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implies no delight in the afflictions themselves, but a delight and confidence in God, though his chastenings are not joyous but grievous. The rod is submitted to, on account of the hand which holds it: "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." This is a very dif. ferent thing from submitting to fate; or submitting to an event, merely because we can not help it. The believer well knows, that when clouds and darkness are round about Jehovah, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. This prepares the way for him to yield an acquiescence to the divine will, which is both intelligent and cordial.

3. Genuine submission is unconditional. He who is the subject of it, does not approach his Maker with conditions for him to consent to. He does not say, if some particular attributes, which the scriptures have claimed for Jehovah, can be expunged from the list, or some objectionable articles from the doctrines, or some unpleasant injunctions from the precepts, or if some alteration can be made in the way of acceptance, or some change in the system of providence, then I will submit. Nor does he say, I will submit to God, provided I can be sure that he will save me from punishment. He submits without proposing all or any of these conditions. He can not wait to know whether these conditions will be complied with, but hastens to fall at the feet of his injured Sovereign, to acknowledge his right to reign over him, and to reign over all.

Perhaps it will be said, conditions on the part of the divine govern ment are proposed to the sinner, and therefore when he submits to God, he can not but do it in view of them; and since pardon is one of these conditions, he can not submit without knowing it will result in pardon. I know there is a promise of pardon to such as cease from their hos tility and become reconciled to God: but it is not proposed as a compromise with a rebel, nor is it designed to render the Supreme Ruler an object worthy of his fealty. Christ suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God. The peace which the ministry of reconciliation is designed to negotiate, is briefly this: "That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." This supposes that God, just as he is, and always has been, is worthy of our love and loyal obedience. God does not become reconciled to us as rebels against his government; nor does he consent to relinquish his claims, or any part of them, on condition that we will give up our rebellion and return to allegiance. In settling a permanent peace, a peace which will be ratified in the court of heaven, we must renounce our rebellion as most unreasonable and impious, and become reconciled to God as holy, just, and true; as the Author of that law which requires perfect holiness, and which forbids all sin, even in the affections of the heart, under the penalty of eternal death; and as the Avenger of his broken law, who declares himself under no obligation to remit this penalty in a single instance; and who will actually execute it on a great multitude of his revolted subjects.

Were it a possible thing that the government of the universe should now be made elective, they who have a heart to submit to God, would place the crown on His head, and choose to be forever under His dominion. Their feelings are widely different from those of rebels, .

who, being driven to straits, agree to make a surrender of themselves to their sovereign, on condition of an amnesty; but who are determined, if they can not obtain conditions thus favorable, to do their best in maintaining their independence. There is no such condition in the surrender of him whose rebellious will is subdued. He becomes unfeignedly reconciled to God, whether the receiving of a pardon shall be the consequence or not.

But it will be said, the sinner has previous assurance given him, that the moment he submits to God he shall be pardoned; therefore in submitting he can not overlook this condition. Is it not, however, a

plain case, in which the moral sense of all will agree, that if we submit only for the sake of obtaining pardon, it is no real reconciliation to God? Nor do I think an unconditional submission is rendered impossible by the promises which are held out to those who exercise it. By means of the promises, we learn that God will not impute the trespas. ses of such as become reconciled. Yet so long as any one remains unreconciled, he can never know that his trespasses will not be imputed to him. But even while he is in this state, he may imagine his sins are forgiven, and on this very account feel as if he had become reconciled. And is not this the place where many have been deceived to their everlasting ruin? In their distress they desire comfort; and to obtain it, they appropriate to themselves some divine promise, while rebellion has full possession of their heart; and in view of this promise, which they suppose secures their salvation, they consent to submit themselves to divine authority. But is not a hope of forgiveness thus acquired both presumptuous and unwarrantable? There is no prom.

