that the greatest sin that ever was committed on our guilty globe, namely, the murder of the Son of God, fhould be the occafion of the pardon of fin, even for his murderers! Are not thefe, my brethren, ftrange,

unprecedented things! can you find any thing like

them in heaven or earth? thefe are objects of grateful astonishment to all the celeftial armies through all the periods of their happy immortality.

I fhall now conclude with a few reflections and exhortations.

1. You hence fee what should principally recommend the gospel-fcheme to us; namely, that it promotes the glory of God, and gives fuch an advantageous, amiable, and majestic view of his perfections. This is the grand defign of God, and the only defign worthy of him in all his works, and particularly in making this conftitution. It was this confideration induced the bleffed Jefus to go through his painful work, and therefore on this account principally we fhould delight in this method. And this is the difpofition of all those that are conformed to God, and have the fame mind that was in Chrift Jefus. Qur own falvation fhould indeed be dear to us, but not merely because it is ours, but because it tends to bring glory to God, the great end of all things. Therefore,

2. They who have never been fenfible of the glory of God manifefted in this method of falvation, and charmed with the divine perfections difplayed therein, have not complied with it, and cannot be faved by it. None can be faved by it, that do not heartily approve of it; and none can rationally approve of it, till they fee its glory. It is the characteriftic of all true believers, that God hath fhined into their hearts, to give them the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jefus Christ. 2 Čor. iv. 6. and iii. 18. It is natural to all to defire to be faved: but they are not folicitous about the glory of God: let them be but safe, and the selfish creatures care little for any thing else. But heaven itself is recommended to a VOL. II. Ddd

pious

pious foul by the thought that it may be brought thither in a way that tends to advance his glory. Alas! if this be the cafe, how many of you are quite off from the only plan of falvation! you fee no peculiar glories in it, and it does not attract your hearts as the grand fcheme for illuftrating the divine perfections; and confequently, you have no intereft in it.

3. Hence fee the aggravated guilt of not accepting this method of falvation; it is a hoftile attempt upon the divine glory; it is the worst of facrilege; and as fuch, Jehovah refents it.

4. You may hence fee how fecure you are of falvation who are upon the gofpel-plan. Your falvation in this way is for the glory of the divine perfections. God is fo far from having any objections against it, that on the other hand, his honour is advanced by it; and therefore he will take the fame care of your falvation as he will of his own glory, which is concerned therein.

5. These things may endear the inftitution of the Lord's fupper to you as exhibiting these glories, by facred emblems, to your fenfes therefore you fhould esteem it, and reverently attend upon it.

It is true, this ordinance represents the Lord Jefus in his lowest state of abasement. But even in his loweft ftate, there appears a peculiar glory. Here I cannot deny you the pleasure of a quotation from that excellent man Mr. Mac Laurin, once my friend and correfpondent, now the companion of angels, and inhabitant of a better world. "Even the meannefs of Christ did not wholly becloud his glory: many beams fhone through the difguife. His birth was mean on earth below: but it was celebrated with hallelujahs by the heavenly hoft in the air above. He had a poor lodging; but a star lighted vifitants to it from diftant countries. Never prince had fuch vifitants, fo conducted. He had not the magnificent equipage that other kings have: but he was attended with multitudes of patients, feeking and obtain

