صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

reap from it. When we fee, as at prefent, in our own age and country, what profanity and neglect of God, what contempt or desertion of his worship, prevails among many of every rank; what pride and luxury, what riot and fenfuality, what uncleanness and debauchery, what lying, fraud, and perjury; and when we obferve how one race of finners has fucceeded another in every age, and that true religion has been generally, as it is ftill, in a struggling or perfecuted ftate, we ought to be humbled for the fin of our nature, and the fhare which each of us has contributed to the general guilt. Inftead of finding fault with Providence for the permiffion of fin, we ought to be filled with a holy indignation againft ourselves and others, for the perpetration of it. We ought to admire that wisdom and power by which the King of kings fets reftraining bounds to the violence of men. Neither ought we to omit adoring his holinefs in the awful vifitations with which he fometimes overtakes and overwhelms the wicked in their wickednefs. When he fends out his fore judgments of war, famine, and peftilence; or when he looks to the earth, and it trembles, as unable to bear all the guilt that is laid upon it; when thunder, lightning, and tempeft, feem to threaten the immediate diffolution of the whole fabric; we ought to confider all these as the juft punishment of fin, and look forward with fear to that time, when he fhall render to every man according to his works, and deferved vengeance fhall not be partial, but univerfal; when it fhall not be occafional and temporary, but final, unchangeable, and eternal.

3. You may learn from what has been faid, the ftate and danger of those who are chargeable with fins of a heinous and aggravated nature. If all without exception are "under fin; if every mouth must be ftopped," &c. what fhall be the condition of those who have the fhameful preeminence of being finners of the first order, who have done more than others to provoke the Lord to anger! If thole who have lived to themselves, and not to God, fhall not be able to fland in the judgment; what fhall become of thofe who have fold themfelves to work iniquity, and whofe abominable practices are a reproach to reason, as

well as a fcandal to religion? I may even fay further, in the words of the apoftle Peter," If the righteous fcarcely "be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner ap "pear?" Pet. iv. 18. I do the rather beg your attention to this, that we always find loofe livers the warmest advocates for libertine principles. It is the drunkard, the fwearer, the impure fornicator, who are fo ready to produce in converfation their pretended arguments against the corruption of human nature. I fpeak to all fuch within hearing. What benefit will you reap by denying original corruption, when you are juftly chargeable with fo many actual tranfgreffions? If there are, or ever were, any perfons in the world without fin, furely you cannot pretend that you are fo yourselves. You are afhamed to reveal your hidden scenes to your fellow-finners, but how fhall you conceal them, from the Searcher of all hearts? If you cannot bear to be told your faults by your fellowcreatures, with what fpeechlefs confufion fhall you ftand at laft before the judgment-feat of Chrift? Let me therefore address you in the words of your Maker by the Pfalmift, Pfal. 1. 21, 22. "These things thou haft done, and I "kept filence: thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch a one as thyfelf: but I will reprove thee, and fet them in "order before thine eyes. Now confider this, ye that forget God, left I tear you in pieces, and there be none "to deliver." May it please God effectually to convince you of your fin and danger, and to lead you to his mercy, as revealed in the gospel, for your forgiveness. I conclude with the advice of the Pfalmift, Pfal. ii. 12. "Kifs "the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way, "when his wrath is kindled but a little: bleffed are all "they that put their trust in him."

66

[ocr errors]

1

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

USTICE and mercy are the perfections of the divine nature, in which we as finners have a peculiar concern. Our world is the great theatre, and the human race the great, or, fo far as we know, the only objects of their united exercife. Clear and just apprehenfions, therefore, of thofe attributes, muft lie at the foundation of all religion. It is eafy to fee, that a difcovery, both of juftice and mercy, is necessary to bring the finner to repenHe mufl fee the guilt and mifery in which he is involved, and the way by which he may certainly, and by which he can only obtain a recovery. The fame views are equally neceflary to every Chriftian, during his continuance in this imperfect ftate. They are neceffary to that self-denial which ought to be his habitual character, and to that humiliation and penitence which ought to be his frequent employment.

tance.

I muft, however, obferve, that though there are few of the attributes of God more frequently fpoken of, perhaps there are few lefs diftinctly understood. Men have either an imperfect knowledge, or weak perfuafion of the juftice of God, and thence defpife his mercy. On the other hand, they are apt to take prefumptuous views of his ge

neral mercy, and thence defpife his juftice and severity. This is not peculiar to those, who, upon the whole, are under the dominion of fin. Even the children of God themselves are ready, either to lofe their views of the majefty and holinefs of God, which fhould incline them to ferve him with reverence and godly fear; or, on the other hand, by neglecting his mercy, to fall into that state of flavifh bondage and illiberal fear, which is equally injurious to the honor of God, and hurtful to their own peace.

On thefe accounts I have chofen to infift a little on this paffage of the Pfalmift David, in which we have an uni. ted view of divine juftice and mercy; "If thou, Lord, "shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand? But "there is forgiveness with thee; that thou mayst be fear"ed." It is thought by fome, that this Pfalm was composed in that memorable period of his life, when he was plunged in the deepest guilt, by his adultery and murder in the matter of Uriah; but more commonly, that it was in the time of his perfecution, when the imminent dangers to which he was fo often expofed, brought his fins ftrongly to remembrance. Referving what is here faid of the mercy of God to another opportunity, let us now confider the view given us of his justice, in this paffage, "If thou, Lord, fhouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall "ftand?" For this purpose I fhall,

[ocr errors]

1. Endeavor to afcertain and explain the meaning of the Pfalmift's affertion.

2. Support and confirm it from fcripture and experi

ence.

3. In the laft place, I fhall make a practical improvement of what may be faid upon it.

I. Let us then, firft, endeavor to ascertain and explain the meaning of the Pfalmift's expreffion, "If thou, Lord, "fhouldit mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand?" Thefe words evidently carry in them the deepest sense of fin, a ftrong and inward conviction of the impoffibility of justifying himself before a pure and holy God, if he should deal with him as in justice he might: "If thou, Lord

« السابقةمتابعة »