Now, it is very true that these motives may be apprehended only by his infinite wisdom, and that those motives may be approved only by his infinite benevolence. And why? Because we have no wisdom to see them, and because we have no love to perform and to delight in them; but still, GOD | sees them all, and although now they may be unseen by us, they may be brought to light in heaven, and, perhaps, they are the perfect light of day to those spirits that are in glory. GOD, whenever he acts as a sovereign, acts perfectly-he is good to all—he is unjust to none-he gives every being in the universe his right. Why? because he must give himself his right. He is benevolent and gracious, and merciful, in the acceptation of the text. Why? Because he can do this, without at all infringing the rights of his own throne, without at all sullying the lustre of his eternal perfections.

mercy. Now what is mercy? Mercy, of course, supposes that the person who receives it has no right to it. There is no meaning in saying you are bound to show mercy. We may, with great propriety of language, say, You are bound to give me my right-you are bound to pay me my debtyou are bound to discharge my obligation; but it is incompatible with the very essence of language, to say, you are bound to shew mercy. Why? Because mercy implies spontaneousness in its offer, and destitution of rightful claim in the recipient of it. If that be true, we come to this conclusion, that if men now are saved by mercy alone, and if mercy implies the want of claim on the part of man, GOD might not have saved one soul, and yet have been just. I wish this to be written on every mind. This is the impression, and the impression is very natural to us in the present state of being, that God is bound to show mercy. Man foolishly says, what! not kind! A parent not showing mercy! What is that to the point? If GOD had only a parental character, there would be something in that

Now, respecting the sovereignty of GOD, allow me to observe, that the very perfections of the Deity qualify him to act as a sovereign. He needs not the instruction and direction of the mind; he acts from his own spon-mode of reasoning; but the Parent of taneousness. What! can a Being of infinite wisdom ask counsel of those whom he charges with folly? Can the eternal Fountain of Light receive any accession of knowledge from those whose minds are comparatively dark, and whose minds his own knowledge kindles? Certainly not; and GOD, having thus no external being to counsel him-God, having the disposition to act us a sovereign, draws forth the excellence of his own character. As I have said, we may not see it now; but it will be seen. His very nature and being are guarantees to us now, that all he does is right, and all he does is benevolent.

Hence, I observe, in the second place, that GOD might not have exercised any sovereignty in the way of

man is the Judge of man-the parent of man is the Lawgiver of man—the Parent of man is the keeper of order throughout the whole universe: and it indicates a want of benevolence in a parent to show mercy to a perverse and foolish and angry child, thereby bringing blame on the whole family. When the benevolence of Deity shines forth; it treats man, as a man; and while he does this in his complex character as a righteous judge, and likewise as a merciful Saviour, GOD might have left us, as he left angels, to perish. And what is the declaration of the Bible respecting them? GOD hurled them down to chains and darkness, reserved until the great day; and can any spirit in darkness say, I have been unkindly

I loved this, I pursued this, I have brought this on myself, I have rebelled against the authority of heaven, | and thus I am deservedly punished.

treated? Not one; they acknowledge, | is a real exercise of sovereignty, and of sovereignty alone, in the salvation of man, is evident, not only from scripture doctrines, but from scripture facts. Allow me to name a few; and those few, I consider, will throw some light on the whole subject. The characters shall be quite familiar. Take, for example, Manasseh, perhaps one of the most unlikely crowned heads in Jerusalem to be a candidate for heaven. He was religious and educated; he had early instruction; but notwithstanding this he opposed God, he demolished his altars,he persecuted his prophets, he actually set up an image in the house of God; filled the streets of Jerusalem with innocent blood, he went on with madness to destruction, until, all at once, this man turns repentantly to the GOD whom he opposed, and whose altars he had demolished, and sought for mercy. Please to account for it. There are others as familiar to your mind. The malefactors who had the honor of suffering at the same time as our Saviour suffered on the cross-we may naturally suppose in the beginning, though I would not carry on the supposition, we may naturally suppose in the be

But, thirdly, in reference to the sovereignty of GOD, I observe that it does real positive good. So that there is an actual increase of excellence | and of happiness in the universe, on account of it. Suppose, for one moment, that God had not exercised his sovereignty as he might have done; there was nothing in his nature to bind him to act as a sovereign; but in that he has done it, we observe, that the consequence is, an actual increase of real happiness and of real excellence in the universe. There are more excellent characters in consequence of this; and as there are more excellent characters, there are likewise more contented and more happy beings, in point of number, in the universe of God. It has been often remarked, and, allow me to reiterate it now, what has sovereignty done? Injury to no demon, injury to no mortal man; good to all, because GOD, when he promotes good, must aim at producing a good which will have, ultimately and indirectly, a res-ginning that they were similarly situpect to the whole of his government.

