him externally, while their hearts were far from him. Though those who are destitute of love to Christ, may profess to love him, to be with him, to act for him, and to be workers together with him in building up his kingdom; still they are against him, and scatter abroad. Paul acknowledges, that though he should preach like an angel, and suffer like a martyr, without love to Christ and his cause, it would not be acting for him, but against him. He says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though, I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." It is more than possible that not a few who live under the light of the gospel, who profess to love the gospel, who attend all the ordinances of the gospel, and who do a great many things, which under the government of Christ tend to promote the design of the gospel, are nevertheless, in his view, against him, and scatter abroad. Men must be inwardly with Christ, in order to be externally for him. While men ultimately seek their own things, they cannot seek the things of Christ. So long as they are internally against him, they are externally against him, let them say, and do, or suffer, ever so much for him.

3. If all who are with Christ are united to him in his great and glorious design, then all who are united to him are more firmly united to one another, than any other persons in the world. There is nothing that unites the men of the world so strongly together, as their union in their worldly designs. Union of design will often bind those together who are disunited in affection. Worldly designs, however, are liable to fail, or change, and consequently the unions formed by them are often dissolved. But the great design of Christ is immutable and eternal, and all who are united to him in his design, are immutably and eternally united to him and one another. Christians are united to each other, not only in affection, but in a design that cannot be defeated, or change. Hence Paul triumphantly asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?- Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to

separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The sincere and ardent brotherly love of the primitive christians excited the admiration of the world. The heathens exclaimed, "How these christians love one another!" The union of christians to one another is founded in their union to Christ in his great and glorious design; and can no more fail, than Christ can fail in finishing the work which his Father has given him to do.

Ac

Sinners

4. If all who are not for Christ are against him, then the most regular and amiable sinners may be as much against him as any other sinners. They are as unwilling to have their desires, their hopes, their interests, and selfish designs counteracted and defeated, as the most stupid and abandoned sinners. But if Christ pursues and accomplishes his great and benevolent design, he will entirely disappoint and destroy all the selfish hopes, desires, and designs of the most regular and amiable sinners, which cannot fail to raise their enmity and opposition to him in the most lively and 'sensible manner. cordingly, we find that this has always been the case. of the fairest character and of the highest estimation in their own view, and in the view of the world, were the bitterest enemies that Christ had while on earth. These were the Scribes and Pharisees, whose character and conduct Christ most pointedly condemned, and whose condition he represented as the most dangerous and deplorable. They saw that Christ's design was diametrically opposed to theirs, and would completely destroy their eternal hopes and interests. Sinners of the fairest characters and highest hopes at this day, view the design of Christ in the same light, and are, of all others, the most opposed to that eternal purpose which God purposed in Christ Jesus, and sent him into the world to accomplish. What persons are generally more opposed to the doctrine of election and reprobation, than the most intelligent and inquisitive sinners? They generally know more about the character and design of Christ, and the scheme of salvation revealed in the gospel, than thoughtless and careless sinners; and of course they are generally the most understandingly and heartily opposed to the gospel, and raise the strongest objections against it. And this holds true with respect to awakened sinners, who externally reform, and most ardently inquire what they must do to be saved. When they are told that they must believe in Christ, love his character, and cordially approve of his carrying into execution his eternal purpose of saving those whom his Father has given him, and no others, their hearts rise in total enmity, and they invariably say, This man shall not reign over us.

5. We learn from what has been said, the great criminality

of sinners. They are all against Christ in their hearts and in their conduct, without a single exception. They both see, and hate, and oppose that eternal purpose, which Christ is constantly carrying into execution. And by opposing this great and glorious purpose, they oppose the glory of God, and all the holiness and happiness in the universe. Is this a small error, or a mere venial fault? Is it not a sin of the first magnitude? Can they be guilty of a greater? It is criminal to destroy the property of an individual. It is more criminal to destroy the life of an individual. It is more criminal still to destroy the lives of millions. And it is the highest possible degree of criminality to destroy the holiness and happiness of the whole universe. And this sin can be committed in the heart, and is committed in the heart of every one who is against Christ, and gathers not with him, but scatters abroad, and does all in his power to prevent the infinite good which will eternally flow from the accomplishment of Christ's design. Is this true? some sinner may be ready to ask. Let me ask that person whether he would not choose that the good of the universe should be destroyed, rather than to be eternally miserable? And if he would choose this, he would destroy the good of the universe, were it in his power, to prevent his own eternal destruction. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God; and he wishes that there might be none, rather than suffer his eternal wrath. The carnal mind, therefore, is enmity against God, not subject to his law or government; neither indeed can be.