ing healing of foul and body; that was more true greatness than if he had been attended with crowds of princes. He made the dumb that attended him to fing his praises, and the lame to leap for joy; the deaf to hear his wonders, and the blind to fee his glory. He had no guard of foldiers, nor magnificent retinue of fervants: but, as the centurion that had both acknowledged, health and ficknefs, life and death, took orders from him: even the winds and ftorms, which no earthly power could controul, obey him; and death and the grave durft not refuse to deliver up their prey when he demanded it. He did not walk upon tapeftry; but when he walked on the fea, the waters fupported him. All parts of the creation, except finful man, honoured him as their Creator. He had no treafure; but when he had occafion for money, the fea fent it to him in the mouth of a fifh. He had no barns nor corn-fields; but when he inclined to make a feast, a few loaves covered a fufficient table for many thoufands. Nor was his glory wholly clouded at his death: He had not indeed that phantaftic equipage of forrow that other great perfons have on fuch occafions, but the frame of nature folemnized the death of its Author: heaven and earth were mourners, the fun was clad in black, and, if the inhabitants of the earth were unmoved, the earth trembled under the awful load. There were few to pay the Jewish compliment of rending their garments; but the rocks were not fo infenfible; they rent their bowels. He had not a grave of his own, but other mens graves opened to him. Death and the grave might be proud of such a tenant in their territories; but he came there, not as a fubject, but as an Invader, a Conqueror: it was then the king of terrors loft his fting, and on the third day the Prince of Life triumphed over him, fpoiling death and the grave."-Thefe are the things, my brethren, this ordinance was defigned to commemorate and certainly these are full of glory.

6. These

6. These things may furnish you with proper materials for meditation this day. Fix your thoughts upon the glories of God difplayed in a crucified Jefus, take a furvey of the fcheme of falvation through his blood, as bringing not only falvation to you, but honour to him; and wonder, love, and adore.

Finally, Let us all fall in with this glorious method of falvation; and join with God and Chrift, and the whole creation, in glorifying God in this way; and in this way, and none elfe, we fhall find falvation for ourselves.

SERMON XXXVIII.

RELIGION THE HIGHEST WISDOM, AND SIN THE GREATEST MADNESS AND FOLLY.

PSALM iii. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wifdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.*

W

ISDOM is a character fo honourable and ornamental to a reasonable being, that those who beft knew the dignity of their own nature, have had no higher ambition than to be esteemed and called lovers of it. Hence the original of the name Philofopher, which fignifies no more than a lover of wifdom. On the other hand, there is hardly any character deemed more reproachful, or that is more refented, than that of a fool. Men are often as jealous of the reputation of their understandings as of their morals, and think it as great a reproach to be without fenfe as without goodness.

*Job xxviii. 28. Prov. i. 7. and ix. 10.

There

+ Philofophos, quafi philos fophias a lover of wisdom. This name Pythagoras accepted, when he thought that of Sophos, a wife man, was too oftentatious and arrogant for him.

There is a prodigious diverfity in the intellectual capacities of mankind, and their fouls differ as much as their bodies; but whether it be owing to the intrinfic difference of their fouls, or to the different formation of their bodies, is not my prefent purpose to determine. Some, that share in human nature, give very little discoveries of reafon above the most fagacious forts of brutes. The generality are endowed with common sense, which, though it has nothing brilliant and pompous in it, and does not qualify them for high improvements in science, or making a figure in the learned world, yet it is fufficient for all the purposes of life, and the neceflities of a human creature. There are a few alfo who seem raised beyond their fpecies, and perhaps approach near to the lower ranks of angels by a fuperior genius. Thefe have been the first inventors and improvers of useful arts and sciences; which others of inferior understanding, are able to put in practice for their own purposes, though they had not fagacity at firft to discover them.

This little world of ours is an improved spot in the creation. How vaftly different an appearance does it now make from its original ftate of pure nature, when it emerged out of chaos, uncultivated by art! What numerous arts and trades have been found out to furnish life with neceffaries and comforts! How deeply have fome penetrated into the world of knowledge! They have traced the fecret workings of nature; they have even brought intelligence from the worlds above us, and difcovered the courfes and revolutions of the planets.

When you see these discoveries, you would conclude mankind to be a wife race of creatures; and indeed in fuch things as these they discover no inconfiderable abilities. Almost every man in his province can manage his affairs with fome judgment. Some can manage a farm; others are dexterous in mechanics; others have a turn for mercantile affairs; others can unfold the mysteries of nature, and carry