Fourthly, I observe, that while it does this good, it leaves the sinner just where he was. Some men, as the Apostle in the ninth of Romans intimates, quarrel very much with the sovereignty of GOD, which is well; but why should this be the case? We ask the question again. Has it injured any one? If that cannot be proved, why should any one complain against it? Angels in heaven do not; but, in accordance with the benevolence of their nature, it is said, that they rejoice when one sinner is converted. The sinner is converted in consequence, and on account, of the exercise of sovereignty.

ated at their birth. This is a fact, both were criminals; this is a fact, both were detected: this is a fact, both were condemned; this is a fact, both were crucified; this is a fact, both upon the cross reviled the Son of GOD, who stood between them; and this is a fact, that one confessed his crime, justifies the character of the Lord Jesus, reproves his companion, asks for mercy, and dies in the full assurance of salvation. How is this to be accounted for? There is another instance as familiar, and, perhaps, more so still, I mean Saul of Tarsus; his character is known to us all. He was brought up at the foot of Gamaliel, and so imbibed all the But, finally, we observe, that there prejudices of the Jewish religion.

GOD made

He soon began to persecute Chris- Now, without advancing one argutianity; he was proof against argu- ment more, let me ask you simply, ments, against persuasions, and against do you think you have the resources entreaties; and he was mad in tramp- of salvation under your own control? ling on the peace of the church, and Here is another question-do you in opposing the counsel of heaven, as really think that GOD is bound to it appears afterwards. But we see save you? Is it your decided opinion the very same individual publishing that unless GOD brings you to heaven the Gospel, which he had himself op- he will act very inconsistently with posed with so much violence. Now, his own character? I have heard with where is the cause for it? For there horror, some say that they stand on must be causes for effects in the moral a higher basis than GOD, in conseworld, as well as in the physical quence of what they call the covenant world. There cannot be an effect of redemption, and that GOD is bound without a cause there is the effect, to save them. Such theology is not what is the cause? The cause must to be fouud in the Bible. exist: this is a principle in morals a covenant, and he will accomplish as well as in physics. Sir Isaac the whole covenant. But what is the Newton founded his whole system on basis of the covenant? We come this. Here is the effect; it must have back to that; if we look to the desa cause; and then does the cause ex-cription given to it by the prophet of ist or not? Here is a most astonish- Isaiah, he says; "It is the loving ing effect, which has thrown light on kindness of GOD." It is the loving the whole Christian dispensation, and kindness of GOD which is the great has written two-thirds of the New pillar on which the economy of reTestament! Here is a miracle of demption stands; and unless we are grace! Here is an effect! Show me led to seek the mercy of GOD, as the the cause! Was it the persuasion of means and the end of our salvation, friends? No, they persuaded him we take decidedly hostile views of not to change his religion. Was it GOD. I should like to know what is the fear of his enemies? He threw the difference between this view of contempt upon them, and had a GOD, and some of the physical views thought of extirpating them all. Was which were maintained by philosoit the love of gain? Nothing but dark phers, saying, that GOD was bound to poverty, with a meagre countenance, do this thing, and bound to do another looked him in the face-nothing but thing, in the state of the universe, he the frown of his own companions- was bound to act by laws which he nothing but persecution-nothing but himself had made. the flames of martyrdom. What was it then? Methinks I hear him from the throne of heaven, pouring forth his voice in reply to the question, as he once said in this world, "By the grace of God I am what I am." And is not that plainly the case? And that is not a peculiar expression, you have it throughout "By the grace of GOD I am what I am;" and pointing to his own wicked character, as a sinner, he adverts, again and again, and glories" Grace, grace, grace," from beginin the grace of God.

My brethren, GoD is a Sovereign, and I hesitate not, though I tremble with awe when I say it, GOD might this instant blot out the whole universe, and go back to his own eternal solitude, in which he was, before the earth was made. Pride in an angel ruined him; pride in man will ruin him too; and we have not yet learned the nature of the Christian system, unless we have learned to say

ning to end. And if my salvation be

Isaiah, v. 12.-" The harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands."