tion of chastisement is the occasion of other aggravations. What hypocrisy is often discovered under divine corrections素 and, at other times, what rebellion!

(6.) Consider men under the different measures of light which God has granted them. The Heathens were inexcusable in their idolatries and crimes against the very light of Nature. This Paul asserts and proves *; and the charge may be easily amplified and confirmed from their own writings. The Jews were chargeable with still more aggravated abominations + : - and Christians, considering all their advantages, merely nominal Christians, have committed greater abomina

tions than all.

(7.) Reflect on the different discoveries God has made of himself in his word. His lazo is holy, just, and good. Could it be repealed or abated, God must lose his glory and abdicate. his throne, and be indifferent to the happiness, as well as to the conduct of his creatures. Though to sinners the law is become the ministration of condemnation, yet it is glorious in itself. To the obedient it would ensure happiness, - to transgressors, it discovers their guilt and danger; and were they. rightly to improve it, they would justify God, condemn thenselves, renounce self-righteousness, and thankfully embrace. the gospel. But they disregard the law, or pervert it, or cavil at it and the glorious gospel meets with no better reception. The Gospel is full of grace, and far exceeds the Law in glory; yet men reject the counsel of God against themselves, make light of his invitations, scorn his grace, and reject the Saviour. The gospel is exactly suited to their circumstances, but not to their taste. It is too humiliating in its import, and too holy in its tendency, to suit a carnal heart. If it had not been fully tried, who could have believed that such depravity had possessed the human heart? Not only have sinners transgressed without a cause, and rebelled against God's righteous government; but when he has sent to them an embassy of peace, they refuse to accept of pardon, if he will not grant it but in a way worthy of himself. They murdered the incarnate Son of God, and now, refuse to ask forgiveness in his name! How do they deserve to bear anathema at his second coming!

(3.) View men according to their different state of mind. Before their consciences are awakened, how stupid and thoughtless are they! How wholly do they regard earthly things! How vile and profligate are many! What practical Atheists, "living without God in the world!" What hearts of stone have they, unawed by all that is terrible, unallured by all that is attractive, in the character and word of God! — Under divine awakenings, depravity shews itself in new forms.

The more God forces himself on the view of a sinner, whose heart is not renewed, the more will that depravity, whic used to snow itself in forgetfulness of God, discover its direct enmity against him. Awakened sinners will try to shun the light, and to excuse or palliate their sins; going about, if it were possible, to establish their own righteousness. Fain would they believe that things are not so bad with them as the Law declares, and as the Gospel implies. Fain would they find some other way of escape than that which is pointed out in the divine word. The more the natural conscience is awakened before the heart is changed, the more does the enmity of the heart to God discover itself, one way or other. Sinners do always resist the Holy Spirit, till he takes away the heart of stone; or if they submit at all, it is feignedly. They indulge hard thoughts of God, and low thoughts of Christ; and are, as Bunyan suggests, loth to stoop to be saved from all sin, and that by grace: so that if the Divine Spirit were not Almighty, none would be converted.

Finally, After conversion, how does Sin still dwell within us, and too easily beset us! Though renewed in every part, yet every right disposition is imperfect. Many inconsistencies are found in the best. How prone are we to backslide and grow lukewarm! How apt to repine and rebel! Very much like the Israelites in the wilderness. The sins of believers are, in some respects, the worst sins in the world: they have so much ingratitude in them, and imply the violation of such innumerable and powerful obligations; yet, how often has Christ been wounded in the house of his friends! What awful fails have occurred in the experience of some true saints! What secret declensions are chargeable on others! What room have the most exemplary to complain of unfruitfulness and of heart sias! How far do we live below our privileges ! How slack are we to go up to possess the land which the Lord hath promised! How feebly do we fight the good fight of faith, and press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling! Lord, cause us to know and lament our abominations!

. ש כ

AN APOLOGY FOR THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE.

THE Christian, during his pilgrimage on earth, is surrounded with a multitude of enemies, who labour to disturb his peace and to accomplish his ruin. Prompted by malice, they fail not to load his character with the heaviest reproaches, while they exert their ingenuity in representing the system of his faith as equally repugnant to the reason and to the happiness

of man.

Amidst all their subtilty of plan and violence of attack, in the silence of conscious superiority, he may solace himself in the contemplation of the truth, the dignity and splendor of his hope, while he may pity the blindness of their understandings, and the wickedness of their hearts, and even tremble at their approaching fate; but then all his duty is not performed: for he is bound by the express authority of God, to be ready always to give an "answer (an apology or defence) to every one that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in him, with meekness and fear *."

Various are the weapons which, in past ages, have been employed against Christianity; and some, even in these times, dare to represent it as a gloomy, irrational system; and to represent those who are zealous in its profession as the dupes of ignorance, or the friends of strife and fanaticism.

It is, therefore, of great importance to all Christians to be prepared to repel such attacks. For this purpose, they ought to consider that the gospel which they believe and profess, is most comfortable to the mind of man, that it is perfectly consistent with the principles of right reason, that, notwithstanding it is not surprizing that it has been attacked by men pretending to the most calightened and liberal sentiments; that then they are particularly called to exert themselves in its defence; and that they ought to defend it in a manner honourable to their character and profession.

