2 Chron.

is the conftant notion, when it is applied SERM. to God, that there is no iniquity with the I. LORD, nor respect of perfons, nor taking of gifts. I shall only add, that thus it is evi- xix. 7. dently used in the Text. The great God is confidered only in his judicial character, as the whole paffage taken together plainly fhews: For thus it ftands connected,--The revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds---indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man that doth evil---but glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good; to the Jew firft, and also to the Gentile: For there is no refpect of perfons with God. And now, having taken fo large a compass in explaining the propofition itself;

I proceed, in the second place, to mention briefly fome important conclufions that directly follow from it.---And, first, if it be a certain truth that God is no respecter of perfons, it neceffarily follows, that there must be fome fixed and fure way, in which all mankind may find acceptance with him; and that this has been in ages paft, is at prefent, and will be in generati

way

ons

SERM. ons to come, one and the fame with refpect I. to all nations of men, according to their 'refpective faculties, ftations, and opportunities for improvement. For if the governour of the world is abfolutely inacceffible to fome of his fubjects, while he is clement and propitious to others, or favours and rewards those who are in like circumftances upon unequal terms, how is it poffible that he should be an upright and im partial judge, when truth and equity are fo manifeftly perverted, and cannot indeed in the nature of things, upon this abfurd fuppofition, be duly and regularly adminiftered? We are forced therefore, in order to vindicate the rectitude and honour of God's judicial proceedings, to allow, that there is one invariable rule of judgment with relation to all, fuited to the difference of their conditions and characters: And this can be nothing elfe but the eternal • moral law, and their acting conformably to the light and advantageswhich they feverally enjoy ;' fo that reafon plainly directs to the fame fentiment, as St. Peter received by revelation in the cafe of Cornelius, viz. that the most convincing de monftration

monstration which can be given, that God SERM. is no respecter of perfons, is this, that, in I. every nation, be that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

AND from hence, again, it must be inferred in the second place, that, by the impartial judgment of God, none will be either rewarded or punished on the account of mere names and outward diftinctions ; that his favour cannot be confined to the enjoyment of certain natural or accidental privileges, nor his displeasure be annexed to the want of them; that neither the family from which a perfon is defcended, or the country to which he belongs, nor even his religious profeffion, are the rule of judgment; and, of confequence, that chriftians will not be accepted merely as christians, nor heathens rejected merely as heathens. For no reason can be affigned, why refpeEting the perfon of the nominal christian, and condemning the heathen confider'd only as fuch; no reafon, I fay, can be af figned why this should not be deemed as gross a corruption and violation of natural right, as accepting the rich and defpifing the poor, in judgment. Our bleffed Sa

Acts x.

35.

27.

SERM. viour therefore, that he might difcourage, I. in the most effectual manner, all fond and prefumptuous confidence in titles and profeffions, and external characters, exprefly affures us; that not every one that faith Matt. vii. unto him, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he alone that doth the will of his father who is in heaven. On the other hand, St. Paul has afferted, in the ftrongest terms, that the God of the univerfe did not leave himself without witnefs, even among the idolatrous Gentiles, i. e. not without fufficient discoveries and testimonies of his being and providence,---- of his merciful difpofition towards all mankind, and inclination to ac cept and reward their religious and virtuActs xiv. ous fervices; in that he did good, and gave rain from heaven and fruitful feafons, filling their hearts with joy and gladness. And the fame Apostle declares himself more fully to this purpofe in his eloquent speech to the Athenians, in which this is the fum of his doctrine; that the goodness of the Deity, which is fo gloriously display'd in his creation and providential care of the whole human race without exception, had

17.

1.

a direct tendency, and was indeed actual-SERM. ly defign'd, to lead the Gentile world to worship and obey him, that they might render themselves fit objects of his

appro

bation. His words are as follows: That Acts xvii.

God hath made of one blood all nations of 26, 27. men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and bath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should feek the Lord, if happily they might feel after him and find him. It appears then upon the whole, that the tender mercies of God, not only as Creator and Preferver, but as Ruler and Judge, are unlimited, and extend to all his works.

LET me add to this, that it neceffarily follows, from the principle laid down in the text, viz. That there is no respect of perfons with God, that thofe will be most highly esteemed and honoured by him, who most faithfully cultivate their rational powers, and make the greatest advances in moral rectitude and useful virtue. And this is likewise agreeable to Christ's own parable of the talents, in which there is a moft judicious and noble defcrip

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