have a strong and satisfying persuasion: for it cannot be said, that knowledge, in the proper sense, is ever attainable with regard to this subject. And this strong persuasion, that the Bible is the word of God, may exist without any satisfactory evidence that we are his children.

Thirdly. There seems to be a plain and important reason, why most Christians should be left in some degree of uncertainty, concerning this subject. In all the earlier ages of their piety, and in all other cases in which it is not eminently vigorous, they would be prone, if they possessed high consolatory evidence, especially if they possessed full assurance, of their renovation, imperfect as they then always are, to be at ease; to settle quietly down in that imperfect state; and in this manner to come far short of those religious attainments, which, now, they actually make; and perhaps finally to fall away. As the case now is, their fears serve to quicken them no less than their hopes and by the influence of both they continue to advance in holiness to the end of life.

:

Fourthly. The fact is, unquestionably, as I have stated it; and it cannot be rationally denied to be a part of the Spiritual Providence of God.

REMARKS.

1st. From these observations we learn the necessity of performing daily, and carefully, the duty of Self-examination.

If such difficulties attend this duty; we are bound to exercise proportionally greater care, and exactness, in performing it.

2dly. We are taught to rest our hopes on the general tenour of our dispositions and conduct, and not on particular views, affections, or actions. These may be counterfeited; but to counterfeit the whole tenour of a life, seems impossible.

3dly. We perceive the necessity of inquiring, particularly, whether we increase in holiness. Evangelical holiness increases by its own nature, though irregularly. False religious affections by their nature decline at no very late periods.

4thly. We learn the necessity of searching the Scriptures, continually, for that evidence, which alone is genuine, and on which alone In the Scriptures only, is this Evidence to be zve can safely rest.

found.

5thly. How conspicuous are the Wisdom and Goodness of God in causing the backslidings, and other defects of good men, to be recorded, for the instruction and consolation of Christians in all succeeding ages. These evils, and the distresses and doubts which they occasion, attended them. Still they were truly pious. They may attend us therefore; while we may, nevertheless, be also subjects of piety.

6thly. The same wisdom and goodness are still more conspicuous The Psalms are, in the manner, in which the Psalms are written. chiefly, an account of the experimental religion of inspired men.

In this account, we find that many of them, particularly David, the principal writer, experienced all the doubts, difficulties, and sorrows, which are now suffered by good men. It is highly probable, that vast numbers of Christians have by these two means been preserved from final despondence.

7thly. The subject, in its nature, furnishes strong, though indirect Consolation to Christians. When they find doubts, and consequent distress, concerning their religious character, multiplied; they here see, that they may be thus multiplied, in perfect consistency with the fact, that they themselves are Christians; and are thus prevented from sinking into despair.

8thly. We here learn the absolute necessity of betaking ourselves to God, in daily prayer, for his unerring guidance in this difficult path of duty. If so many embarrassments attend this important employment; the assistance of the divine Spirit is plainly indispensable to our safety, and success. If this assistance be faithfully sought; we know, that it will be certainly granted.

9thly. We here discern the goodness, manifested in that indispensable and glorious promise; I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. For creatures, struggling with so many difficulties to be left at all, would be inconceivably dangerous: to be forsaken would be fatal. But the divine presence, in the midst of all these, and even much greater dangers, furnishes complete and final safety to every Child of God.

SERMON XCI.

THE LAW OF GOD.-THE LAW PERFECT.

PSALM XIX. 7.-The Law of the Lord is perfect.

IN the whole preceding series of discourses, I have examined with attention the principal DoCTRINES, contained in the Scriptures. Particularly, I have exhibited the Existence and Perfections of God, and his works of Creation and Providence ; the Character and Circumstances of Man, both before and after his apostacy; and the Impossibility of his justification by his personal obedience. I have considered, at length, the Character and Mediation of Christ, and the Nature of Evangelical Justification through his righteousness; the Character and Agency of the Holy Ghost; the Necessity and Nature of Regeneration; its Antecedents, Attendants, Consequents, and Evidences. All these, united, constitute the body of those peculiarly important Truths, to which the Scriptures have required us to render our religious Faith.

The second great division of subjects, in such a system, is formed of the Scriptural PRECEPTS, requiring of us those internal, and external, acts, commonly termed the Duty, or Duties, of mankind. We are not, however, to suppose, that Faith in the doctrines of the Scriptures is not itself a prime duty of man. The contrary has, I trust, been amply proved. Nor are we to suppose that any one of these doctrines has not, naturally, an important, practical influence on mankind. The contrary to this, also, has, it is presumed, been extensively shown. Finally; we are not to suppose, that Faith in Christ, and Repentance towards God, are duties of fallen beings, less real, less necessary, less essential, or less acceptable, than any other duties whatever. The conformity of the understanding and the heart to every doctrine of the Scriptures is, by the authority of God, made equally a duty with obedience to every precept. All that can with propriety be said of this nature is, that those, which are customarily called the doctrines of the Scriptures, are usually presented to us rather in the form of Truths which we are to believe, than of Commands which we are to obey; and that the precepts are commonly given to us in their own proper form, requiring our obedience directly.

