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vice is, as it has been described in the preceding discourse; then consult unbiassed reason, and say, ought not this God to be served? The commencement of the service he requires is, that you should be reconciled to him; and ought you not to be reconciled to such a Being? ought you not to approve of such an infinitely excellent character, and of the government, and laws of such a Being? In his service is included repentance of sin. And must not sin which is opposed to such a Being, which is rebellion against his government, and a transgression of his righteous laws, be wrong? And if wrong, ought we not to repent of it? Another part of this service, as we have seen, is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the pardon of our sins, and the acceptance of our persons and services. This is God's plan for saving sinners of our race; and from the perfection of his character we ought to conclude his plan to be wise, and righteous, and therefore we ought to return to him in this way. It is a plan which illustrates and glorifies his perfections, and magnifies and honors his law and therefore it is reasonable that we should practically approve of it. It is reasonable that we should believe what a God of perfect truth has revealed; and since he has been pleased to open a way of mercy, for sinners who justly deserved his eternal wrath, without an offer of mercy on any terms, it is reasonable that we should return to him through the Mediator he has provided, and revealed, relying on his merits for the pardon of our sins and the acceptance of our persons and services.

Another part of this service is supreme love to him. And if God be infinitely excellent, I appeal to the reason of every person, if he ought not to be supremely esteemed and loved. Again, his government, from the very perfection of his nature, must be wise and righteous and benevolent; and the same must be the character of his laws; and if so, his government surely ought to be cheerfully submitted to, and his laws obeyed. Thus the excellence of the divine character shows the reasonableness of this service. If God be infinitely excellent, it is unquestionably reasonable that he should be served by us; or as this service has been explained, that we should be reconciled to him, repent of our sins against him, receive and rely upon the Mediator he has appointed for our pardon and acceptance, love him supremely, and obey all his commandments; and if this is reasonable, it is equally reasonable that we should acknowledge before the world, that we do thus serve and honor him.

The reasonableness of this service will further appear, and must commend itself to the judgment and conscience of every enlightened

and unprejudiced person, if we consider the relations which God sustains to us. He is our Creator, we derived from him our being and all the powers and faculties we possess; and he made us for himself, for his own glory. He has therefore an absolute property in us; and has an unquestionable right to demand our service as he has done: and it is infinitely reasonable that we should render it. He is also our Preserver. In him we live, and move, and have our being. He sustains the being which he at first gave us; and we could no more sustain ourselves in being, than we could at first give it. For every breath we draw, we are dependent on God; and if so, I appeal to every person, if it is not reasonable that we should serve him. God is also our Benefactor. All our temporal comforts have come originally from him. Every good and perfect gift cometh down from him, the Father of lights— Second causes or means, have been instrumental in producing these good things; but God is the great first cause, without whom these means would have proved unavailing. Consider then your temporal blessings, and see how good the Lord has been to you; and while you consider your blessings, keep in mind that they have been conferred upon you by the Lord, while you were sinning against him, and provoking his displeasure. You have received blessings from the Lord, yearly, monthly, daily, and continually. You have received numerous blessings from him, in infancy, in childhood, in youth, in manhood, and in declining age. You have received many blessings at his hands, as individuals, as families, and as members of a civil community. Were your parents preserved to take care of you, in your infancy and childhood? The Lord preserved them. When you have been sick, the Lord has blessed the means, and healed your sicknesses. To the Lord you are indebted for food and raiment, and prosperity in business; and to his kind providence you owe your civil liberty, and all your other numerous temporal blessings. Do not these numerous blessings which you have received, and are continually receiving, lay you under great and indispensable obligations to serve the Lord ?

The Lord also sustains to you the relation of Redeemer. Our race had ruined themselves by sin. Mankind had universally rebelled against God, and transgressed his laws, and had thus incurred the sentence of condemnation-eternal death. They had also lost his image, and become altogether depraved, and unfit for the enjoyment of holy happiness. In this condition, when they all deserved to be forever banished from his presence, and made miserable, he was pleased in infinite mercy to

provide salvation for them. At an infinite price he opened for them a way of redemption from sin and ruin. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life." In this ruin were we, and for us was this redemption provided. To provide it, the infinite Son of God became incarnate, was made under the law, perfectly fulfilled it, and after having passed through a life of deep humiliation, privation, and sufferings, laid down his life, under agonies undescribable, an offering to make atonement for sin, and to ransom the souls of ruined sinners. My hearers, can you contemplate the love of God in Christ, and not admit that you are under infinite obligations to serve him? Can you look at the humiliation and sufferings of Christ to open a way of salvation for you, and yet withhold your hearts from him? yet refuse practically to take up the resolution in the text, "As for me I will serve the Lord?" Surely that heart must be hard indeed, that can thus refuse. I appeal to every individual in this assembly, is it not reasonable,—and infinitely reasonable, that you should be grateful to him who has done so much for you? and that you should give your hearts to him, who gave his heart's blood for you, and to whose love, and sufferings you are entirely indebted, that you are now out of hell, and are prisoners of hope, and enjoy the bounties of God's providence? In view of what Christ has done and suffered to purchase salvation, I appeal to every person, if it is not a reasonable and indispensable duty to take up and execute the resolution of the text, "As for me, I will serve the Lord"

