clude, that God can or will forgive the sins of mankind. Whatever is best, and on the whole most proper to be done, we are warranted to conclude he will certainly do; but what this is, can never be determined by our minds. Two things place this assertion beyond debate. The one is the extent of the divine kingdom, and of all its immense and eternal concerns, which must of course demand far other measures than such as we are able to comprehend or devise; the other is, that God in fact does innumerable things, utterly contrary to all that we should expect, and wholly removed beyond the limits of our understanding. These furnish the most ample proofs that he will do innumerable other things, equally contrary to our expectation and decision; and, of course, that we cannot predetermine what he will do.

(2) Revelation apart, we know no instance in which he has forgiven, and possess no declaration that he will forgive, the sins of men.

(3) Equally destitute are we of any analogy, from which this conclusion can be rationally derived. The only ground even of hope, furnished by his providence, is the patience with which he endures, and the blessings with which he surrounds us, notwithstanding our provocations. But this conduct seems to be connected by necessity with a state of trial, and furnishes no solid argument of a future and favourable reward. The gloomy and distressing circumstances which attend our removal from this world by death, exhibit, on the contrary, awful premonitions of an unhappy allotment to us beyond the grave.

Independently of Revelation, man is left to the sentence of mere justice and rigid laws. By these he is of course condemned. He is in fact a sinner, and must therefore be pronounced guilty in the day of trial. In this situation, Reason finds and leaves him; and to this situation Infidelity conducts him again. Without the mediation of Christ, there is no escape from the sentence of the divine law; and Revelation itself furnishes no other way in which Mercy can be extended to sinning man.

According to the most comfortable scheme of Infidelity, you must go to the Judgment on the footing of your own righteousness, and be tried by our own obedience. If you have faithfully obeyed God, you will be acquitted; if not, you must be

condemned. If then justification, acceptance, and future happiness; if deliverance from wrath, and escape from ruin, are necessary to you; the mediation of Christ, and the Revelation which alone brings this mediation to your knowledge, or furnishes you with a hope of sharing in its blessings, are equally

necessary.

3. These considerations strongly enforce the guilt and danger of cruelty.

A merciful God, who esteems this attribute as the glory and consummation of his own excellence, cannot fail to detest supremely the opposite character wherever it is found. These are the two extremes of the moral nature: the former supremely lovely, the latter supremely hateful. Thus God has declared in the Scriptures, and thus mankind have also testified in all ages and nations. The awful parable of the servant, who owed ten thousand talents,' brings this subject home to the heart with the greatest force of which language is capable. His debt to his Lord, great as it was, was freely forgiven. But for his cruelty to his fellow servant, he was thrust into prison, and delivered over to the tormentors, until he should pay' the ten thousand talents which he owed. In what an affecting manner does this story exhibit the indignation of God against unkindness and oppression? How plainly does he here teach us, that this sin is pre-eminently provoking in his sight, and beyond most, if not all others, the cause of absolute rejection and endless suffering. Let every cruel, every unfeeling

man, tremble at this terrible exhibition of the views entertained by a merciful God concerning his odious and detestable character.

4. These considerations furnish the strongest inducements to the exercise of mercy.

In the great kingdom of providence, how many blessings are continually provided by the hand of God for the evil and unthankful race of Adam? In spite of all their innumerable provocations; in spite of their impiety, idolatry, lewdness, falsehood, oppressions, wars, and devastations; notwithstanding this great world has been from the beginning a temple of idols, a house of pollution, and a field of blood; the sun continually arises, the rain descends, the fields blossom, the harvests ripen, the seasons are fruitful, and the hearts of men are

filled with food and gladness. In the divine precepts the same glorious disposition reigns; and mankind are required, with infinite obligation, to imitate and assume this exalted character; to be merciful as their Father who is in heaven is merciful.' In the promises of the Gospel we are allured to this most amiable of all conduct by the reward of immortal life and glory, and hear God himself declaring, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' In the threatenings, we are deterred from the contrary conduct by the fearful denunciation of eternal woe.

In the mediation of our Redeemer we are presented with a perfect example of the nature and effects of this most lovely attribute; furnished by a life, of which this attribute was the soul and spirit; a life pure and excellent beyond all precedent, and all praise; and closed by a death full of shame and agony, voluntarily undergone from mere compassion to this perishing world, and beautified and adorned with this consummation of benevolence in its most divine form. In this we indeed behold the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, fall of grace and truth.' Here we are drawn with cords of love, that

we may run after him.

With these motives, with this example before us, can we fail to forgive men their trespasses against us,' and be kind to the evil and unthankful?' Can we fail to deal our bread to the hungry,' and to bring the poor, that are cast out, into our houses?' When we see the naked, must we not be willing to cover him :' must we not be unable to hide ourselves from our own flesh?'

When this importunate and seductive world intrudes itself into the mind, and is insidiously busy in establishing its ascendency over the heart; when wealth is riveting its chains, to fasten us in bondage; when ambition invites us to the high places of power and distinction, and promises that we shall be as gods in grandeur and glory; when pleasure informs us, that we have much goods laid up for many years,' and bids us take our ease, eat, drink, and be merry;' in a word, when temptation, sense and sin, crowd around us, and prepare us to absorb all our affections in selfish gratification; let us look to the table of Christ, and remember and behold there, what he has done for us. If we are not hardened indeed, if we are not literally dead in trespasses and sins,' we shall find it

difficult, and I hope impossible, not to go, and in some measure, do likewise. We shall, like him, love our enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;' we shall bless them that curse us, and pray for them who despitefully use us and persecute us.' Then shall we indeed be the children of our Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to arise on the evil as well as on the good. Then shall our light break forth as the morning, and our health spring forth speedily: our righteousness shall go before us, and the glory of the Lord shall be our rere-ward.'

SERMON XIII.

THE WISDOM OF GOD.

NOW UNTO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, THE ONLY WISE GOD, BE HONOUR AND GLORY, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

1 TIM. I. 17.

In this passage of Scripture, glory and honour are ascribed to God, in the character of the eternal, immortal, and invisible' Ruler of all things, and also in that of God the only wise ;' with a solemn Amen subjoined to the ascription. When God is called the only Wise,' it is not intended that there is no other wisdom beside that which is inherent in him; but that he is the source of all wisdom, and wise to such a degree as to render all other wisdom nothing in comparison with his. The Wisdom of God is, in other words, infinite; and shall now be the subject of our consideration.

The word Wisdom is applied indifferently to the character, and to the conduct of an intelligent being. As applied to the latter, it denotes the choice of good ends, and the selection and adoption of good means for the accomplishment of them. As applied to the former, it denotes that attribute which thus chooses, selects, and adopts.

Wisdom is therefore a compound attribute, being made up of the knowledge to discern, and the disposition to choose, the ends and means which I have mentioned. The Wisdom of God is formed therefore of his Omniscience and Benevolence, united in planning and accomplishing all real good, in the progress of his immense and eternal kingdom.

It will not unnaturally be supposed, that, as the Omnisci