our +brightest joys in night! Happiness is equally attainable by the rich +and the poor. It consists in a union of heart among mankind, in a +union of action in the pursuit of virtue, and in the kindlier feelings +of our nature. In fine, it consists in a willing obedience to the +exhortations of our text: "Be of the same mind one towards another. +Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate." + +To each of these exhortations, we will give a candid and solemn +consideration. In this sermon, we will attend to the exhortation--"_Be +of the same mind one towards another_." By this, we are not to +understand that men are to be of one heart and mind in pursuing the +same occupation or profession in life, but of one mind in endeavoring +to promote each other's happiness in every condition in which they may +be placed--of one mind in the practice of christian duty, and in the +exercise of charity. Selfishness produces many jarring interests among +mankind, bursts the bands of brotherhood asunder, and weakens the +strength of that nation, society or family among which it exists, and +in proportion to the opposition it produces among its individual +members. "United, we stand, divided we fall," is a maxim full of +wisdom, and is not only applicable to nations, but to communities, +societies, and even to families. + +A family in discord is a sight over which angels might weep, but when +united in one heart and mind, it is a picture over which heaven +smiles. The fond and doating father, the tender and affectionate +mother, and obedient children, all united in peace and harmony, +present to the mind those pleasing conceptions of the reconciled +family immortal, that cause us to feel all the burning emotions of +which the heart is susceptible. In such society as this, are enjoyed +the happiest moments of our existence--moments unmingled with the +bitterness of regret, unsullied by the corroding hand of time, +unruffled by the perplexing cares of life, and undarkened by the +tempests of indisposition. Is such a father absent--far distant on +land or ocean where duty calls? The heart of his family goes with him, +and he too leaves his heart lingering behind. His companion counts the +moments as they slowly roll--is faithful to his interests--makes +preparation to receive him--sighs for his safe return, and welcomes +him home with those emotions of ecstatic joy, that cause him to forget +his past labors, toils and dangers. Is he stretched upon a bed of +pain? Unwearied she sits beside him, hushes every sound that might +interrupt his broken slumbers, and watches every breath he draws. She +whispers to him the soothing words of encouragement and consolation-- +gives neither sleep to her eyes, nor slumber to her eyelids, but is +the guardian angel of his pillow. + +When all human aid has failed--when the pulse beats faint--the once +sparkling eye grows dim and rolls faint and languid in its socket, she +stands mute and pensive at his dying bed. Her whole soul is absorbed +in the interest of the scene and rent with agony. She wipes the cold +sweat of death from his face, gazes with exquisite anxiety till the +last dreadlful struggle is over, and breathes to the throne of mercy +the prayer of affection for the repose of his spirit. And so feels the +kind husband over his companion, indulgent parents over their dying +children, and dutiful children over their parents. + +But it is a lamentable circumstance, a painful consideration, that +there are too many unhappy divisions in the domestic circle. Yes, it +is a painful consideration indeed, that those, who are so nearly +allied to each other, should, even for one moment, indulge in feelings +of acrimony. It is but a short time, at longest, that we can be +together, and such unhappy divisions must render the parting scene, at +the bed of death, doubly painful. Thoughtless, giddy or oppressive as +we may be to those, who are near to us in life, while blooming health +is their lot, yet righteous heaven has so constituted our natures, +that the most painful reminiscences will force themselves upon the +mind when the injured object, to whom we have given distress, is upon +a dying bed. Every unkind word, every harsh treatment, the whole dark +picture our ungenerous conduct will present itself to the imagination +in all its naked woes. And be that dying one a parent, a companion, a +child, their very silence, as thy turn upon us a languid eye fading in +death, will harrow up every painful recollection. O! if we wish to +tread upon their graves with an unsullied conscience before heaven, +let us be of one mind, live in peace, and discharge, to them, those +sacred duties of kindness and affection, which the ties, that bind +them to us, enjoin. + +This world is too much made up of appearances. Many a family, which we +suppose to be the abode of union, peace and joy, is distracted with +the voice of discord, and is dragging out an existence in secret, +concealed grief. Many a husband and wife, who, we suppose, are of one +heart and mind and passing their days in the sunshine of peace and +love, are torn by secret broils, and whose mansion stands overcast +with the dark shadows of discontent and misery. Little do we dream of +the secret woes, that rend many a worthy heart concealed behind a +smiling countenance. The husband is perhaps stern and unrelenting--and +will, in no case, yield to the wishes of his companion. Discouragement +and anger may perhaps at times take possession of the heart. In such a +case, instead of treating her kindly, he rouses into a passion +himself, and a private contention ensues. This is a wretched practice, +for instead of extinguishing the flame, it adds fuel to the fire, and +consumes all that is fair and lovely in matrimonial and domestic life. +Much misery might be avoided by observing the following rule. When the +one is melancholy, let the other be rationally cheerful, and endeavor +to divert the attention from the subject that causes gloom. When the +one is angry, let the other keep a perfect equanimity and a benign +composure of countenance. Then watch the opportunity, and in some +future day, when the offended one is most cheerful and kind, then +bring forward the subject, and expostulate most feelingly on the +impropriety of indulging a wrathful spirit to a bosom friend. Speak of +the shortness of life and point each other to the silent grave and to +the parting scene, and vengeance, anger and discontent will soon be +strangers in your habitation. Your dear children, from the very +dawnings of intellect, will take the example, grow up in harmony and +affection with perfect rule over their spirit, and thus you will not +only secure your own domestic peace, but will bequeath those sacred +enjoyments to your posterity--enjoyments that infinitely outweigh a +thousand fortunes in gold! Let others toil to leave their offspring +wealth, we ours the joy to bequeath them this. We ask no more. + +We are not only to be of the same mind one towards another in our +families but in our religious societies. Here all selfishness ought to +be discarded, all private interests sacrificed, all hostile feelings +subdued, and the whole offered on the altar of genuine good, and thus +the harmony, peace and prosperity of the whole body consulted. The +permanent security of these depend on the individual conduct of the +members. By uniting ourselves in a religious body, we express the +necessity of living a sober life, maintaining a union of heart and a +respectful conversation towards all with whom we associate in life. +Let us not dream that heaven will prosper us above others, if we also +blaspheme the name of Him who gave us life and sustains us in being. +Let us lay aside every evil, that has a tendency to disunion, and live +soberly and righteously in the world, doing good unto all as we have +opportunity. + +[The reader will find this subject continued in our next number.] + +SERMON XV + +"Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but +condescend to men of low estate." Romans xii. 16. + +Having from the commencement of these sermons confined myself to +prescribed limits, I had no room in my last to pursue the first +division of my subject so far as I intended. I will therefore here +resume it. + +"_Be of the same mind, one towards another_." We have thus far +confined our attention to family union, and have just glanced at the +necessity of union in religious societies. This is a day of inquiry +and light when the most keen and searching glances are sent into every +creed. Many denominations that have walked together heart and hand for +many years, each repelling the assaults of those, who attempted to +extinguish their ism, have at length been separated by internal +divisions and formed two opposing parties, even though they once +believed the _same creed_, and advocated the _same church government_. +The present is a trying period, and it stands us in hand to endeavor +to "keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace." Let us not +dream of religious union, and prosperity, unless we allow each one to +think for himself in matters of scripture interpretation. Nor let us +dream of prosperity, if there is among us more theory than practice. +It is true, Universalists are as moral as any other denomination; but +this is not enough. They ought in _kindness and benevolence_ to +transcend other denominations as far, as their doctrine of universal +beniguity transcends the doctrine of unending wo. + +Neither are we to dream of religious union and prosperity, unless we +raise our united voices against those who revel over the flowing cup +of intoxication, which pours so many streams of misery and disunion on +the world. Let no one fancy to himself that the drunkards toast, +"_here is health and success to us_!" has any charm to avert his ruin, +or to stay the judgment of heaven. The more frequently that toast has +been uttered, while smiling upon the cup of inebriation held in a +trembling hand, the farther have health and success been removed from +the deluded victim, and the more swift and deadly have misfortune, +sickness, distress and pain fallen upon him. Intemperance is a demon, +that sows the seeds of discord among all ranks, orders and conditions +of men. Beneath his crushing hand creation reels, and fortunes fall in +broken ruins! And peace the sweet angel of mercy flies these turbulent +skies, and lights on realms unmoved by the hand of commotion and +discord. At his approach, blooming health is driven back from its warm +abode and the fairest flowers of domestic love, hope and joy are +withered forever! Let this frightful foe of discord and confusion be +barred from our sacred heritage and peace be within our borders. + +We are not only to be of one heart and one mind in resisting profanity +and intemperance, but in resisting tale-bearing. Let us not speak evil +of others. This is beneath the character of a gentleman, and certainly +beneath that of a christian: consequently no gentleman or christian +will indulge in it. It is the employment of _low, ill-bred minds_, and +therefore none will engage in it, but those who are destitute of +reputation themselves. This vice has no excuse, and must therefore +originate in the _basest_ motives. They intend to bring their fellow +creatures down to a level with themselves, and thus lessen them in the +good opinion of others, and destroy their peace. And though they may +effect their object so far as the good opinion of the virtuous is +calculated to give us happiness, yet the approbation of a good +conscience, arising from the conviction of innocency, can never he +rooted from the heart of its possessor by all the calumnies of earth. +_This_ God has secured in all the secret chambers of the soul, and +forever barred it against the breath of slander. There he takes up his +abode and holds communion with the contrite spirit. The real merits +and consolations of virtue are secured to its possessor by the +impartial legislation of righteous heaven. Intemperance in its +effects, compared with slandering, is harmless; at least so far as +producing discord is concerned. The peaceable drunkard, compared even +with that church member, who is continually sowing discord in society, +is an angel. Slander is but the infectious breath or a foul spirit, +that poisons the healthful atmosphere wherever it is breathed, and +breaks the quiet repose--the calm serenity of neighborhoods and +families, as it were, with an electric shock. + +Political slander is as infectious and destructive to the harmony of +the nation, and the security of our government, as private slander is +to neighborhoods and societies. No sooner is a candidate held up for +office, than all the party dogs of war on both sides are let loose and +set to barking. Immaterial how fair may be his character, how +inviolable his veracity, or how unsullied his honor and integrity, +they will make him appear to be an outcast from society, covered with +the darkest blots of infamy. Immaterial how great may be his +qualifications, or how splendid his talents, they will, by that +species of logic for which slanderers are famous, prove him to be a +fool. These dissentions do not expire when the candidates are elected. +They are carried to the capitol of our common country and blown out in +more than wordy war. There, we have reason to fear, the volcano is +gathering, and that the day is not distant when it will disembogue in +more than the thunders of Etna, wrap our political heavens in a blaze, +and melt its elements with fervent heat. Anarchy and confusion will +seize the reins of government, and drive us to the oblivious shades of +departed empires. If we continue to go on in our political slanders as +a nation, losing sight of our common welfare, and sacrificing the +_general_, on the altar of _partial_ interest, the day of our ruin is +not remote. Its awful morn, has, already, it seems, dawned with +streaks of malignant _light_, and (like ill fated Troy) ominous of the +purple streams, the crimson blood, that watered the Trojan plains +where mighty Sarpedon fell, where Hector lay slain by the sword of +Achilles. Heaven forbid that our national sun, that rose so fair, +should go down in blood, and shroud our temple of Liberty in +everlasting night! To avert such a catastrophe let us reform, and do +our duty as individuals. The safety of any body politic depends on the +conduct of the individuals that compose it. And God grant that these +dissentions may cease, that political peace and harmony may become +perfect, and our government may stand immoveable on its basis, like +the rock that remains unshaken by the furious storms that agitate the +ocean. May we, as a nation, be of one mind in resisting every species +of immorality, in studying the happiness of our fellow creatures--of +one mind in obtaining a knowledge of the character of our Creator, in +studying his parental and benign government, and his divine attributes +and unchanging perfections--and be of one mind in acquainting +ourselves with his beautiful works that swarm around us and afford us +so many rational delights. Let us store our minds with useful +knowledge, practice the precept of Christ, labor for mental +emancipation, and contentment and peace will be our lot. + +In the great duties of religious obligation, let us be of one heart +and mind. Let us live like brethren, not only among ourselves, but +among other denominations. It is not long that we are to be together. +We are fading like the flower of the field, and ought to bear in mind +that death will soon lay our heads equally low in the dust, and the +worms shall cover us. We glitter for a moment like the bubbles borne +on the bosom of the ocean; they break and mingle again with the parent +fountain. We toil and heap up wealth, pass like empty shadows over the +plain and vanish forever! Generations, that covered the earth, are +gone, and unremembered by the living. They strove to gather wealth and +honors--they met each other in the hostile field--rolled garments in +blood, bedewed the widow's and the orphan's cheek with tears, and +filled their peaceful habitations with the voice of lamentation and +wo. Thousands lived in clamors and discord, and one seemed destined to +be oppressed by another. But the fields of war are still, the noise of +battle is hushed, and the voice of lamentation and wo is heard no +more! Hark! All is still as the chambers of eternal silence! Where are +they? In the shades of death! Kind reader, this is the doom of us all! +And so it will soon be said of you and me! Let us then be of one mind. +Let us do good by visiting the fatherless in their affliction and +keeping ourselves unspotted from the world. + +We have now considered the fact, that real felicity consists in mental +pleasures and gratifications, and that these alone exalt our nature +and capacity for happiness above the brute creation, and have directed +your attention to virtue and peace as the only condition in which that +happiness can be found. We have brought to view the propriety of being +of one heart and mind towards each other in our families, in our +religious societies, in the community and in our national concerns. We +have set before you the evils resulting from intemperance, and from +private and political slander. + +We will now, in the _second_ place, take into consideration the +_negative and affirmative_ consequence resulting from them on the +morals of the community so far as the causes leading to _intemperance +and crime_ are concerned. + +Many discourses have been delivered, during the three past years, on +intemperance pointing out its ruinous effects on the morals of +society, while but few discourses have been put into the hands of the +public pointing out the causes leading to this destructful vice, and +those few have not in my humble opinion traced it to its _true +source_. Much has also been said about intemperance leading to crime, +which in many respects is true. But all this is not coming to the +fountainhead from whence these turbid streams flow. We will take the +liberty to differ on this subject with all that has as yet fallen upon +our ear, and independently give our opinion, as to what we conceive to +be the original cause from whence these baneful effects spring. We +will endeavor to show that _the poorer class of society are driven to +intemperance and crime by the conduct of the rich (those whom the +fashion of the world calls respectable and great) yes, by the conduct +of too many, who are even attempting to reform them_. + +First, then we would remark; that man is a creature of want, which is +the first cause of all action. Had he no wants, he would never seek to +supply them, either by _honorable or dishonorable_ means. To this +self-evident proposition, all will without hesitation assent. We will +now attend to our general character as a nation, for it will be +admitted, on all hands, that actions speak louder than words. As a +nation, we enjoy much liberty; but public opinion, either of a +political or religious character, may become so popular as to erect +itself into an engine of oppression, and so formidable, that many an +honest man dare not dissent, nor independently raise his voice in +defence of what he believes to be truth, but will tamely submit +himself a slave to the opinions and doctrines of others. This is +probably the case with the greater proportion of the American people. + +Again, though we profess to value every man by his integrity or moral +worth, yet it is a fact, that in conduct we make a man's reputation +depend principally on his purse. I yield the point without controversy +that in books, in news-papers, in preaching and in words, we profess +to esteem a man and rate his standing in society by his integrity. But +what do words and books, and news-papers and preaching amount to, +while mankind in conduct practice right the contrary of all these +ostentatious professions? They amount to nothing but hypocrisy, or +ridiculous nonsense. Does a man's standing, in these days, depend on +his conduct! By no means. Let us introduce an example. Suppose there +were two individuals of equal talents, and both possessed an equal +education. Their moral characters are the same. But one of them falls +in possession of an immense fortune, while the other is poor indeed. +Now will public conduct place them on an equality? No. Will they both +move in the same social circle? No. Will they both be treated with the +same politeness and attention by their neighbors? No. Should they +propose a public measure for the good of the town, would the one be +listened to, with the same attention as the other? No. Would he +possess so much influence in society? No. Well, what can be assigned +as the reason, why this rich man stands so far above the other in the +public opinion? Ans. It is because his character is measured by the +length of his purse, and the weight of his influence is determined by +the weight of his gold. + +It is not a thing of rare occurrence, that the rich are thus +distinguished from the poor, but it is a fact so notorious that it has +long since passed into a proverb. This being the course of conduct +which men practice, the impression has therefore become general that +reputation, influence and power depend on wealth. Hence the great +inquiry, uppermost in every mind, is "how shall I get rich, so that I +may stand high in the estimation of men, and exert a powerful +influence in society, and be numbered among those who move in the +higher circles of life?" Concluded in our next. + +SERMON XVI + +"Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but +condescend to men of low estate." Romans xii:12. + +Even a man, who is in many things unprincipled, if he is at