HE who made all things, is GOD. To whom do we owe our obedience, but to him who gave us being? From whom must we derive happiness, but from him, who placed Man in a holy and happy State? That Man, as he came out of the forming hands of GOD, was holy, and consequently happy, the scriptures inform us. [Page 8] That the case is now, with us, far otherwise, we may see by sad experience, as well as are told in the word of GOD, The same revelation teach­es us the fatal cause of so generally calamitous a state.— By the sin of man. ‘By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.’

ON this occasion, mercy triumphed, GOD, moved with pity toward us, to the glory of his wisdom and grace, provided a way for our relief; and gave a promise of a Saviour, who should be "the seed of the woman," and being the Won­derful Person, God with us, the SON of GOD in human nature, should open to man a door of hope, the way of return to GOD and happiness.

HE was long foretold by the prophets.—At length the promised Saviour appears: But in a very different manner from what was generally expected by the Jews. They being in subjection to the Romans, and entertaining high notions of "the Messiah" promised, looked for him as a temporal Prince and Saviour, to deliver them from that bondage; little considering their need of him as a Saviour from the worst of bondage, from sin, guilt, and its dreadful consequence, eternal death. Too many, like them, would rejoice at [Page 9] the news of a Saviour and deliverer from the evils and sufferings of this life, and temporal death; but see not their need of one, to rescue them from more fatal evils—from the power of sin, and Satan, and from death eternal. But the an­gel gave him the name of JESUS, for this rea­son, "because he should save his people from their sins."

THIS mistaken notion, however, infected the nation in general. Even the chosen disciples were not free from it. As "two of them walk­ed" together on "the third day" after his cru­cifixion, and JESUS joined their company, (he being risen) "they were talking" of the me­lancholy event of his death, as it appeared to them; and they said to him, "We trusted it had been he, who should have "redeemed Israel." In the evening of the same day, when the disciples were "assembled together," he came and "stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace be unto you: But they were terrified and affrighted; and sup­posed they had seen a spirit: But he shewed them his hands and his feet,’ which were wounded on "the cross;" yet they were hardly persuaded that it was he. ‘And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake un­to you while I was yet with you, that all things [Page 10] must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, & in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me: Then opened he their under­standing that they might understand the scrip­tures: And said unto them’ (as in our text) Thus it is written, and thus it behaved CHRIST to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations; begin­ning at Jerusalem.

HERE we find CHRIST himself explaining to them and to us the whole mystery and neces­sity of his incarnation, death and resurrection; and preaching to sinners, repentance and remission of sins, in his name—that, in that very way by which the disciples were so much stumbled, and which was so contrary to human wisdom, and the general expectation of the favored people of Israel, he was to bring Salvation and Redemption to men. The very mention of which, methinks, if rightly considered, is enough to melt down the hardest heart, and to soften it to compliance; Thus it behoved CHRIST to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, with this express de­sign, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, and that so extensively, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, the [Page 11] scene of his sufferings, and to them by whom he had been so lately, so cruelly treated and mur­dered. Behold the extent and degree of his compassion! And what relief is here for the sin­ner; guilty, undone and helpless! Let the crowd of ideas of sin, guilt, ruin and the ample reme­dy provided, deeply affect us, while we proceed to consider,

I. The foundation and encouragement for re­pentance, and forgiveness of sins, from the death and resurrection of CHRIST.

II. The nature and necessity of repentance.

III. The connexion of forgiveness in the name and for the sake of CHRIST, with it.

I. Then, we are to consider the foundation and encouragement for repentance and forgiveness of sins, from the death and resurrection of CHRIST.

THE first law, the law of nature, gave no in­timation of it.—That GOD should require our obedience, he thought right and sit. The law which requires it, expresses his will, and arises from his nature: It must therefore be holy, just and good, as himself; and unchangeable, like himself—That he should punish man, if he dis­obeyed, he deemed but just: Justice, his per­fections, and good moral government required it: As in a good civil government, it is requi­site [Page 12] and necessary for the good of the whole, that transgressors be punished, according to the good laws of the State. In either case, to be sorry, does not make sufficient amends; even if the trans­gressor should really discover such a disposition.

Now, the covenant which man was placed un­der, at his creation, required, as was most sit and suitable for the holy GOD to require, a perfect obedience of him personally as the condition of life. A threatening, to deter him, was annexed to the transgression of the law, in which the promise of it was implied; a threatening adapted to his situation, as living happy in GOD's like­ness and favor; even death, implying the loss of that happy life and a sense of it, and together therewith, a sense of the displeasure of his Ma­ker, whom he offended. The threatening against disobedience was positive; as in the prohibition of ‘eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil: In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.’ As it related to an intelli­gent being, as man, and there were no intimati­ons of an escape from it, there was implied an eternal sense of loss, and consequent suffering of the anger of GOD, a sense of good, lost, and e­vil, procured, which is that death, which "is the [Page 13] wages of sin:" For who can endure this, for­ever and ever, and not be said to die eternally?

MAN disobeyed; and death was the conse­quence. It began to take place immediately. It must have followed in the full extent, if mer­cy had not interposed: We feel it in part: There is a foreboding of misery, in this world, in the awakened conscience. This is but the begin­ning of sorrows, an anticipation in part, or fore­taste of that " death," which "is the wages of sin." But yet there is no disposition of heart to repent, nor encouragement, that, repenting, he may be forgiven; till the grace of the gospel is open­ed to his view.

IN the covenant of works there was no room for repentance; no condition on which pardon might be obtained, if man sinned; nor provi­sion for any relief. What then must be the consequence? Must the whole race of men pe­rish for ever, seeing we are told that "all have sinned?" The gospel brings us good news, glad tidings of pardon for the rebellious, upon their repentance; that sinners may repent, and re­penting may be forgiven; and if forgiven, then received to the favor of their offended Creator, and be happy in him, and with him for ever. The new covenant, emphatically called the covenant of [Page 14] grace, provides for this. Nothing but free and sovereign grace could provide relief, or give any ground of hope.

THE text informs us of the way in which it is brought about, viz. by the death and resurrecti­on of JESUS CHRIST. The sinner, as he could see no room for repentance, or way to es­cape, so he could have no power or disposition of heart to repent or hope for forgiveness. Divine wisdom and grace contrived a plan, viz. by the mediation and sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST. To "deliver us from going down to the pit" of eternal death. GOD " has found a ransom:" The death of CHRIST is the ransom; and his resurrection from the dead testifies its sufficiency, and acceptableness with GOD on our behalf. This lays the foundation of encouragement to re­pent, and hope for the forgiveness of sin.

THIS was necessary. GOD did not see it fit and suitable, though his mercy is so great, to give his holy SPIRIT to work in sinners a disposi­tion to repent, and in a meer Sovereign way to pardon their sins, without a satisfaction; so great is the evil of sin, and the dishonor it casts on him and his government; as it strikes at the founda­tion of all moral obligation, and even aims to cast GOD out of his throne. His law must be [Page 15] honored, which is thereby violated, and justice satisfied.

THE covenant of redemption, which is to us the covenant of grace, provides that this be done by a surety; and that the SON of GOD be the person; that in order thereto, he take our nature and become man—be made under the law which we had broken, and be made a curse for us, by suffering the accursed death of the cross; that we might be freed from the curse. As death was the positive threatening to man, for sins so, the death of CHRIST on the cross, as our surety, secures the honor of GOD's law, truth and justice, thereby to make an atonement: As the Divine Nature was the altar on which he of­fered the sacrifice, "which sanctifies the gift;" it was of infinite value in the sight of GOD. As he is a Divine Person, GOD esteemed his death a sufficient satisfaction to his justice, as a manifestation of his righteous displeasure against sin. This he testified to all worlds, by raising him from the dead, as he foretold, on the third day: For, as he died a victim to divine justice for the sins of men, he could not otherwise have been released from the bands of the grave, than by having made full satisfaction: By which, he established this as the only way for sinners to en­tertain [Page 16] hope, as laying the foundation for the ho­norable exercise of mercy, and of bestowment of the gift of the holy SPIRIT, to work repen­tance in their hearts. In consequence of which, repentance and pardon are proclaimed to a guil­ty world.

