excellent gift reserved to grace the latter daysis given to every man to profit withal, to "cause them to walk in the statutes of God, and keep his judgments, and do them."* And even the deep things of God - those hidden counsels, which, framed in the divine mind, man cannot penetrate, are, as revealed in the Gospel, calculated to produce this effect, since we are told that he hath chosen his servants before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before him in love. Every thing under the Gospel is exactly balanced, or in other words, is strictly conformed to truth. An entire reliance upon the mercy of God in the atonement made for sin, is a principle of humility, of gratitude, and of active obedience. The gracious aid of the Holy Spirit, so far from rendering useless our own endeavours, excites us powerfully to work with Him who worketh in us. A belief that all things are foreknown and foreordained in the divine counsels becomes a motive to prayer against impending evils, and exertion to avoid them. And all the attributes of the Most High, by some mysterious adjustment (if we may so speak), are made to harmonise with the other parts of this wonderful

* Ezek. xxxvi. 27,

system, to the promoting of His glory in the final happiness of his creatures.

The Gospel, then, is, in all its parts, like its divine Author, "full of grace and truth." The whole history of God's dealings with men exhibits their constant and perfect union. He creates man to be immortal and happy, but the gift is suspended upon the performance of certain conditions. "Where sin abounded grace doth much more abound," and of his own free mercy he removes the ill effects of Adam's sin, and restores that which was lost; but not without satisfaction made to offended justice in the sacrifice of his own Son: His Son is sent by the love of the Father that the world through him may be saved; yet those only who come unto him shall have life: His Spirit is given to help their infirmities; but it shall not strive with those who resist and vex him, and do despite unto the Spirit of grace: the Almighty hath "chosen" his servants "before the foundation of the world;" and hath called them by his Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; but it rests with them to "make their calling and election sure," and "lay hold on eternal life:" He of his "good pleasure gives them the kingdom," and an inheritance in the heavens; but " grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life," and he

"will render to every man according to his deeds." In one word: the Gospel, with all its precious promises, is "to the praise of the glory of his grace," and the whole work of salvation is the gift of his love; but that love shall never make void his truth and his justice: his faithfulness is established in the heavens, whether for the rewarding of his obedient servants, or for the punishment of the rebellious. Thus, according to the prophetic description of the Psalmist, "mercy and truth meet together:" thus the righteousness of God is declared in the manifestation of his grace; and he shows himself to be just while he is the justifier of sinners.

Let us, then, hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Is it not this? that he who preaches the Gospel must preach it as a dispensation of grace and truth. They are inseparably united, and each is strengthened and illustrated by the other. The truth of God is set forth in that which is a dispensation of love; and for what purpose hath the grace of God appeared which bringeth salvation, but to "teach us to live soberly, righteously, and godly ?" Let the divine love and favour, then, be the theme of our loftiest praise; let us speak of the grace, the free grace shown in our deliverance from sin and misery ; let us rejoice in ascribing all we have, all we are,

and all we hope for, to the Father of mercies. But let us press likewise upon our hearers the divine truth and justice and holiness; let us teach that in the Deity is no variableness nor inconsistency; that his everlasting purpose shall stand for ever, and he will judge every man according to his works; that all his promises, however benignant, are conditional, and all his threatenings, however severe, are suspended upon the repentance of the sinner. And if ever we touch upon those mysterious counsels which are not to be approached without awe and reverence, let us carefully inculcate that the divine decrees take nothing from man's free-will, since one part of them is that man shall be free, and possessed of will to choose, and power to work; in the words of a valuable writer*, let us be careful so to discourse of these points as "neither, on the one hand, to infringe the divine prerogative, as He is the First Cause of all things, and both the Author and Finisher of man's salvation, nor yet, on the other hand, to tie up the creature so as to undermine duty by taking away the energy of precepts, threatenings, and exhort

ations."

* South's Sermons, vol. vii. Serm. v.

SERMON XI.

THE DAY OF CHRIST'S COMING.

MAL. iii. 1. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.

MALACHI was the last of the prophets, standing as it were between the Law and the Gospel; pointing with one hand to the elder dispensation, and denouncing the corruption of its priesthood and the sins of the people; and with the other introducing the new covenant, and its divine Author in the distinguishing characters of grace and truth, of loving-kindness and of judgment. We put them in this order, as we find them placed continually by the Holy Ghost; and rejoice with thankfulness in being thus enabled to celebrate the love of God in Christ leading the way, and triumphing over justice. But in dealing faithfully with sinners, and with our own hearts, we must remember carefully that the Gospel has its terrors; great in proportion to the abundance of the mercies promised, and the salvation which it brings. And a just view of it may be obtained,

I