II. To point out some instances wherein the truth of this general proposition appears, that God is no respecter of persons. It does so,

1. In his eternal choice of a certain number of the fallen race of mankind to grace here and glory hereafter, to holiness in this world, and happiness in the next. Herein God acted as the absolute proprietor and sovereign disposer of his own benefits, and was not biassed by any favourable circumstances in the persons on whom they were to be bestowed. God chose Israel because he loved them; his love was free, and so was his choice. "Ye have not chosen me," says Christ to his disciples, "but I have chosen you;" that is, if I may so speak, he was beforehand with them in his choice. It did not arise from any excellencies he foresaw in them, nor did it depend upon any conditions to be performed by them. All merit in, or motives taken from, the creature, must be entirely excluded from the decree of election, which is designed to stain the pride of all flesh, and take away all occasion of boasting from those who are the happy objects of that decree.

2. In the external privileges of the gospel afforded to one nation or people, and denied to another possessed of the same merit, and likely to make equal, if not greater, improvement. Thus God wrote the great things of his law to the Jews, who counted them as a strange thing; and gave them his Sabbaths, which they polluted and profaned. He also sent them his prophets, rising up early and sending them, though he knew that their hearts and ears were uncircumcised, and that some would be persecuted even unto death, and others treated with contempt. "Thou art not sent," says he to the prophet Ezekiel, " to a people of a strange speech and hard language, but to the house of Israel; not to many people of a strange speech, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee." And much the same thing Christ observes, with respect to the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida. God causes the light of the gospel to shine,

and the dews of divine grace to descend, upon one city, and not upon another; though laden with the same guilt, involved in the same ignorance, and equally obnoxious to his righteous displeasure.

3. In the distribution of spiritual gifts. Were God a respecter of persons, he would always call to office in his church persons of profound learning and great natural abilities. On the contrary, he often selects for that purpose men of small education and slender attainments. The law made those priests that had infirmity, and so does the gospel too; that the excellency of the power may more eminently appear to be of God, and not of man. Rams' horns are often used, and silver trumpets thrown aside; more apostles were called from mending their nets than either from the receipt of custom or the feet of Gamaliel : "Base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are."

4. In our effectual calling. This is closely connected with election in Scripture, and proceeds from the same sourcethe sovereign will of God. "Whom he predestinated," says the Apostle," them he also called." The decree, and the execution of the decree, the one in eternity, the other in time, must be resolved into the same cause-God's everlasting and unmerited love. As works are not the moving cause of election, so neither are they of effectual calling. "Who hath saved us," says the Apostle," and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." Works after conversion are the constant concomitants of salvation; but neither works before nor after are the causes of it. Thus publicans and harlots embraced the gospel, whilst Scribes and Pharisees rejected it. "Of his own will," says another Apostle, "begat he us by the word of truth;" without any necessity on his part, without any merit on ours.

SERMON V.

ON THE TRIUMPH OF MERCY.

JAMES II. 13.

Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

IN the foregoing part of the verse we have an awful communication, which, if we are the persons described, and have any degree of sensibility, must be enough to make our ears tingle, and our hearts tremble. "He shall have

judgment without mercy;" or, as it might be rendered, "an unmerciful judgment, who showed no mercy;" that is, to the proper objects of mercy, especially his poor brethren, the despised and distressed members of Christ. This unmerciful disposition is so contrary to the temper of Christ himself, who is a merciful, as well as faithful High Priest, and to the character which the Scriptures every where give of the most high God, whose mercy is continually displayed both in the world of providence and of grace, that it is justly resented now, and will be severely punished another day. Such may seek mercy, expect mercy, plead for mercy; saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" but they shall not be able to obtain it; the answer returned will be, "Verily I say unto you, I know you not." If we bid the deserving poor depart without a blessing, God will bid us depart with a curse. Now, in order to encourage a contrary disposition, to excite a charitable and benevolent temper, and put us upon consulting the true interest and welfare of our fellow

creatures, especially those whose circumstances call aloud for our compassion, the Apostle saith, "Mercy rejoiceth against judgment;" which may be understood in a twofold. sense; for hereby he may intend to show either what we ought to be, or what God really is; both which considerations will furnish powerful arguments in application to ourselves.

show it, even to their beasts,

I. The Apostle may, by these words, intimate the duty and privilege of the saints; what we ought to be, and what good men, as far as they act in character, and are under the influence of grace, will be. Such as have obtained mercy should show mercy, and will for a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; they will not spur their horse to death, or muzzle the ox which treadeth out the corn: to their fellow-men and fellowmortals to their bodies, in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and vindicating the rights of the oppressed; but especially to their souls, endeavouring to convert them from the evil of their ways, and save them from eternal ruin and destruction. In a word, not only to their friends and neighbours, children and servants, but to strangers and enemies; their greatest, most inveterate, and implacable enemies. Religion teaches us to return good offices for evil ones; and when persons have done us the greatest injury, to heap coals of fire upon their heads, not to consume, but melt them into love. Now, supposing this to be the sense of the words, they may be explained in the two following particulars:

1. Persons of a merciful disposition will prefer the displays of mercy to the rigours of justice. They will be merciful where others would be cruel, and merciful to those who have been cruel to them. Many instances might be mentioned in which this compassionate temper should be discovered; I shall only take notice of two.

(1.) In the case where debts are owing to us. We should not be like that wicked servant who, for a debt of an hundred