OF this atonement, the prophets foretold, and the law of Moses testified, by the sacrifices there­in instituted; this signifying, that without ‘shed­ding of blood there is no remission. To him gave all the prophets witness’ (saith the apos­tle Peter) ‘that through his name whoso­ever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.’ The GOD of our fathers raised up JESUS, ‘whom ye slew (saith he to the Jews) and hanged on a tree. Him hath GOD ex­alted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.’ The whole design and the necessity of his death, and resurrection to ac­complish it, are expressed by CHRIST in the text, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved CHRIST to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all na­tions, beginning at Jerusalem.

[Page 17] WHICH brings us to consider,

II. The nature and necessity of Repentance.

THIS is the work of a sinner. Before man sinned, he was required to obey the law and keep all the commandments of GOD. But re­pentance was no part of his religion.—But since the fall, it is necessary; and no religion can be accepted without it. It is the proper work of a sinner: His character calls for it, and makes it ne­cessary. If there were any without sin, they would have no occasion for Repentance: ‘But now, GOD commandeth all men every where to repent.’ Sin gives cause for Repentance. It occasions sorrow of heart, when rightly view­ed, as well as brings the sorrow of suffering. When it is a ‘godly sorrow, it worketh Repen­tance, to Salvation; not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world,’ or that which is merely of a worldly nature, "worketh death."

A distinction therefore is necessary. Repen­tance implies in its nature conviction of sin—an afflictive sense and heart-aching for it. But not merely a conviction, as having done evil, and distress of mind arising therefrom: So, ‘ Judas that betrayed’ his Lord ‘repented himself, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood:—And he cast down the [Page 18] pieces of silver in the temple, and departed and went and hanged himself:’ Such was his torment and despair. But, this was not the Repentance to which there is a promise of remission of sins.

"REPENTANCE is a saving grace, and a ne­cessary mean of attaining life and Salvation," wrought by the SPIRIT of GOD in the heart; which is a further operation of the SPIRIT, be­yond conviction of sin; imparting a sense of the evil of it, as against GOD. The hearts of all persons, by nature, are hard and insensible of sin; not only as to its moral evil, but its ill desert.—The SPIRIT of GOD, whose operations are the effect of CHRIST's purchase, assisting na­tural conscience to do its office, "convinces of sin," and awakens to a concern for their safety. This may be preparatory to true repentance. So that he who has not had a real conviction of sin and guilt, and been awakened to a deep concern "what he shall do to be saved," has not repent­ed; he is yet blind and hardened.

IN true repentance there is a clearer conviction of sin—it discovers its evil nature, as against GOD; and so sets the guilt of it in a juster light; even the guilt of the least sin appears great. It appears so great an evil to sin against GOD at all, as to deserve his wrath for ever: So that he [Page 19] would be just to cast him off eternally; not only for the more open gross sins of his life, which are justly detestable in the eyes of the civilized world; but for secret sins, sins of heart, and its unlikeness and opposition to GOD, the sin of nature as well as practice, sins of omission as well as commission: For he sees that he has to deal with a heart-searching GOD, "who seeth not as man seeth."—Some particular gross act of sin, and transgression of the law of GOD, may in­deed be the leading cause or occasion of his ex­ercise of mind: But, in evangelical repentance, the sin of unbelief, and contempt of CHRIST, and his gospel—his ingratitude for and abuse of the goodness and love of GOD, in providing a Saviour, and of CHRIST, the compassionate Redeemer; and his resisting, and stifling the mo­tions of the SPIRIT of grace;—his blindness of mind, his stupidity and insensibility of the things of GOD, deeply affect his heart. The hard­ness of his heart, and the corruption of his na­ture, considered as the fountain of sin in the outward act, excite bitter groanings; and cause him to feel the propriety of and adopt the com­plaint of the apostle Paul, ‘O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the bo­dy of this death;’ this deadly body or mass of sin!

[Page 20] INDEED the true penitent is grieved and mourns that he is a sinner, and that by sin he has disho­nored GOD, and polluted his own soul; whereby he is rendered unclean and odious in the sight of a holy GOD. Being enlightened to some just views of GOD, and of his sins against him, by the SPIRIT of the LORD, ( with Job) he ‘abhors himself▪ and repents in dust and ashes Remembering and reflecting on his own evil ways, and his doings that were not good;’ ( as it was foretold of Israel becoming penitent) ‘he loathes himself, in his own sight, for his ini­quities, and for his abominations.’ Not bare­ly the shame and punishment before men, or e­ven the divine vengeance, to which he is expo­sed for his transgressions, do extort grief and sad­ness of heart; but sin in general, as sin,, ‘ap­pearing exceeding sinful,’ excites genuine unaffected mourning,, ‘as one mourneth for his only son,’ and bitterness of soul, ‘as when one is in bitterness for his first-born.’ Whereas, before this, he was ready to palliate and excuse his crimes, or plead innocence, and was disposed to set a high value on any good deeds done by him; he now confesses his sins, with shame and abhorrence of them: As the prophet Jeremiah speaks in behalf of Israel, so, true penitents may [Page 21] say, "We lie down in our shame, and our con­fusion covereth us:" as being ashamed to lift up our heads before GOD, or look up, "for we have sinned against the LORD our GOD."

CONFESSION of sin, is the part of a penitent; a duty encumbent upon him, as a mark of the penitence of his heart, and a visible renunciation of sin. When "John preached the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins," they that "were baptized of him" in token of their re­pentance, "confessed their sins." Not that there is any propriety that people should lay open their secret sins before the world: But three things may be implied, viz.. I. Confession of all our sins, that we are conscious of, to GOD.—Thus, the Psalmist professed that he did and re­ceived forgiveness, Ps. 32, 5. ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the ini­quity of my sin.’—If we attempt to hide our sins from GOD, or, if we do not confess them to him, we cannot expect a pardon from him. It is made a condition of finding mercy,, in Prov. xxiv, 13. He that covereth his sins, shall not ‘prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy.’ 2. Confession, to [Page 22] injured persons in particular, if opportunity can be had, is necessary, in token of repentance, with desire of their forgiveness—Although none but GOD can forgive sins, or discharge from guilt and punishment; yet, where an offence is com­mitted against one or more of our fellow-men, the least we can do to repair the injury, is, to ac­knowledge our fault with penitence, as we would hope for forgiveness from GOD; against whom, all sin is ultimately committed. 3. There ought to be public confession, where the offence is of a public nature; and especially against the public. A great part of the evil of sin which is of a public nature, lies in the evil example of it, to o­thers; and the hurtful, dangerous tendency of it, to the society; which makes it necessary that public testimony be borne against it: And, when any person has openly transgressed, or committed an overt-act of offence against the State, or com­munity, he ought to do all in his power to hin­der the bad tendency and prevent the pernicious effects of his crime, to the public; by confessing it; and professing his sense of the evil of it; and deep sorrow for it; which will be also to the glo­ry of GOD: As Joshua told Achan, ‘My son, give I pray thee, glory to the LORD GOD of Israel, and make confession unto him.’ i.e. [Page 23] before the people, Josh vii, 19. This would be to the glory of his justice, and in a measure secure the honor of his government.

SORROW of heart is an attendant of this grief, and mourning for sin and confession of it. As the penitent is grieved and mourns, so he is sorry from his heart for the dishonor that he has done to GOD, by his sins; and the offence given him: For this reason, especially, he is ready to say, "O that I never had committed them;" more than for any trouble brought on himself thereby.

HUMILIATION before GOD, and brokeness of heart for sin is another attendant of true repen­tance. He is brought down from all high thoughts of himself, of his own worthiness and goodness. His proud, stubborn spirit is broken; which before was "as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," and he is brought to submit to GOD's government, as just and right. He lies low, as it were at GOD's footstool, sensible of his desert of his dreadful displeasure; and that he is just in his threatenings, and would be so in his damnation; and therefore that his only hope is in his mercy. However great distress and horror of conscience the legal penitent may feel for sin, he is not humbled: He continues as proud­hearted and stubborn, as opposite to GOD in [Page 24] the temper of his mind as ever, and as unwilling to submit to the divine government—has no re­gard to his glory, but only to his own ease and safety.