ise which any man can lay claim to, as his own, until he shall have laid down the weapons of his rebellion. It is therefore while he views himself as a condemned, unpardoned rebel, that he surrenders and be. comes reconciled to his offended sovereign. Nor is there any consistent way for assurance to be given him, that he, in distinction from the rest of the rebel army, has received pardon, until he shall perceive that the spirit of reconciliation and loyalty has taken possession of his heart. The submission on his part is therefore as completely unconditional, as if no promise had ever been made to sinners of this character. The prayer of the publican, God be merciful to me a sinner, (which is a prayer that is certainly proper to be made by every man,) represents humbled rebels, deeply convinced of their destitute condition, casting themselves on the mere mercy of God. All those who by the ener gies of the Holy Ghost have the law applied to their conscience, and their sins thereby disclosed to their view, are ready to say, "God is right, and we are wrong."-It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Submission is a very important branch of Christian experience. It is by no means limited to that first act of reconciliation which brings back a rebel to his allegiance. Its influence will be needed every subsequent day of his life, to preserve him from breaking the treaty of peace which has been concluded, and to prevent his renewing hostilities against the divine government.

Submission comprehends in it all that giving up of our concerns into the hands of God, and patient endurance of his chastenings, which the

precepts of his word, and the events of his providence, are so continually urging upon us. It supposes our will to be submitted to the will of God. We may have strong desires to obtain a good, or avoid an evil, which it may not be the will of God that we should obtain or avoid; and yet not be chargeable with insubmission, provided we are content that his will should prevail. "Not as I will, but as thou

wilt."

It is a question, which has been much agitated, whether submission to God implies a willingness to endure future punishment. On this point I would first remark; that the most unconditional submission can not imply such an indifference as leaves us no choice. The perfect submission of the Savior did not render him indifferent to pain; nor did it do anything to confound the distinction which exists between natural good and evil; happiness still appeared in itself altogether more desirable than its opposite. We may therefore be assured that no such submission is required of us, as will imply that we have no choice between eternal life and eternal death. Nor is it pretended by those who advocate this doctrine, in the most unlimited extent, that any submission, which we are required to exercise in regard to future punishment, will release us from obligation to repent of our sins and embrace the offers of salvation: or from striving, even to an agony, provided we strive lawfully, to enter in at the strait gate. Luke xiii. 24.

But it will be said, The scriptures require us to be willing to be saved-not to be damned. It is true they require us to be willing to be saved, but it is with such a salvation as supposes our damnation would be just. It is a salvation, the glory of which we can not see, without we can also see the glory of vindictive wrath. There is then no want of agreement between our submitting to punishing justice, and at the same time hoping in pardoning mercy. In the light of the glorious gospel, it is seen that a sin-punishing and a sin-pardoning God is the same character. Were we to teach sinners, that they ought to hope in his mercy, but not submit to his justice, we should greatly expose them to a false peace; and to flatter themselves that they have become reconciled to God, merely because they are willing to be exempted from that strange punishment which is threatened to the workers of iniquity. But fallen spirits may exercise such a submission as this; for we hear one of them praying, "I beseech thee torment me not." Luke viii. 28.

There are some who say, It is not consistent that we should be required to exercise submission in view of future punishment, since it would, in effect, require a willingness to be forever in a state of enmity against God. Here let it be remembered, that the thing to which we are required to submit, is punishment; that is, in case it should please the Most High to execute upon us the penalty we have incurred. If it be necessary to connect sinfulness of character with the subjects of punishment, our submission to the will of God in the inflic tion of punishment, does not imply complacency in sin; but rather in God as the punisher of it. To yield submission to God, in view of our own punishment, no more implies a delight in sin, than to yield it in view of the punishment of our fellow men. It is made perfectly

certain by the word of truth, that some of mankind will be punished forever, and it is made equally certain that they will forever be pos sessed of a sinful character. And are we not required to exercise submission to God in determining their character, as well as their punishment? Our submission to the divine will respecting the char acter of the reprobate, no more implies complacence in sin, than when our submission relates to the infliction of punishment. The truth is, that a benevolent heart has no delight in either their sin or their misery. It is only in the good, which the God of wisdom will bring out of these evils, that we can have any delight.

