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ask sincerely without loving God supremely, without making a new heart, without repenting of sin, without accepting the punishment of sin, without being willing that Christ should hear or reject their cries for mercy, nor without exercising a cordial faith in the atonement of Christ as the ground of forgiveness. The lowest comprise the highest terms of salvation. It is handling the Word of God deceitfully, to hold out the seemingly alluring terms of the gospel without explaining them. And the lowest terms cannot be explained justly and scripturally, without explaining the highest terms. Christ insisted more frequently and largely upon the highest, than upon the lowest terms of salvation. He preached much upon pure, supreme, disinterested love to God; upon a pure heart; upon true humiliation, and the highest self-denial. He did not preach inconsistently, nor unintelligibly. He did not propose different and contradictory terms of salvation, when he offered salvation upon asking; upon loving God supremely; upon the lowest humiliation; or upon the most universal self-denial. Sinners would be very willing to embrace the gospel, in order to escape future and eternal misery, if it proposed conditions of salvation which were agreeable to their selfish hearts. But they perfectly hate and oppose every condition of the gospel, when duly explained and rightly understood. They had rather die, than ask for mercy penitently, submissively, and with a willingness to be denied. They had rather die, than exercise that entire self-denial which Christ requires. They had rather die, than accept the punishment of their iniquities. They had rather die, than comply with any of these conditions of salvation. But they must die, unless they do cordially comply with all these conditions of salvation. It is therefore of infinite impor tance in preaching the gospel, to state and explain the conditions of salvation fully and intelligibly, though sinners cannot bear to hear them fully and intelligibly explained. There is no difficulty in preaching the gospel so as to please all classes and denominations of sinners, if the conditions of salvation are passed by, or not explained according to pure, disinterested benevolence. Unitarians can preach the gospel so as to please sinners. Arminians can preach the gospel so as to please sinners. Methodists can preach the gospel so as to please sinners. Antinomians can preach the gospel so as to please sinners. And moderate Calvinists can preach the gospel so as to please sinners. The reason is, all these preachers either overlook or misrepresent the terms of the gospel, and expose their hearers to a fatal deception. I wish I could represent all these false modes of preaching in their true and dangerous light, that they

may be understood and avoided. Let it be remembered then, that the lowest terms of salvation comprise the highest; and that they are all essentially the same, and founded in pure, disinterested benevolence.

3. If sinners must ask for mercy in the manner that has been described, in order to embrace the gospel; then one sinner is as much opposed to the gospel as another, when clearly preached. For it is never clearly and intelligibly preached, only when the terms of salvation are properly explained. Let the condition of asking for mercy be properly explained, and one sinner is as much opposed to asking as another. Let the condition of submission be properly explained, and one sinner is as much opposed to unconditional submission as another. Let the condition of self-denial be properly explained, and one sinner is as much opposed to true self-denial as another. Let any other condition of salvation be properly explained, and one sinner will be as much opposed to it as another. The stupid, the awakened, and the convinced sinner has the same selfish heart, which is totally opposed to every benevolent condition of the gospel. Accordingly we find, that both moral and immoral sinners, both awakened and convinced sinners make precisely the same objections against all the conditions of salvation proposed in the gospel. And no means or motives can reconcile them to the gospel. They all, with one consent, make excuse, and voluntarily reject the counsel of God against themselves.

4. If it be in answer to asking sincerely for mercy that Christ shows mercy to sinners, then all who ask and receive mercy have the same views and feelings respecting Christ, and the way of salvation by him. There are no different terms of salvation, for they are all essentially comprised in asking sincerely for mercy. There are not different sorts of real Christians. They have all drunk into one spirit. They all have supreme love to God. They are all united to Christ in affection. They all love the doctrine and duties of the gospel, when clearly explained. Though some Christians complain of some of the conditions of salvation, yet they virtually approve of them, in asking for mercy in a proper manner. For properly asking for mercy implies a cordial approbation of the Bible view of disinterested benevolence, total depravity, unconditional submission, divine sovereignty, personal election, and the most perfect self-denial. It is not true, that some men may be saved without disinterested benevolence, or without unconditional submission, or without true self-denial, or without accepting the punishment of their iniquities, or without renouncing all claims to justice, or to mercy, or without being willing to be

saved through sovereign grace on Christ's account. All the conditions of the gospel must be complied with in order to salvation. And these conditions are all founded in benevolence, and not in selfishness.