THE true penitent thus humbled, casts him­self, at the feet of a Sovereign and merciful GOD, as one deserving death and damnation, having nothing to plead but free grace. In which case, the way is opened for his compliance with the gospel; the scope and design of which are to abase the pride of man, and exalt the glory of GOD: Wherein his justice is asserted, the honor of his government secured, and mercy exercised to the sinner, penitent and believing in the atonement and righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, which alone give relief and comfort. Therefore,

TRUE gospel-repentance includes an appre­bension of the mercy of GOD, in CHRIST, and faith in this great Redeemer: This necessarily belongs to its nature. While a sight of sin in its guilt and of the justice of GOD in punish­ing it, shews the need of a Saviour; of his a­tonement and righteousness, and the necessity of repentance, some view of this provision of GOD's grace is necessary ( as has already been shewn) as the encouragement to repent, as the motive and incitement to it, as the only barrier a­gainst [Page 25] despair, and foundation of the hope of forgiveness. The free mercy of GOD in pro­viding a Saviour,—the mediation of CHRIST—his perfect obedience to the Divine law, and his sufferings and death upon the cross, afford the only encouragement to a sinner to think of returning to GOD, to ask and hope for a pardon of his sins, and for favor with his offended Cre­ator, and a principal mean of softening the heart of a rebel to a compliance with the offer of mer­cy. As the law of GOD pronounces a curse in positive terms upon him that fails of fulfilling it, the sinner must have so remained under the sen­tence, & in hardened opposition against GOD, un­less softened by the emollients of grace. The tes­timony of GOD in his word, of CHRIST be­coming our surety, bearing our sins on the cross, paying our debt of suffering, and procuring a righteousness for our justification, i.e. for all that embrace him, being received by faith, is this blessed softening remedy, that draws, that wins, that gains the heart of a sinner; that otherwise would dread and shun with aversion the presence of GOD—that cause him to relent, to repent of his sins and opposition against him, and glad­ly, thankfully, and obediently to return to him, in the name of and with faith in this glori­ous [Page 26] all-sufficient Saviour, and with hope in the mercy of GOD. Which faith, implies not only an assent of the mind, to the truth of the gospel, but a consent of the heart and will, to this way of Salvation; and a cordial receiving of and trusting in this great Redeemer, his atonement and righteousness, for pardon, acceptance to the favor of GOD, grace for sanctification and con­solation, and eternal life. Thus, repentance and faith, when either is true and genuine, are insepa­rably united; and "repentance," thus connected with faith, is "unto Salvation," "and not to be repented of;" but is followed with the joy of par­don.

I WOULD briefly add, as a mark of gospel-re­pentance, that it is accompanied and followed with hatred of sin, resolution of heart against and forsaking it in practice, and turning to the LORD in new obedience. The true penitent, it appears from this view of the subject, expe­riences and essential change of mind, and change of heart. All the powers of his mind are turn­ed from their former bias; sin is imbittered, a fixed hatred of all sin arises in the heart; so that he becomes an irreconcileable enemy to it, in e­very from and degree; even when his sensible grief, sorrow and mourning for it is assuaged [Page 27] and abated, by the comforts of the holy GHOST, and sense of pardon: His hatred of sin arises from a view of its evil nature, and contrariety to GOD and his law, and continues and increa­ses in proportion to his experiences of his grace and manifestations of his love. The same view and sense of sin, will influence him to turn from it; as it is natural to fly from that which we hate: He therefore forsakes sin, & turns to the LORD; he is made willing to submit to his government, and to give up himself to him in an everlasting covenant, never to be forgotten; resigning him­self to him and his disposal, in life, and death, and to all eternity. As he before "walked contra­ry to GOD, after the imagination of his own heart," he now "walks with GOD," in faith and love, ‘with purpose of heart cleaves to the LORD,’ and ‘brings forth fruit meet for repentance; being made free from sin," as to its dominion, and become a servant to GOD, he has his fruit unto holiness, and his end e­verlasting life.’

Now, we may observe, repentance is necessa­ry in the nature of things, as it is a laying down the weapons of rebellion against GOD, and a submission to his government in CHRIST, the mediator and "king whom he hath set in Zion:" [Page 28] and as it is made the condition of the bestow­ment of pardon to the sinner, by the constitution of the gospel; as will further appear. Though it does not merit any favor from GOD, it is most fit and suitable, as a condition of pardon being granted to the offender, and his being admitted as a meet subject of his kingdom of grace, in this world, and an heir of the kingdom of glo­ry: Without which, it is impossible that he should relish the joys of heaven, or ever be ad­mitted there; for, "without holiness no man shall see the LORD." We proceed,

III. To observe the connexion of forgiveness, in the name and for the sake of CHRIST, with re­pentance.

WE have seen that there is provision made in the covenant of grace, for the repentance of sin­ners; and that he that repents should be forgi­ven: CHRIST has purchased this favor—has prepared the way for the honorable exercise of mercy to sinners, being ‘set forth of GOD to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins—that he might be just;’ just to him­self, his law and government, ‘and the justifier of him which believeth in JESUS.’

THAT GOD hath constituted a certain and [Page 29] unfailing connexion between repentance and re­mission of sins, appears from the text; when the Saviour declares, that for this end, CHRIST suf­fered, and rose from the dead the third day; that repentance, as the condition, and remission of sins, as the happy consequence, should, (or might) be preached in his name; and also, from the declara­tion of his apostles, that in consequence of his sufferings on the cross, ‘GOD hath exalted him with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Sa­viour; to give both repentance and forgive­ness of sins.’ This is the gracious condition in the covenant, which is sealed by the blood of CHRIST; that, the sinner that repents, shall freely and fully forgiven all his sins. This con­nextion is established, to encourage their return to GOD, and hope in his mercy. The directi­ons of the apostles to their awakened hearers, saying, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins;’ and again, ‘Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blot­ted out,’ plainly imply, an offer of forgive­ness, upon their repentance; and an assurance, that if they "repented," they should receive "remission of sins,"—their sins should "be blotted out." So that it appears to be the un­alterable [Page 30] decree of heaven, that, the sinner that re­pents, shall be forgiven; and, being forgiven, shall be received to the favor of his Creator, and become an heir of eternal life.

THIS mercy is granted to sinners in the name and for the sake of CHRIST, and in no other way. This is the "foundation-stone, the chief cor­ner-stone" of the foundation of the sinner's hope of pardon and life eternal. ‘Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, where­by we must be saved.’ As it was testified by the law of Moses, by the sacrifices and rites of that dispensation, that ‘without shedding of blood is no remission;’ so, ‘now, once in the end of the world, hath CHRIST appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself.’ And ‘to him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.’ The true penitent, therefore, having a believing respect to the atonement of CHRIST, receives the for­giveness of his sins in his name, and for the sake of his sufferings and death on the cross, for the sins of men. Repentance is not the meritorious cause of forgiveness, nor yet is any other quali­fication in us: But it is wholly ascribed to the [Page 31] merit of the blood or sufferings and death of the Son of GOD; which is sufficient for that purpose, for any, and for all the human race; So that whoever of "all nations," ages and condi­tions does truly repent, may be assured by the word of GOD, of the remission of his sins, in the name and for the sake of CHRIST; it be­ing accompanied with faith in him, as, it implies, not merely asking for mercy and forgiveness in his name, but receiving him, and relying on his infinite atonement. For this end he suffered, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, begin­ning at Jerusalem, the sence of his sufferings:—to the very people and persons who had been per­petrators of the horrid crime of the murder of the SON of GOD. By which is held up the idea of the infinite merit of his death, and of the riches of GOD's grace, with the freeness of par­don to the greatest offenders; as well as, that it is his will, that pardon should be first offered to a covenanted people, who have revolted from him, and that backsliders should be called to repen­tance, and be assured of forgiveness, upon their repentance; ‘though their sins be as scarlet, and though they be red like crimson,’ ever so ag­gravated and heinous; to shew them that GOD [Page 32] is mindful of his covenant, however they act unworthy of their's, and also, that GOD, in the bestowment of mercy to sinners, deals with them in the way of a covenant of grace, by which they are brought nigh to him;—repentance and re­mission of sins was to be preached in his name, among all nations, but beginning at Jerusalem. So that upon the whole it appears, that how great soever, or numerous or aggravated his sins are, that can be no bar in the way of forgiveness, to the person that repents, with faith in the di­vine mercy, through CHRIST; they cannot exceed his merits, or the mercy of GOD in him toward sinners.

THE reason why any despair, is not that their sins are too great to be forgiven, nor yet that they have a greater sense of them, or of their aggrava­tions, than the true penitent that finds mercy, but, that they reject the atonement of CHRIST, the only way to obtain mercy and forgiveness. The true penitent, is ready to think himself to be the worst of sinners, because he sees more of himself, and of his sins, than of any others; but yet he does not despair. Indeed he does despair in any other way, but one—but in the view and belief of that which GOD has provided, the a­tonement of CHRIST; which is the only foun­dation [Page 33] of his comfort and hope. The mercy of GOD, in him and his all-perfect atonement and righteousness are all his support: Take this away, and the least sin would shut him up under ever­lasting despair: But, while this foundation which GOD hath laid, remains, though he may at times, greatly doubt and fear, yet, his faith and hope will not utterly fail him. One sin, unre­pented of, is enough to damn the soul, eternally: For, though every sin may not particularly be recollected in repentance; yet, all sin, as sin, so far as it is known, the opposition of nature and practice to GOD, must be repented of. And, whoever truly repents, with apprehension of the mercy of GOD, as it is exercised in and through the mediator need never despair; let his sins be ever so great, or numerous, or aggravated; they can­not be too great to be forgiven, in this way; they cannot be more than infinite: And there­fore, cannot exceed the merit of the atonement and satisfaction of CHRIST; which is infinite: and must therefore be sufficient to cancel the guilt of all sin. Yea, it is not only sufficient for that purpose, but infinitely free for the greatest sinners; not only for some but for any for all, whosoever will with "the prodigal return to the father" of all, and penitently ask for mercy: For there [Page 34] there is "joy in heaven over one sinner that re­pents," so peculiarly is GOD pleased with it, ‘more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance,’ if any such there were; "because he delighteth in mercy."—But, enough has been said to shew the unfailing con­nexion of forgiveness, in the name and for the sake of CHRIST, with repentance.

I SHALL now endeavour to assist your improve­ment of what has been said.—And let us re­mark,

1. WHAT a wonderful plan is that revealed in the gospel, for the relief of sinners; ruined and helpless! When man, being under a righteous law of GOD, requiring his obedience, had sin­ned, brought guilt and ruin on himself and his posterity, and was shut up under a sentence of condemnation, to eternal death, without a gleam of hope; the mercy of God appeared for the re­lief of the helpless! his wisdom contrived the way; a plan, at which heaven and earth may well stand astonished!—that the SON of GOD should come down into our world, take our na­ture, "being found in fashion as a man," yea, "make himself of no reputation," but "take upon him the form of a servant"—obey the law which we had broken, and die the accursed [Page 35] and ignominious death of the cross, to satisfy divine justice, for our sins—that GOD might be just, and the justifier of the sinner that will believe in him, with repentance of sins—that the sinner might repent, and repenting, might be forgiven: a plan, wherein ‘mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have embraced each other.’—Well may the "angels" intently "look into these things!" But, how much more, should we be deeply affected with and admire the wonderful scheme of divine wisdom and grace! For, though ‘the preaching of CHRIST crucified, was, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolish­ness,’ and is so, to many, in the present age; ‘yet, unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks,’ and of whatever nation, ‘CHRIST the power of GOD and the wisdom of GOD.’

From what has been said, we may see the propriety, and necessity, that sinners be deeply concerned what will become of them— ‘what they shall do to be saved.’ A sinner, out of CHRIST, is an undone creature; &, in himself, helpless: Guilt hands heavy upon him, and sin hinders his return to GOD;—he is in the road to final, remediless ruin, and nothing but sovereign mercy can prevent it.—If any situation, that [Page 36] can be imagined on this side of eternal misery calls for concern, this does: That indeed, in those regions of despair, would be of no avail; but this may; as they are yet within the limits of mercy; it is with them a day of grace: The gospel opens to sinners a glorious door of hope; but, it is only an hope that they may become the subjects of the special grace of GOD, and ob­tain peace and reconciliation with him.—For sinners, while within the reach of mercy, to be concerned "what they shall do to be saved," may be attended with the happiest consequences: As the direction of the prophet is adapted to them, "Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prison­ers of hope". For,

3. THE only consistent and satisfactory ad­vice that can be given to such enquirers, is that given by the apostles, Peter and Paul, upon like occasions, " Repent—Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST": Peter, added, to them who were not baptized—"And be baptized every one of you in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins," which is of the same import with Paul's direction, "Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST:" For, repentance and faith must go together—they cannot be separated, if true and real: And a promise is implied, or ex­prest, [Page 37] of remission of sins and of Salvation.—And, ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered: Blessed is the man un­to whom the LORD imputeth not iniqui­ty, and in whose spirit there is no guile.’

4. To become a true penitent for sin, and so, to be entitled to the forgiveness of it, implies, a great change in the person's state and condition, both real and relative: It must come from the heart; there must be an awakening out of security, conviction of sin—a sense of the evil of it—real grief, mourning, self-loathing, with sorrow of heart for it, hatred of and resolution to forsake it, and faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST; a faith, that "purifieth the heart;" and "worketh by love:" In short, there must be a change of nature, producing, as there is opportunity, amendment of life. It is so great a change, that it is exprest by the Saviour, by be­ing "born again:" without which, he most posi­tively declares, no person "can see" or ‘enter into the kingdom of GOD.’ The relative change, is equally great, in his being pardoned, and acquitted from guilt; that ‘he shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life:’ become a favorite of GOD, and an heir of glory.

[Page 38] HENCE, we may see the necessity of the in­fluences of the SPIRIT of GOD, which are pur­chased by CHRIST, to enable a person to re­pent;—to open his eyes, to excite his concern, to give him to see the evil of sin, and an heart to repent. Some, may think, that they can re­pent at any time; and so put it off for the pre­sent: This is presumption. We may see, by melancholy observation, the fallacy of such an opinion. Nothing but the grace of GOD will enable a person to repent. A blind, secure, hard, impenitent heart, is natural to man; and, nothing but the operations of the holy SPIRIT can awaken him, and give him a sight of the e­vil of sin, and an heart to repent of it.—It be­comes sinners, to endeavour to realize their depen­dence on divine grace, to enquire of GOD, and seek him to open their eyes to see their conditi­on, and to give them an heart to repent. For,

SINCE repentance is so necessary, and re­mission of sins is so strictly connected with it, it is an instance of unwarrantable presumption, to rest without it. To entertain an expectation or hope of pardon of sin for CHRIST's sake, with­out repentance, is the height of folly, and ab­surdity; and therefore, exposes the person to the danger of perishing in his sins. It cost him [Page 39] death, & the most amazing sufferings, to prepare the way for the repentance of sinners; to take away their sins, and to procure a pardon. And can it be, that a sinner can be pardoned without repentance?—It is impossible, by the constitution of the gospel.—This would be to contradict the very design of CHRIST's sufferings, and of the whole gospel-plan.—And, without a pardon of sin, guilt would sink the soul down to the regi­ons of despair and woe: For, the righteous law of GOD must be fulfilled; its sentence must be executed. Those that have no interest in the surety, CHRIST JESUS, (by compliance with the gospel) must bear it themselves. He must be madly bent on his own ruin, that will flatter himself with the hope of an escape and safety, in any other way. There is no pardon, no favor with GOD, no heaven for the sinner, without repentance.

How great soever may be a person's fear and distress—how dreadful soever his situation, we have no warrant to declare any other way, any easier terms of pardon and peace; even, if he was expecting, in a few hours or a few minutes to appear before GOD, in the world of spirits: I repeat it, I could direct to no other way, for pardon, and peace, and life. This is honorable [Page 40] for GOD, and safe and happy for us, for the guilty creature.—Wherefore, let the view of your guilt, the sense of your danger, the neces­sity of your case, alarm the secure and careless.