Why can not this matter be explained by recurring to a certain particular in the experience of every Christian? By consulting the scripture (which can not be broken) the Christian is well assured, that it is the wise purpose of God never to perfect his sanctification in this life. And is it not his duty to submit; and does he not actually yield submission to the will of God in this thing? And now I would ask, Does his submitting to the protraction of his life, necessarily suppose his complacence in that protraction of sin which will be its consequence? Paul desired to depart and be with Christ, where he should be freed from all sinful imperfection: and yet, in view of the edification of the church, he was contented to remain longer on the earth, where he knew he should never be wholly freed from sin. Did his submission to the will of God, in prolonging his stay in this state of imperfection, imply delight in the imperfection itself? Every one knows it did not. The more cordially the Christian is reconciled to the will of God, in so arranging things as not to complete his sancti. fication in this life, the more will he hate sin, and watch, and pray, and strive against it. When any possess that frame of heart, which prepares them to accept the punishment of their sins in the full extent, as it relates to this and the future state, they will be most careful to forsake their sins, and guard against the repetition of them. David surrendered himself up into the hands of justice, acknowledg. ing that God would be justified and clear in judging; that is, in sentencing him to receive the punishment of his sins, still he earnestly desired a clean heart and a right spirit. A desire for sanctification, and watchfulness against sin, will be in proportion to the degree of our submission; and for this reason, that submission is of a holy na. ture, and therefore the more entire it is, the more will it prepare us to resist the devil.

When

Some may think there is no room in Christian experience for submission, as it relates to future punishment, since it is known to be discordant with the plan of redemption, that one true convert should perish. The sure promises of the covenant of grace will not, however, preclude such submission from having a place in those incipient experiences, which we must have before we can possibly know that we are interested in this covenant: and have we not reason to believe there are some of the children of God, who all along entertain doubts concerning the genuineness of their religion? How, I ask, ought such persons to feel, when their fears prevail over their hopes? Ought they to go through their whole life, contending with the Almighty, be. cause they have remaining fears that they shall be the objects of his

displeasure in the world to come? Every Christian will say, No, they ought to love God, and submit to his holy will concerning their destiny, whether it be in life eternal or death eternal. It ought to be the language of each of their hearts, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."

But even a Christian who has an assurance of hope, may be the subject of this submission. He may see at particular times, that God has given him such a degree of reconciliation to his holy government that he could submit, and not charge God foolishly, were the penalty of the law to be executed upon him. Such a spirit as this appears to have been manifested by David at the time he was driven from Jeru salem by the rebellion of his unnatural son. He said to Zadok, "Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him." We may, through divine help, be able to say concerning particular evils, which we do not expect to be called to suffer, and which we do not imagine to be consistent with providential arrangements, that we could submit to them, if they were to be laid upon us. Christians who shall live in the millenium, may be able to see that their love to Christ is such, that they could burn at the stake rather than deny him.

The sentiment which I am now wishing to impress, has a striking illustration in the history of that pious monarch, to whom I just now referred. When his son Absalom was dead, and it was too late for him to die in his room, still he could know that he would willingly have done it. The case supposed was now impossible; but its supposition served to discover the intense affection of the bereaved father toward that wicked son, whose probation had closed under circumstances peculiarly aggravated. 2 Sam. xviii. 33. There is another case on sacred record, which, if we are to understand the passage according to its most natural import, is a still more striking illustration of the thing in question: I refer to the case of Paul, stated at the beginning of the ninth chapter of his epistle to the Romans; where he expresses his anxious concern for his brethren the Jews, in this emphatic manner: "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Was it not right, that he should value the salvation of the whole nation more than his own? And was it not an amiable thing in him, to exercise such a benevolent regard to them as to be willing, (had this been consistent with the nature of the covenant of grace,) to give up his own interest in the Redeemer, which he prized infinitely above all other personal good, provided this could have been the means of their salvation? If this be a correct view of the text, (and I dare not criticise and explain away the force of a declaration, introduced with such unusual solemnity, and which seems designed to display the unselfish nature and strength of Christian benevolence, as it may exist in the heart of a saint on earth,) it proves that submission to future

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