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SERMON XXXIV.

Eternal life the freeft gift imaginable.

Rom. vi. 23. But the gift of God is eternal life thro' Jefus Christ our Lord.

EVERY one obferves at first blufh, the oppofition between the parts of this verfe. "The wages of fin is death, but the

gift of God is eternal life thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord." lf a close attention be applied, it will eafily be perceived, that this oppofition is of a peculiar fort. Not what impaired and corrupted reafon would fuggeft, nor what its votaries can well digeft. The way of exprefling things here is not agreeable to the notions of natural men, or a blinded understanding with respect to religion. It is perfectly agreeable to the nature of things, and the ideas of religion which chriftianity exhibits. With refpect to acceptance with God and eternal life, the ideas which it gives us, form a ftrong oppofition to every thing conceived by carnal reafon. Hence is that ftrange counfel of the apofle to thofe who reject christianiry, becaufe its inftruc tions in regard to acceptance with God, are fo contrary to

thofe taught by darkened reafon. “If any man among you feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become a fool that "he may be wife." This is the most wonderful precept that can be conceived by an unenlightened mind. Therefore it is in the mouth of every infidel, that the gofpel teaches, "To "be wise you must become a fool." However ridiculed and despised by the world this advice may be, there is not a more certain truth in all the bible. He who would become religious, must renounce his fleshy wifdom, his own pride, vain conceit and wickedness, which every where is juftly tiled foolifhnefs, in order to imbibe that wifdom which comes from above, or the religion of the gofpel. Upon this principle it is faid, "The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God." It is the neceffity of this facrifice, and the difficulty for men of the world to make it, that it is declared, "Not many wife men "after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." But let us not depart from our text.

Had any one who underflood chriftianity differently from the apostle been writing upon this fubject, how widely different would the antithefis or the contraft be? The verfe would run thus, "The wages of fin is death, but the wages of virtue "and righteoufnefs is eternal life." It is hard for the pride of man to receive falvation as a free gift; they would much rather obtain it by their own imaginary virtue or fuppofed good works. Hence the world clamours against falvation by free and fovereign grace. They load it with reproaches as tending to licentioufnefs, and excluding perfonal religion and righteoufnefs. They vainly fancy there can be no other fpring of obedience to God only felf-love; fo that in their opinion, if you weaken this principle by affuring the foul of falvation by the obedience of another, you deftroy the foundations of all virtue and goodness. And this lies at the bottom of the heart of every secure finner, if God will not allow a fuitable confideration for his fervices, he will not perform any. And another

thing may be here obferved, that the finner claims a right to make both fides of the contract; he must have falvation for his fervice, and he estimates his fervice fo highly valuable, that a little of it will anfwer. Thus it is very remarkable, that they who exped heaven for their works, commonly perform the leaft.

Some will pay fuch a deference to chriftianity, as to profefs to receive the reward of eternal life through Jefus Chrift. They think his mediation is necessary, that by it their obedience now becomes fo excellent and worthy, as gives them a title to everlasting felicity. Their meaning feems to be, that by the humiliation and fufferings of the Son of God, a way is opened to obtain falvation by their own ferious endeavours, reformation and good lives. And these will grant that eternal life is fomething more than they frictly deserve, yet it would be hard and very unjust in God to exclude them from heaven, or caft them off at the last day. But I hope, my brethren, you have not in this manner learned the doctrines of Chrift. You obferve, that the apoftolic affertion is, that eternal life is folely the gift of God, wholly and independently of free grace, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.-It is evident the paffage before us leads to three enquiries.

Firit, what is meant by eternal life.

Secondly, how it is the gift of God.

Thirdly, how it is the gift of God through Jefus Chriß our Lord. As to the

First, eternal life is the counterpart of eternal death. They stand in direct oppofition to each other. As we have already explained death as ufed in the facred oracles, and have found

that eternal death intends a state of perfect mifery, fo we shall find that eternal life is defcriptive of a ftate of perfect felicity. This state confifts of two great branches.

The first is a freedom from every thing that can create uneafinefs, or give disturbance, either from within or from without. Some may be ready to imagine, that this condition is abundantly fufficient to place mankind in a ftate of complete happiness. It is true, that the removal of every thing, which produces uneafiness is a great deal. But freedom from pain, misery, distress and wretchednefs, is far from being an adequate foundation for felicity. The reafon is that all mankind are empty and infufficient creatures in their own nature. They have no inherent, independent fund of blifs and enjoyment; hence they cannot be fatisfied from themselves. God is the only felf-fufficient being, his happiness is independent and felf originate. He depends on none, either for his exiftence or felicity. The fprings or funds hereof are inherent in his nature. They are infinite and inexhauftible. But the being and happiness of all creatures is very different herefrom. They are dependent and derived. They have neither fpring nor fountain hereof in themselves; but every thing they have and are, is communicated from another. That Being, whofe goodness and excellency is from himfelf, his happiness is from himself alfo. He who is independent in fo effential a refpect as his goodness and virtue, muft furely be independent in regard to his happiness.

A mere freedom therefore from pain, mifery, uneafinefs and distress, external and internal, is no ground of positive felicity. This is the notion many entertain of the happiness of heaven. All their folicitude about falvation in their most ferious moments, is only how they may efcape hell. Could abfolute affurance be given to the moft, that they should not go to mifery, that they fhould not be tormented in unquenchable fire forever, their hearts would be at perfect reft; they have

no other conception of falvation, only to efcape everlasting burnings. Whereas this is the least part of that salvation? the gospel propofes to us, and confers upon all them who be lieve. It is the least branch of that happiness which is the defire, purfuit and hope, of real chriftians. The hope and defire of the true chriftian, is not merely the avoidance of mifery, but the attainment of blifs; not only a deliverance from natural evil, but the poffeffion of fpiritual good. It is readil granted, that to avoid hell, is a proper concern of every one; but if it be the chief concern with us, we cannot be the fubjects of the faith of God's elect. Faith directs the foul to the vifion and enjoyment of the glory of God and Jefus Christ, as the highest objects of its habitual pursuits. The foul receives this direction from a sense or taste of the excellency and sweetness of this vifion and enjoyment. We never defire to enjoy that for which we have no relih or tafte.

The fruition.

Another condition of that flate in which eternal life confilis, is the acquifition of a full and unfailing good. And this cant be none other than God himself, God in Christ. of God is the felicity of the faints. The vifion of Chrift'sglory, perfonal and mediatorial, is the perfection of the chrif tian's heaven. That apprehenfion of heaven, which is moft dear and refreshing to his foul, confifts in beholding the glory cf God in Jefus Chrift, and in a perfect correspondence of his heart and affections to every discovery of this glory. In the greatest nearness to and most intimate communion with him, and entire devotedness to him, confifts the bleffedness of a true faint. If this be the fource of the happiness of heaven-if the vifion and prefence of God be its principal enjoyment, alas how few will be faved?-How very few are, there to whone communion with God is the chief bleffing of their lives?

I proceed to enquire,

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