son together: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Lest these asseverations should not entirely remove every suspicion of God's willingness to pardon the most enormous offenders, upon their application to him; because he could swear by no greater, he swears by himself, "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; wherefore, turn, and live ye." And that all who should ever hear his word might believe his glorious goodness thus large, he passed before Moses, and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin."

But to prevent such divine goodness from being totally misconstrued into a presumption, that were pardon is so freely offered to the worst of men, on their return to God, there cannot be in his nature an everlasting abhorrence of evil; to prevent this fatal error, the scripture is full and peremptory in representing the "holiness" of God, that essential disposition of his all-perfect mind, which is infinitely opposite to all evil. For as his power excludes every idea of weakness in him, and his wisdom and knowledge, the possibility of mistake or ignorance, so, his holiness is opposed to all moral imperfection or sin, and is to be considered not as a single attribute only, but as the harmony of them all "the beauty of the Lord;" since nothing could be mentioned to the honour of God without holiness, separate from this, all other excellencies of the divine nature would be inglorious. His wisdom would deserve no better name than that of subtlety, nor his power than that of dreadful. Wherefore, those exalted spirits, who know best the glories of the divine nature, make heaven resound with their celebration of

this attribute, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts." Such a peculiar regard we find paid to it by the blessed God, that, in confirmation of the promises of the everlasting covenant, he saith, Önce have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. Psalm. lxxxix.

Inseparable from the holiness of God, is the continual notice he takes of the behaviour of each individual respecting himself and his law. On this part of his character, the necessity of our absolute subjection to him depends. For, was God either ignorant of what men do, or judged it insignificant, we should have no more cause to retain an awe of him upon our minds, than if we were athiests; since it is not the existence of God, but his moral government of the world, which calls for our love, esteem, trust, and obedience. To take away, therefore, all ground of suspecting the least want of attention in our Creator, to our deportment and the tempers of our heart, arising from his own glorious majesty and our meanness; to root out this pernicious opinion, which desire of sinning with impunity, leads us all to cherish, the blessed God teaches us that he takes exact cognizance of all we do, speak, think, desire, and design, determined to judge us accordingly.

His eyes behold, and his eye-lids try the children of men. The Lord is a God of knowledge; by him actions are weighed. I the Lord search the heart, I' try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jer. xvii. 10.

And lest a conclusion should be drawn from the troubles and afflictions of the righteous, that God is not a rewarder of them who diligently seek him ; or from the prosperity of the wicked, that he will not punish evil-doers, the scripture entirely removes all foundation for such a thought, by declaring that God

hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, and the people by his truth, that so every man may receive the things done in his body, whether they be good or bad.

Not that the end of time, and the day of judgment is the only period when God makes a difference between those who serve him, and those who serve him not. He represents himself, in the strongest terms, as a God continually exercising distinguishing love to his faithful people, whilst he is insupportably terrible to his enemies. Not content with giving to the former express assurances of present protection, and of salvation in the eternal world, he declares, that he maintains with them a constant intercourse of friendship, making such discoveries to them of his nature, truth, and tender love for their souls, as the ungodly will not believe is possible. That in every season of extraordinary temptation, he secretly endues their souls with much strength, and gives them power to come out of the field of battle more than conquerors. A large part of scripture is taken up in representing this matter, from whence we shall select a few passages."The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ear is open to their cry. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way; though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast. down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand : for the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever. The Lord is a light and defence: He will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that lead a godly life. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant. The Lord sitteth above the water-floods, the Lord remaineth a king for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will give his people the blessing of peace. No weapon that is form

F

ed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that riseth against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”

The substance of all these inestimable promises, made to believers in all ages, is emphatically confirmed afresh in the New Testament." If any man loveth me, saith Christ, he will keep my commandments, and I and the Father will love him, and will come unto him, and make our abode with him." The certain enjoyment of such a peculiar manifestation of God's love, St. Paul urges as a sufficient argument to engage men, for the sake of Christ, to renounce the religion of their father's house, and bid defiance to a world of idolaters in arms against them. "Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing (what is offered to idols), and I will receive you, and be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Weigh well these passages of holy writ, and you will see, in a strong light, how much the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, regards the conduct of his reasonable creatures, to whom he sends his truth; since, in every instance, without respect of persons, he is not ashamed to call himself the friend, the father, and the exceeding great reward of the faithful in Christ Jesus. He does not think it beneath his infinite majesty to engage his word and oath, that he will never leave them, nor forsake them; but will, after conducting them with safety and honour through this life, call them up into his immediate presence and glory.

On the other hand, we have demonstration, that it is essential to his nature to punish, insupportably, all enemies to his government, and despisers of his

truth, dying in their sins. Hear the revelation of the wrath from heaven against obstinate opposers of his authority; and doubt, if you can, whether he is concerned to maintain his own cause.

"The Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh rewards. If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand lay hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them. God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword. He hath bent his bow, and made it ready. Upon the ungodly he will rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a terrible tempest-this shall be their portion to drink. For the righteous Lord lovethrighteousness, his countenance will behold the thing that is just. The Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots, like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebukes with flames of fire; for by fire and his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. And they shall go forth and look upon the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

To comment on these declarations, would enfeeble them; and to suppose them figurative, in such a degree as not most emphatically to affirm God's everlasting abhorrence of sin, and his unchangeable purpose to cast into hell all who die in their sins, is to contradict them. The great end for which so many terrible representations of God's indignation are published in his word, is expressed in this sentence: "Hear ye, and give ear, for the Lord hath spoken, Be