At the same time, it is to be observed, that a conformity of our hearts, and lives, to the doctrines of the Gospel, is often expressly enjoined by the Scriptures. To repent of our sins, and to believe in Christ, are the immediate objects of the great precepts of the Gospel. It is further to be observed, that every Precept becomes,

by a slight alteration in the phraseology, a Doctrine. For example, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, is easily altered into a mere Truth, only by changing the phraseology into "It is right, or it is thy duty, to love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart." A cordial faith in this declaration is here, as with respect to every other precept, the spirit, whence is derived all genuine obedience.

Truth is commonly divided into that which is practical, and that which is speculative. But moral truth cannot, in the strict sense, be justly divided in this manner. Every moral truth is of a practical nature. Its influence, I acknowledge, is in some cases indirect; while in others it is direct. But it can never be truly denied, in any case, that its influence is really of this nature.

The observations, which I intend to make on the several subjects, included in the second great division of the system of theology, I propose to preface with a general account of the Divine The doctrine, which I mean to discuss in this account, is that, which the text expresses in the very best terms, which can be chosen; viz.

Law.

THE LAW OF JEHOVAH IS Perfect.

In proof of this truth I allege the following considerations.

1st. The Law of God is the result of his Infinite Wisdom and Goodness.

It cannot be supposed, that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, would form a rule for the government of moral beings, which did not possess such attributes, as must render it a perfect directory of their moral conduct. It may easily be believed, that God may make moral beings, of many different classes: some of superior, and some of inferior, capacities: but it cannot be imagined, that he would not require of all such beings a character, and conduct, the best, of which they were naturally capable. Inferior wisdom and goodness might be unable to devise, or uninclined to require, the best conduct and character in moral creatures; or to point out the means, by which this character could be most easily and perfectly formed, or the conduct, in which it would most advanageously operate. But none of these things are attributable to infinite Wisdom and Goodness, thus employed. They, of course, must require the best character and conduct; must point out the best means of forming it, and the best modes in which it can operate. To suppose a law, which is the result of these attributes, not to be perfect, is to suppose, either that God did not know what would be the best character in his moral creatures, or did not choose to require it of them. Both parts of this alternative are too obviously absurd to need a refutation.

Further; A law is always the expression of the will of the lawgiver; and is, of course, an expression of his own character. This is pre-eminently applicable to the Law of God. In forming it, he was under no necessity, and could have no motive, beside

what is involved in his own pleasure, to induce him to form it in any given manner. The things, which it requires, are the things which he approves, and is seen to approve; the things, in which he delights, and is seen to delight; the things, therefore, which entirely show his real character. But the things, actually required, include all, which are due from his moral creatures to Him, to each other, and to themselves; or, in other words, all their internal and external moral conduct. But it cannot be supposed, that God would exhibit his own perfect character imperfectly, in a case of this magnitude. That, in a law, expressing thus his own character, and seen to express it; a law, from which they must of necessity learn his character more certainly, than from any thing else; a law, which regulated, and required, all the moral conduct ever required of them; he should not prescribe a perfect collection of rules; a collection absolutely perfect; is a supposition, amounting to nothing less than this: that in exhibiting his character to the Intelligent Universe he would present it in a false light; and lead them by a solemn act of his own, necessarily, to consider him either as a weak, or as an immoral, being.

2dly. The Law of God is perfectly fitted to the State, and Capacity, of Intelligent Creatures.

The divine Law is wholly included in two precepts: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; and thy neighbour as thyself. These are so short, as to be necessarily included in a single very short sentence; so intelligible, as to be understood by every moral being, who is capable of comprehending the meaning of the words, God and Neighbour: so easily remembered, as to render it impossible for them to escape from our memory, unless by wanton, criminal negligence of ours: and so easily applicable to every case of moral action, as not to be mistaken, unless through indisposition to obey. At the same time, obedience to them is rendered perfectly obvious, and perfectly easy, to every mind, which is not indisposed to obey them. The very disposition itself, if sincere and entire, is either entire obedience, or the unfailing means of that external conduct, by which the obedience is, in some cases, completed. The disposition to obey, is also confined to a single af fection of the heart, easily distinguishable from all other affections: viz. Love. Love, saith St. Paul, is the fulfilling of the Law. The humblest and most ignorant moral creatures, therefore, are in this manner efficaciously preserved from mistaking their duty.

In the mean time, these two precepts, notwithstanding their brevity, are so comprehensive, as to include every possible moral action. The Archangel is not raised above their control; nor can any action of his exceed that bound which they prescribe. The Child, who has passed the verge of moral agency, is not placed beneath their regulation; and whatever virtue he may exercise is no other than a fulfilment of their requisitions. All the duties, which we immediately owe to God, to our fellow-creatures, and to