befides reproaches, stripes, imprisonment, tortures, and death. If their dearest friends, and those who are connected with them by the nearest ties of relation, submit to the teftimony of God, and yield themfelves to the appointed Saviour, they are treated as apoftates from the general opinion. This defection from the common cause, is often fufficient to cancel the ftrongest obligations, to diffolve the clofeft intimacy, to raise a perfon foes in his own houfhold, and to excite envy, hatred, and malice, in those who once profeffed esteem and love. Can the spirit of rebellion rise higher, than when they who have insulted the authority, defied the power, and refifted the government and will of the great God, proceed at length to trample upon his tenders of reconciliation, and to affront him in that concern, which of all others, is deareft to him, the glory of his grace in the perfon of his Son? Yet this is no exaggerated reprefentation. Such is the difpofition of the heart of man towards God. Such were fome of us. fuch, I fear, fome of us are to this hour. I do not say that this enmity of the carnal mind, acts, in every perfon who is not subject

And

fubject to the grace of God, with equal rage and violence. In a land of light, liberty, and civilization, like ours, a variety of circumftances may concur, to fet bounds to its exercife; education, a natural gentleness of temper, and even intereft, may keep it within limits of decorum, especially towards fome individuals; but I affirm, or rather the fcripture declares, that enmity against God, a difaffection to his gospel, no lefs than to his law, and a dislike to those who profefs and obey the truth, are principles deeply rooted in our nature, as fallen : and however they may feem dormant in fome perfons, for a feafon, would operate vigorously, if circumstances were so to alter, as to afford a fair occafion. For, as of old, he that was born after the flesh, perfecuted him that was born after the Spirit *, even so it is now. And it is ftill as true, as in the apostle's days, that all who will live godly in Christ Jefus, fhall, in one degree or form or other, fuffer perfecution, from those who

will not.

Thus men are characterized in the word of God. Rebels and enemies, having a neck +2 Tim. iii. 12.

* Gal, iv. 29.

of

of iron, to denote their obstinacy; a brow of brafs, to exprefs their infolence and prefumption; and a heart of flone †, infenfible to the foftest methods of perfuafion; incapable of receiving tender, kind, and generous impreffions, though they are wooed and befought by the confideration of the mercies of God, of the dying agonies of MESSIAH; unless that mighty power be difplayed in their favour, which brought forth streams of water from the rock in the wilderness.

MESSIAH died, arose, and ascended on high, that he might receive gifts for rebels of this fpirit and difpofition. The one grand gift I shall specify, is, indeed, comprehenfive of every other good. The gift of the Holy Spirit. He said to his forrowing difciples, It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. Soon after his afcenfion, this promife was fulfilled. The difciples were filled with the Holy Spirit §, and the people who had flain the Lord, were pricked to the heart, repented of their fin,

*Ifa. xlviii. 4. + Ezek. xxxvi. 26. ↑ John xvi. 7. § Acts ii. 4, 37.

received

received faith in him whom they had pierced, and experienced joy and peace in believing.

That the gospel is preached upon earth, by a fucceffion of minifters, called and furnished for that fervice; and that the gospel, when preached, is not rejected by all, as it is by many, is wholly to be afcribed to the agency of the Holy Spirit, whofe office and covenant engagement it is, to convince the world of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment*, and to glorify MESSIAH. He opens the eyes of the understanding, fubdues the stubborn will, foftens, or rather removes, the heart of ftone, and gives a feeling tender heart, a heart of flesh. Then the rebels Then they obtain faith, repentance, remiffion, a full and free falvation, and all the gifts which MESSIAH has received for them.

relent and fue for mercy.

IV. His ultimate defign, in favour of rebellious men, the great final caufe of his mediation, and particularly of his bestowing on them the gift of the Holy Spirit, is, that the Lord God may dwell among them. Man was created in the image of God, who formed him for himself. But he finned, and * John xvi. 9, 11.

was

was forfaken. God withdrew his light and love from him, and man funk into darkness and mifery. Sin and Satan took poffeffion of the heart, which was originally defigned to be the temple of the living God. But the Lord had a merciful purpose, to return in a way worthy of his perfections. Without him, the fouls of men, and the whole human race, as to their proper happiness, are like what the earth would be without the fun, dark, cold, fruitless, and comfortlefs. But the knowledge of MESSIAH, like the fun, enlightens the world, and the heart.

When in the day of his power, by the revelation of his light and love, he destroys the dominion of fin, and difpoffeffes Satan, he reclaims his own, and takes poffeffion for himself. The heart, fprinkled with the blood of Jefus, and anointed with the holy unction, becomes a confecrated temple of the Holy Ghost. This perfuafion, though now by many, who have not renounced the name of Chriftian, deemed the effence of enthusiasm, was once thought essential to Christianity; fo that the apostle speaks of it as an obvious incontrovertible fact, with which no true Chriftian could be unacquaint

ed.