This every person knows to be true, who has seen the plague of his own heart. Unbelief, or opposition to the person and design of Christ, is the greatest of all sins, and will draw after it the greatest of all punishments. It shall be more tolerable for the men of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for sinners who die impenitent and unbelieving under the gospel.

6. This subject shows the imminent danger of all who are against Christ, and opposing his great and glorious design. They reject the counsel of God against themselves; but that counsel will stand; and if it does stand, it will necessarily destroy all the counsels, and designs, and desires, and hopes, and happiness of sinners. Christ himself possesses omnipotent power, and has all created objects and created beings under his absolute control; and can employ them all as instruments to accomplish his eternal purpose. How is it possible then, that he should be counteracted and defeated in his design? Sinners may misconstrue and misunderstand particular passages of scripture; but they cannot misconstrue and misunderstand the great design which Christ is pursuing, and will certainly accom

plish. And if he accomplishes his design, the hopes of the finally impenitent to escape with impunity, must perish. If Christ continues to reign, he will make all his incorrigible enemies his footstool, and sink them in endless perdition. Christ has commanded it to be proclaimed throughout the world, that "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned.” All delaying sinners are constantly liable to be cut off, and lie down in eternal sorrow. Their feet stand on slippery places, and all that Christ is doing to carry on his design, is ripening and preparing them for a more aggravated doom. And all that they are doing while against Christ, is increasing their guilt, and the wrath of the Lamb. So long as they delay to act for Christ, they act against him, and by acting against him, they act against themselves and all the good of the universe. Unless they turn to Christ, and become cordially reconciled to him, they will draw down the displeasure of Christ, and the displeasure of all holy beings in the universe, which will sink them in the depth of eternal despair.

Finally, This subject affords a solid ground of peace and safety to those who are united to Christ in his great and good design. If he succeeds, they are safe. If he promotes his own interests, he will promote theirs. If he is accepted of the Father, they will be accepted in him. If he is rewarded for all his labors and sufferings, they shall be rewarded for all their labors and sufferings in his cause. If he sits down with the Father on his throne, they shall sit down with him on his throne. If his glory and blessedness shall be eternally rising, they shall eternally rise in glory and blessedness with him. The gospel which unfolds the nature, extent, and eternal consequences of the accomplishment of Christ's design, opens the most glorious prospects to all the friends and followers of the divine Redeemer. They shall rejoice while others mourn. They shall be completely holy and blessed, while all the enemies of Christ. are completely sinful and wretched. Be not then weary in well doing; but be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the service of Christ, knowing that your labor shall not be in vain in the Lord.

SERMON XVIII.

THE BLINDNESS OF SINNERS THEIR DESTRUCTION.

THE way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble PROVERBS, iv. 19.

ALL men are either saints or sinners, either holy or unholy, either righteous or wicked; and they are all walking in paths as different as the characters they sustain. The saints are walking in a strait and narrow path; the sinners are walking in a crooked and broad path; the saints are walking in a path that leads to perfect light, and the sinners are walking in a path that leads to perfect darkness. This is the representation which Solomon gives of all mankind. He says, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." But he observes by way of contrast, "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." His plain meaning is this:

Sinners are in such darkness, that they are insensible of the objects which are leading them to ruin.

I shall first consider the darkness in which sinners are involved; and then illustrate the general observation, that they are insensible of the objects which are leading them to ruin.

I. Let us consider the darkness in which sinners are involved. We find much said in scripture concerning their peculiar blindness and darkness. Moses represents them as "groping at noon day." Job says, "They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noon day as in the night." Isaiah says, "They have made them crooked paths; they grope for the wall as the blind, and grope as if they had no eyes; they stumble at noon day as in the night." David represents their way as "dark and slippery;" and Jeremiah represents them as walking