When he thus visits the hearts of sinners, his word is like fire and soap; "quick and powerful, sharper than "a two-edged sword*." Then they feel and tremble, and cry out with the prophet, "Wois me, I am un"done." But in this way their dross is consumed, their defilement removed. When he thus wounds, he likewise heals. He gives them faith; by faith they look unto him, and are enlightened and saved.

We surely expect that he will come again. Not as he once came, in a state of humiliation. The Babe of Bethlehem, the Man of Sorrows, who hung, and bled, and died upon the cross for our sins, will return in glory. "Behold he cometh in the clouds, and every

eye shall see him." Concerning this day, emphatically called the day of the Lord, we may well say, "Who may abide it?" To those who have not been the subjects of his refining operations here, he will then be a consuming fire. That great day, (for which all other days were made,) "when the Lord shall descend "with the voice of the archangel and the trump of "God, will burn like an oven, and all the proud, and "all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble," and the day that cometh "shall burn them up." Where then shall the impenitent ungodly sinner appear? will be a joyful day to them that love his appearing. He will arise upon them, as the Sun of Righteousness, with healing on his wings; he will wipe away their tears, vindicate their characters, acknowledge them before the assembled world, and say unto them, "Come, "ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre"pared for you.”

But it

way,

IV. It is particularly said, "He will purify the sons " of Levi," that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. "The Sons of Levi," the priests, the officiating ministers of God, "were gone out of the and had corrupted the covenant of the Lord, "and thereby had caused many to stumble*; they dishonoured their office, and became themselves vile and contemptible. Thus they went on from bad to worse, till the men of that generation filled up the measure of the iniquity of their forefathers, by the rejection of MESSIAH. He also rejected them. The blasted barren fig-treet, which withered to the very root at his word, was an emblem of their condition. In a little time, wrath came upon them to the uttermost; they saw the temple in which they had trusted, and which they had profaned, destroyed by fire, and the greater part of them perished. But a remnant of them was purified. We read, that after his ascension, a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And his apostles and disciples were sent forth with a new spirit, and in a new character, to offer and to serve in righteousness. The purport of this passage has been repeatedly exemplified under the Christian dispensation. A declension from the simplicity and purity of worship, principles, and morals, was visible very early in the church. The progress of it was rapid, especially from the time of Constantine. When persecution ceased, and a tide of wealth and worldly honours flowed in upon those who, by their profession, were bound to be patterns of humility and self-denial to others; from that period till the Reformation, eccle

Mal. ii. 8, 9.

Matth. xxi. 19.

Acts vi. 7.

cause.

siastical history affords us little more than a detail of such instances of pride, intrigue, oppression, and cruelty, under the pretext of religion, as had not been known among the Heathens. And the nations which were relieved from the chains and darkness of Popery at the Reformation, did not long preserve much more than a name and a form to distinguish them. In most countries the state became the idol of the church, and the church the creature of the state. How it is with us in this nation, I need not say. Facts speak for themselves. It is a mournful fact, that the ministry is become contemptible; nor is it difficult to assign the But we are favoured with the Gospel, and are eye-witnesses of its purifying power. It still produces the effects which marked its progress when it was preached by the apostles. It enlightens the dark mind, softens the hard heart, heals the wounded spirit; and many persons who before were burdensome to society, are rendered by it ornamental and useful. When every other argument and motive has failed of success, the consideration of the mercies of God in Christ, revealed by the Gospel, constrains the believing sinner to present himself a living, willing, holy sacrifice unto God. Thus being purified by the blood of Jesus, he offers to the Lord a sacrifice in righteousness. Such principles and aims are essential to a Christian minister. He knows the terrors of the Lord, and has tasted of his goodness. He is constrained by love, the love of Christ, and the love of souls. He preaches, as the apostle did, Jesus Christ, and him crucified; a subject which, though despised and reproached by the formal Jew and the sceptical Greek, is evidenced by its efficacy to be the wisdom and power of God. Such ministers may be, and

frequently are, depreciated, and disregarded; but they cannot be contemptible, until integrity, benevolence, and usefulness are the proper objects of contempt.

SERMON V.

IMMANUEL.

ISAIAH Vii. 14.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL, GOD WITH US.

THERE is a signature of wisdom and power im

pressed upon the works of God, which evidently distinguishes them from the feeble imitations of men. Not only the splendour of the sun, but the glimmering light of the glow-worm, proclaims his glory. The structure and growth of a blade of grass, are the effects of the same power which produced the fabric of the heavens and the earth. In his word likewise he is inimitable. He has a style and manner peculiarly his own. What he is pleased to declare of himself by the prophet, may be prefixed as a proper motto to the whole revelation of his will in the Bible. 66 My thoughts are

not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, "saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than

the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, "and my thoughts than your thoughts." This superiority of his thoughts to ours, causes a proportionable difference in his manner of operation. His ways are above our conceptions, and often contrary to them.

Isa. lv. 8, 9.

He sometimes produces great effects, by means which, to us, appear unsuitable and weak. Thus he gave Gideon a complete victory, not by providing him an army equal to that of the enemy, but by three hundred men furnished with earthen pitchers and lamps*. At other times the greatness of his preparations, intimates that there are difficulties in the case, insuperable to any power but his own, where our narrow apprehensions, until enlightened and enlarged by his teaching, can scarcely perceive any difficulty. It is eminently so with respect to the restoration of fallen man to his favour. We have but slight thoughts of his holiness, and therefore are but slightly affected by the evil of sin. But though he be rich in mercy, no wisdom but his own could have proposed an expedient, whereby the exercise of his mercy toward sinners might be made to correspond with his justice and truth, and with the honour of his moral government. His Gospel reveals this expedient, and points out a way in which mercy and truth meet together; and his inflexible righteousness is displayed, in perfect harmony with the peace of sinners who submit to his appointment; and thus God appears, not only gracious but just, in receiving them to favour. This is the greatest of all his works, and exhibits the most glorious discovery of his character and perfections. The means are answerable to the grandeur of the design, and are summarily expressed in my text.

I shall not take up your time with attempting to clear the difficulties which have been observed in the context. It may suffice for my purpose to affirm, that this passage expressly and exclusively refers to MESSIAH; for which my warrant is, the authority of the evangelists Matthew