The next thing proposed is,

II. To show that God tries the hearts of men through the medium of Christ, in order to fix their future and final state. "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many." God intends to make men happy or miserable for ever, according to the feelings of their hearts towards the Son of his love. This Christ expressly and abundantly taught, in the course of his ministry. He said, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Indeed the whole New Testament represents God as determining to fix the eternal condition of all men under the gospel, according to their receiving or rejecting the Saviour whom he has provided. And we find this important truth confirmed by many plain and solemn facts. God fixed the final state of the inhabitants of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, according to their internal feelings and external conduct towards Christ. They finally fell, by opposing and rejecting his holy child JeGod fixed the final state of the Jewish nation according to their treatment of Christ. It was for their violent opposition to Jesus of Nazareth, and their avowed unbelief, that he cut them off, and cast them out of his vineyard. Christ was verily set for the fall of the Jews, and the rising of the Gentiles. And God is now exhibiting Christ before men, in order to fix their eternal state. He means to save, or destroy them, accordingly as they receive, or reject him who died for them. Their views and feelings respecting Christ in time, are to determine what shall be their views and feelings to all eternity.

sus.

And there appears to be a propriety in God's treating men according to their love, or hatred of Christ, because their feelings towards Christ afford a proper criterion of their true characters. If they love Christ, they love God; but if they hate Christ, they hate God. If they love Christ, they love the good of the universe; but if they hate Christ, they are enemies to all good. The character of Christ is the most infallible test of all human characters. And by fixing the final state of all who enjoy the gospel, according to their love, or hatred of Christ, God will justify his conduct before the eyes of all intelligent beings. Saints and angels will approve of his finally rejecting those who hated Christ without a cause; and the finally miserable themselves will be constrained to approve of his saving those, who loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. Since it is God's design in exhibiting Christ before men, to try their hearts and prepare them for their final state, it becomes the ministers of the gospel to make Christ the main subject of their preaching. His character, in all its branches, runs through the whole of divine revelation, and comprises the essence of the gospel. It is impossible to preach the gospel, in all its weight and importance, without bringing Christ into view, as the only name given under heaven among men whereby they can be saved. This was the constant practice of the apostles, who were able and faithful ministers of the New Testament. They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ on every occasion. Yea, they determined to know nothing among their hearers, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Accordingly we find, that their preaching had a most powerful effect. By preaching Christ, Peter converted three thousand souls at one time. By preaching Christ, Stephen cut his hearers to the heart. And by preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ, Paul approved himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God, and converted myriads among both Jews and Gentiles. If ministers mean to be faithful to God and to the souls of men, they must follow the example of the apostles, and make Christ the primary subject of their preaching. This will make their discourses reach the hearts and consciences of their hearers, and cause the most stubborn sinners to tremble, and cry out, in anxiety and distress, What must we do to be saved? And this will make them become unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

2. If it be God's design in exhibiting Christ before men, to try their hearts and prepare them for their final state, then it is much to be desired, that the gospel should be preached to all nations. There is no ground to hope, that any of the heathen will be saved, while they remain totally ignorant of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. It does not appear from the past dispensations of grace, that God ever sends his Spirit where he does not send his gospel. Though the apostle declares, "There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him;" yet he demands, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" The whole tenor of scripture plainly intimates, that all who are living in Pagan darkness, are strangers to the covenants of promise, and without God, without Christ, and without hope in the world. It is, therefore, as much to be desired, that these guilty and miserable creatures

should have the gospel preached to them, as that they should escape the wrath to come, and secure the salvation of their souls. If the character of Christ were exhibited to them, they would have an opportunity of exercising that faith, without which it is impossible to please God and obtain eternal life. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Though God intends to give unto his Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession; yet there is no ground to expect this desirable event, until the way is prepared by the universal spread of the gospel. If christians did but duly realize, that it is only in Christ, that God means to reconcile the world to himself, they would be more zealously engaged to send the gospel of his grace into all the dark corners of the earth. Were there to be a general diffusion of gospel light through the heathen world, there is abundant reason to hope that God would make the knowledge of Christ a savor of life unto life to those who are perishing for the lack of vision. It becomes all the friends of Zion to pray that God would make known his way upon earth, and his saving health among all nations. For he has assured them, that their prayers and exertions are necessary to bring about this great and glori

ous event.