FROM what has been said, we may infer, the abundant encouragement and animating motives there are, for sinners to repent, and hope for par­don, through CHRIST; from the consideration of his death and resurrection. He died for this end, even to prepare the way and, by his rising from the dead, the third day, was most fully ma­nifested GOD's acceptance of the atonement, and that the way is prepared for sinners to re­pent, and obtain remission of sins. What en­couragement—what powerful motives are suggest­ed to induce sinners to repentance, from hence! As also, from the love of GOD in the gift of his SON—from the free offer of mercy through him, and of the grace of the holy SRIRIT, the blessed effect of his purchase, the sum of all bles­sings: Every argument, every motive thereto, centers in this; the death and resurrection of CHRIST.

LET me now address myself in particular to thee; my unhappy, but favored parishioner; who so lately wast a condemned criminal, but art now pardoned and liberated.—I congratu­late [Page 41] you on your release from your sad imprison­ment, and dismal apprehensions, from a sen­tence to an untimely and ignominious death; so near to be executed. ^* You are now discharged; and restored to the liberties of a free citizen.

How happily is your condition changed! What pleasing, what greateful reflections must a­rise in your mind, on so joyful so affecting an oc­casion! Thank GOD for this mercy, in saving you from death; in whose hand our lives are! Acknowledge his over-ruling providence, in bringing about so singular & interesting an event: that, instead of an execution expected, you should now be the subject of the grace of the Supreme Executive of the State. Be affected with the clemency and goodness of our rulers at the head of government, (to whom this mat­ter belongs by our happy constitution) in attend­ing so favorably to your cause, and granting your petition; wherein justice and mercy have so e­minently appeared.

OH! think what returns you ought to make, for so great so remarkable an instance of the good­ness of GOD, to you. Extraordinary favors de­mand extraordinary returns of gratitude. Con­sider [Page 42] how it becomes you to improve your spared life; what obligations lie upon you to spend the remainder of your days in his service, who has been so kind to you! "By the mercies of GOD" you ought to be "led to repentance," and to be induced to ‘present your body a living sacri­fice, holy and acceptable to GOD; for this, surely, is but your reasonable service.’ It is expected, that you be concerned to return to GOD the most grateful acknowledgements of your heart, and obedience of your life; and, that you approve yourself a good subject of to mild and equitable a government. Surely you ought—you must be concerned to devote your spared life to the honor of GOD, who has ransomed it from destruction: has rescued you from the jaws of death! And, you ought to strive in return for so signal a mercy, to do all the good in your pow­er; but, particularly, to the unhappy family whom you have been the instrument of bereaving: To the poor window and little fatherless children you ought to be ready to every kind office, to af­ford all the help and relief in your power. Per­haps, this is one end in the providence of GOD, for which you are spared: Certainly it is one end which you should be careful to have answered; Oh! let it be answered, by your attention to their welfare.

[Page 43] As your life is spared, you have a further op­portunity of improving life, for the most impor­tant purposes.—You have received a pardon from man, from the supreme authority of the State:—But, my friend, think it not sufficient that you are pardoned by man: But, consider well that you need a pardon from the great GOD, whom you have offended by innumera­ble acts of sin; and by that rash deed, by which you have been brought into the distressing situ­ation, the melancholy scene which you have passed. You will not—you cannot excuse your­self from guilt in the sight of GOD, in that unhap­py affray.—If you had not an intention or thought of killing, yet, it was a hasty, rash, & unwarrant­able deed; and you have cause for deep humili­ation, before GOD, that you was the instrument of so suddenly putting an end to the life of your neighbour.—I fear you have not a proper sense of the evil of sin, and its destructive consequences: For this, and all your sins you need the mercy of GOD, to pardon you—you need an interest in the great sacrifice of CHRIST, to expiate and re­move your guilt: Without this, you remain under a sentence of death still, which, if executed up­on you in the full extent, will not be a few struggles of dissolving nature, but a state of suf­fering [Page 44] without end, which is "the second death;" dreadful, beyond the power of thought, in the present state to conceive! "for the wages of sin is death:" To this, you are exposed, without a pardon from GOD.—Oh! prepare to meet your judge: Remember you must yet die; for it is appointed unto all: Be concerned to have your peace made with GOD. Seek for the remission of your sins. Be concerned to exercise that re­pentance which has been described; which is accompanied with faith in the great Redeemer; & followed with an obedient life, which is "unto Salvation," and "not to be repented of." And see that you "bring forth fruits meet for repen­tance." Carefully guard against the out-break­ings of passion; watch against hasty and rash anger, which is productive of so fatal effects!

CONSIDER, also, your need of the grace of GOD, to renew and sanctify you; "giving you a new heart and putting a new spirit within you," thatyou may perform such a service to him as in his sight will be accounted a religious service,& thro' his grace, in CHRIST, be entitled to the rewards of eternal life. Seek for this; attend diligent­ly, to the means of his appointment; & improve the dealings of his providence, for so desirable in end. Oh! seek earnestly for the grace of GOD, [Page 45] which, alone, is able to effect in you this great, this important change, that you may be safe and happy in life, and in death, and to eternity. Wherefore, to conclude, I would only add the words of the prophet to you, and to all whose character and condition call for the exhortation; ‘Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our GOD, for he will abundantly par­don.’

AMEN.

SOLEMN, interesting, and affecting have been the scenes, which have passed before you, within these sacred walls. You have seen the human judgment set, and the books opened. You have seen a fellow-mortal arraigned at the Bar, indicted for murder, the murder of his friend and neigh­bor, convicted upon the indictment, by the judgment of his peers. You have heard the sentence of death pronounced, in the most solemn and affecting manner, while every heart shuddered, and every eye wept. You have seen the unhappy Prisoner, wearing the badges of his guilt, from sabbath to sabbath presented to worship before GOD, with the expectation that the sentence would soon be execu­ted. But the prospect of such woe has been too great for him to bear; it has deranged his intellec­tual faculties, and presents him to us, in another view, an object of pity and compassion. Assem­bled this morning to improve these Providences, and to seek wisdom and grace from him, who gives liberally and upbraids not, our ears have been sa­luted with the voice of pardon; we have seen the grace reserved in the bosom of our Constitution called into exercise, the shackles knocked off, and [Page 52] the Prisoner set at liberty. While we congratu­late ourselves, and one another, that the solemn e­vent of this week is by this grace prevented, let us direct our meditations to the judgment that is to come, and, from an earthly tribunal, ascend to that which is above, where we must be arraigned, and receive a decided sentence. The words that are chosen as a motto to this discourse are in the Epis­tle of JUDE, the latter part of the sixth verse. ‘THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY.’

THERE is a spirit in man, and the inspira­tion of the Almighty giveth him understanding. We are made capable of reflecting upon events that are past, and of reviewing the way in which we have walked. We are also capable of an­ticipating events certainly future, of contem­plating scenes in which we must be actors, and of considering what manner of persons we ought to be. In the due exercise of these faculties, consists much of our duty, our wisdom, and our happiness.

AMONG events that are future, the most so­lemn and interesting, are DEATH and JUDG­MENT.

[Page 53] IN the found human mind, there is no doubt, I believe, of the futurition of these events. We see that death passes upon all men. We feel the sentence in ourselves; and we must be strangely inattentive, if we are not convinced, that the days approach that we must die.

DEATH would not be so interestingly solemn and important, were it not for the judgment that follows, and the eternity that succeeds. If death put a period to our being, if all consciousness ceased with the last gasp of life, though, con­stituted as we are, we could not but startle at this destruction, yet it would be our duty to for­get or brave the great event, and indulge our heart in all its joys: But the stroke that returns the body to the dust, returns the immortal spirit to GOD who gave it, from him to receive a deci­ded sentence, according to its true character, and the deeds done in the body.

DIVINE impressions cannot be wholly erased;

Conscience, the vicegerent of heaven in the human breast, though it may be benumbed by infidelity, stupified by sensuality, and have its ordinary voice drowned in carnal pleasures, will sometimes assert its dignity, arrest the sinner, [Page 54] and place him, trembling at the bar of GOD. There has been no nation so barbarous as not to acknowledge the being of a GOD; neither has there been any so inconsistent, as, with this acknowledgment, to deny him the right of governing and judging the creatures he has made, according to their capacities and deserts. But it is not my design to offer proofs of a day of Judgment, GOD has written it up­on every man's conscience, and given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised JESUS CHRIST from the dead.

My design is, to meditate a little upon the greatness of this day—To contemplate it with reference to our interest in it—and endea­vour to make such an improvement as may be profitable to us.

WHILE I am speaking, may that GOD, at whose tribunal we must appear, solemnize our minds, aid our meditations, and so realize to our view, the things we contemplate, that they may have a powerful practical influence upon us, and instrumentally prepare us to meet our JUDGE, "when he shall come to be gorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe."

THE soul, at death, returns to GOD who gave it, and there is, doubtless, something like [Page 55] a sentence, upon every soul, immediately after its departure from the body; or a secret consci­ousness determines it to the place for which it is subjectively prepared. There is no intermediate state, or season of insensibility, between death & the resurrection, which would be a chasm in ration­al existence; GOD, who is still the GOD of A­braham, Isaac, and Jacob, is not the GOD of the dead; but of the living. The expiring SAVI­OUR said to the expiring thief— This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. In the parable, which is given us for instruction upon this subject, it is said— The beggar died, and was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell lift up his eyes, being in torments.

THE state of happiness of misery, with every individual soul, commences at death: but in the end of time, when all the purposes of infinite wisdom, as to this world, are accomplished, and the present frame of things is dissolved, there will then be a day of general Judgment. Then will be exhibited all that is described in the sa­cred pages, GOD will erect his tribunal, ap­pear in his glory, and summon all his rational offspring to appear before him. This is, em­phatically, the day of Judgment, and is that in­tended [Page 56] tended in the text. It may be thought, that the necessity of this day of general judgment is su­perseded, if there is this particular prior judg­ment at the day of death. Were the only ob­ject of the day of Judgment, to decide the fate of rational creatures, the thought would be just. But the object of that day is to vindicate the divine administration, and justify GOD in the decisions he has made; disclosing, to the view of Angels and of men, what GOD has done, and wherefore he has done it: That every mouth may be stopped, and the Majesty of Heaven appear, in this most glorious character, the just GOD, the SAVIOUR.

THIS will be, indeed, a great day. All its appendages conspire to make it great.

1. The Being, who will then appear, is in­finitely great. He is no other than the LORD JESUS CHRIST; who is characterized, in the sacred page, as the brightness of the Father's glory, the express image of his person, in whom dwells the fulness of the godhead bodily. CHRIST, in himself, possesses every divine perfection. It is the will of heaven that all men should honor the SON, even as they honor the FATHER; He is over all GOD blessed for ever. Once has he appeared in a state of humiliation. The [Page 57] WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us. He, who thought it no robbery to be equal with GOD, took the form of a servant, that he might finish the work which the mysterious counsels of heaven assigned him to do but, in his second coming, he will exhibit all the majesty of his character as the almighty GOD.

THE favored Exile of Patmos, had, in vision, a view of the glory of this divine personage, and, it was so overwhelming, he fell at his feet as dead, and, probably, never would have arisen again, had he not laid his creating and support­ing hand upon him, and raised him up, Rev. i, 13—Farther, CHRIST is great with res­pect to the office which he sustains, and which he will then come to execute. We call a fel­low-mortal [...] clothed with judicial, or executive [...] who has a right to de­cide upon our [...] interests, and in a sense holds the power of life and death; and indeed there is a great degree of relative greatness in such a character. He is a minister of GOD—has the stile and title of a GOD, and perhaps approaches as near to deity, as mortal can, when exercising the power of life and death. JESUS CHRIST is constituted the Judge of quick and dead; The Judge of the Universe. "The Fa­ther [Page 58] judgeth no man, but hath committed all judg­ment to the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." "GOD hath ap­pointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath or­dained whereof be hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." This judgment is not upon the proper­ty or lives of men, but upon their souls—their everlasting interests; they, whom the Judge ap­proves, are made for ever; they, whom he con­demns, are eternally undone: executing this of­fice. CHRIST will come in his own glory, and his Father's, and his holy Angels.

2. The greatness of [...] will be increa­sed, by the circumstances that will attend the appearance of the JUDGE.

How are these described in the sacred pages! "The heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved," they shall roll back before his triumphal Car, "they shall pass away with a great noise," and reveal the incarnate GOD "descending from [Page 59] heaven with a shout, with a voice of the arch­angel, and the trump of GOD;" thousands, shall attend upon him, and ten thousand times ten thousand shall minister unto him. His voice, like the voice of many waters, and the mighty waves of the sea, will echo through u­niversal nature, will pierce the caverns of the grave, open the repositories of the dead, and call forth the sleeping dust to stand in Judgment. All our race shall be collected, from the four winds, from the one end of heaven even unto the other. The Judgment shall be set, and the books opened.

So great will be the glory of this scene, that the sun, eclipsed, will lose its brightness; So tremendous the concussion, in this last shock of nature, that the stars shall fall from their orbits, the heavens curl like a scorching parchment, and the earth, and the things that are therein, be burnt up.

3. THIS day will be great, with respect to the innumerable multitude that will then be as­sembled.

[Page 60] THE hosts of heaven—all the angels of light, will be in the retinue of the Judge; for he will come in his own glory, and his Father's, and his holy angels. The voice of the archangel, and the trump of GOD, will announce his ap­proach, and myriads on myriads will swell his train. The fallen angels, reserved in chains un­der darkness, are reserved to the judgment of this great day. They must appear, however reluctant, and meet, on a throne triumphant, the eye of him against whom they have rebelled, whose servants they have seduced, and whose pleasure they have, invariably, and unremitting­ly, opposed. But, particularly, all the posteri­ty of Adam, the individuals of our race, will then be assembled. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them, one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left."

ALL the antediluvian world will then appear; the innumerable nations that have peopled the earth, and unpeopled it, in the gratification of their ambition and avarice, desolating and de­vouring [Page 61] one another: "All that are in their graves, shall hear CHRIST's voice and shall come forth," The sea shall give up the dead that are in her; and death and hell shall give up the dead that are in them: All that shall then be a­live, shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, that they may bear the lustre of this appearance, and join the gathering throng, around the tribunal of their Judge. What an amazing assembly!

4. THIS day will be great, principally, with respect to the business that is then to be transact­ed.

IT is the day of Judgment. The day for which all other days were made.—The period in which old time expires, and eternity com­mences. [Page 62] To prepare for this, to usher in this, the sun has rolled its circuits, the earth has maintained its seasons, and the patience of the DEITY has been lengthened out. Now the glory of Divine Providence will be unfolded, the ways of the DEITY, in all his administra­tion, vindicated; and it will appear, that justice and Judgment are the habitation of his throne.

SOMETIMES we are greatly perplexed with the changes that are passing over us; "clouds and darkness are round about GOD." "His way is in the sea, his path in the great waters; and his footsteps are not known." Carnal reason ar­raigns his dispensations, and boldly says, How can these things be? sanctified reason startles, is amazed, and, with David, its feet are almost gone, its steps do well nigh slip, while it sees the af­flictions of the righteous, and the prosperity of the wicked▪ But in that day, it will appear, that the Judge of all the earth, invariably, does right; and that mercy and truth go before his face. More particularly—There will be a judgment upon every one of our race.—"So then," saith the apostle, "We must, every one of us, give an account of himself to God," We must give an account of all the deeds done in the body.—The apostle John, who had this august scene [Page 63] represented to him in vision, thus describes it—"I saw the dead, small and great, stand before GOD; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which was the book of life, and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books, according to their works."

IT has been a question, whether the sins of believers will be disclosed in the day of Judg­ment; whether they are not so obliterated, by the forgiving love of GOD, that, when sought for, they shall not be found: there are some scripture expressions that favor this hypothesis; such as their being blotted out—being cast be­hind GOD's back—being sunk in the depths of the sea—and remembered no more: But these expressions may be reconciled with the de­clarations that follow—"There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; nor hid that shall not be known. If the christian, the be­liever in Christ, is saved the painful disclosure, the impenitent and unbelieving will have all things brought to light." " For GOD will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing; and will judge the secrets of all hearts accord­ing to the gospel." Oh! what a revelation will that day exhibit! What crimes will be brought [Page 64] to light! What unfinished purposes will be dis­closed! That which has been spoken in dark­ness, shall be heard in the light; and that which has been spoken, in the ear, in closets, shall be proclaimed before the assembled universe. How awakening ought this consideration to be, to the hypocritical professor, and the secret sinner! How may the following passage sound like thun­der in his ears. "Be sure your sin will find you out." May GOD awaken you before it is too late.

