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evidences of his divine commiffion, the vifions and revelations with which he had been favoured in a very uncommon measure by his Lord. He describes himself as having been caught up into Paradife; into the third Heaven, whether in the body or out of the body he knew not; and as having heard unfpeakable words, words not to be uttered by human lips. The Saviour of the world, however, fhewed himself not unmindful that his holy apoftle was but man. According to the wisdom displayed in all the dispensations of his providence, he tempered his extraordinary mercies with fuch a portion of humiliation and fatherly chaftifement, as might guard his beloved fervant against spiritual pride, and extravagant ideas of his fu- · periority over his fellow Chriftians. There was given to St. Paul, to use his own words, a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, left he should be exalted above meafure through the abundance of the revelations. This thorn in the flesh, the precise nature of which, as being well known to the Corinthians, among whom he had refided eighteen months, it was not neceffary to particularise; evidently appears to have been fome perfonal infirmity, which St. Paul regarded as likely to impair his ability and leffen his usefulness

as a preacher of religion. In the verfe from which the text is taken, he ftiles it an infirmity. In his epiftle to the Galatians, he alludes to it in fimilar expreffions. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the firft. And my temptation which was in my flesh, ye defpifed not nor rejected. From the tenth and eleventh chapters of his fecond epiftle to the church at Corinth, we learn that the enemies of the apoftle represented him as rude in fpeech, contemptible in speech, and weak in bodily presence. Here perhaps we

obtain fome infight into the nature of the infirmity with which he was vifited. But whatever the thorn in the flesh might be, the apostle, grieved at the profpect of its interference with the efficaciousness of his ministry, with earnest and repeated fupplication befought the Lord Jefus that it might depart from him. The prayer Chrift did not fee fit to grant. The motive which prompted it he beheld with complacence. He beheld the heart of his apoftle glowing with zeal for his glory. But he knew, what the apoftle could not know, the methods by which his glory might beft be promoted. He knew that the feeblenefs of the fervant would conduce to the glory of his Lord; that the imperfection of the inftrument would magnify the strength

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of him by whom it was wielded; that the fuccessful labours of the apoftle, in the face of circumstances which might in fome degree have a tendency to excite fcorn or disgust, would prove that the faith of his converts food not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. He replied unto the petitions of St. Paul; My grace is fufficient for thee: for my frength is made perfect in weakness. "Be not afraid; be not difpirited. I the "Lord am able to complete my own work. "My grace, without which thou canft "do nothing, fhall be with thee and that grace can accomplish every thing."

In this reply of our Saviour to the request of his apoftle, we read a diftin& intimation of the nature and the importance of divine grace. The inftruction thus conveyed to St. Paul is applicable to every man. In the farther confideration therefore of the fubject, I propofe, in the prefent and in two fubfequent difcourfes, to explain the neceffity of the grace of Chrift to falvation; to prove that every man is enabled to obtain this grace; to indicate the means by which it is to be acquired; to point out the tefts and proofs by which the poffeffion of it is to be ascertained; and to evince its complete and unalterable fufficiency. Some observations will afterwards

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be feverally addreffed, to those who difregard or defpife the grace of God, and to thofe who labour to obtain and to improve it.

I. The grace of Chrift is indifpenfably neceffary to falvation.

Is a long train of argument requifite to eftablish this propofition? Contemplate the picture which the Scriptures prefent of the cor ruption of human nature; and of the confequences, in which that corruption by its own. inherent tendencies would terminate. If the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; if the heart is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked; if in us, by nature, dwelleth no good thing; if we are altogether gone out of the way, altogether become abominable, fo that by nature there is no one that feeketh after God, no one that is righteous, no not one: how is fanctification to be attained; how is deftruction to be escaped? How is the Ethiopian to change his fkin, and the leopard his fpots? How is the fervant of fin, to become the fervant of holiness? How is the foul, groaning under the chains of the prince of darkness, to be reftored to the glorious liberty of the children of God? How is the bofom which is the habitation of every impure thought, every unhallowed de

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fire, to become the temple of the Holy Ghoft? Will you answer, "By repentance; by faith "in Chrift; by perfeverance in every good "work?" Be it fo. Is repentance then, is faith, is perfeverance in good works in your own power? Confult the Scriptures on each of thefe points. The Scriptures call upon every man every where to repent. But do they affirm, do they imply, that man can repent by his own ftrength? Do they admit the poffibility of fuch a fuppofition? What then is the import of the expreffions of the prophet Jeremiah, expreffions not lefs wifely than piously interwoven into the liturgy of our church; Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord; and we shall be turned: turn thou me, O Lord; and I fhall be turned: for thou art the Lord my God (a)? What is the import of the following paffages in the writings of St. Luke and St. Paul? God bath exalted Fefus to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Ifrael. Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. In meekness inftruct those that oppose themselves ; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth (b). Is it not clear that repentance is to be fought as a gift from God; as a gift through the of Jefus Chrift? Enquire farther how the cafe (a) Jerem. xxxi. 18. Lam. v. 21. (b) Acts, v. 31. xi. 18. 2 Tim. ii. 25.

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