the same +time wealthy, takes a station in the higher circles of life, where the +poor, but honest man, would not be admitted. This course of conduct is +not only practised by what are called men of the world, but by +professors of religion of about all denominations, by both preachers +and people. + +The middling, and the poor class, seeing no encouragement, or even +possibility, of rising so as to associate with those, who move in the +higher circles of life, by any virtuous conduct they may pursue, and +sensible that wealth alone possesses the charm to give them virtue and +notice in the world, they are thus driven to various, dishonorable +means to obtain it. Multitudes are driven to the crimes of +counterfeiting, theft, and even robbery and piracy. They commence +their wretched course, with the intention to abandon it, as soon as a +competent fortune is obtained. Other thousands are driven to gambling; +and even those, who are called respectable, take every possible +advantage in trade and bargaining. Their pursuits are various, but +their object is one and the same--viz: to gain wealth, so that they +may obtain a high standing and influence in society. Thousands thus +driven into crime, are detected, lose their reputation, and abandon +themselves to intemperance. Their evil example has a pernicious +influence on the morals of those children and youth, who may, by +various circumstances, be placed in their society, and thus the +pestilence, in all its frightful horrors, gathers force and spreads. + +There are thousands of virtuous persons, whom poverty excludes from +the higher ranks of life, who are doomed to seek the converse of +those, who are in a measure corrupted, and, by associating with them +on public occasions, often in taverns and alehouses, are soon involved +in habits of dissipation and obscenity. Man is a social being, loves +society, and, rather than spend his life in solitude, will seek the +converse of the vicious. + +If we would obey the injunction of the text--"Mind not high things, +but condescend to men of low estate," these evils would be in a great +measure removed. If we, as a community, would strip away the fancied +reputation, which wealth attaches to the human character, and, +independent of property, place every man on an equal footing, +according to their moral and mental worth, and let their power and +influence in society, be according to their conduct, it would give a +noble tone to public feeling and moral grandeur. + +By the "_high things_," mentioned in our text, we are to understand +that vain popularity which one man wishes to enjoy above another, in a +religious or political sense. It is one of the ruling passions of the +day, in which we live, to be considered of high standing among our +fellow creatures, and to possess a larger share of influence over the +minds and opinions of men, than those whom we consider our rivals. +Those, who possess this desire, and at the same time feel a haughty +spirit towards those, whom they consider in the humble walks of life, +are certainly not the men, who are entitled to our esteem, nor are +they to be looked up to, as examples of magnanimity. So far from +possessing true greatness of soul, or being entitled to veneration, +they are certainly below those whom they affect to despise. A truly +great and good man has no desire to dazzle, but to be useful in the +world. He sees the miseries under which thousands groan, and desires +to relieve them, but with no wish to be considered great for +discharging those duties of kindness and humanity. But it is a +lamentable consideration, that too many, in performing those acts of +mercy, seek to stand on an eminence above the crowd they wish to +benefit, and proclaim their intentions to men through the loud +sounding trumpet of fame, but, at the same time, will not even stoop +to converse with the very beings they profess such a warm desire to +aid. Every thing must be done on a high scale, and in the manner they +dictate, otherwise they have no wish it should be done at all. It is a +matter of regret, that this spirit, so desirous of minding high +things, has been carried into the sanctuary--in fact, has been carried +to the solemn gates of death--yes, even into eternity. + +We have witnessed what are commonly called "revivals of religion," in +which two or more denominations united, apparently, heart and hand. +They publicly declared, that as they saw their fellow creatures +exposed to the burning wrath of God in the future world, they had no +motive in view, but their conversion and escape from that awful doom-- +that it was, to them, a matter of indifference with what church they +united themselves, provided, they would only repent and turn to God. +All this passed on well till the reformation ceased. The next thing, +to be determined, was, what doctrine do you believe, and what church +will you join? This was a trying point, and its settlement filled them +with animosity towards each other. And why? Because each desired the +honor of converting them to their faith, and of bringing them into +their church, or else, that they should not be converted at all. +Though this has been done by some, yet it is no evidence, that all +will do this, or even approve it. There are those, who, we believe, +are actuated by nobler motives than in the cause of truth, and who are +not aspiring to stand high, nor striving "who shall be greatest." One +denomination has labored to assume the entire honor of reforming the +public morals--has labored to become incorporated by an act of +Legislature into an American Temperance Society, and were unwilling to +admit Universalists and Unitarians to co-operate with them in this +work of reform. This is but aspiring after high things, instead of +manifesting the meek and lowly spirit of Christ. + +But we would more particularly remark that, it is this very course of +conduct of any man, or class of men exalting themselves above others +in account of their _wealth, or external circumstances_, that +discourages the poor, who are not only called, but treated as the +lower order of society, and drives thousands of them to the +intoxicating cup, as a relief from the mortifications of poverty, and +drives other thousands into crime, as the only means to obtain that +wealth by the omnipotence of which, they alone can rise to eminence, +respectability, and influence among men. Preachers of the gospel, as +well as others, give sanction by their conduct to these false notions +of respectability and greatness. They will seek the society, and court +the favor of the rich in preference to the poor, even though the +_latter_ may exceed the _former_ in integrity and moral worth. This, +we say, is the most powerful incentive to drive men into a state of +encouragement, intemperance and crime. It is a fearful precipice on +which we stand, as a religious community. Instead of estimating a +man's standing by his virtuous principles, it is too much estimated by +his dollars. + +So did not Jesus Christ our great example. He mingled with the lowest +class of society. He associated with, and visited most among those he +wished to reform, so that his meek, mild and heavenly example might +exert a salutary influence upon their hearts, and cast a restraint +upon their conduct. He was a friend to publicans and sinners, and ate +and drank with them. He went among them, as a physician, to give them +life and health, to conduct them by encouragement and persuasion to +the paths of righteousness and peace. His presence was not needed +among those who were whole. He was of course seldom found in their +society. He did not desire to rank with the rich, self-righteous +pharisee. So ought those, who profess to be the servants of Christ, to +go among them, who are most in need of their aid. "The servant is not +above his Master." They ought, therefore, to condescend to men of low +estate, and visit the abodes of poverty and want. + +But instead of this, they stand aloof, even from the respectable, +because they are poor, and instead of visiting those, who indulge in +dissipation and vice, and trying to lead them to the paths of virtue +and peace, are heaping upon them the most opprobrious epithets. By +esteeming the rich and associating with them, they practice a course +of conduct, which has rooted the impression deep in every mind, that +to be esteemed, and to rank with them in the social circle, they must +be rich. This has driven many a virtuous man into crime, many into bad +company, and finally into discouragement and intoxication. This no one +can deny. What, we ask, is the reason, that there is so large a +proportion of the middle and lower class of society, compared with the +rich, who indulge in _crimes and intemperance_? Why is it when +misfortune falls upon the rich, that they, so often, resort to the +intoxicating draught? The mystery can only be unriddled in the +stubborn fact, that wealth, more than virtue, gives a man a reputation +in the world, and this destructive vice involves thousands in ruin. + +If every man were assured that, be he _rich or poor_, he could +associate with those who are wealthy and respected, and move in the +higher ranks of life, if he only maintained his integrity, and that he +would be esteemed in proportion to his moral virtues and mental +acquirements, every man would be induced to merit a good name; and +their good opinion would operate as a constant check upon his conduct. +Every man, by early attention to his deportment, can become +respectable, but every man cannot become wealthy. + +Did the rich esteem the poor, and admit them into their social circle +_solely_ on the ground of moral worth, there would be but little +danger of these poor ever forfeiting their standing, by plunging into +the floods of intemperance and crime. And did they reject from their +circle the rich, who were vicious until reformed--in fine, did they +only strip away from wealth its fancied charm, to make them either +respectable, or influential, did they confine it to its due limits, as +being only necessary to satisfy our animal wants, and did they with +one consent declare that an improved mind and virtuous worth should be +the only criterion by which men should take their stations in social +life, intemperance and crime would soon cease. Men would then be as +much engaged in striving to merit a fair reputation, as they are how +in striving to obtain wealth. It is, therefore, the conduct of the +great by falsely attaching character and influence to wealth, that is +driving their fellow creatures into crimes to obtain it, and other +thousands into discouragement and intemperance. From this charge +preachers are not exempt. They too respect, and visit the rich more +than the poor, and thus indirectly lend their influence to drive them +from virtuous life to a course of dissipation and crime. And when once +they get them there, then they wish to devise some _great means_ to +bring them back to the paths of sobriety and virtue. Do they endeavor +to effect this, by ceasing to mind high things, and by condescending +to men of low estate? No--but instead of going among them, and taking +this unhappy class of our fellow creatures by the hand, and leading +them by encouragement and persuasion to the paths of temperance and +reformation, they have, in substance, said, "stand by thyself, I am +holier than thou." They have minded high things, by placing themselves +on an elevation above them, and made them out to be worse than +murderers, thieves and robbers, by ascribing all the crimes, that are +committed, to the use of rum! This has discouraged and exasperated +many, and made them feel that reformation would be of no avail to +raise them to be the associates of those, who appeared so anxious to +reform them. Their language has, in substance, been--you must reform, +give us the credit, but must stand where you are in the lower circles +of life, obey our exhortations, and look up to us as your benefactors, +but you cannot expect to rank with us, because you have no cash to +introduce yourselves into our circles. And as all men desire society, +they have remained with their companions in iniquity. + +For any class of society to take a station above others, and endeavor +to force men to abandon the cup by passing votes or enacting by-laws, +that no spirits shall be sold them, is but exciting their rage, and +causing the intemperate to drink the more out of revenge, and causing +those, that are already temperate, to increase the quantity as an act +of defiance. It is a fearful precipice on which we stand as a +religious community. Estimating a man's standing in society by his +immense wealth, or learned profession, rather than by his integrity +and virtue, is attended with the most dangerous circumstances, as we +have already noticed. Men cannot be reformed by force, nor by +declaiming what a low, mean, unworthy, degraded part of the human race +they are. + +There is too much pride in our world. We ought to bear in mind that +death will soon lay our heads equally low in the dust, and "the worms +shall cover us!" O the folly of human pretensions to greatness! Let us +not mind high things, but condescend to men of low estate. By +preachers and people of all denominations obeying the exhortations of +our text, mankind would, in a great measure, be restrained from crime, +and certainly from being openly intemperate. If then, we sincerely +desire to reform them, and to hold a powerful check upon their +conduct, and prove ourselves the benefactors of our race, let us begin +the work, by adhering most scrupulously to our text, which exhorts us +to be of the same mind one towards another, to mind not high things, +but to condescend to men of low estate. + +It is the duty of preachers, in particular, to be meek and lowly in +spirit--to be humble and watch over the moral maladies of mankind--to +break down the arrogant distinctions, which the fashions and riches of +the world have set up--to esteem men purely for their moral and +intellectual worth, independent of the gifts of fortune, and to visit +those, who are given to intemperance, and, by gentle persuasive +measures, endeavor to lead them to habits of sobriety. And when this +is effected, treat them according to that respect, which their virtues +merit. God is kind to the evil and to the unthankful, and ought we to +be unkind to them? Heaven forbid. + +We have now set before you, what we conceive to be the _principal +cause_ leading to _intemperance, dishonesty, and crime_. True, there +may be some exceptions to this, but we are conscious, that it is the +conduct of those very men, who are declaiming against _intemperance +and crime_, that first drives their fellow creatures into those +deplorable haunts of vice. They do this _indirectly_, and perhaps +_innocently_. They do it by giving too much reputation and influence +to the wealthy class of the community, by paying too much homage and +respect to gold, and by withholding, from the virtuous poor, that +respect which their conduct merits. We cannot set this truth before +you in a more forcible light, than by relating, from memory, an +anecdote of Dr. Franklin, with which we will conclude. The rich +merchants and professional men in Philadelphia proposed to form +themselves into a social circle from which all _mechanics_ were to be +excluded. The paper, drawn up for the purpose, was presented to Dr. +Franklin for his signature. On examining its contents, he remarked +that he could not consent to unite his name inasmuch as by excluding +mechanics from their circle, they had excluded God Almighty, who was +the greatest mechanic in the universe! + +SERMON XVII + +"And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, +even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians iv. 32. + +A tender heart is the kind boon of heaven, and forgiveness is a virtue +too little exercised in the common intercourse of life. Men are too +apt to be in character Pharisees. They are too apt to love those that +love them, and hate their enemies. Retaliation is inconsistent with +the spirit of the gospel, and is a vice deeply to be stigmatized and +deprecated by all lovers of peace and morality. By retaliation, we are +to understand the injuring of another because he has injured us. This +spirit of revenge betrays a contracted mind in which the feelings of +compassion and forbearance never found a permanent abode. A man of a +peevish, irritable and revengeful temperament, is to be pitied, +instead of being injured in return. By retaliating the evil he may +have done, you involve yourself in the same condition of meanness, and +in your turn become the injurer. + +All those men, whose names are rendered illustrious and immortal, have +been distinguished for a spirit of forbearance, kindness and mercy. +Were there no examples of rashness--no failings and imperfections +among men, there would, then, be no opportunity to distinguish +ourselves by a spirit of forgiveness. God has so constituted the +present existence of his creatures, that the perfections of his divine +character might be manifested to them in the unchanging exercise of +his paternal compassion and forgiveness; and thus afford them an +opportunity to imitate himself in the exercise of those exalted +feelings, which emanate from heaven. + +We are not, however, to understand that tenderness of heart and +forgiveness are to be exercised to the utter exclusion of the +principles of honor and justice. If our children offend, or our +dearest earthly friend do wrong, we are to manifest the feelings of +tenderness and forgiveness, but these ought not to induce us to +overlook their crimes or faults, by remaining silent in regard to +their vices. This would be suffering our compassion to degenerate into +weakness. It would in fact be hardness of heart. It would betray a +spirit of indifference to their dearest interest, as by our silence, +they might remain in blindness to the demerit of their deeds, and +hurry on to the ruin of their reputation, and consequently, of their +earthly happiness. True tenderness of heart makes us watchful over the +conduct of those we love, and with whom we are connected in life-- +moves us to lay naked before them their faults, so that they may early +correct them, and thus inspires their hearts with tenderness, and +prompts them to regard the happiness, feelings and welfare of others. +It is immaterial how near and dear your friend may be, you should, by +the feelings of mercy, be induced to tell him his faults, however much +it may wound his heart. The wise man says "the wounds of a friend are +faithful; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Too many parents, +for want of determination of character, and for suffering their +compassion to degenerate into weakness and remaining blind to the +faults of their children, having seen them come to some disgraceful +end--a state prison, or even the gallows. This, instead of being true +tenderness of heart, was infatuation and the worst species of hardness +and insensibility to the welfare of their offspring. On the other +hand, we ought never to suffer a spirit of revengeful indignation to +slumber in our bosoms, ready on every trivial occasion to awake into +resentment and retaliation. In fine, we ought to imitate our God in +feelings and conduct towards each other, as it is expressed in our +text. But many suppose that God is filled with feelings of revengeful +indignation towards his creatures, and that the period is rolling on +when he will cease to be merciful, and will commence torturing us in +the future world for the sins committed in this, and that too, when +punishment can do no good to the sufferer--when reformation will be +out of his reach. To torment a frail dependent creature, under such +circumstances, would be the most degrading species of revenge. And if +this is the conduct of God, then we must practice the same, because we +are commanded to imitate him. Our text says--"Be yea kind one to +another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another; even as God for +Christ's sake hath forgiven you." + +In this passage, our Father in heaven is held up to the world as the +model of _kindness tenderness and forgiveness_, that mortals are to +imitate. God is the moral standard to which every bosom ought to +aspire. The highest perfection and loveliness of man fall infinitely +short of the intrinsic loveliness and divine perfection's of Jehovah. + +If he is the standard of moral excellence which we are to imitate, +then we must admit that the copy far exceeds the imitation. If man is +called upon to act like God in order to improve his character and +affections, then God is better than man, and every opposing objection +must, forever, fall to the ground. Perhaps it may be said, that all +denominations of men allow him to be so. This is not correct. It is +true, they _say this_ in so many words. But words are one thing, and +what a doctrine involves is quite _another_. I might believe, and most +rigidly maintain, that an earthly father had prepared a palace of +comfort for his five _obedient_ children, and a furnace of fire to +torture his five _disobedient_ children; and suppose he had dealt with +his ten children as above stated;--with what propriety could I step +before the public, and contend that he was the best man in America? +Even were I persuaded, in my own mind, and firmly believed him to be +the best man in existence, would either my _belief or acknowledgment_ +make it a fact? No; every man of common sense, and common humanity +would think me deranged. My saying that he was good, and even +believing him so, could not alter the awful reality, but would be an +evidence of my want of consistency and propriety. He would