5. If Christ will show mercy to all who sincerely ask for it, then all sinners under the gospel must be saved, unless they refuse to ask for mercy. The terms of salvation are proposed to them. They are invited to accept the terms, and even commanded to do it; and this places them in a situation which obliges them to ask for mercy, or to refuse to ask, and perish. Those who were invited to the gospel feast were obliged to accept the invitation, or absolutely to refuse to accept it. They did refuse; and when the king heard of it, he sent his servants to destroy them. Sinners at this day are placed in the same awful dilemma. The kingdom of heaven is brought to them, and they must freely and voluntarily enter in, or be forever excluded from it. Nothing can shut them out of the kingdom of heaven, but their obstinately refusing to ask Christ for admission, while he is waiting to be gracious. But their refusing to ask will seal their destruction. For Christ commanded his ministers to proclaim in his name all over the world, "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned."

6. If Christ will have mercy upon all who sincerely ask for it, then it is extremely criminal and cruel in any to try to prevent sinners from asking. It was very cruel and criminal in those who endeavored to dissuade poor, blind Bartimeus from crying to Christ for mercy. Had they prevented him from asking for mercy, he might have remained a poor wretched creature as long as he had lived, and exchanged a miserable life, for an infinitely more miserable eternity. Those who refuse to ask mercy for themselves, are generally more unwilling that others should ask for mercy, and desire and endeavor to prevent their asking. Those that mocked and sneered at the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, tried to prevent the awakening and conviction of those who cried for mercy. Simon the sorcerer tried to turn away Sergius Paulus from hearing and embracing the gospel. Sinners at this day, who refuse to ask for mercy themselves, wish to prevent others from asking, and use a vast many means to make them ashamed or afraid to ask. This is emphatically true of young people. They devise ways and means to guard themselves and others from reading the Bible, calling upon God, and hearing his Word; especially when they see any disposed to seek and cry for mercy. There are some, who make it their business to lead

others astray, who they fear will forsake them, and follow those who are more regular, more considerate, and more fearful of sinful and destructive courses. Such leaders in vice and immorality are like Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, and destroyed the souls of thousands. His conduct was extremely criminal and cruel. And the conduct of those who imitate his example, is of the same cruel and criminal nature and tendency, and may prove the everlasting ruin of themselves and others.

7. If Christ will show mercy to all who sincerely ask for it, then it is a great favor to have an opportunity to ask. It was an unspeakable favor to Bartimeus, that he had an opportunity to cry to Christ for mercy. His opportunity was singular and of short duration; but he improved it to his eternal benefit. It was indeed a great favor to the whole multitude who at that time followed Christ; but we have no account that any others besides Bartimeus appreciated and improved the favor. This, however, did not diminish the preciousness of the opportunity they enjoyed; but it did highly aggravate their guilt in neglecting and refusing to ask for mercy. Sinners are extremely apt to hope and expect that their opportunity for crying to Christ for mercy will long continue, so that they are not in the critical situation of Bartimeus while Christ was passing by, and never expected to return again. But it must be the best opportunity of crying for mercy, while he is actually near and passing by. He is now near and passing by on every side, and many are crying for mercy. He has repeatedly passed by us heretofore, and some have cried for mercy and found it. He may pass this way again; but no sinner knows that he shall live to see it. It may be the last opportunity that he will ever see and enjoy, to call upon Christ, whilst he is so near. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Christ is now saying to all who have neglected, or refused to call upon him for mercy, "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Are there not many here, who have neglected to call upon Christ for mercy? They have cast off fear and restrained prayer, and totally neglected pleading for mercy from day to day, and from year to year. Are there not some who have cried for mercy most ardently, but for a long time neglected it altogether? Is there not one, who is weary and heavy laden; and will such a one dare to refuse to cry for mercy ? Sinners in this place never stood in more need of mercy than at this day, while Christ is passing by, and calling upon them to come to him. 66 To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your

hearts." It may be to some, the last call they ever will hear.

Finally, let none who have sought and found mercy at the hands of Christ, neglect to follow him. The mercy of Christ constrained the grateful Bartimeus to follow him in the way. But are there not some here who have sought and found mercy, that neglect to confess and follow their gracious Redeemer? What excuse can they have? None that will bear examination.

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