5. THE judgment of this day will be great, on account of the solemn and interesting conse­quences of it.

THE judgment of the great day, there is no possibility of eluding, and from it there lies no appeal. From some human tribunals there lie appeals, causes may be subject to revision; and in some cases, as in that which has this day, con­vened us, mercy may be extended, where the law has condemned. The sentence may be re­versed, pardon may be proclaimed, and the trem­bling expectant of ignominious death may be restored to liberty and peace. Nothing like this is [...] for after the final assize. The sentence, then pronounced will be decisive; it will be e­ternal. He who is acquitted, will dread no [Page 65] more arrests. He who is condemned, must ex­pect no more favor. He that is holy, will be ho­ly still—and he that is filthy, will be filthy still. They who are found impenitent in sin, unbe­lievers in CHRIST, and unreformed transgres­sors of the law of GOD, must receive a sentence of condemnation; they must be banished from all hope, into blackness of darkness, where the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched: and, in the awful language of revelation, The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. But they who are acquitted, and declared righteous be­fore GOD, shall enter into peace. They shall be addressed in this transporting language, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom pre­pared for you, from the foundation of the world. They shall enter the new Jerusalem, be crowned with a crown of glory, and be confirmed in an in­heritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any beat. They shall sin no more— The LAMB who is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters, and GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Their happiness begun shall not be interrupted; [Page 66] and shall never have an end; but shall be con­stantly advancing, from glory to glory, as their capacities enlarge, and GOD shall be all in all.

How great—how solemn—how interesting is this important day! what are all other days, com­pared with this! In this day, my Brethren, must we all appear, and in the transactions of it be deeply interested. Every thing important to us will then be decided, and our state unalterably fixed for a never-ending ETERNITY. Seeing we expect such things, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godli­ness.

To stand arraigned at a human tribunal—to be surrounded with the guards and appendages of courts—to be the subject of criminal prosecu­tion, and, especially, to be tried for life—to be condemned in the trial, and hear the sentence of death—how solemn! how affecting!—Of this scene you have been spectators—Those walls have heard the awful sentence. ^* To have this sentence executed, the life cut off in the midst, and closed in ignominy and reproach, is too dreadful for [Page 67] mortals to behold. This you had expected soon to see, but the grace of Government, em­bosomed in your excellent Constitution, has sa­ved you the painful sight by pardoning the pri­soner, and rescuing him from untimely death. Let your recollection of what is past, aid your imaginations as to what is future, and if an earthly tribunal is so solemn, think what must be the solemnity of the great day! The sentence of mortals can only kill the body; it cannot go be­yond the present life; There may be error in judgment, there is room for repentance, and the soul may be saved in the day of the LORD JESUS. But the trial in which we must stand, in the great day of Judgment, is upon the pre­cious and immortal soul—The sentence, whether of acquittal or condenmnation, is for eternity—There is no appeal—There is no repentance.—The condemned shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.

O how awfully solemn is this subject! How deeply ought it to interest our affections, and impress our minds! How awakening should it be to all! How alarming to those who cannot but be conscious that they are impenitent in sin! Are there none of this description in this assembly? None who have committed sin, open [Page 68] and secret, and have not repented and returned to give GOD glory. Suffer me to address you, O impenitent unbelievers, and in the bowels of compassion, entreat you to awake and consider your situation. You may be putting far away this evil day, and boasting yourselves of to­morrow. You may be flattering yourselves in the secrecy of your sins, or in their not having equalled, in their aggravations, the sins of many others.—You may be crying peace and safety, and delighting yourselves in your delusions—But, know, assuredly, the day of the LORD com­eth, the Judgment of the great day. It is no e­vidence of your safety, and will be no mean of your security, that you are unconcerned. It cometh as a thief in the night, in which the hea­vens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, the elements shall melt with servent heat, the earth, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up. The LORD, the JUDGE, will be revealed from hea­ven with his mighty angels—The thrones will be set, and the books opened. O how will your hearts endure, or your hands be strong, when GOD riseth up—when the black catalogues of your sins are disclosed to view? For every thing, with every secret thing shall be brought into Judg­ment. Be not offended, but let conscience make [Page 69] the application; while I, more particularly, ask—How you will face the disclosure of your forni­cations, your thefts, your malicious and revenge­ful purposes, your speculative impurities, and your unnatural lusts? What will you do when the exercises of your hearts, and the actions of your lives are compared with the spiritual na­ture and demands of the divine law? When he, who has looked upon a woman to lust after her, will be stiled an Adulterer. He who has hated his brother in his heart, will be convicted of mur­der, and he who has said, thou fool, will be in danger of hell-fire? Think, O thou, who hast held the balances of deceit, who hast defrauded and oppressed, embezzled and concealed, what thou wilt do in this revealing day! However you may walk concealed from men, these things committed, and unrepented of, will appear in the day of visitation. What will you answer? What plea will you make? Will you stand up­on your defence, and strike hands with GOD? Your own consciences will be instead of a thou­sand witnesses and accusers. You must be speechless—You can have nothing to answer.—And what must be your expectations? What may be the language of your hopes, I know not: but this is the language of the sacred scrip­tures. [Page 70] The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget GOD. Upon the wic­ked HE shall rain snares, fire & brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. When the LORD JESUS shall be reveal­ed from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in fla­ming fire, He will take vengeance on those who know not GOD and obey not his gospel; whom he will destroy, with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the LORD, and the glory of his pow­er. And he will render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, to every soul of man, that doth evil, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. Say I these things, as a man? both law and go­pel say the same. The words which I have ut­tered are contained in that book by which we must all be judged. And can you expect to endure this sentence?—Oh! what an expectati­on! or do you hope to obtain a deliverance from it? such a hope is built on the sand, it will be as the spider's web. The whole appearance of revelation, in its plain and obvious import, is, that as it is a solemn, so it will be a final, a de­cisive sentence, and if you are so unhappy, as to be condemned in the Judgment, you are undone forever: ETERNITY is written on your awsul state.

[Page 71] KNOWING these terrors of the LORD, know­ing more of them than barely reading them in the bible with the coldness of speculation, I would warn you of them: I would faithfully declare them before you, and persuade you to flee from this wrath to come; that you may be hid in the day of the LORD's anger; for yet there is hope concerning you, if you will be aroused.

YOUR condition, my friends, is dangerous, but it is not desperate—It is yet an accepted time, and a day of Salvation—You are on pray­ing-ground—You have a space for repentance—The throne of grace is accessible—You have an ADVOCATE with the FATHER—You have the offers of mercy—GOD, though not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness, is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish; but that all should come to repent­ance.

THE blood of CHRIST is sufficient to an­swer all your guilt, to cancel all your crimes, and take out all your stains. It was sufficient to justify the humbled Manassah, who had sold himself to work wickedness; and who had made the people of Israel to do worse than the hea­then—to purge away the pollutions of a Mary Magdalene, and the crimsoned guilt of the cru­cifying [Page 72] Jews. The blood of JESUS CHRIST cleanseth from all sin—And he is able to save to the uttermost: But there is salvation in no other: And they who will not that he should reign over them, will be brought forth and slain before him.

BE intreated then, my friends, to attend to your situation. No longer continue in sin—No longer dissemble or conceal your sins— Do not bless yourselves in your heart, and say you shall have peace though you walk in the imagina­tion of your heart. The LORD will not spare—Come to the feet of JESUS, and make a sin­cere, frank, and penitent confession of your sins. See how your sins have deceived you, and how they have slain you. Break off any in which you may be conscious that you are now living, and yield yourselves up to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, to be disposed of by him. Let the wicked fersake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our GOD, for he will abundantly pardon. Put forth all the ardor of your souls, for spiritual blessings. Strive to enter in at the strait gate—to possess and exercise that repentance which we have heard so largely described. Be satisfied with nothing short of vital union with the LORD [Page 73] JESUS CHRIST by faith. See that you ob­tain the regenerating influences of the HOLY SPIRIT—a sealed pardon of all your sins, and that you secure an inheritance, among them that are sanctified. Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eye-lids, 'till you have made some serious effort to escape from hell and fly to heaven. Let me address you, as the angel did Lot, and say, Escape for thy life, look not be­hind thee, neither tarry thou in all the plain—es­cape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed.