still be a +bad unfeeling man, and in no comparative sense so good as that father, +who should punish his children in mercy, and for their future +amendment and benefit. + +But what is all this compared with the character that thousands +ascribe to the God, who rules above? It is no more than the drop to +the unmeasured ocean: because those five children would soon cease to +suffer; but God, they contend, will torture without mercy or end, +millions on millions of his poor dependent creatures for the sins of a +short life! The most abandoned, and unrelenting savage, that roams the +American forest--the worst wretch in human form would not do this, but +release, at length, the sufferer from pain. And those, who contend +that God will not release, but on the contrary involve the victim of +his ire deeper in who, attribute to him a character infinitely worse, +than the most cruel and degraded of our race, and no argument, to the +contrary, can be for one moment maintained. If a man desire the +holiness and happiness of all his fellow creatures, and would bring +them to a glorified state of beatitude in heaven, had he the power, +and still contends that God will not, it is elevating his goodness far +above the goodness of God. And for any man to come forward with this +acknowledgment on his lips, and yet address the benignant Parent of +all, and, in prayer, acknowledge him to be the best of all beings, is +only using words without propriety or meaning. There is no sense, no +reason in such logic. It completely contradicts itself, and what is +contradictory cannot be true. + +Would you save all men from sin and its attendant misery if you could? +O yes, is the answer, I would, and carry them all in the arms of +unbounded benevolence to glory. Well, has God the power to do it? Yes, +is the reply. But do you believe that he will exert his power so as to +accomplish it? No says the objector, I believe that he will sentence a +large portion of his erring offspring to endless and inconceivable wo. +Very well; then you are the best being of the two. And it is a +melancholy circumstance to these unfortunate beings, that you are not +on the throne of the universe. If this be so, then our text ought to +be reversed. God ought to copy your tenderness, and forgive men as you +do! We are certainly called upon to conform our conduct to the best +standard, and to imitate the _best_ being. If you are the _best_, then +God and man ought to be called upon, and _entreated_ to imitate you! +No; says the objector, God is superlatively the best being in the +universe. You may talk, and tell me so, till the morning sun sinks +beyond the western hills, and yet your _creed_ will contradict every +word you utter. What you have just acknowledged, unchangeably stares +you in the face. You say, that you would forgive all, save them from +sin, and raise them to a blessed eternity, if you had the power. This +power, you say, God possesses, and yet you _believe_, and that he will +not do it. It is certainly an unfortunate circumstance to the human +family, if their Father in heaven is destitute of that goodness which +you feel! From whom did you receive all those compassionate feelings +of heart? Why says the objector, God gave them to me. But how can God +give you what he has not himself? If you possess more benevolence than +God, you could not have received it from him; because on this +principal he did not have it in possession to give. Surely he could +not communicate to you, or any other being, what he did not originally +possess. From what source, then, did you derive so much tenderness and +love? There must, certainly, be some being in the universe in whose +bosom is rooted as much benevolence and love as you feel, or how could +it have been communicated to you from another? Now, where did you get +it? God gave it to me, says the objector. This cannot be, because your +doctrine proves, that you have more love than the God who made you! If +you insist that he has given it to you, has he not in such case, given +you more than he originally possessed? He has. If so, endless misery +may be true; for on this principle he has none left! + +The scriptures teach that "God is love"; and all his works speak the +same language--saying, "the Lord is good, and his mercies endure +forever." But how good is he? The doctrine of endless wrath says, he +is not as good as you. You are but a small stream from an infinite +ocean of love; and yet this little stream is greater than the ocean +from which it issues, and rises far above its fountain head! Can this +be true? Impossible. O, do you not perceive how your own feelings, +which you daily experience, contradict your creed! You feel, desire, +and pray for the salvation of all men, and if you had the power, all +your feelings, prayers and desires would be carried into execution. +And yet your doctrine denies, that God, the fountain, in which all +your affections originate and live, will do it;--and at the same time +you say, that you have no love only what he gave you! What +inconsistencies, contradictions and blindness are here! Man, a small +drop, from the benevolent fountain God, is willing to do, what the +source from whence he came is unwilling to do! Then a drop of love, in +the human bosom, is more tender and benevolent than an ocean in the +God, who placed it there! + +We all know, that the fountain must be more extensive than the stream +it sends forth--yea, larger, than all its running streams put +together. This we know to be correct, as well as we know, that the sun +enlightens the world. Let us then collect these little streams into +one. Bring, if you please, into one body, the love and benevolence of +men and angels, of cherubim and seraphim--stretch your thoughts to +unnumbered worlds, extract the love from countless bosoms, and +condense the whole into one being. How great, lovely, and adorable, +would that creature be! Then, let the question be put to him--from +whence did you derive all those noble qualities of love, mercy and +goodness? He replies, _from my Father God_! Now, we must grant, that +God far exceeds him in goodness, because this noble creature is but an +emanation from him--and the good desires of this creature would be +equal to the good desires of the countless millions of men and angels +in all worlds; and could have no other intentions only those, which +goodness and mercy dictate--and goodness itself can do nothing +contrary to its own nature, any more than ice can burn or fire freeze. +This creature would desire the happiness of all; and yet even he is +but a small rivulet flowing from the crystal fountain of life and +being! This creature would institute a government _perfectly +merciful_; and mercy would, of course, require, that the _disobedient_ +should be punished to bring them to _obedience_, and perfect them in +the same state of glorification and love with that being itself. + +"God is _love_," and it, therefore, follows that he is _love_ to every +creature he has made, and it is utterly impossible that he can do any +thing contrary to his own nature. "He cannot deny himself." He will, +therefore, do all that love dictates. It is consistent with parental +love to punish for the good of its offspring, but not to punish +unmercifully. But inquires the objector, does God punish for the good +of his creatures? We will let Paul settle this question--Heb. Xii. +Chap. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son +whom he receiveth. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof _all_ +are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have +had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them +reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father +of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after +their own pleasure, but he for our profit that we might be partakers +of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be +joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceably +fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." Now show +us, if you can, any punishment which God inflicts, that contradicts +his paternal goodness. It cannot be done. He has threatened and +inflicted _everlasting punishment_ upon nations, as such, but not a +solitary passage can be produced from Genesis to Revelations, where he +has threatened any individual with _everlasting_ punishment. + +God is the adorable fountain of all tenderness, love, and compassion, +and no mother's son was imbued in the fount of mercy like his, who was +"the brightness of his glory and the express image of his +perfections." True, her yearnings over the babe of her bosom are +great; still they bear but little comparison to him who breathed those +feelings there. God compares himself to the mother. "Can a woman +forget her sucking child"? Woman, being of a more delicate formation +than man, possesses a mind susceptible of more fine, deep, and lasting +impressions than his. The affections of her soul, when fully roused +into action, and fixed upon their object, are deeper than those of +man, extend far beyond the compass line of his, and nobly range those +sequestered haunts--those delightful fields of mental felicity, where +his finest affections never penetrated. Let her heart once become +fixed upon its darling object, and it is immaterial in what situation +in life we contemplate her--whether prosperous or adverse, we behold +the same unshaken constancy, the same bright and burning flame. Her +love to her children is pure as the dew-drops of the morning, high as +the heavens and unchanging as the sun. It scorns dictation, bids +defiance to oppression, and never for one moment loses sight of its +object. No disappointments that cross her path, no scenes of adverse +fortune that darken her sky, can wrench it from her grasp, obscure it +from her vision, or tear assunder the silken cord that binds it to her +heart. + +The truth of these remarks we see verified in that unwearied +watchfulness and care, which she exercises over her children in +supplying their countless, and ever varied little wants; in allaying +their little griefs, in soothing their tender hearts by the soft +whispers of encouragement and love; in hushing them to repose and in +watching over the slumbers of their pillow. Are her children exposed +to danger, and full in her view? Then no devouring flame, that wraps +her dwelling in destruction--no rolling surges that lash the foaming +main, can, in such a moment of peril, over-awe her spirit, or deter +her from rushing into the very jaws of death to save them. Are they +sick? Sleepless she sits beside their bed, and watches every breath +they draw. Are they racked with pain? Her soul inhales the pang; and +freely drinks at the same fount of agony, and breathes over them the +prayer of mercy. Love is that _attribute_ in her nature to which all +the _others_ are subservient. It is the _shrine_ at which they all +bow, the _centre_ to which they all gravitate. If her children do +wrong, she freely forgives. + +Has God given the mother all these noble affections, and does he feel +less to his helpless, sinful and erring children? Let God answer--"Can +a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion +on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget +thee." + +[Concluded in our next.] + +SERMON XVIII + +"And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, +even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians iv. 32. + +In our last, we showed that that compassion, tenderness, and love of +our Father in heaven, are the origin of all the sublime affections in +the human bosom, and from this acknowledged fact, have shown that he +is infinitely more regardful of the welfare of his offspring than the +tender mother, with whom he compares himself; is of the welfare of her +sucking child. We now resume the subject. + +In our text, we are called upon to forgive one another, as God has +forgiven us. In examining this point, we are to be guided by what he +has revealed. The question here arises, how many does God command us +to forgive? He commands us to forgive _all_, even our enemies. This +then must be forgiving them as he does. He therefore forgives all. He +commands us to bless them that curse us, and to pray for them that +despitefully use us, and persecute us, that we may be the children of +our Father in heaven. Does God command us to do more than he is +willing to do himself? No, he lives up to his own command. If God +requires us to forgive, even as he does, and then commands us to love +and forgive _all_, then he loves, and forgives _all_, otherwise he +would violate his own command; and then there would be no resemblance +between his forgiveness and ours. Even as God, for Christ's sake hath +forgiven you, so ought ye also to forgive one another. + +Would you forgive all, and bring them home to glory? Yes. Will God? +No, says the objector, he will not forgive his enemies, but his +friends only. Then you must not forgive all. Do you ask why not? +Because you are to forgive, _even_ as God. He is the standard you are +to imitate. If you forgive more than God, you are better than he. He +cannot command you to do different from himself. If God requires you +to love and forgive _all_, while he himself will forgive only a part, +then God acts contrary to his own command. We are exhorted in the text +_to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving even as he is_. Do your +kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness extend to all, and desire the +happiness of the universe? Yes. Then also does that of God, or else +you are, in every sense of the word, better than he. You differ from, +instead of imitating God. If so, you are doing wrong, because you are +violating the text. He commands you to be kind, tender, and forgiving +_only as he is_;--and you contend that his kindness, tenderness and +forgiveness, extend to a part only, and that all the rest he will +torture world without end. + +But, says the objector, God is now kind, tender, forgiving, and +merciful to all; but he will not be so, when they enter eternity, for +"the doors of mercy will then be shut." How do you know that--who told +you so? Will God change in some future day? If he change, he will not +be the same being, he is now. I thought, he was the same yesterday, +today, and forever, without variableness or even the shadow of +turning. I thought he was the same Jehovah in all worlds. Do you +intend to make him kind, tender, and forgiving _here_, but unkind, +unforgiving, and hard-hearted to a part of his offspring _hereafter_? +If you intend to change both the nature and character of the Almighty +in the future world, then you and myself are done arguing. That +doctrine is, certainly in a pitiful condition, which drives its +advocate to the necessity of changing the Almighty wholly into another +being to support it. "God so loved the world, even when dead in +trespasses and sins," as to deliver up his Son to "taste death for +every man." And being unchangeable, he could never hate them. In our +text, God commands us to forgive as he has forgiven. How many does God +forgive? Ans. As many as he commands you to forgive. How many is that? +_All, even your enemies--to bless and curse not_. + +We will now introduce the question--If God has not forgiven a man +today, will he ever forgive him? I answer no, for he is unchangeable. +We are to apt to think that our Creator is altogether such an one as +ourselves--that he loves one day, and hates the next--that he is in +reality angry one hour, and pleased the next--or that he holds a +grudge one moment and forgives the next, if we will only ask him to do +so. But all such ideas are calculated for children--for babes in +Christ. The scriptures come down to the weakest capacity; but this is +no reason we should always continue children, but rise in knowledge to +the strength of manhood. We ought not to be "ever learning and never +able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Paul said to his brethren +"when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one +teach you" &c. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood +as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away +childish things." + +The Scriptures are calculated for every capacity--for a child as well +as a philosopher. We must rise from one degree of glory to another. We +are not to fasten our minds down on the inventions of men, and live +and die children. No--we must "forget the things that are behind, and +reach forward to those that are before." As full grown men, we are not +to suppose that prayer of any mortal can move the Almighty to pardon +him. But says the objector, if we sincerely ask God to do thus and so, +he will certainly grant our request. Very well, admit this for a +moment. God, you say, will answer every _sincere_ prayer. Now suppose +two armies are to meet in battle, one from France and the other from +Holland. The hour when the engagement is to commence is precisely one +month from tomorrow noon. Every day, there are millions of sincere +prayers offered to God to give them the day. Holland, with one voice, +prays for victory and for the preservation of her subjects; and +France, with united supplication, prays right the contrary. How, we +ask, are all those _sincere_ opposing petitions to be answered? +Impossible. Again--one denomination prays for the prosperity of its +cause, and the destruction of error. And as each believes all others +to be in error, of course pray for their downfall. If the Lord +answered their petitions, all denominations, of course, of course +would fall! One man prays far rain, and another, that it may not rain. +If God answered all these petitions, he would be as changeable, not as +_one man_, but as the whole human family together. + +As it respects God's pardoning the human race, I contend that this +pardon existed from the beginning. Do not the Scriptures declare that +God chose us _in Christ_ before the foundation of the world? Yes, for +"he calleth those things which be not as though they were." Well, +could we be chosen _in Christ_ without being pardoned? No, for the +apostle says, "he that is _in Christ_ is a new creature;" and, +certainly, a man cannot be a new creature _in Christ_ without being +pardoned in the mind of Deity. If then in the omniscient mind of God, +to whom there is no future, they were chosen _in Christ_ before the +foundation of the world, then in his mind, they must also have been +pardoned before the world began. God never does a new act. By _pardon_ +we are not to understand the clearing of a guilty man from deserved +punishment, but an entire deliverance from a disposition to sin. The +period, when we are to be released from sin, is through death, where +the earthly nature, with all its wants and temptations to sin, falls, +and the heavenly nature rises in incorruption and glory through a +resurrection from the dead. Is not this the day of redemption when we +are set free? Yes, so saith the Scripture. Well do not _redemption, +remission, and forgiveness_ mean the same thing? They do. Then our +_pardon, remission_ or redemption will be _realized_ through death and +the resurrection. We will produce the Scriptures "in whom we have +_redemption_ through his blood, even the _forgiveness_ of sins +according to the riches of his grace." Here forgiveness and redemption +are used synonymous, and are declared to be _through the blood of +Christ_--that is, through his death, as a sacrifice for sin. Sin +cannot exist beyond the sacrifice designed to take it away. He is +represented as taking away the sin of the world under the figure of a +_Lamb_. Sin will come to a finish, under the first covenant, exactly +where Christ said "it is finished," at which moment the vail, +concealing the "holy of holies," will be rent in twain, and the second +covenant be opened. If we step beyond what Christ has said, we may as +well give up the Scriptures, and trust to our own vain imaginations. +There sin will end; and that is _dismission_, pardon or redemption +from it. "O death! Where is thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? +The _sting_ of death is _sin_, and the _strength_ of sin is the _law_ +--but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord +Jesus Christ." + +Now, here it is represented, that our victory, over _sin and death_, +is _when_ we rise to immortal glory. Our _victory_ over sin is at the +_same instant_ with our victory over _death_; and who will deny that +our _victory over death_ will be at the resurrection? The objector may +as well deny our victory over _death_ at the resurrection, as to deny +our _victory over sin_ at that period. The whole is said to be +"through Christ." He was our "forerunner" and "first fruits" to +represent our condition _there_. When he expired, he was free from +_pain_, and when he arose, he was free from _temptation_. So when we +pass the same scene, we shall be like _him_, who is our "resurrection +and life," otherwise the harvest will not be like "the first fruits." + +God, then pardoned the human race, _in Christ_, when he made them. +How? Ans. By ordering their existence in such a manner, that they +should be freed from sin through death and the resurrection. That is +the day of our final discharge--the day, when the prisoner shall be +set free--the day, when our redemption shall come. But asks the +objector, are we not to _realize_ our pardon in this world? Ans. Only +_through faith_ in the _reality_. We look forward, and anchor our hope +within the veil of death, and enjoy our pardon, or redemption, only by +an eye of faith. This "faith works by love and purifies the heart." It +causes us, in a great measure, to break off our sins by righteousness. +But