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affectionate messengers, if what they say be true? If he be really so wrathful toward mankind, would he send such loving ministers? If God were our enemy, he would send ministers of wrath and indig nation. The clergy to whom I have referred, profess to come in the name of God-and yet their object seems to be to steal the hearts of women and children from their Creator! I do not intend to im. pugn their motives. They may themselves be deceived, and think that they love the people better than the people are loved by the Almighty. If they are not thus deceived, they are guilty of the rankest hypocrisy-of which, however, I do not accuse them. I believe they are themselves deceived. When they were rocked in their cradles, the same deception prevailed around them. They were sent to colleges and theological seminaries, in which the doctrine they preach was taught. It has been carefully instilled into their minds-and they have been deceived thereby. It is a most terrible delusion. And the doctrine which gives existence to it, and sanctions it, and enables the preachers of it to steal the hearts of mankind from our Father in heaven, must of necessity be false.

In a former part of this discourse, the fact was mentioned, that David had done much for the people of Israel, while Absalom had done nothing for the advantage of his country. It is also worthy of notice, that when Absalom professed so much love for the men he deluded, and expressed so great a desire to do them justice, they did not think of inquiring whether David had ever wronged them, or whether he had ever ceased to love them. When

Absalom kissed them, they forgot every thing but
Absalom.

Now, should mankind institute the inquiry, "Who has done most for us, God or the clergy?" they would be surprised that they should ever have been so deluded as to suppose that God is their enemy. He has ever loved us. "Goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives." No one will pretend that God ever wronged himno one should suppose that God has ever ceased to love him. The sun still shines on the good and evil-the rains still descend on the just and the unjust; and to these visible objects our Saviour referred, as proofs of the Creator's universal love.

My Christian friends, the man who can preach the love of God, will never have much to say about his own. How weak, how limited, is human love, when compared with the love of our Father in heaven! He loved the world, when the world was dead in sin. And before ministers of the gospel can rightfully lay claim to the hearts of the children of men, they must prove, not by words only, but by deeds, that their love is stronger than the love of God. Let them remember, that "Christ died for the ungodly," and that in this the boundless love of heaven was commended to all mankind.

My desire is, that your hearts may never be stolen. "Son, give me thy heart." Do not love any thing so well as you love your Creator. If there is no safety in Him, there surely can be no safety in man. Well did the Apostle say, "We preach not ourselves; but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants, for Jesus' sake." O that preachers

would imitate Paul's example! O that they would say less about their own love, and more about the love of Christ! "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again."

SERMON V.

Delivered in the Callowhill street Church, Sunday evening,
November 9, 1834.

INFLUENCE OF DIVINE GRACE.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid: how shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"-ROMANS, vi. 1, 2,

It is evident from the mode of expression in the first member of our text, that the writer had allusion to something he had before said or written. His language is, "What shall we say then?" that is, if what I have stated, and attempted to prove, be granted, what inference shall we draw from such principles? It is also evident, that the Apostle, when he wrote these words, was conscious that his opposers would start an objection to his doctrine; and that he intended to propose their objection in plain terms, and meet it directly by his reply. He well knew that he had laid down principles, in the argument which precedes our text, that would induce the enemies of the religion of Jesus to say, "If that doctrine be true, we may live, and continue to live, in sin— for according to your doctrine, grace will abound let us sin as we may."

To place this subject in a proper light, we must refer to the preceding chapter, and there learn what the Apostle had said, of which his opposers would

make such a wicked use. The Apostle is there drawing, as it were, a parallel between the condition of mankind, as they stood in relation to Adam, and as they now stand in relation to Jesus Christ. And we clearly discover that the argument was designed to show, that as sin and condemnation had universally extended over the human race, as they stood in relation to the first man Adam; so grace, and justification by grace, through the righteousness of the Redeemer, was equally extensive. In the 18th verse of the 5th chapter, the Apostle brings his argument to a conclusion in these words: "Therefore,"-(alluding to what he had already proved)" Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." My friends, will you be pleased to remember these words, and when you retire to your houses, turn to your Bibles, and read this chapter carefully, noticing the 18th verse particularly. I will now ask you this question: Do you believe that any of the preachers of the present day, who profess to preach Universal Salvation-or any who have believed in that sentiment since the days of the Apostles, are able to state that doctrine in fewer words than the Apostle has stated it, in the text just recited? Never were words fuller of meaning, or more easy to be understood. Mark the language -"EVEN SO"-not half-way, but entirely-"even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Just as certainly as came the judgment upon all men unto condemnation, justification unto life came upon all men,

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