WILL you say the Preacher is warm—and is there not a cause? Can I address you in the coldness of speculation, when viewing myself and you on the borders of Eternity? It would be improper to preach my life away in a smooth moral harangue and entertain you with pretty sentiments when your souls are at stake. This would be indeed to fix pillows under arm-holes, and wrap your blood in my skirts. You have seen this our fellow-mortal tried for his life: Did you think his advocates too warm, when their souls were on fire, and they poured fourth the tide of eloquence to obtain a favorable sentence? It was only his life for which they plead; that which must be soon given up if now it were preserved. But, my Brethren, your soul is the object of my con­cern, [Page 74] that precious immortal principle which must exist forever, and unless you repent and be­lieve in CHRIST, must exist in misery. Is it possible to be too much engaged for such an ob­ject, in such circumstances? Let me then urge and entreat you, by all that is interesting and important in time and eternity, by the value you set upon your own souls, by the mercies of GOD, and the blood of the Cross, to break off your sins by repentance, and lay hold on eternal life. Fly to the SAVIOUR, and yield yourselves up as condemned malefactors, yet hoping in his mercy, that he will forgive your sins, cancel all your guilt, and rescue you from condemnation. If you do, truly, repent, and believe in CHRIST, the prospect of this day and its interesting con­sequences, will be gloriously changed; for its ter­rors soften into the most pleasing solemnity, in the view and expectation of the assured christian. For though he is conscious that he has commit­ted sin, and that he merits nothing at the hands of GOD▪ yet being also conscious that he has sied for refuge to the hope of the GOSPEL, that his taste and views are changed, that he has come over into his Saviour's interest, has judged and condemned himself, & is united to CHRIST [Page 75] by a living faith—being comfortably persuaded of this mighty change, he knows, that there is no condemnation due unto him. He sees an infinite fulness in CHRIST to secure and defend him, and the prospect of the Judgment awakens sen­timents in his breast similar to those which the SAVIOUR encouraged, when he said, When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.

THE assured believers in CHRIST look for­ward to this august season, as the time of their complete deliverance; when their poor bodies of humiliation, that have long been kept, by the care of heaven, in the bed of death, shall be rais­ed incorruptible, be fashioned like to CHRIST's glorious body and being re-united with their alrea­dy glorified spirits, they shall be confirmed in happiness, suited to their natures, and eternal as their duration.—Though it does not yet appear what they shall be, they, nevertheless, know, that when he who is their life shall appear, they shall be like him for they shall see him as he is, and shall appear with him in glory. The trum­pet of the Archangel, which will be a terror to the wicked, will be music in their ears; With transport they will echo to these accents from heaven, Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust.

[Page 76] ESPECIALLY is the prospect of this glorious day, supportingly pleasant to the persecuted saint, who suffers unjustly from the hands of men.

MANY of the faithful servants of GOD have had their judgment taken away, in the present life. They have been loaded with reproach which they did not deserve, and hissed from the stage where they ought to have been applauded: But in that day GOD will bring forth their righ­teousness as the light, and their judgment as the noon day. And having in this trying particular had fellowship with CHRIST, in his sufferings, they will also have fellowship with him in his glory. Farther,

As the glory of GOD is a dear object with the Saints, and their hearts are pained with the reflections that are cast upon him, and his ad­ministration, they rejoice in the prospect of that glorious season, when all these reflections shall be wiped away, with transport will they hear, and with rapture will they join, in this heavenly Allelujah, Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the LORD our GOD, for true and righteous are his judgments.

O ye believers, ye friends of JESUS—This will be to you a most glorious day. The day of your complete triumph. You will reap the [Page 77] fruit of all your toil and patience, and the suf­ferings you have endured will not appear worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be re­vealed, when ye shall hear these enrapturing ac­cents, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the World.

IT will be expected, I presume, before I close my discourse, that a few thoughts should be ad­dressed to the unhappy man who is the special occasion of our assembling. Among the infelici­ties which have attended the scenes through which the Prisoner has passed, it is not the least, that his ideas have become so confused and deranged, that, at present, he seems scarcely capable of moral instruction. We hope the happy change in his state will be attended with as happy a one in his mind, and that he may yet be com­fortable and useful.

MY Friend, We view you this day with the mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, and we can­not but mingle condolence with our congratu­lations. You have known what it is to be ar­raigned at a human tribunal—to be tried for your life, upon a most awful indictment—to be found guilty, in the judgment of your peers—and to have the dreadful sentence of death pro­nounced [Page 78] upon you. You have been bound in affliction and iron, because of your transgres­sion, and your friends have trembled for your approaching fate: But, in the mysteri­ous providence of GOD, events have been so ordered, that the grace of the Commonwealth is extended to your case, and his EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR, and the HONORABLE COUNCIL, have granted you a free and full pardon. We have seen your badges of infamy knocked off, and you sat at liberty. We congratulate you up­on this happy change. How thankful ought you to be to your great deliverer—to him who brings the prisoner out of the prison-house—and chan­ges of the shadows of death into the light of the morning. What emotions of gratitude should arise in your breast toward those who have so deeply interested themselves in your circum­stances. You can never think of the names of LYMAN, SEWALL, PARSONS, or DAVIS, with­out the tear of sensibility trickling down your cheeks. Your spared life should be spent in praising your deliverer, & praying for your bene­factors: In endeavouring to lessen the injury you have done, by softening the sorrows of the wi­dow and fatherless, reduced to this unhappy state in your impassioned moments. But, especially, [Page 79] should the life, which you have now a prospect of enjoying, be spent in preparing for that more solemn trial which yet awaits you. For, re­member, Sir, you must yet stand at the tribunal of JEHOVAH. The pardon you have recei­ved extends no farther than to acquit you of your offence against the laws of your sellow-men.— None can forgive sins but GOD only. If the af­fray with your neighbor was so circumstanced as to reduce your crime below the letter of the indictment, you must be sensible that there was great criminality in your conduct. A friend, a fellow-mortal, has been hurried into eternity, in an impassioned moment, by your deadly weapon.—Think how you will meet him at the bar of GOD. Or how you will ap­pear before him who hath said, He that is an­gry with his brother without a cause, is in dan­ger of the Judgment—And he that hateth his bro­ther in his heart, is a murderer. It will be of little consequence to be pardoned of men, if you are not pardoned of GOD: to be acquitted now, if you are condemned in the judgment of the great day.

LET me then entreat you, if you are capable of receiving the exhortation, to think seriously of your situation. Improve the respite granted you, to repent sincerely of this and all your o­ther [Page 80] sins—to obtain an interest in JESUS CHRIST—and to testify to those who may know your case, and be acquainted with your conduct, that it is indeed a great privilege, that the power of pardoning offences is reserved in the Constitution. And may GOD graciously appear for you, restore you to a sound mind, and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.—To conclude,

Is there, most assuredly, a day of judgment approaching—Are the heavens and the earth, which now exist reserved unto fire—Let us live under an habitual practical belief, and ex­pectation, of this great event. Let us frequent­ly meditate upon it, and think how [...] present conduct will then appear. In every important decision or resolution, let a belief of this day have its influence, and let our moral character be such, as we shall wish it had been when that glorious morning shall open. Will it be a vain repetition, if I say, Let every secret [...], who is priding himself in his secrecy, digging [...] to hide his counsel from the LORD, [...] in speculative wickedness, [...] reveling in [...], think of this day, and blush for his folly. Let the close hypocrite, who is only anxious to [...]— [Page 81] throw off the mask, become sincere, and be in reality what he would seem. Let the afflicted, the oppressed christian, think of this day, and with patience endure as seeing him who is invi­sible. Let us all often imagine that we actually hear the voice of the archangel, and the trump of GOD—see the heavens opening—the JUDGE descending, clothed with the ensigns of judicial power, that we see the graves bursh­ing, the dead arising, and the universe assem­bling at the dread tribunal. And O let us think what manner of persons we ought to be, when hastening to this coming of the SON OF MAN.