this has no influence, whatever, over the sins already committed. +For _them_, we must still continue to feel miserable. Punishment is +_certain_. From the sins that are committed, we only enjoy our pardon +or redemption from them through faith in Christ the resurrection. Paul +told the believers, that if there were no resurrection, their faith +was vain, they were yet in their sins. This proves that they only +enjoyed the pardon of their sins through faith in the resurrection, +otherwise I see no force in his language. + +But inquires, the reader, why do you pray that God would pardon our +sins? Ans. I do not pray to turn the Almighty from his will and +purpose; but humbly trust, that I spend my days in searching out what +"that perfect will of God is," and then pray in reconciliation to his +revealed will. It is wicked to pray what we do not believe. +"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." I believe that God pardoned us +from the beginning, and that this pardon will be realized through +death and the resurrection. And when I pray that God would pardon our +sins, I mean that he would grant us an evidence of that pardon, which +unchangeably existed in his eternal mind, by enlightening our +understanding in the Scriptures of truth, and giving us correct views +of his character as a Being of tenderness and compassion to the +children of men. So when we say, God has pardoned us, we do not mean +that he has been moved by our petitions to do a new act; but that +through the appointed means, he has so far enlightened our minds, that +we have received an evidence of that pardon which existed with him +from the beginning, and by faith we look forward, believing it will +take place through death and the resurrection, as Christ has proved. +By this faith we perceive the love of God, and break off our sins by +righteousness. But while in the flesh, we feel a thorn--a hell of +conscious guilt for the sins we have committed, and though the +penitent may beseech God, that this messenger of satan, buffeting him, +may depart from him, yet the answer will be, "my grace is sufficient +for thee." + +We now perceive how God pardons sin, and yet punishes us for it. The +misery, sin brings upon us, is our just punishment, and to be released +from it, by the free grace of God, through death and the resurrection, +is our pardon and redemption--For example--we say, in a cloudy day, +"the sun does not shine;" but still he does. The clouds, just above +our heads, prevent his rays from shining upon us. The change is not in +the sun. The clouds disperse, and we say, "the sun shines," while in +fact he is ever the same. The Scriptures say, "our God is a sun." He +is unchangeably the same in all his brilliant perfections. "Sin like a +cloud, and transgression like a thick cloud," rise over the mind and +darken the understanding. Through this dark medium we look up to God, +and think he has changed--that he is angry, and thunders are rolling +from his hand, while in fact the whole change is in us. The moment our +minds are enlightened by the beams of truth we rejoice, and say God +has forgiven us. We receive an evidence of pardon, and enjoy it +through faith, while God has remained unchangeably the same. + +While we are children in christianity, we speak and act like children; +and think if we join together, and pray as loud as we can as though +the Lord were "deaf, or all asleep or on a journey," that we can +prevail, and make him do as we wish. And while we are children, if we +sin, we think the Lord is our enemy, and is angry. Now, this is all +well enough for those whose experience has gone no further. We are not +to "despise the day of small things," but kindly receive such an one +as a babe in Christ, and feed him with milk. But still it does appear +to be a pity that thousands, under the gospel, should live and die +children. + +"Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, +even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Now, we are to +forgive as God does. How is that--To hold a grudge one day, and if +they ask our pardon, to forgive them the next? No, we must uniformly +possess a kind, tender-hearted, forgiving spirit, laying up nought +against any one. Forgiveness does not consist in laying up a store of +malice and vengeance, till our enemy come, and formally ask our +forgiveness. No--he might never come, and then we could never forgive +him. We are commanded to love and forgive our enemies whether they ask +it, or not. So did our Saviour on the cross, and we are to exercise +the same spirit of benevolence and meekness. We must, as our context +says--put away all malice, wrath, and evil speaking from among us, and +be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving. + +Our Father in heaven is the most lovely and adorable of all beings! +Under the light of his character, every uncomfortable thought +vanishes, and the dawn of a blessed eternity bursts upon us in a flood +of glory. By faith we penetrate the veil of immortality, and read our +pardon, and justification in letters of blood. Within that veil, we +anchor our hope. Faith triumphs over the ruins of death, smiles at the +darkness of the tomb, and through Christ within, the hope of glory, +bids defiance to the crushing hand of death, and lights up its dreary +mansions with the cheering beams of immortal day. + +SERMON XIX + +"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; +and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey +not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where +shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter iv:17, 18. + +Upon this passage, the believers in endless misery lean for the +support of that sentiment, and on many occasions it is quoted with an +air of triumph as though the passage itself, without comment, were +sufficient to silence all objections. Here they have one advantage of +Universalists; and of this advantage they do not forget to avail +themselves--viz: the prejudices of early education. But we sincerely +call their application of this passage in question, and shall stand +forth in defense of the triumphs of Jesus Christ over all sin, and +pain and death, fully believing that the hand of heaven "shall wipe +tears from off all faces." We will attempt to show,-- + +First--What we are to understand by _judgment_ beginning at the house +of God. + +Second--Who were the _righteous_, and in what sense they were scarcely +saved. + +Third--Show who were the _ungodly_, and where they appeared. + +_First--What we are to understand by judgment beginning at the house +of God_. Jesus Christ chose him twelve disciples and commenced the +great work the Father sent him to do. To them he disclosed many +events, that God would in a future day bring upon the world. He +pointed them forward with more than human accuracy into the +approaching revolutions of time, and painted out in noon-day light +those astonishing disasters that would one day burst like a +thunderclap on the thoughtless nations. He marked their certainty, and +warned them accordingly. Among the many things, that lay buried in the +vista of future years, was the destruction of Jerusalem. This was a +point that most solemnly concerned the disciples of Jesus. It was no +less than the destruction of their nation. + +Christ was with his disciples in the temple, that splendid edifice +which was forty and six years in building, and, in their presence and +for the last time, addressed the stubborn Jews. He pointed out the +many crimes of which they and their fathers had been guilty in +shedding the blood of the prophets, and persecuting those who were +sent unto them as the messengers of Jehovah. They had also made void +the law of God through their traditions. While pointing out these +things, and setting them home like a thunderbolt to their hearts, he +pronounced them hypocrites, blind guides, devourers of widows' houses, +and declared that all the righteous blood shed upon the earth should +be required of of that generation. While rehearsing these things to +them, Jesus had a perfect view of all their approaching sufferings. +Many of them were to be starved to death. He saw by a prophetic eye +the indulgent father and fond mother weeping over their infant train, +who were begging for bread, but no way to procure it. Eleven hundred +thousand he saw in a state of starvation, who were to fall by famine, +sword and pestilence. He saw their cruel enemies surround the walls of +their city, who would allow no sustenance to be given them, but +determined to reduce them by hunger and sword to one common grave. All +these things, that were coming upon them, rushed at once upon the mind +of the compassionate Redeemer of the world. The affecting scene moved +so strongly upon his heavenly feelings, that he dropped the the +melancholy subject and burst into a flood of tears. He beheld the city +and wept over it--"O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Thou that killest the +prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I +have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her +chickens under her wings, but ye would not!" He then left the temple +for the last time; but as he was departing from it, his disciples, +astonished at his denunciation, and regretting that such a magnificent +edifice should be destroyed, exclaimed--"Master, see what manner of +stones and what buildings are here!" And he said unto them "there +shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown +down." The disciples immediately asked him saying, "tell us when shall +these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the +end of the world?" By the end of the _world_ we are to understand the +end of the Jewish _age_. As they asked him the _signs_ portending this +terrible destruction, so that they might know when it was nigh at +hand, he immediately proceeded to point them out, and warned them to +flee to the mountains of Judea for safety. + +The signs are as follows--many false Christs should arise, there +should be wars and rumors of wars, nation should rise against nation, +kingdom against kingdom, and there should be famines, pestilences and +earthquakes in diverse places. Then shall they deliver you up to be +afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations +for my name sake. Then shall there be great tribulation such as was +not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall +be. The most prominent _sign_ he gave them, and one that more +immediately concerned his disciples, was that they should deliver them +up to be afflicted, and they should be brought before kings and +governors for his name's sake. "But, (says Jesus) when they persecute +you in one city, then flee ye to another." + +Christ gave his disciples plainly to understand, that when the Jews +began their persecutions against his followers, then the destruction +of Jerusalem was nigh at hand. After giving these instructions to his +disciples, he laid down his life, and on the third day he arose, +triumphing over death and leading captivity captive. His disciples +soon after commenced the spread of the gospel of peace, and waived the +banners of the cross over kings and subjects, calling upon them to bow +to the reign of Jesus Christ, who was King of kings, and Lord of +lords. They proclaimed a religion so contrary to the partial notions +of the Jews and the traditions of the Elders, that it began at length +to meet with violent opposition. The disciples agreeably to the +direction of Jesus fled for safety from city to city, till the tumult +and opposition became general. Christianity gathered force and +popularity so rapidly, that the Romans, it appears, gave permission to +the Jews to imprison and take life. The disciples and christians had +now no place of safety to flee to, from the gathering storm of +persecution and death. Amidst these disastrous scenes, Peter called to +mind the _warnings and signs_ his risen Lord had pointed out as a +solemn premonition that the destruction of Jerusalem and of their +persecutors, was nigh at hand, and in view of the approaching calamity +over which Jesus wept, Peter exclaims, "The time is come that judgment +must begin at the house of God, and if it begin first at us, what +shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" Thus we, +see that what is meant by _judgment_ beginning at the _house_ of God, +is _persecution_ beginning at the _christians_, which persecution was +a _sign_ to them that the destruction of that nation was nigh at hand. +The reader will perceive that what the apostle calls "_house of God_," +he afterwards calls "_us_," in the same sentence, and must refer to +the christians, who are in many scriptures called the _house, temple, +and building_ of God. [See Heb. iii:6. Eph. ii:21, 22.] That the +persecutions were stated by Christ as a _sign_ of the impending +judgment of God upon the Jews, is evident from the words of Paul, 2 +Thess. i:5, where he calls them "a manifest _token_ of the righteous +judgment of God" upon the unbelieving Jews, the persecutors of the +christians. + +_Second--Who were the righteous, and in what sense they were scarcely +saved_. The righteous, mentioned in the 18th verse, mean the same +persons called "_the house of God_," and "_us_," in verse 17th, and +has reference to those christians _only_, who lived previous to the +destruction of the temple, and not to any christians that lived +subsequent to that event, much less does it refer to all the righteous +that have ever existed or shall hereafter exist, as common opinion +asserts. + +Under this head, we were also to show in what sense these righteous +were _scarcely_ saved. It could not mean that their salvation in the +future world was _scarce_ or uncertain; for it is _certain_ in the +counsels of God, and in all things well ordered and _sure_. He has +given to his Son the heathen for an inheritance and the uttermost +parts of the earth for a possession. And all the Father hath given him +shall come unto him, and he will raise them up the last day. He is +mighty to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him; and no +one will deny that the righteous come unto him. How then can their +eternal salvation be denominated _scarce_? Impossible. How then are +the scriptures to be reconciled with our text, when they declare +eternal life to be the gift of God--that we are saved by grace--that +help is laid upon one mighty to save--that his arm is not shortened +that it cannot save; and that the power of God is to be exerted at the +resurrection in making them equal unto the angels? The answer is +easily given--our text has no reference whatever to the immortal +world, to a judgment at the end of time, nor to the final condition of +the human family; but simply refers to the narrow escape of the +christians from the destruction of Jerusalem, when they fled with +their lives in their hands to the mountains of Judea for safety. + +In the 24th chapter of Matthew Jesus clearly describes the dreadful +scene. He says--"Then let them which be in Judea flee into the +mountains. Let him which is on the house top not come down to take any +thing out of his house. And woe unto them that are with children and +to them that give suck in those days!" [Why? Because they could not +remain in the mountains during the period that the city was besieged +by the Romans.] "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter +neither on the Sabbath day." [Why? Because in the winter you would +perish with cold--and if your flight from the city be on the Sabbath +day, the Jews will stone you to death for traveling more than three +miles.] "For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since +the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And +except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved;" +[Saved from what? Ans. From death.] "but for the elect's sake those +days shall be shortened." That is, for the sake of the christians who +fled to the mountains, God shortened the days of the siege. Let us +hear Dr. Adam Clarke, a Methodist Commentator, on this--"Josephus +computes the number of those who perished in the siege at eleven +hundred thousand, besides those who were slain in other places; and if +the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner, the whole nation of +the Jews would in a short time have been entirely extirpated [destroy +completely, as if down to the roots]; but for the sake of the elect, +the Jews, that _they_ might not be utterly destroyed, and for the +christians particularly, the days were shortened. These partly through +the fury of the zealots on the one hand, and the hatred of the Romans +on the other; and partly through the difficulty of subsisting in the +mountains without houses or provisions, would in all probability, have +all been destroyed, either by sword or famine, if the days had not +been shortened." + +Let us hear Clarke explain how these christians were _scarcely_ saved. +"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." "It +is very remarkable that not a single christian perished in the +destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius +Gallus invested the city; and had he persevered in the siege, he would +soon have rendered himself master of it; but when he unexpectedly and +unaccountably raised the siege, the christians took that opportunity +to escape." Clarke says "_unto the end_" means "to the destruction of +the Jewish polity." Therefore when Peter says, the righteous are +_scarcely saved_, he had reference to the dreadful judgment which was +coming upon "the wicked and ungodly" inhabitants of Jerusalem for +shedding the blood of the righteous, and from this destruction the +christians escaped with their lives in their hands to the mountains of +Judea for safety as Jesus had directed them. They but just escape-- +they were _scarcely_ saved. + +The christians also suffered persecution from the Jews; and Peter +draws this inference from it--If we, who obey the gospel of God, have +to endure so many persecutions from the Jews--if this judgment begins +at us, how much sorer punishment will our enemies have to endure, who +obey not the gospel of God? And if we the righteous are scarcely saved +from this long-predicted destruction, where will the ungodly and the +sinner appear? But how did Peter know that it was at hand? Because the +persecutions, which Jesus had given them as a "_sign" or "token_" had +then commenced at the house of God. The reader will now perceive that +Peter was not speaking of a judgment at the end of time, because the +judgment of which he was speaking had then commenced--"_The time is +come_." Neither was he speaking of christians generally, nor of +salvation in the future world; but of those christians _only_ who +lived previous to the destruction of the Jewish polity, and of their +being saved with _difficulty_ by watching the _signs_ and fleeing to +the mountains of Judea as Jesus had forewarned them. + +Luke records the language of Christ more plainly to be comprehended +than that of Matthew. "In your patience possess ye your souls. And +when ye shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that +the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which be in Judea flee +into the mountains, and let them which are in the midst of it depart +out," &c. We should be led to suppose that, after the walls of the +city were surrounded by an army, it would then have been too late for +the christians to save themselves. But Christ as a prophet knew that +Cestius Gallus would raise the siege, and fall back to make +preparations for a more decisive attack, and thus afford the +christians an opportunity to escape. It is evident to every candid +reader that Luke expresses in chap. 21st, all that Matthew does in +chap 24th and 25th. And that Luke does not refer to a judgment at the +end of time is certain from the manner in which he concludes, which is +as follows: "And take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged +with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so +that day come upon you unawares * * * Watch ye, therefore, and pray +always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that +shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man." Here we +perceive that not the least allusion is made to a judgment at the end +of time; because there would be no propriety in warning his disciples +not to be _drunk or overcharged with the cares of life_ at a judgment +day thousands of years after their death. The day when the christians +were "to stand before the Son of man" was at the destruction of the +Jewish polity, and it was to take place in the life time of some of +the disciples. Christ says, "there be some standing here that shall +not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his +kingdom." The day of Christ was therefore at hand, and the apostles +were warned to keep it in view, and watch the signs that were to +precede it. Peter was faithful to these warnings, and when he saw the +_signs_, presaging its near approach, he exclaimed--"_The time is +come_," &c. This was the day of tribulation, when the christians were +scarcely saved from the dreadful fate that overtook their own +countrymen, who remained blind till the things that made for their +peace as a nation were hidden from their eyes. + +[Concluded in our next.] + +SERMON XX + +"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; +and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey +not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where +shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter iv:17, 18. + +In our last we have attended to the first two divisions of our +subject--viz: what we were to understand by judgment