This salvation, thus expensively provided, God has, in distinguishing mercy, revealed and offered to you. And herein he has highly distinguished you above far the greater part of our world, who are left in Pagan darkness. He has given you his revealed word, a preached gospel, Sabbaths, and sanctuaries, and numerous means of grace. And in regard to means and privileges, the Lord has exalted you, not only above the heathen, but also above the greater part of Christendom. Surely, my hearers, the great and distinguishing goodness of God to you, in a spiritual respect, imposes great, and indispensable, and peculiar obligations on you, to serve him. The service of God is a reasonable service. He is infinitely excellent, and therefore worthy of your service; and he is your Creator, preserver, benefactor, and redeemer ; and therefore you are under immeasurable obligations to serve him. Let the reasonableness of the duty then operate upon every one of you and influence you to make and execute the resolution in the text-" As for me, I will serve the Lord."

2. Another argument I would present to enforce the duty is-this service is honorable. I know a different opinion has extensively prevailed in the world, and at this day prevails in the minds of many. Many feel that it would be degrading to them to become the humble servants of God; and especially to acknowledge him before the world. They are ashamed of the cross of Christ. But such are ashamed of what would really be their highest honor, and their greatest glory. Permit me to reason on this point a little. Is it not really honorable to do what is right, and dishonorable to do that which is wrong? Every rational being who feels right must answer in the affirmative. And if any answer otherwise, it must be because their hearts are depraved, and their minds perverted, and they themselves morally degraded. To decide the real course of honor then, we must decide the course of right. And is it not right to serve the Lord? This must be settled, by what has already been said, on the reasonableness of the duty. And if it is right, it is honorable, and the contrary is really dishonorable and degrading.

Further, is it not considered honorable among men to be connected with the great ones of the earth? to be placed in high offices, to possess riches, and to be heir to large estates, and have the fair prospect of increasing wealth and power? Now the servant of God, is at the same time a child of the King of kings; he is constituted by his heavenly Father a king and priest. He is rich, for he has now such a property in every thing as is best calculated to promote his happiness. "All things" says the apostle addressing Christians-"all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours." And they are heirs, and have a sure title to an inheritance, and to honors, far superior to any which this world can give. Surely it is highly honorable, and really the highest glory we can attain to in this world, to be a servant of God. And such has it been esteemed by some of the greatest men, as to intellect, knowledge, wealth, power and influence, in the several ages and countries in which they lived.

to come.

3. Another reason I would offer to enforce the duty is, this service is profitable. It is profitable in this world, in death, and in the world In keeping the commandments of the Lord, there is great reward. There is more happiness to be found in this world in serving God, than in neglecting his service. This is the testimony of God in his word; where we read-" wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness; and all her paths are peace," and, "godliness is profitable unto

all things; having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." And this testimony of the word of God is confirmed by Christian experience. Every real servant of God will testify that there is more happiness to be found in the service of the Lord, than in the service of sin. And their testimony ought to have weight; for they have tried both; and are best qualified from experience to form a correct judgment.

They who serve the Lord have their sins all pardoned, they are delivered from condemnation, God is reconciled to them, and is their friend and Father. They are entitled to peace of mind-a peace which Jesus gives, and which the world can neither give nor take away; to joy in the Holy Ghost; to hope of glory; to an interest in the numerous and exceedingly great and precious promises of the word of God; to delight in the divine ordinances; to support under afflictions; and to communion with God. These blessings all the servants of God, in a greater or less degree, experience in this world; and they afford present happiness altogether superior to what the things of the world can give.

And when we come to die, which will be most profitable then,religion, or the world and sin? There can be no hesitation as to the answer. Religion has supported and comforted multitudes on the bed of death, and made them tranquil and even joyful; while multitudes destitute of it have then been filled with sorrow and remorse, and have died with dreadful forebodings of the future. Multitudes have deeply regretted when they came to die, that they had neglected the service of God; but the world is challenged to produce an instance where a person when he came to die, regretted that he had chosen the service of the Lord, or that he chose it too early. Brethren, we must all die, and it is a solemn business to die; and we shall then especially need something to support and comfort us; and this event is at farthest, near; and it may be very near. Is it not wise then, heartily to engage in the service of God, that you may have the supports and comforts of religion in the solemn hour of death, to which you must all soon come?

But there is also another state of existence-there is another world to which we are all bound, and where we shall all shortly be; and our condition there will be happy or miserable, according as we have here served God, or served him not. They who truly serve God here, shall They shall be admitted into heaven.

there receive a glorious reward.

There they shall be in perfect holliness and hapiness; receive a king

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