3. If God means to try the hearts of men, and prepare them for their final state through the medium of the gospel, then he has an important purpose to answer, by sending it where he knows it will be rejected. Though he clearly foresaw and predicted that the inhabitants of Judea would generally shut their eyes, and stop their ears, and harden their hearts, under the preaching of the gospel, yet he commanded the apostles to begin their ministry at Jerusalem, and make the first offer of salvation to the Jews. And when the gospel had tried their hearts and produced the effect foretold, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." God meant to give his degenerate people a fair opportunity to see and hate both him and his Son, and in that way to ripen themselves for their final ruin. And he now puts the same price into the hands of those, who, he knows, will have no heart to improve it. The gospel is no less adapted to fit men for eternal misery, than for eternal happiness. This alarming truth the apostle Paul frequently exhibited in the most plain and striking light; and appealed to the consciences of men, whether God may not make the gospel a medium of destruction to some, as well as a medium of salvation to others. "What if God, willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruc

tion and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory?" And again he asks, "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." It seems to have given him great encouragement to preach the gospel, to be assured that it should be the means of preparing both saints and sinners for their final state. "Now thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other, the savor of life unto life." The word of God never returns to him void, but always accomplishes his purpose of saving or destroying those to whom he sends it.

4. If the exhibition of Christ be designed to form men for their future and eternal state, then they are in a very solemn situation while they are hearing the gospel. It is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two edged sword. It will infallibly penetrate and try their hearts, and leave impressions there which never can be eradicated. Though they may come to the house of God for mere amusement, and hear the gospel with as much levity and indifference as if they knew it were a cunningly devised fable, which could have no influence upon their future state, yet they will sooner or later feel the evil effects of their criminal stupidity and presumption. God told Ezekiel that his vain and contemptuous hearers should reap the bitter fruits of their sin and folly, in despising his solemn messages. “Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them." And Christ forewarned his unbelieving hearers that his word would not be lost upon them, but prove the ground of their final condemnation. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day." Whenever sinners come within the walls of the sanctuary, they are under a moral necessity of embracing the gospel, or of rejecting the counsel of God against themselves; which is the most critical and interesting situation they can possibly be in, this side of eternity.

5. If the gospel tries the hearts and forms the characters of those who hear it, then sinners may easily and insensibly fit themselves for destruction. Many seem to think that the gospel will do them no harm unless they openly and violently oppose

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it. They flatter themselves, if they never say any thing against it by way of complaint or contempt; but, on the other hand, treat it with respect, acknowledge it to be divine, and hear it with decency; they are in the fair way to salvation. They verily believe that the Jews were highly criminal for their violent opposition to Christ, and the doctrines he taught; and they view all open infidels and scoffers as walking in the same broad road to destruction. But they mean to shun such shocking examples, and pursue a more wise and prudent course as long as they live. They intend to sit and hear the gospel with as much patience as possible, and never suffer their hard thoughts and inward enmity to break out into open violence to Christ, or to those who preach in his name. And so long as they constantly and seriously hear the gospel, they fondly hope it will prove a saving benefit to them. But this is a gross and dangerous delusion. Internal opposition to Christ is as fatal to the soul as external, and will as infallibly destroy it. How many serious, and apparently well disposed persons, sit under the gospel from Sabbath to Sabbath, with secret opposition to Christ, and to the way of salvation through his mediation and atonement! They see no form nor comeliness in him, wherefore they should desire him; but heartily hate his person, his doctrines, and his terms of mercy, which is a silent and insensible way to destruction. So long as sinners thus sit under gospel preaching, and hear and hate, hear and hate, hear and hate, they are constantly preparing, whether they realize it or not, to unite in the feelings, and share in the torments, of the incorrigible enemies of God, who shall lie down in everlasting sorrow.

6. We learn from what has been said in this discourse, that all who hear the gospel may know, before they leave the world, what will be their future and final state. God has given them a glorious and infallible sign. He has clearly exhibited the great and amiable character of the divine Redeemer, and told them, if they look at it and love it, they shall live; but if they look at it and hate it, they shall die. They have only to deter mine how they have felt or do feel in view of the Saviour, and draw the inference justly, in order to know with certainty whether they are friends or enemies to God, and prepared to enjoy his favor or feel his displeasure for ever. If they love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, they may assure themselves that because he lives they shall live; but if they remain conscious of hating the Lord Jesus Christ, they may assure themselves that because he lives, they must die. His character will be for ever exhibited to the view of all intelligent creatures; and those who view it with complacence and delight must be perfectly blessed; but those who view it with directly the opposite feelings, must be completely and for ever miserable.