in God, or enjoy heaven, were there no other obstacle to his salvation. Let me therefore earnestly beseech you to reconsider the subject: let me prevail with you to search the scriptures, and to beg of God to shew you the true meaning of them; and to grant, that if these things be indeed true and needful, you may know them by your own happy experience. Again, some religious people profess to know that their sins are forgiven, and others are anxious to obtain this assurance. If then it be asked, how can any man be thus certain in this matter? I answer, by a consciousness, that "he is in Christ a new creature, that old things are passed away, " and all things are become new." When our Lord forgave the sins of the paralytick, he enabled him to carry his bed; this proved his sins forgiven, both to himself and others. And in like manner, when we know that, in consequence of having applied to Christ for salvation, we abhor all sin, love the ways of God, and delight in pious company; we have a witness in ourselves, and the testimony of God in his word, that we partake of the gift of righteousness by faith. The clearer this evidence of our new creation appears, the fuller ground of assurance we possess: we are therefore exhorted, "to give all diligence to make 66 our calling and election sure:" but, without this, all impressions and supposed revelations, declaring our sins to be pardoned, are manifest لو not to undervalue feeble beginning encouragement from them to press diligent use of the means of grace; may be rendered more evident, a "abound in hope by the power of th Let discouraged souls likewise, be their burden, grief, and terror ready to say to the Saviour, "Lord "I go? thou hast the words of et such fainting, and feeble minded to derive encouragement from the jealousies, sighs, groans, and tears the sin that dwelleth in them;" and cannot do the things that they wou are, without doubt, effects and e new creation. Finally, my brethren, if you ca assurance, that you are partakers mable benefits; shew your gratitu endeavouring to communicate the same blessings to your fellow sinners: knowing that his mercy and grace are sufficient for them also; that he makes use of reconciled enemies, as instruments in reconciling others also to himself; and that he preserves them in life especially for this most gracious purpose. SERMON VII. 1 PSALM ii. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him. W HATEVER were the immediate occasion of this psalm, it evidently contains a most remarkable prophecy concerning Christ, and the divine vengeance to be inflicted on those who opposed the establishment of his kingdom. The Jews were the peculiar objects of the threatened indignation; and they are also the witnesses of the authenticity of those scriptures, in which the prophecy is contained: for by them the old Testament has been preserved; and they now unanimously attest that the psalm before us was written at least a thousand years before Jesus of Nazareth was born. It may therefore, be useful in the first place to call your attention, to this remarkable prophecy of things already accomplished, or hastening to an - thy hand and thy counsel deterto be done." These concluding worthy of our notice: as they illus divine providence in the governld. We are apt to wonder that ould be permitted to triumph as not considering that the Lord ems to fulfil his righteous purposes; ary to their own intention, they xecutioners of his vengeance, or astening rod. Even athiests and haughtiest and most self-willed of e permitted to prosper, till they condign punishment on sinners, minal than themselves, and then ed to more tremendous vengeance, d even makes use of wicked men is designs of mercy to the church rulers and priests, with Herod, |