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SERMON XLV.

DIVINE SUPPORT AND PROTECTION.

ROM. viii. 31.

[What shall we fay then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us?

T

HE paffions of joy or grief, of admi

ration or gratitude, are moderate, when we are able to find words which fully defcribe their emotions. When they rife very high, language is too faint to exprefs them; and the perfon is either loft in filence, or feels fomething, which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite in others, fuch fenfations as filled his own heart, while contemplating the glories and bleffings of Ꮓ

VOL. II.

the

the gofpel. Little verbal critics, who are not animated by his fervour, are incapable of entering into the spirit of his writings. They coldly examine them by the strictness of grammatical rules, and think themselves warranted to charge him with folecisms, and improprieties of fpeech. For it must be allowed, that he fometimes departs from the ufual forms of expreffion; invents new words, or at least compounds words for his own use, and heaps one hyperbole upon another. But there is a beautiful energy in his manner, far fuperior to the frigid exactness of grammarians, though the taste of a mere grammarian, is unable to admire or relish it. When he is ftating the advantage of being with Christ, as beyond any thing that can be enjoyed in the present life, he is not content with faying, as his expreffion is rendered in our verfion, It is far better. In the Greek, another word of comparison is added, which, if our language would bear the literal tranflation, would be, Far more better, or, Much more better. And when he would describe the low opinion he had of himself, great as his attainments were in our

* Phil. i. 23.

I

view,

view, he thinks it not fufficient to style himfelf, The leaft of all faints, but less than the leaft*. Such phrases do not imply that he was ignorant of the rules of good writing, but they strongly intimate the fulness of his heart. In the course of the chapter before us, having taken a rapid furvey of the work of grace, carried on, by fucceffive steps, in the hearts of believers, till at length confummated in glory; in this verse, instead of studying for words answerable to his views, he feems to come to a full ftop, as fenfible that the strongest expreffions he could use, would be too faint. He makes an abrupt tranfition from describing, to admiring. He has faid much, but not enough. And therefore fums up all, with, What shall we say. to these things? Surely they who can read, with the utmost coolness and indifference, what he could not write, without rapture and aftonishment, do not take his words in his fenfe. If the apostle's phrafeology, is now become obfolete, and founds uncouth in the ears of too many who would be thought chriftians, is there not too much reafon to fear that they are chriftians only in name?

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Though this fhort lively queftion, is omit ted in the mufical compofition, I am not willing to leave it out. It ftands well, as a fequel to what we have lately confidered. The fting of death is taken away. Death itself is swallowed up in victory. Sinners, who were once burdened with guilt and expofed to condemnation, obtain a right to fing, Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus ChriftWhat shall we say to these things?

It ftands well likewife, as introducing the following queftion. If God be for us; if his promises, his power, his wisdom, and his love, be all engaged on our behalf, who can be against us? What shall we, or can we, or need we fay more than this? What caufe can we have for fear, or our enemies for triumph, if God be for us?

We may confider,

I. What is implied in the fuppofition? II. The meaning of the inference. I. The form of the question is hypotheti cal. If the affumption be right, that God is for us; the conclufion, that none can be effectually against us, is infallibly fure. Many ferious perfons will allow, that if God be

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