Christians ought to consider, that the gospel which they believe and profess is most comfortable to the mind of man. It is a system which carries hope in its bosom, and brings hope into the heart of all who believe it. Man is by nature a sinner,, exposed to the righteous vengeance of the Almighty: the religion, therefore, that is suitable for him, must be such as affords not only possible, or even probable grounds of relief from despair, but a certain expectation of deliverance from the wrath to come, and of the enjoyment of eternal life. This is the gospel which reveals our Lord Jesus Christ, as the only hope of guilty and miserable man; for " he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access unto that grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

This gospel reveals God the Father as the God of Hope, who fills his people with joy and peace in believing. It reveals God the Spirit as the grand agent, by whom hope is implanted in their souls, by whom it is made to grow, and by whom it arrives at perfect maturity; for they abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. It reveals the glorious object of

hope, and the immutable foundation on which it rests, in "hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began." "This hope maketh not ashamed;" for it shall not be disappointed,-it shall not be deferred a moment beyond the time appointed; and it shall issue in enjoyment, which will surpass all imagination.

What, therefore, can be more comfortable than the gospel, which declares such glorious things concerning Hope? Hope is the support and relish of life: it enlivens gratitude, confirms patience, opens a fountain of consolation, gives wings to activity, and a soul to exertion. Without hope, what would human existence be? A continued scene of sadness, of indolence, of despair! What, therefore, would the life of man be without the gospel, which reveals his only hope of happiness? But let the winds and the waves rage, this hope he has as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast. By it he is saved, or preserved from sinking amidst the storm;-by it he rejoices that his light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for him a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory. He lifts his head on high, knowing that the day of his redemption draweth nigh.

It is, therefore, most unjust to represent the gospel as unfriendly to man, as the nurse of Melancholy and the harbinger of ruin. The knowledge and the faith of it are essentially necessary to his happiness. What the sun is to the world, that the gospel is to man: it enlightens, it cheers, it warms, it sanctifies his soul. Every other system of religion, when compared with it, is like a transient gleam of lightning, which shews the traveller that he has wandered from the right path, while it discovers to him nothing but the awful precipice, or the overwhelming gulph; and then suddenly involves him in the darkness of doubt, of uncertainty, of terror!

Christians ought to consider, that the gospel which they believe and profess, is perfectly consistent with the principles of right reason. They are, therefore, called to " give a reason of the hope that is in them *."

Reason and Revelation having the same God for their Author, cannot be really inconsistent or contradictory: but it has been strongly asserted, "That several parts of sacred Scripture are irrational; and, therefore, the whole of it cannot be received as given by inspiration of God." This is the formi dable objection of a numerous class of Infidels, who have arisen in different ages and in different countries; and what are those who profess to be Christians, but, at the same time, reject the Deity of Christ, his atonement, and substitution, in the room of sinners? They are the worshippers of the idol Reason; and they vainly imagine that, under its patronage, they can defy

1 Pet. iii. 15.

and surmount all opposition. But though this be their opinion, nay, though it be their sincere belief, that many of the doctrines of Scripture are contrary to reason, it will not fol. low that they have proved them to be so: they have not, they cannot !

That the gospel contains doctrines which are infinitely beyond the grasp of human reason, and even contrary to its depraved views and propensities, will be readily acknowledged; but that it contains doctrines contrary to right reason cannot be admitted. Is it not the most reasonable thing in the world to believe the gospel, since it comes attended with all the evidence which any unprejudiced man could either wish or expect? The testimony of prophecy and of miracles in its favour, is sufficient to satisfy every rational enquirer. The purity of its morality stands unrivalled, and is universally acknowledged: but the mystery of its doctrines has indeed given offence to men vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds. But why? Is it unreasonable to suppose, that the gospel contains doctrines which surpass the comprehension of finite minds? Nay, is it not unreasonable to reject it on this account, since, in this very respect, it bears an obvious analogy to all the works of God in nature and in providence?

The gospel clearly manifests itself to be reasonable to all who know and believe it. To them it is the wisdom of God; but to others, pretending to the wisdom of this world, it is foolishness. Accordingly, it is styled by St. Paul, "The Wisdom of God in a Mystery *;" and the angels of light, who excel in wisdom, desire to look into it, to study it, and are daily learning of the church the manifold, the varied, display of the wisdom of God t, which it affords.

The age, therefore, which is distinguished for the rejection. of the gospel, may be denominated The Age of Reason; but the rejection of it is the greatest effort of folly and madness.

Christians ought to consider, that though the gospel be both comfortable and rational, and thrus recommends itself to the understanding and to the heart of all who believe it, yet it is not surprizing that it has been attacked by men pretending to the most enlightened and liberal sentiments. Hence, a reason of the hope of the Christian has been asked, not for informa tion, but in such a manner as to imply a charge, which rendered a defence necessary.

The gospel, from its commencement to the present day, has been opposed by its enemies, not because it is deficient in evidence, but because it opposes their favourite views and inclinations. "They love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil " Thus the Sadducees, who denied the hope of the Christian, proposed a question to our Lord concerning ↑ John iii. 19.

1 Cor. ii. 7.

+ Eph. ii. 10.