beginning at the +house of God, and who were the righteous, and in what sense they were +scarcely saved. We now invite the attention of the reader to the +remaining division of the subject. _Third--who were the ungodly, and +where they appeared_. By the _ungodly_ and the _sinner_, we are to +understand the unbelieving Jews, the murderers of Christ and the +persecutors of his followers. It has _exclusive_ reference to them and +not to the ungodly who lived subsequent to the destruction of +Jerusalem, much less does it refer to all the wicked that have ever +existed, or shall hereafter exist, as common opinion asserts. This +needs no further explanation. + +Under this head, we were also to show _where the ungodly and the +sinner appeared_. We have already had occasion to state, that Peter in +our text refers to the destruction coming upon the Jews. The time was +come when that judgment of persecution, which began at the christians, +was to be returned upon the heads of their persecutors in seven fold +vengeance and suffering. Their city and nation were to be destroyed, +and their magnificent temple, where their devotions were offered, was +to be laid even with the ground. Not one stone was to be left upon +another, but the whole become one general heap of ruins. Then +according to the prediction of Jesus, was there to "be great +tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this +time, no, nor ever shall be." Then was "wrath to come upon them to the +uttermost." Then was he to "take vengeance on them that know not God, +and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then were "the +children of the kingdom to be cast out into outer darkness where there +was wailing and gnashing of teeth." Then, as a nation, were "they to +go away into everlasting punishment;" for "these were the days of +vengeance when all things, that were written, might be fulfilled," and +"all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel +to the blood of Zacharias, should come upon that generation." + +Titus led the Roman army against them, surrounded the walls of the +city on the day of the Passover, where a great part of the Jewish +nation were then assembled, and to which others had fled for refuge, +being driven by the terror of his arms like chaff before the +whirlwind. Here they appeared! Husbands and wives, parents and +children, brothers and sisters, (one promiscuous throng) were gazing +in breathless solicitude, while consternation and dismay were depicted +in every countenance, and fearful expectation pervaded every bosom! +Death, a long lingering death, was gathering around them in all its +horrors! Old men and young, maidens, matrons and little children +poured forth their lamentations to heaven, invoking the protection of +the God of Israel. But, alas! "the things, that made for their peace +(as Jesus forewarned them) were hidden from their eyes!" Their hour +was come, and the triumphant shouts of the enemy were heard around +their stubborn walls, which (massy as they were) dropped to the ground +under the subduing power of the battering-rams of war. With these +massive engines of destruction, they laid the two first walls in ruin! +But the third and last wall it was not in the power of the enemy to +gain. The Jews fought with desperation, and by valiant exertions kept +the enemy at bay, and for a while seemed to triumph in the fond hope +of victory over the foe. The Roman army was driven to great extremity, +and even to hesitation, while many of their most valiant men fell in +action, and impending victory seemed to hang doubtful. In this moment +of suspense, they came to a determination to make no further attack +upon the city, but guard it and reduce its inhabitants to submission +by famine. All supplies were accordingly cut off, and every avenue +blocked up by the vigilant Romans. In addition to this, intestine +divisions, civil wars and pestilence raged within the walls of the +city. Having no employment in fighting the enemy, they fell to +butchering each other. These things proved their ruin, and their +national sun went down in blood. Every day thousands closed their eyes +in death through famine and pestilence; and thousands by endeavoring +to escape to the enemy and surrender themselves up as prisoners for +safety and protection, were either cut down by the Roman sword, or met +the same fate from their own countrymen. Here they appeared! All hopes +of life cut off, nothing presented itself to their view, to end their +woes, but the certain prospect of an untimely tomb! Fathers, mothers, +brothers, sisters, gazing upon each other in silent expectation, saw +death gradually advancing in all its horrors. They were driven to the +most dreadful extremities, until (is Josephus informs us) "they +devoured whatever came in their way; mice, rats, serpents, lizards, +even to the spider"--and lastly mothers were driven to eat the flesh +of their own children! Here were lamentation and wo indeed! Such +tribulation as our Saviour says never was, and never will be. In +imagination the mind runs back to the period, and to the fatal spot. +It surveys the painful scene, characterized by nought but moral and +physical woes--madness and revenge, cruelty and carnage, pestilence +and famine, and all the mingled horrors of war! It surveys the +starving child clinging to the maternal bosom for help and protection, +but alas! That bosom becomes its grave. Here the ungodly and the +sinner appeared in deep despair! Unfeeling mortal, do you say that +their punishment and sufferings were not sufficiently great, without +adding that of immortal pain in the future world? Are you not +satisfied without arguing that they ought to suffer endless misery in +addition to their woes? Look with an unjaundiced eye over this scene +of distress; and as you gaze let justice (if not compassion) once more +take the throne of the heart, and then pronounce the shocking sentence +of your creed if you can. + +That their sufferings were overwhelming is evident from scripture as +well as from history. In Lam. iv. The prophet Jeremiah says--"The +hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children, they were +their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people." In Lev. +Xxvi. Moses describes their sufferings as follows--"And I will bring a +sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when +ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the +pestilence among you, that shall make you few in number; and ye shall +be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the +staff of your bread ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and +they shall deliver you your bread again by weight; and ye shall eat +and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me +but walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary unto you also in +fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And +ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters +shall ye eat." This did come upon the sinner and the ungodly, and it +was "according to their sins." Moses, Jeremiah, and Jesus spake +particularly of the sufferings of the Jews in the destruction of their +city and they all agree in concluding their chapters. Moses in +conclusion says, "and they shall accept of the punishment of their +iniquities, even because they despised my judgments, and because their +soul abhorred my statutes; and yet for all that I will not cast them +away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my +covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God." And Jeremiah, after +describing their sufferings in the 4th chapter of Lamentations +concludes with these words--"The punishment of thine iniquity is +accomplished, O daughter of Zion," &c. And Jesus, after denouncing +upon them the judgments of heaven in Matt. xxiii. Concludes thus: "For +I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, +blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Thus we see that +they agree in testifying to the same fact, that the punishment of the +ungodly and the sinner, which mean, no other than the Jewish nation in +their overthrow and dispersion as we have already noticed, shall end. + +I see therefore no arguments, that can be drawn from our text, to +prove a future judgment or endless misery in the immortal world. If +the objector can see a shadow of evidence in this passage to support +such a sentiment, yet I must frankly acknowledge that, for myself, I +cannot. There is certainly no word in the text, that has the most +distant allusion to the final condition of man. The _judgment_ began +at the apostles and christians. But is the _"last judgment"_ to begin +at them? Certainly not. But admit that it is; we would further +inquire, did the last judgment begin as early as the days of Peter? +Impossible. Then he could certainly not have had any allusion to such +a day, for he exclaims: "_the time is come_ that judgment must begin +at the house of God." Here the judgment to which he refers had +commenced, or at least the _signs_ portending it had commenced, and it +was to end upon the ungodly inhabitants of Jerusalem. This fact is +evident from the context--"Beloved, think it not strange concerning +the _fiery trial_ which is to try you, as though some strange thing +had happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of +Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be +glad also with exceeding joy." From this quotation there can arise no +misapprehension as to Peter's application of the text, nor of the +persons it involves. They were the persecutors of the christians, and +no one will dispute that these were the Jews. + +If then this judgment was at hand, it cannot of course refer to a +period at the end of time; and it is in this case equally certain, +that the _scarce salvation_ of the christians can have no reference to +the immortal world. These facts being irresistible, the argument must +be wholly given up that "the ungodly and the sinner" were to appear in +a state of inconceivable torment beyond the grave, because the +_condition_ of "the ungodly" stands in contrast with the _scarce +salvation_ of the righteous, and this _salvation or deliverance_ was +to be in a day nigh at hand, and from a tribulation or judgment in +which their adversaries and persecutors were to be involved, and the +_signs_, by which the apostle was admonished of its proximity, had +already appeared when he wrote the words of our text. The meaning of +his words, I humbly conceive, is simply this--The time _is come_ when +the persecutions, predicted by Christ as a _sign_ of the approaching +destruction of Jerusalem, must begin at us. And if we the righteous +who are innocent, have to endure so many "fiery trials," what will the +dreadful punishment be of our disobedient persecutors? And if we are +_scarcely saved_ from this impending destruction, by fleeing to the +mountains of Judea, where will our thoughtless and sinful appear? We +have endeavored to show you where they appeared--have pointed out the +narrow escape of the christians, who were "scarcely saved," and +referred you to the _signs_ by which Peter knew this judgment was at +hand. It is therefore unnecessary to offer any thing further in +defense of our views, as the text is, no doubt, plainly understood by +every reader. + +We close this discourse by noticing one very common objection, made by +our religious opposers, to our application of several scriptures. I do +this, because I am not aware that it has been done by any Universalist +as a _designed_ answer to the objection. The substance of the +objection is this:-- + +_There is not a passage in the New Testament which speaks of a day of +judgment, of the end of the world and of the coming of Christ, but +what Universalists apply to the destruction of Jerusalem. Then, they +contend, "every man was rewarded according to his works," consequently +all subsequent nations are not to be rewarded, nor are they to +experience a day of judgment_. + +In reply to this objection I would remark, that we are not answerable +for the many passages which the Saviour and his apostles applied to +that event. But if we make a wrong application of any scripture, why +do not our opposers point out the error? We will now show why the +apostles wrote so much in reference to that period. They do not so +frequently speak of that event merely on account of the destruction of +their temple city and nation, (though that might justify their +frequent reference to it) but there were circumstances of a more +imposing and momentous character to attract their attention to that +catastrophe. These were the abrogation of the Mosaic rituals and the +introduction of a new order of things by Jesus Christ of whom Moses +and the prophets wrote. This was a period when every christian was to +be delivered from the persecution of the Jews, and the spread of the +gospel was to be retarded no longer by their opposition. The Jews as a +nation were to be punished for their deeds of blood, and that +_spiritual reign or judgment_ commence which should pass upon all +subsequent generations of men, rewarding every man according to his +works. + +The _gospel reign_ is called "the _judgment of the world_" by Jesus +Christ, in the same sense that Moses judged the world two thousand +years by the law. Jesus says, "Think not that I will accuse you to the +Father, for there is one that _judgeth_ you even Moses in whom ye +trust." From this it is evident that Moses was then judging the Jews. +But this covenant was abolished at the destruction of Jerusalem. Paul +says, "he taketh away the _first_ that he may establish the _second_." +The word of God, in this covenant, is spiritual and sharper than any +two-edged sword--it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the +heart, while that of Moses was outward, and took cognizance of the +conduct only. The objections of our opposers are therefore unsound. +And though we apply those passages, which speak of a judgment, to the +destruction of the Jews, yet that judgment or reign of Christ which +then commenced, is yet going on, and will continue till all are +subdued to himself. He then came in his kingdom, and will continue to +reward every man according to his deeds till his kingdom ends. So we +this day experience the effects of his coming, and of his judgment or +reign, and are justified or condemned according as we embrace or +reject the words of everlasting life. We see therefore the propriety +of the apostles dwelling so much upon that great event, which should +witness the passing away of the types and shadows and the +establishment of the gospel of Jesus Christ. + +SERMON XXI + +"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 +Cor. xv:20. + +The death and resurrection of all mankind are a theme of no ordinary +moment, and have given birth to many theories and speculations among +the advocates of Christianity. The common opinion is that one portion +of our race will be raised to immortal life and glory in the future +world, and the other to immortal damnation and dishonor--that at the +same instant the living will be changed and that the whole human +family will, in this condition, be arraigned before the "Judge of +quick and dead," and receive their irrevocable sentence for endless +joy or endless wo. Others believe, in opposition to these limited +views of the divine character, that the resurrection is the closing +scene of the great plan of salvation, and that no judgment is to +succeed it. This resurrection, they believe, will introduce the +numerous posterity of Adam into the same condition of immortal glory +and honor, being made, by the power of God, "equal unto the angels, +and be the children of God being the children of the resurrection." As +to the _judgment day_, they do not believe, that the whole human +family will be congregated in one amazing throng at one period of +time, but that the judgment of the world, by Jesus Christ, commenced +at the destruction of Jerusalem, when the Mosaic dispensation, with +all its imposing rituals, passed away, and that this _judgment_, or in +other words, this _gospel reign_ of Christ, is still progressing, and +will completely terminate before the resurrection takes place. +Notwithstanding this view of the day of judgment, yet they suppose +that the _resurrection day_ is a designated period when the cerement +of the dead shall burst, and all the slumbering nations, +simultaneously, start up from their beds of clay, the living at the +same instant be changed to immortal beings, and this countless throng, +in one unbroken strain, shout--"O death! Where is thy sting? O grave! +Where is thy victory"? + +Though this scene would be full, and immortally sublime, and disclose +a grandeur which a seraph's eloquence never can describe, yet I take +the liberty to dissent from this long and fondly cherished opinion, +and will humbly endeavor to present you my views on the immortal +resurrection of the human dead. The ideas I have advanced in my +sermons on the _new birth_, require me to do this. And no one has more +occasion to rejoice than myself, that we are bound by no creeds, and +that the preachers of our order encourage and cherish free +investigation. Among such able and benevolent theologians, I feel +conscious, if I err, that they will endeavor, in the spirit of +meekness, to set me right. I therefore hold no one responsible for the +ideas I am now about to advance. I am by no means in favor of new +theories built upon mere human speculations, nor do I deem it an +enviable task to make innovations on the long and universally +established opinions of the christian community. I shall simply appeal +to the scriptures to sustain me in my present exposition, and by that +standard I am willing my views should be tried, for by that alone, +they must ultimately stand or fall. + +From the text we have selected, it might, perhaps, be expected, that +we should proceed to prove the final holiness and happiness of the +human family by showing, that he who is "made alive in Christ is a new +creature"; but as this has, heretofore been done so often and so ably, +we shall confine our attention, principally, to the different +scripture accounts of the resurrection of the dead, and endeavor to +ascertain whether it is indeed, to take place at the end of time and +be general, or whether it is continually transpiring as gradual as the +successive deaths of our race in Adam. + +And here I would distinctly remark, that the dead are represented as +being raised at the coming of Christ. This is admitted and believed by +all. But where, I ask, is there in the Book of God _one passage_ to +prove any coming of Christ after the destruction of the Jewish polity +when he commenced his _gospel reign_, called the _judgment of the +world_? This was his _second_ coming; but where but where is there a +_scrap_ of scripture to prove his _third_ coming at the end of time? +For one, I have searched in vain for such testimony. That Christ came +in his kingdom, during the life time of the persons he addressed, and +then commenced the judgment of the world, is certain. This is not, +however, admitted to be that coming of Christ when the dead will be +raised immortal. Where then is revealed that _third_ coming of our +Lord, at the end of time, to raise the dead? I think it will be an +unsuccessful task for any man to search it out and bring it forward. + +I would not be understood to say, that no destruction will attend this +earth. On the contrary philosophy seems to warrant the idea. But the +scriptures no not, in my apprehension, reveal such a catastrophe, nor +a _third_ coming of Christ, nor a general resurrection at that period. +The reader may, perhaps, here inquire whether the scriptures do not +clearly describe the resurrection of all mankind to be at one instant +of time? I answer, no more than they describe the judgment of all +mankind to be at the same instant. But, says the reader, the +resurrection is to be at the coming of Christ, which must be at some +designated period. Very well; the judgment was to be at the coming of +Christ to the destruction of the Jewish state, and does not this +designate some particular period? If so, how are we judged in the +present day? If the judgment day, which _then_ commenced, has not yet +ended, why may not the resurrection day be still progressing? If you +contend, that the dead were all to rise at once, then by the same mode +of scripture interpretation, I can prove that all the living were to +be judged at once. Acts xvii. 31. "Because he hath appointed A DAY in +the which, he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom +he hath ordained, whereof he hath given this assurance unto all men, +in that he hath raised him from the dead." 2 Cor. v.10. "For we must +all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may +receive the things in body, according to that he hath done, whether +good or bad." + +Though this event is represented as transpiring in _one day_, and as +though all men were literally arraigned at the same instant, still all +Universalist admit, that it commenced at the destruction of Jerusalem, +has passed upon succeeding generations, and will continue from the +present down to subsequent ages, so long as human beings shall have a +habitation on earth. This is called the _last day_. Jesus says--"the +word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the _last day_." +So I contend, that though the resurrection is also called the last +day, and represented as raising all mankind at one instant of time, +still simply means, that the doctrine of Christ (viz. The judgment and +resurrection) should, at his coming in his kingdom, be fully revealed +to the living by their seeing his prophesies fulfilled in the +abrogation of the ceremonial law, and this doctrine of life and +immortality be permanently established and commence its sway over the +living, as the last and best system of God to man, and this +_resurrection day_ continue down to all subsequent generations of +slumbering dead, raising every man in incorruption and glory. The +judgment and resurrection of the world are therefore both progressing, +for these two constitute the gospel reign of Christ. He is "the +resurrection and life of the world," as well as "judge of quick and +dead." Both are to be accomplished in the _last day_, and that day is +now progressing. A _general_ resurrection, at the last vibrating +pendulum of time, cannot I humbly conceive, be substantiated by the +oracles of truth, any more than a _general_ judgment. I am rather +inclined to think that _the judgment of the world by Jesus Christ +expresses the whole, including the resurrection and all; even as the +high priest, clothed with the breastplate of judgment on the day of +atonement, closed his services by raising the nation into the holy of +holies, "which was a pattern of things in the heavens_." + +If the Scriptures afford us any evidence of the _third_ coming of +Christ, to raise the dead, for one, I must acknowledge my utter +ignorance of the fact. In John (chap. vi.) Jesus several times uses +the expression, "and I will raise him up at the last day." If others +contend that this has reference to "_the last day of the last +generation of the human race on the earth_," yet I must candidly +acknowledge, that I cannot see a shadow of evidence to prove this +position. The _last day_ in this instance, refers to the gospel +dispensation, which commenced at the destruction of the temple, and +involves the whole reign of Christ. It is synonymous with the "day of +Christ" and the "day of the Lord" mentioned in several places by the +apostles. Nor do I conceive it means, that Christ would raise them up +by his own immediate power, but that God would raise the dead +according to that doctrine, which he sent his Son to reveal to men, +and this would be fully established in the world, and be believed and +felt by Jew and Gentile Christians at the coming of Christ in his +kingdom, at the end of that dispensation. _Then_ and not till _then_ +were the predictions of Christ fulfilled, and then were those +Christians, who had not seen Jesus after his resurrection, "made +perfect in faith." + +The dead are to be raised at the _last_ trump; by which I understand +the _seventh_, for no other _last_ is revealed. This trump is +mentioned by our Saviour (Matt. xxiv. 31.) and is the gospel trump +which was to commence its sound at the destruction of Jerusalem. In +Rev. chap. viii, seven trumpets were given to seven angels, who are +represented as sounding them in succession, and increasing woes +following, till the sixth trumpet sounded. But when the seventh angel +sounded and the last dreadful wo passed away, a very different order +of things followed. Rev. x. 7. "But in the days of the voice of the +seventh angel when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should +be finished as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." Rev. +xi. 15. "And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in +heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of +our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." Now +compare these woes and this subsequent order of things with the +tribulations Christ described in Matt xxiv chap. And the subsequent +life the righteous entered into, and you will readily perceive that +both refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and the commencement of +Christ's auspicious reign. (The Revelations were certainly written +before that event.) When the seventh angel sounded, Christ came in his +kingdom and began his reign; and that he began his reign when the +trumpet sounded, and the woes recorded in Matt. Xxiv. And xxv. +Chapters took place, will not be denied. This settles the point that +the _seventh or last_ trump was not to sound at the close of Christ's +reign, but at its commencement. And under this last sounding trump the +dead were to be raised immortal, and those who were alive when it +commenced its sound, were to be suddenly changed in their +circumstances and feelings as described in the context. It was the day +of their redemption from all their trials and persecutions, and doubts +and fears. + +That this was the period when the Christians entered the _resurrection +day_ as well as the _judgment day_ under Christ is certain. They +entered into the full enjoyment of that most sublime of all doctrines +in the faith of which they not only saw the dead raised immortal and +free from pain, but felt themselves new beings. They were exalted from +the dust to high and "heavenly places in Christ," were "caught up to +meet the Lord in the air," were seated "on thrones and made priests +and kings to God and reigned with Christ." There "they shone like the +brightness of the firmament and the stars forever and ever," +recognized the goodness of God in redeeming love, and sang the song of +_certain victory_ over death and Hades. Then "the kingdom and dominion +and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven was given to +the saints of the MOST HIGH," and in this "kingdom of their Father +they shone forth like the sun." The above promiscuous quotations from +Scripture justify the expression, that the living were "changed in a +moment at the last trump," which announced to the world the immortal +resurrection of the dead. That this trump, whose sound proclaims the +resurrection of all mankind, is the gospel trump, the doctrine of +Christ, we cannot doubt. + +That the change of the living, in the context, has any reference to +changing them into immortal beings, I cannot admit without further +evidence. It is contrary to the whole tenor of revelation--it is +contrary to our text, which declares that all, who are made alive in +Christ first die in Adam. As the change of the living is an important +point in our present investigation, we will give it further attention. +That the Christians were to experience a great and sudden change at +the destruction of Jerusalem is certain. They were to be delivered +from all their trials and persecutions, and be raised into the full +and felicitous enjoyment of the reign of Christ. Those Christians, who +had not seen our Saviour alive from the dead, who had believed on the +testimony of his apostles and of the "five hundred brethren," were +delivered from all their doubts and fears on seeing his predictions +fulfilled, were perfected in faith, and their "hearts established +unblamable in holiness." This was to them a resurrection day, not only +in reviving their faith and hope in the doctrine of the immortal +resurrection of all that died in Adam, but in delivering them from +their sufferings, and raising them into the sublime enjoyments of the +reign of Christ. In reference to this period, Jesus says, "thou shalt +be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." And Paul says, "If by +any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as +though I had already attained, either were already perfect." What +sense would there be in his saying--if by any means I might, by my +exertions, become an immortal being, not as though I had already +attained to immortal existence? No sense at all. But the apostles +meaning is clear, if we render it thus--If by any means I might +continue faithful unto the end, and obtain a crown of life in the +first resurrection at that day when Christ shall come in his kingdom +to destroy his enemies and to deliver and elevate Christians to honor. +We shall notice this more particularly in our next when we come to +comment on Philippians iii. Chap. Again he says--"Who concerning the +truth have erred, saying the resurrection is past already, and +overthrow the faith of some." That is, to make the Christians believe +that their promised deliverance was past, while they were yet in the +midst of their sufferings, was calculated to overthrow their faith. We +will notice the change of the living still further. Jesus says, that +those, who were in their graves, and had done good, should come forth +to the resurrection of life. And Daniel says, that many of them who +sleep in the dust of the earth should awake to everlasting life, and +those, who were wise, should shine as the brightness of the firmament, +and they that turned many to righteousness as the stars forever and +ever. Here Daniel and Jesus represent the low, suffering, and +distressed condition of the Christians previous to the destruction of +Jerusalem, and their final deliverance and exaltation at that period, +by sleeping in the dust, being dead in their graves, and suddenly +coming forth to life and shining like the brightness of the firmament +and the stars forever and ever. This is equivalent with being "caught +up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." + +The above changes are as great and as in instantaneous, as the apostle +represents in the context,--"We shall all be changed in a moment, in +the twinkling of an eye at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound +and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed." +As if he had said we shall suddenly enter into the full fruition of +that glorious gospel kingdom, whose trump shall then begin, and +continue to sound down to the remotest periods of that "_last day_" +proclaiming the incorruptible resurrection of all the dead, and at the +same time changing the living from the low, sorrowful, and groveling +thoughts of earth to the sublime and joyful contemplations of "life +and immortality brought to light through the gospel." So the _last +day_, in which the last trump sounds, and the dead are raised, +embraces the whole gospel reign of Christ. The _resurrection_ is +coeval in duration with the _judgment_ of the world; for both are +called the last day, and both are represented as involving all mankind +in one assemblage to be judged and in one assemblage to be raised. + +[To be continued.] + +SERMON XXII + +"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 +Cor. xv:20. + +We have already shown that the _judgment_ of the world is called the +"_last day_," in which all human beings are to stand at the Judgment +Seat of Christ, and receive according to their deeds. We have shown, +that this day commenced at the end of the Jewish age, and is to +continue down to all succeeding generations, so long as human beings +shall have a habitation on earth. We have shown that the +_resurrection_ is also called the "_last day_," in which all the dead +are to be raised immortal. We have shown that, as a doctrine of God, +it was permanently established in the world at the end of the Jewish +dispensation--that the last or gospel trump then commenced its sound, +proclaiming the immortal resurrection of all who "die in Adam," and at +the same time changed those who were then alive--and that it shall +continue to sound to the remotest periods of this last day, +proclaiming the resurrection of the dead and changing or reforming the +living. We have shown that the _judgment and resurrection_ constitute +the gospel doctrine of Christ, and, as such, both were established in +the world at the same time, and are both called the "_last day_," in +which all men are in succession to be judged, and raised immortal. The +apostle Paul, when discussing to his hearers, either the judgment or +the resurrection, looked forward to that interesting period, when they +were to be established in the world, and, with a giant effort, grasped +in one view, the beginning and end of this brilliant, sublime, and +everlasting DAY, and presented it in mental vision to his persecuted +and almost desponding brethren as one instantaneous, transporting and +triumphant event, in which the world was to be judged, the living +changed, the dead raised immortal and incorruptible, and the rapturous +song of final victory was to be sung over death, its sting and the +grave. + +We will now proceed to notice those passages, which are applied to the +immortal and general resurrection of the dead, point out their +misapplication, and reconcile them with the views we have advanced. We +will _first_ notice our context. And here it will be necessary to +ascertain the condition of those whom Paul addresses. He introduces +the chapter by referring to the many witnesses of Christ's +resurrection, and commences his argument in proof of this fact, and +against those christians, who had not been eye-witnesses, but who had +professed faith in his resurrection _merely_ on the testimony of the +apostles. These christians were suffering persecution, and were, of +all men most "miserable" if Christ were not risen from the dead; as in +such case, their future deliverance and exaltation at his predicted +coming, were but a visionary dream. And as their Lord seemed to delay +his coming, "some among them (being discouraged) began to say, there +was no resurrection of the dead." The great evidence, to which they +were looking for the final proof of his being the true Messiah was the +fulfillment of all which the prophets had written of "the daily +sacrifice being taken away, the holy people being scattered" and of +the glory of the Messiah's kingdom and reign, and of all, which Jesus +himself had predicted of his coming to destroy their persecutors, to +put an end to the Mosaic dispensation, and to raise them to a state of +exaltation in his kingdom. They had not seen Jesus alive from the dead +as had the apostles; and however much they might be inclined to credit +their testimony, yet their severe persecutions and sufferings, and the +protracted period of his coming would, very naturally, create, in +their hearts many doubts and fears as to its truth. + +These are the persons, whom Paul addresses in our context, and labors +to keep them in the faith by presenting the _whole weight_ of +testimony in favor of the resurrection of Christ, on which he hinged +the resurrection of man. He summons before them more than five hundred +eye-witnesses, of whom himself was one, to satisfy them of the fact, +and summons all the powers of philosophy in nature. He refers them to +grain sown in the earth, and its coming forth in a new body. He refers +them to all the various species of flesh, of men, beasts and birds on +the earth, and to the glory of the sun, moon and stars in the heavens +--all differing from one another--to prove that God is able to prepare +an immortal body, differing from all these, and raise man immortal! As +he passes on, reveling in the greatness of his strength, and absorbed +in the immensity of his theme, his argument gathers force, till earth +and heaven appear to be in motion before him! He ranges the universe, +summons to his aid the power of God, lays his masterly hand upon every +fact, gathers them in his grasp, condenses them before his hearers, +and, in one overwhelming burst of eloquence, makes the whole bear upon +the resurrection of Christ and of man! He refers them to the coming of +his Lord, at which time will be the end of the Jewish age. Then their +sufferings and persecutions terminate, their darkness, fears and +doubts will be removed, they will be ushered into the glorious reign +of Christ, behold this _last_ and brightest day, hear the _last_ +joyful trump sounding, see the dead by an eye of faith arising, and +themselves as living men changed. These would be Christ's at his +coming. Then he would receive his kingdom and begin his auspicious +reign. + +No fact is more certain than that Christ was to commence his reign at +the sound of the _last trump_. Not an instance can be produced, where +Jesus has revealed to his apostles, that any trump was to sound +subsequent to the one, which announced his coming in his kingdom at +the end of the Jewish age. If any one can produce scripture authority +where a trump is to sound at the close of his reign, or at the end of +time, or even produce testimony to prove the end of time, I will +publicly and gratefully acknowledge the favor. Perhaps the 24th verse +of the context will be brought forward for this purpose: "Then cometh +the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the +Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and +power." This, as it reads, is no objection to my views; but I contend +that this is not a correct rendering of the passage. Every careful +reader will perceive, that it stands in perfect contradiction with +verse 28th: "And when (notice the word when) all things shall be +subdued unto him, then shall the Son himself also be subject unto him +that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." This verse +teaches a future reign and future subjection, after the kingdom is +delivered up to God. What propriety is there in saying, "_when all +things are subdued unto him_," after he has resigned his kingdom? What +has he to subdue, after the kingdom is delivered "up to God, even the +Father". Certainly nothing. I readily grant, that in the modern +edition of the Greek Testament I have before me, it is rendered in the +dative case, "_teen basileian to Theo kai Patri;" "the kingdom to God +even the Father_." But I perused, several years since, a short +criticism by an English writer (whose name I cannot recall, nor the +periodical which contained it) on this very phrase in which the author +stated that in an early Greek manuscript, he had in his possession, it +was rendered in the nominative case, "_teen basileian ho Theos kai +Pater_." This would reverse the present translation, and cause it to +read--"_Then cometh the end when God even the Father shall deliver to +him (Christ) the kingdom_." The writer however argued, that as the +chapter referred to the general resurrection at the end of time, it +seemed to read far better as Christ's mediatoriol kingdom would then +terminate. This is mere assertion founded upon preconceived opinions. + +I will, however, produce direct authority to support my views. I will +here present the reader with Wakefield's translation of this passage, +whose scholarship will be doubted by none: + +"_Then will the end be, when God the Father delivereth up the kingdom +to him, during which he will destroy all dominion, and all authority +and power; for he will reign till he hath put every enemy under his +feet; and so the enemy death will be destroyed at last_." + +Here, then, we perceive that instead of its referring to the end of +time, and to the Son's delivering up the kingdom to the Father, it +simply refers to the end of the Jewish dispensation, when the Father +delivered to his Son a kingdom, and when he _commenced_ his reign. +This gives harmony, strength and consistency, to the whole connection +closing with the 28th verse, and is in perfect agreement with the +whole tenor of revelation, which no where speaks of the end of time. +But according to the received translation, he first delivers up the +kingdom to God, then commences his reign, subdues all things, destroys +death, and is then subject to the Father! Let it be distinctly noticed +that this "_end_" is at Christ's coming. But where, I again ask, is +revealed a _third_ coming of our Saviour? + +But again--The Ethiopic version also supports this rendering of the +above passage, in agreement with Wakefield, which I consider as +sufficient authority to settle the question, at least in my own mind. +But even were there no other authority, than the general tenor of +revelation, I should feel justified in my present exposition. To +contend for a _general_ resurrection, we are in the same predicament +with the orthodox in contending for a _general_ judgment. + +The above harmonizes (in my apprehension) with every other part of +divine revelation, which embraces the testimony of the prophets, and +of Jesus Christ and his apostles, who all speak of the _end_ as +referring _exclusively_ to the termination of the Jewish age, at which +time he should come in his kingdom and commence his reign. They also +speak of the glory which should follow, and of the success that should +attend it. But not _an instance can be produced, where they speak of +the end of time_. He is to destroy the last enemy _death_; and this +work is effected progressively in this _last day_, as individuals are +in _succession_ raised from death, and established in their final and +blissful condition affording us no revelation when this order of +things will terminate. If it is a fact, that God the Father, at the +sound of the "last trump," delivered to his Son the kingdom--if this +be the correct rendering of the passage, as the whole tenor of +revelation seems to justify, then it was at the commencement of his +reign; and our views of the _resurrection day_ are irresistible. The +apostle grasps, in mental vision, the whole subject, and represents it +as one great and interesting event, big with sentiments of light and +life, in the same sense that he does the judgment of the world, which +revolved in his capacious soul as but one single day. The sudden and +interesting change he represents as taking place in the living, has +reference to the unexpected manner in which this sublime scene would +burst on the world. In this he but follows the example of his Lord, +who declared he would come as a "thief in the night"--that he would +"come quickly," and in an hour they were not aware, and exhorted his +disciples to watch. + +We will notice one more passage in the context, which may be urged as +an objection. "Behold I show you a _mystery_; we shall not all sleep, +but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at +the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be +raised incorruptible and we shall be changed." The _mystery_, here +mentioned, refers to the change of those, who should be found alive at +the coming of Christ in his kingdom, produced by the full revelation +and establishment of that doctrine, which proclaims the immortal +resurrection of all mankind _by being made alive in Christ_. It is the +fulfillment of the following scriptures--Eph. i 9,10--"Having made +known unto us the _mystery of his will_--that in the dispensation of +the fullness of times he might gather together in one _all things in +Christ_, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in +him." This mystery was _then finished_ in the full revelation of his +will to the doubting christians, whom Paul addresses in the context. +This is evident from Rev. x:7--"But in the days of the voice of the +_seventh angel_ when he _shall begin to sound_, the _mystery_ of God +_should be finished_, as he hath declared to his servants the +prophets." And that he began his reign when the mystery was finished +is certain from Rev. xi. 15--And the seventh angel sounded; and there +were great voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are +become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, "and he shall reign +forever and ever." Here we perceive that this _mystery of God's will_ +was to be finished at the sound of the _seventh or last_ trump, which +will is, to gather or make alive all things in Christ. And at this +time he was to receive his kingdom and reign forever and ever. _"We +shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,"_ has reference to +those persecuted christians, who were not to "taste of death till they +saw the Son of man coming in his kingdom." + +Phil. iii:20, 2l--"For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we +look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile +body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according +to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto +himself." That this passage has reference to changing our _natural +into immortal bodies_ at the resurrection, I see not a shadow of +evidence to prove, either in established in their final and blissful +condition the passage itself, nor in the context. The context we have +already noticed by pointing out the resurrection to which Paul desired +to attain. Chap. i:6--"He, that hath begun a good work in you, will +perform it until _the day of Jesus Christ."_ Chap. iv:5--"Let your +moderation be known unto all men. _The Lord is at hand_." "The day of +Jesus Christ" and "the Lord is at hand" refer to his coming at the end +of the Jewish age, and not to a resurrection at the end of time. Paul +gave the Philippians notice of no other coming of Christ. The passage +has reference to the change the living were to experience, at this +coming of our Lord in his kingdom, by being delivered from their +persecutions, doubts and fears, perfected in faith, and "established +unblamable in holiness before God," so as to resemble in a moral and +exalted sense those immortal beings in heaven who are here called the +"glorious body" of Christ. The body to be changed embraces both Jew +and Gentile christians, who were at that time to be raised from their +lowly condition into his gospel kingdom and "shine forth like the +sun." This is evident from the manner in which he commences: "For our +conversation is in _heaven_, from _whence_ we look for the Saviour, +the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our _lowly body_ that it maybe +fashioned like unto his glorious body." He contrasts the low and +oppressed condition of the whole christian body with what will be +their exalted condition at the coming of Christ, and that exalted +condition will assemble that glorified body of beings in _heaven_ who +died in his cause, and with whom they had their conversation, and from +_whence_ they were expecting the Saviour. It has reference, I +conceive, to the body in which Christ arose. The church is the body of +Christ, and it is to be presented to himself a _glorious body_, not +having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. The Greek word _tapeinos_ +rendered "vile," should be rendered _lowly or humble_. + +It will be noticed, by the reader, that the word _body_ is used in the +_singular_ number and not in the plural, as some have quoted it in +their writings. But if it refer to individual _forms_, it ought to be +rendered in the _plural_--"who shall change our vile _bodies."_ But it +means the whole church or body of believers--a collective body of +individuals. In this sense the Greek word, _soma_, here rendered +_body_ is frequently used in the New Testament. That the apostle does +not refer to all mankind is evident from the fact, that after the vile +body is changed according to the working, he adds--whereby he is able +_even_ to subdue all things unto himself--That is, able _even_ to +subdue all things as well as to change that body. If the passage refer +to an immortal and general resurrection, or rather to the change of +all the living into immortal beings, then there would be none to +subdue after that period. But if we apply it to the coming of Christ +in that generation, and to the change of the whole christian body, +then all is plain and in perfect agreement with the preceding and +succeeding context; also with 1 Cor. 15th chapter, and with the whole +tenor of revelation, which speaks of but _one coming_ of our Saviour +in his kingdom, and which shows that the work of subjection commenced +after the change of the living at the last trump, whose sound +announced the commencement of his reign. The word _kai_, rendered +_even_, should probably have been rendered _also_. "Who shall change +our lowly body--according to the working whereby he is able also to +subdue all things to himself." The whole context, however, justifies +the above exposition because the christians were looking for the +coming of Christ at the end of that age, and exclaimed, "the Lord is +at hand." + +[To be continued.] + +SERMON XXIII + +"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 +Cor. xv:20. + +In our last we noticed the context, and also taken into consideration +the language of Paul on the coming of Christ and the change of the +living in Phil. iii:20, 21. This, we have shown, has no reference to +the mortal bodies of men being changed to immortal bodies, so as to +resemble the personal form of Jesus Christ. If it refer to Jesus, +still the resemblance would be _moral, not personal_, for no where do +the scriptures teach, that we are in our personal appearance to be +like our Saviour. But in a _moral_ sense, "we shall be like him, for +we shall see him as he is." I do not say, that there will be no +_personal_ resemblance between immortal beings and Christ. I fully +believe there will be; but I mean that this personal resemblance is +more a matter of course, than a doctrine of divine revelation. I do +not read of the "glorious body" of Jesus in his immortal resurrection +state. But the scriptures do compare the moral body of Christians on +earth with the glorified body of holy beings in heaven, Heb. xii:22, +23--"But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living +God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an in-numerable company of angels +to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are +written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of +just men made made perfect." So far as the Christians were +"established unblamable in holiness before God even our Father at the +coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" so far as they +were elevated to "shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the +stars forever" so far as their moral condition and enjoyments were +improved and enlarged, thus far, of course, the _lowly body_ of the +church on earth would be changed into a moral resemblance of that +"glorious body" of Christ, who were praising him in heaven. In +_heaven_ the Christians had their conversation, from whence they were +looking for the Saviour, as shortly to come, and fashion them into a +moral resemblance of those saints above, who had died in his cause, +and who were to come with him. From the whole context, the conclusion +is irresistible that this change of the "vile body" was at the coming +of the Lord _then_ at hand, and not at the end of time, as some +imagine. + +Another scripture commonly applied to the _general_ resurrection of +the dead, and a change of all the living is recorded in 1 Thess. +iv:15, 16, 17--"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that +we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not +_be before_ them that are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend +from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the +trump of God; and the _dead in Christ_ shall rise first. Then we which +are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the +clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so we shall be evermore with the +Lord." That Paul here refers to the coming of Christ in his kingdom to +establish his reign, and to elevate the Christians who were alive at +that period, the _preceding_ and _succeeding_ contexts fully justify. +And so I must understand his language, till some one can prove a third +coming of Christ, and an _eighth_ sounding trump at the end of time. +In the two preceding chapters, he dwells largely upon the persecutions +of the Christians, exhorts them to be faithful, expresses his desire +"to perfect that which is lacking in their faith," and concludes by +saying--"To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in +holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus +Christ _with all his saints."_ No one will deny that this has +reference to his coming at the end of the Jewish age. Now would it not +be doing injustice to this powerful and cogent reasoner to say, that +he suddenly drops this subject without giving his brethren any +warning, and runs off to the end of time, speaks of another coming of' +Christ at which he is to raise, at the same instant, all the dead and +change the living to immortal beings? And that he should again, as +suddenly, drop this subject, and hasten right back to the coming of +Christ at the destruction of Jerusalem? To charge him with this is +certainly ungenerous. + +After stating that Christ should descend with a shout, with the voice +of the archangel and the trump of God to exalt the dead and living, he +adds--"But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I +write for yourselves perfectly know that the day of the Lord so cometh +as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety then +sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape." There +is no resisting the conclusion, that _"the day of the Lord"_ in this +passage refers to the same period when "_the Lord himself shall +descend from heaven_" in the passage above; which must be at the +destruction of Jerusalem. He quotes Christ's own language, Matt. +xxiv:43. See also 2 Peter iii:10. In both places, the sudden coming of +Jesus is compared to a "thief in the night." But where is a _general_ +resurrection, at the end of time, clearly stated, that he had no need +to inform them of the times and seasons, because they already +perfectly knew? Where is sudden destruction to come upon any in that +day? For one, I find no such revelation. + +Though the doctrine of immortal resurrection of all mankind was fully +revealed, and established in the world at the coming of Christ in his +kingdom; yet that particular point is not argued by the apostle in the +scripture on which we are commenting. He is not speaking of all +mankind, nor of the immortal resurrection; but as in Phil. iii:20, 21, +so _here_ he is speaking of the Christians _only_ who should be alive +when that scene burst and of those dead _only_ who had died in the +cause of Christ. "The dead in Christ" cannot possibly include those +who died previous to his birth, but those only who died in the faith +of his doctrine previous to his coming in his kingdom. We might reason +this point at large, but deem it unnecessary till some one proves how +those, who never heard of a Saviour, could be said to die in Christ, +or to be dead in him. I would, however, remark that the Greek +preposition _en_ may be rendered, _on account of_. The phrase would +then read thus--_the dead on account of Christ_. Wakefield renders it +thus--"_they who have died in the cause of Christ_." That this is its +true sense, I have not a doubt. + +Let one thing here be distinctly noticed: Paul says--"For this we say +unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain," +&c. Now where has our Lord ever said, when speaking of the immortal +resurrection, that some would be alive, and be changed to immortal +beings? Nowhere. This single circumstance ought to make every man +pause before he asserts such a change to be true. Read Christ's +language in all three of the Evangelists where he addresses the +Sadducees; and he speaks only of the dead being raised, but not of any +one being changed. Read his language, John vi:39--"And this is the +Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I +should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day." Nothing +is here said about changing the living to immortal beings. The Father +has given all into the hands of his Son; and if he is to _raise_ them +up at the last day, then all must die, for the _change_ of the living +is not the _resurrection_ of the dead. How then could Paul tell his +brethren, "by the word of the Lord," that they were to be thus +changed? He could not because there is not a "thus saith the Lord" to +support it. But Paul had the word of the Lord support the change in +the living which we have pointed out. Christ said, "the righteous +should go into life eternal," they "that endured unto the end should +be saved" that "they should shine like the sun in the kingdom of their +Father," and that "they should be recompensed at the resurrection of +the just." + +But, inquires the reader, were those who died in the cause of Christ +raised immortal at his coming? No, they were not. It simply means that +they were in that day to receive their elevated stations of glory and +and honor in the gospel kingdom, so much so, as if they had been +alive. The living Christians, in this respect, were not to be before +them. Having suffered and died in the cause of Christ, they were in +the minds of the living to "shine as the stars forever and ever" in +the kingdom of Christ, because they had turned many to righteousness. +The Lord had, as it were, delayed his coming, and many had given up +faith in Christ's resurrection, and were sorrowing without hope over +their friends who had fallen asleep in his cause. They of course had +no faith in the immortal resurrection of their friends, nor in the +fulfillment of Christ's predicted coming to raise their names to +unfading honor for having labored and died in his cause. We are not to +understand that those departed saints were _literally_ exalted to +elevated stations in Christ's kingdom on earth, any more than Christ +_literally_ came. But as Jesus was _in that day_, at the end of the +Jewish age, "crowned with glory and honor," as king on the mediatorial +throne of the universe, so were his apostles elevated on thrones of +glory with him. Jesus says, "when the Son of man shall sit on his +throne of glory, ye also shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging +the twelve tribes of Israel." + +Now certain it is, that Jesus did take his throne, when he came in his +glory, at the destruction of the temple. Then it is equally certain, +that the apostles and martyrs also took their's at the same period and +in the same sense. _Then_ Christ came and "his holy angels" and all +the saints came with him; not literally, but in the same sense that he +himself came. Luke ix:26, 27--"For whosoever shall be ashamed of me +and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall +come in his own glory and of his Father's and of the holy angels; but +I tell you of a truth there be some standing here which shall not +taste death till they see the kingdom of God." I Thess. iii:13--"To +the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God +our Lord even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with +all his saints." Here we perceive, that he was to come "_with all his +saints and holy angels_." By his _holy angels_, we are to understand +his gospel messengers or martyred apostles and by _his_ saints, those +who had died in his cause. These are the persons who are said to be +_dead in Christ, and asleep in Jesus_. By the words _dead and asleep_ +we are not to understand their present extinction of existence in +contrast with their immortal resurrection, but the supposed _low and +disgraceful_ cause in which they died, or for which they were put to +death by their persecutors, as malefactors. This _disgraceful +condition_, in which their murderers viewed them as unchangeably +sleeping, stands in contrast with their _triumphant exaltation_ at the +coming of Christ. Their enemies would _then_ look upon them as having +come forth from the dust of the earth and shining as the brightness of +the firmament and as the stars forever and ever, and not as sleeping +in perpetual infamy and dishonor. [See Daniel xii 2, 3, and John v:28, +29.] Their enemies (whether dead or alive) were to come forth to +_shame, contempt, and condemnation_, which stand in contrast with the +_glory and honor_ to which the Christians (whether dead or alive in +Christ) were to be raised in the minds of the living even to +succeeding generations. + +Let it be distinctly noticed that _these dead in Christ_ are not said +to be raised _incorruptible and immortal_, but only caught up with the +living Christians in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air--not +_literally_, but in the same sense that the living saw the Son of man +coming in the clouds of heaven, so should they see his saints and holy +angels raised from the slumber of infamy, and, together with the +Christians who remained alive at that day, be exalted with him in the +air. [See Matt. xxiv:30, 31--Mark xiii:26, 27--Luke xxi:27, 28, and +Rev. i:7.] In these passages he is represented as "coming in the +_clouds_ with his angels," who "gathered, with a great sound of the +trumpet, his elect," and raised them to honor in his kingdom. And let +me add--this is all the _change_ Christ has ever said should take +place in the living at the sound of the Trumpet. I have no doubt that +the Apostle had his eye upon the above words of our Lord when he said, +"we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." It +will here be plainly seen in what sense those who had died in the +cause of Christ were _first_ raised. They are represented as coming +with him at the destruction of the temple, and after that event the +whole "body" was exalted together. The "vile body" of Christians on +earth (vile indeed in the eyes of their enemies) was then "fashioned +like unto his glorious body" of saints and angels in heaven who had +died in his cause. + +That we have given a correct exposition of 1 Thess. iv:15, 16, 17, is +evident from Paul's words 2 Tim. iv:7, 8--"I have fought the good +fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth +there is laid up for me a _crown of righteousness_, which the Lord, +the righteous Judge shall give me at _that day_," &c. The phrase +"_that day_" means not the day of Paul's death, but the day Christ +should appear in the clouds of heaven at the end of the Jewish age. +His _crown was merited_ for having "fought the good fight and kept the +faith." The crown means that exalted honor he should then receive for +having "turned many to righteousness." And not only himself, but all, +"who love the appearing of Christ," should shine as the brightness of +the firmament and as the stars forever and ever in his gospel kingdom +among men. We this day look upon the martyrs and apostles as the +lights of the Christian world and as occupying, on the sacred page, +stations far more exalted than any ever conferred upon the greatest +men of the universe. They are "made priests and kings to God" for +dying in his cause, and thus establishing the truth of Christianity. + +This was the "first resurrection," and these were the persons who had +a part in it, which no subsequent christians can ever can have. Rev. +xx:6--"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first +resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall +be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand +years." But if Christ had not come in his kingdom at the end of the +Jewish age, as the prophets and himself had declared, then the whole +Christian system must have fallen and the names of its martyrs and +apostles remained buried in perpetual infamy as a set of deluded men +and impostors. But, blessed be God, it is not so. They, by their +faithfulness, have attained unto the "first resurrection" and thus +broken the dark chains of infidelity into fragments. This is the +_resurrection and change_ referred to in Phil. iii:20, 21, and 1 +Thess. iv:15, 16, 17, on which we have commented. + +We have intentionally omitted till now Phil. iii:11, 12, as our ideas +will be more readily comprehended here than in our introductory +discourse, where we simply adverted to these words of Paul--"If by any +means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead--Not as though +I had already attained either were already perfect," &c. Here we +perceive that the resurrection unto which he desired to attain +depended on his exertions in the cause of Christ, and being faithful +unto the end. He says (verse 14)--"I press towards the mark for the +prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." But what prize was +this? Ans. It was a _part_ in the _first resurrection_ to which he +desired to attain (verse 11) and he was not "perfect," he feared "lest +after having preached to others himself might be a cast-away." He +feared that he might not endure faithful unto the end. He was well +aware that the promise was--"Be thou faithful unto death and I will +give thee a crown of life." To obtain this crown of life in the first +resurrection, was the _highest prize_, the _highest calling of God_, +ever suspended upon human merits! Paul did continue faithful, and as +he was led to the thought of death, with composure and satisfaction +exclaimed--"For I am now ready to be offered; and the time of my +departure" is at hand. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished +my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a +_crown of righteousness_, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall +give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that +love his appearing." Here we perceive that Paul had continued +faithful, and was entitled to the promised crown, which was awarded to +him, and to all "the dead in Christ," who, on account of their +faithfulness, had a part in the first resurrection--when he came in +the clouds of heaven to establish his kingdom. It has nothing to do +with the immortal resurrection of the dead, for that is not the reward +of merit, but the gift of God. To _that_ all shall attain who die in +Adam. But in the _first_ resurrection none had a part except those who +died in the cause of Christ, and the living who continued faithful to +the day of his appearing. On them and _them only_ devolved the honor +of establishing the truth of Christianity for the happiness of future +generations, by not only testifying that they had seen Jesus alive +from the dead, but by cheerfully submitting to death, and showing +themselves miracles of suffering in his cause. Both the departed and +those that remained alive, attained to the first resurrection, were +glorified together, and their crowns shall shine in the gospel heavens +with undiminished splendor long after those of kings and tyrants shall +be dimmed and lost in the vortex of revolutions. + +He concludes the chapter by noticing the change of the "vile body" +which we have explained. Here then is no evidence of a general +resurrection, nor of the end of time. The _context_, the _silence_ of +Jesus about the change of the living into immortal beings, and the +_whole tenor_ of revelation combine to set it at defiance. Of one +thing I am satisfied; that no man ever _has_, and I believe, no man +ever _can reconcile_ the change of the living and the resurrection of +the dead recorded in Philippians and 1 Thessalonians with their +respective contexts, so as to prove a general and immortal +resurrection at the end of time. As I have traveled in an untrodden +path, I do not know but that I may have erred in some minor points, +but am satisfied that my general positions are sound and tenable. + +[To be continued.] + +SERMON XXIV + +"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 +Cor. xv:20. + +We have now come to that point in our subject where it will be +necessary to cite a few passages to prove that the immortal +resurrection is _successive, not general_, and will conclude by +considering some of the principal texts, which may be urged as +objections. + +We have already shown that the resurrection of the dead was to be at +the sound of the last trump. And as that trump commenced sounding at +the end of the Jewish age, when Christ came in his kingdom, I deem it +sufficient to establish the fact that the dead are continually rising +in this _last, this gospel day_. But the question presents itself-- +were any of the human family raised immortal before that period? To +this question I give an affirmative answer. I firmly believe, that the +dead have been rising immortal from Adam to the present day, for God +has never changed the established order of the universe. I believe +that the dead are raised without any _miracle_, in the common +acceptance of that term, as much as I believe that we are born, and +die, not by a _miracle_, but according to that constitution of things +which God has immutably established from the beginning. I believe this +doctrine of Christ to be founded upon the unchanging principles of +philosophy but so mysterious, that man in his present existence cannot +comprehend the subtle causes and effects by which he shall put on +immortality. It was, therefore, necessary that this sublime truth +should be established in the world by the miracles Jesus wrought and +by the miraculous power of God in raising him from death. The first +man Adam was made by a miracle, while his posterity are naturally born +into life, according to that constitution of things which God has +established. So Christ, the second Adam, was born from the dead by a +miracle, while mankind from the beginning, have, in succession, been +born from the dead according to that constitution of things which he +has established. + +On this principle, it may be stated as an objection, that as none of +Adam's posterity could be born till their parent was created by a +miracle, so none of the human family could be born from the dead, till +Christ the second Adam were raised immortal by the miraculous power of +God. This objection is futile unless it can be proved that Christ +_creates_ life and immortality. In fact, it would even then fail;-- +because Christ, as our sacrifice, was slain from the foundation of the +world in the offerings made to God in his stead. The atonement, made +by the high priest throughout the whole Mosaic dispensation, concluded +by raising the Jewish nation in figure on his "breast-plate of +judgment" into the holy of holies, which was a pattern of things in +the heavens. The atonement always involved the resurrection. The +judgment of the Jews, for two thousand years, by Moses only pointed +out the resurrection of man in _figure_, but Christ proved the +_reality_ by a tangible _fact_, and thus revealed it to the living as +the doctrine of God of which the world had been ignorant. So what the +_judgment_ of the world by Moses taught in _figure, the judgment_ of +the world by Christ teaches in _reality_. My limits will not allow me +to argue this point at large. I have already remarked, that I believe +_"the judgment of the world"_ expresses the whole reign of Christ +including the resurrection. + +We now proceed to notice the Scriptures. Matt. xxii. 31, 32. + +"_But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that +which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the +God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but +of the living_." + +To this Luke adds, "_for all live unto him_." In order to make these +words of Jesus refer to a general resurrection at the end of time, all +writers have availed themselves of this last clause in Luke (on which +Matthew and Mark are silent) and contend that it means--all live unto +God who in his counsels views the future resurrection as present. But +this exposition by no means satisfies my mind. If Abraham, Issac and +Jacob are not raised--if they are yet wrapped in the insensibility of +death, then God during that period is not their God. + +To illustrate this, we would remark, that Jehovah could not be Creator +till something were created by him. He could not be Father till he had +an offspring. He could not be Lord till he possessed property;-- +neither could he be God till there were a worshipper. _Jehovah_ is the +only abstract name he could possess, were he solitary and without a +universe. All the other names ascribed to him are relative. The name +God as much pre-supposes the actual existence of a _worshipper_ as +that of father does the actual existence of a _child_. Remove the +_child_, and the once doating parent is no longer to him a father. God +is not, therefore, the God of the dead, for as such, they could not +worship him. He is, however, Lord of both the dead and the living +claiming them as his property. Abraham, Issac and Jacob were therefore +alive, and worshipping him when those words were spoken to Moses, for +in no other sense could he have been their God any more than he was +before they were born. The phrase "_for all live unto him_," may, in +this instance, embrace only the three patriarchs, as no others are +involved in the quotation. The Sadducees believed in the writings of +Moses only, and it is not at all probable, that Jesus referred to any +persons, not mentioned by Moses, as it would have been no proof to the +Sadducees. His argument is, to prove that the three patriarchs, _are +raised_ according to their own writings, not _shall be raised_. Now +that the _dead are raised_ Moses showed at the bush when he called God +the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Here we perceive that "_the +dead_" refers to the three persons whom Moses showed were raised. He +then adds--for he is not the God of the _dead_ but of the _living_, +for all live unto him--that is, the three patriarchs _all_ live to +him. If the phrase embrace any others, it must be the living in +eternity, not the living in the flesh nor the dead as such. It would +make Jesus contradict himself in the same breath. "He is not the God +of the _dead_, but of the _living_; for _all_ live unto him." To whom +does this "_all_" refer? To the "_living_"; not the "_dead_," for in +that case he would be the God of the dead. + +Luke ix. 30. "_And behold there talked with him two men, which were +Moses and Elias_." The transfiguration of our Lord is recorded also by +both Matthew and Mark, and it is plainly stated that the disciples +"saw his glory and the two men that stood with him." If Moses and +Elias were dead, their bodies crumbled to dust, and their minds in a +state of insensibility, then they were not Moses and Elias who talked +with him. Even if God had represented those two persons by other +forms, they could no more have been Moses and Elias than Adam and +Noah. It is _consciousness and memory_ which constitute personal +identity; and if a conversation was carried on with Jesus by any means +that human ingenuity can invent, while Moses and Elias were wrapped in +as profound insensibility as the dust with which their bodies mingled, +then it could not have been Moses and Elias who conversed with Jesus +any more than if they had never had an existence. Perhaps it may be +said that, as it is called a _vision_ by Matthew, it might have been +nothing _real_. But as the word _horama_ means a _sight_ as well as +_vision_, and as the other Evangelists do represent it as an actual +appearance and nothing visionary, it is to be taken in this sense. Was +it not a _reality_ that the three disciples saw Jesus transfigured, +and though in that condition was it not still their _identical_ Lord? +Certainly. Then the vision was so far _real_, and I see no ground on +which the other personages can be considered phantoms. Mark says, "he +charged them that they should tell no man _what things they had +seen_," &c. See also Luke ix. 36. Here it is made certain that it was +not an appearance in a dream, but a real and visible sight of three +persons whose names are given. Consequently Moses and Elias were there +as certain as was Jesus Christ. If so, they must have been raised from +the dead, for man can have no conscious existence hereafter in a +disembodied state. The scriptures teach that the resurrection is our +only hope of a future conscious state of being. As to the translation +of Elijah we shall not here notice it. + +Phil. i. 23, 24. "_For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire +to depart and be with Christ which is far better; nevertheless to +abide in the flesh is more needful for you_." To depart and be with +Christ must, I conceive, mean in the resurrection world, for in no +other sense could he be with Christ so as to render his condition "far +better." Nothing can be _good or bad_ for a man in a state of perfect +insensibility, any more than for a man unborn--Neither could he be +with Christ in such a State, any more than before he existed. Between +the condition of a man in non-existence [pardon the expression] and in +life, no comparison as to enjoyment or suffering can possibly be +drawn. The apostle therefore draws a comparison between his present +condition of conscious existence with his brethren, and his future +condition of conscious existence with Christ which was far better. + +That Paul has reference, in the above, to an immortal existence in the +resurrection, is evident from 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 3, 4. + +"_For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were +dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands +eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be +clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. If so be that being +clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this +tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be +unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of +life_." + +If the above do not prove that the apostle expected to be clothed upon +with his house from heaven shortly after his earthly tabernacle were +dissolved, then I must acknowledge my ignorance of his meaning. He +desires not to be unclothed so as to be found naked at the coming of +Christ. By this I understand that between death and the resurrection +there is a state of insensibility of several days duration, while the +spiritual body is putting on, and if he died so near the coming of +Christ, that the process was not completed, and mortality not +swallowed up of life, he would be found naked, i.e. In the state of +the dead. He therefore expresses no desire to be found unclothed at +that period but clothed upon and present with Christ. This is evident +from verses 6, and 7. + +"_Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at +home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident, I say, +and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the +Lord_." + +While in the body, though they had many consolations in the faith of +Christ, though "he was with them always even unto the end of the age," +though "to live was Christ," yet this condition he terms being +_absent_ from the Lord in comparison to being _present_ with him, +which cannot mean in the unclothed state of insensibility, but where +"mortality is swallowed up of life." + +Let it be distinctly noticed, that the apostle is speaking of three +states-- + +1st. as being in this earthly house or body where they were absent +from the Lord-- + +2nd. as being unclothed and found naked at his coming for which they +had no desire-- + +3rd. As being absent from the body and present with the Lord where +they should be clothed upon with their house from heaven that +mortality might be swallowed up of life, for which they had a desire. + +Verse 9. "_Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be +accepted of him_." Here we perceive that they did not labor to obtain +entrance into his presence, because the immortal resurrection is the +gift of God. But they labored, whether _alive_ on earth or _immortal_ +in heaven, that they might be accepted among those, who were worthy to +obtain a crown of righteousness in the first resurrection for having +continued faithful unto the end--that they might be worthy to form a +part of that glorious body of witnesses in heaven who were slain for +the testimony of Jesus. And the body of christians on earth, who +continued faithful to the coming of Christ, were to be fashioned like +those above, and receive the same exalted honor in his gospel kingdom, +and the whole compose one bright body of infallible witnesses, whose +testimony can never be shaken by all the powers infidelity. "To depart +and be with Christ which is far better" must mean in an immortal +existence. + +We cannot, for want of room, argue this part of our subject at large; +--but the above is in perfect agreement with the philosophy of St. +Paul, (1 Cor. 15,) where he compares the raising of the spiritual body +to a grain of wheat sown in the earth. I would not be understood to +say that this natural body of flesh and blood is ever to rise. No one, +I presume, will contend that infants, youth and decrepid age, and +those who are born deformed will be raised in that condition and all +retain their various complexions. I believe, however, that there are +those subtle materials in the natural body which, when extricated from +the earthly tenement, and completely developed, shall produce the +immortal being; and that these are as perfect in the infant as in the +man. + +We will now conclude by anticipating and answering one or two +principal objections. It may be objected that, if any one arose +immortal before Christ, he could not have been "the first-born from +the dead" as stated in Col. i. 18. This does not mean _first_ in the +order of time, but in _rank_. It means _principal_, and is explained +by the connecting phrase--"that in all things he might have the +_pre-eminence_." It is more particularly explained in Rev. i. 5. "Jesus +Christ the faithful witness and the first-begotten of the dead and the +Prince of the kings of the earth." In connexion with this, we will +introduce 1 Cor. xv. 20. "But now is Christ risen from the dead and +become _first-fruits_ of them that slept." This also has reference to +_rank_ and not to _first_ in the order of time. In evidence of this, +we will quote Cruden,--"The day after the feast of the Passover, they +brought a sheaf into the temple the _first-fruits_ of the barley-harvest. +The sheaf was threshed in the court, and of the grain that +came out they took a full homer; i.e. About three pints. After it had +been well winnowed, parched and bruised, they sprinkled over it a log +of oil; i.e. Near a pint. They added to it a handful of incense; and +the priest that received this offering shook it before the Lord +towards the four quarters of the world; he cast part of it upon the +altar and the rest was his own. After this every one might begin their +harvest. This was offered in the name of the whole nation, and by +_this_ the harvest was sanctified unto them." + +Here let the question be asked--Was this sheaf called the +_first-fruits_ because it was ripe before the whole harvest? No; it was not +cut till the harvest was ripe. Was it called _first_ because the +harvest would be _second_ in following it to the temple to be +presented to God, by the priest, in the presence of the people? No; it +was not to be carried to the temple, nor would the priest or the +people ever see the whole harvest thus dedicated to God. But it was +called "the _first_ of the ripe fruits," because it was offered to God +in the presence of the people as an evidence of the consecration of +the whole harvest throughout the nation. It was _first_ in +distinction, or _importance_ without any allusion whatever to _first_ +in the order of time. + +So "Christ was the _chosen_ of God, the _elect precious_, and the +_Son_ consecrated forevermore." He was "the chief among ten thousand" +and proved to be the Son of God with power by a resurrection from the +dead without seeing corruption. In this condition he was presented to +the people as an evidence of the resurrection and consecration of all +mankind. In this he was _first and last_--that is, the _principal_, +the _chief, the head_, and in _this_ he never _has had_, and never +_will have a second_ in the order of time. This is no evidence +therefore that he was the first one who ever rose to an immortal +existence. We have positive proof that Moses and Elias were raised +from the dead, an in a state of conscious existence for they conversed +with our Lord in the presence of three of his disciples. They appeared +in glory, and were two as real personages on the one part, as was our +Saviour on the other. + +Acts xxvi. 23. _"That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the +first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light to the +people and to the Gentiles."_ This passage contains, perhaps, as +plausible an objection against my views as any that can be produced. +But this passage means, that Christ should be the _first_ who should +show light to the Jews and Gentiles through a resurrection from the +dead. The Greek word, here rendered "_should rise_," is _anastaseos_ +from _anastasis_. It is a _substantive_, not a _verb_. Professor +Leusden, in his Latin Testament, renders it "_ex resurrectione +mortuorum"--by a resurrection from the dead_. The verb, _to raise, is +egeiro_, and is six times applied to the raising of Christ from the +dead in 1 Cor xv. _Anistemi_ also means _to rise_ and is applied to +raising the dead to life. But neither--anistemi nor egeiro_ are used +in the verse, but _anastaseos_--Consequently it cannot _literally_ be +rendered "_should rise_," but _resurrection_. Wakefield translates it +thus--"That Christ would suffer death and would be the _first_ to +proclaim salvation to this people and the Gentiles _by a resurrection +from the dead_." This is evidently the real sense of the passage, and +I shall offer upon it no further comment. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Twenty-Four Short Sermons On The +Doctrine Of Universal Salvation, by John Bovee Dods + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWENTY-FOUR SHORT SERMONS *** + +***** This file should be named 17122.txt or 17122.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/1/2/17122/ + +Produced by Sperry J. 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