diftinct perfons. But by God and Father, in the fpiritual sense of the word, two perfons are not understood; but, by God is understood the divinity, with refpect to wisdom; and by Father, the divinity with refpect to love. For there are two things in the Lord, divine wisdom and divine love, or divine truth and divine good. These two are understood in the Old Teftament by God and Jehovah, and here, by God and the Father. Wherefore, by Jefus Chrift making us kings and priefts unto God and his Father, is fignified, that they appear in his fight as images of his divine wisdom and his divine love, for in these two confifts the image of God in men and angels; therefore, all those who are truly principled in wisdom and love, or truth and good, are kings and priests unto God, as they are images of his divine wisdom and love.

But we will conclude with a word or two con

cerning that glory and dominion which are due to the Lord.

You will obferve it is faid, "Unto him that "hath loved us and washed us from our fins in his "own blood;" which evidently is no other than the Lord Jefus Chrift himself. But it is well to be noted, that here his divine humanity is understood, and by God and Father his effential divinity; and, therefore, that he is God alone, and that all glory and dominion are due to him only. By glory is meant, divine majefty, and is predicated of his divine wisdom-by dominion is meant divine om

nipotence,

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THE LOVE OF THE LORD JESUS.

nipotence, and is predicated of his divine love: Therefore the fpiritual meaning is, that the Lord's divine love fhould have dominion over all our affections, defires, and thoughts-over all the powers of our minds—and that his divine wifdom fhould be glorified in all our works, words, and conduct, through life and for ever.

When we furrender all the powers of our minds to the influence of heavenly love, then we afcribe dominion to the Lord; he becomes the fupreme object of our love, our service, and adoration. And when we give up the understanding wholly to the influence of divine truth, then we give glory to the Lord, by a regular, upright, fpiritual, and holy life, converfation, and conduct. And thus the Lord is all in all; the beginning and the end, the first and the laft, the Almighty, Redeemer, Regenerator, and Saviour of our fouls-to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

SERMON

SERMON XVIII.

PURE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN HEART AND LIFE

RECOMMENDED.

ISAIAH IX. 21.

Thy people alfo fhall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

FELLOW CHRISTIANS,

IAM going to address you this evening upon fubjects of INFINITE MOMENT-upon fubjects which equally concern every one of you. Neither the profeffion you may make, the fociety to which you belong, or your fituation in life, can make thefe fubjects either lefs important, or less interefting. It is an indubitable truth, that we are all to live for ever-eternity is very near us-the hour is at hand

when

when the accounts of this life must be settled-when we must severally appear before the fupreme, allwife, and holy Jehovah-pafs the folemn decifion of an impartial judge-and be deftinated to everlafting forrow and shame, or to eternal honor, joy, and felicity. If you reflect but a moment, you are immediately convinced these things are at hand. The lefs we think of them, the lefs are we prepared to meet them, and the more awful will our fituation be when they arrive.

One principal part of a minister's duty is to GIVE WARNING to remind his fellow men of what is near at hand-to bring to their remembrance what we are all too prone to forget. When I confider how uncertain it is whether those who hear me now will ever have it in their power to hear me, or any other person, again—when I reflect, that perhaps I may never more be permitted to open my mouth again in public, or give one more warning to any perfon whatever-and that, upon a CERTAINTY, I KNOW it will not be long before everlasting filence refts upon my tongue-I am then struck with the IMPORTANCE of every opportunity-the EVENTS that may depend upon it--and the NECESSITY of being FAITHFUL.

It is a certain truth, that eternity itself will not find us a work to do so GREAT, as that which we have to accomplish in this SHORT SPAN OF TIME; nay, whatever we have to Do or to ENJOY, through a boundless eternity, entirely depends upon that

work

work which is to be done IN TIME. What I mean, is, the CONVERSION OF THE SOUL TO GOD-a PREPARATION for an eternal world of superlative felicity and honor. If that work be not done here, fo few as our days are, eternity itself cannot effect it. Our divine teacher, our BEST friend, our INFINITELY LOVING Saviour and God, hath plainly informed us of this truth, in his holy word, "Except ye be "born again, ye CANNOT enter into the king"dom of God."—And I prefume there is not one perfon here who is difpofed to doubt the truth of our Lord's declaration. But be it farther observed, the Lord hath not only given us this information, but he hath also as plainly told us, in what that new-birth confifts—WHAT IS the preparation neceffary for the enjoyment of the heavenly world. The words of our text, also, intimate what is to be done, and what we are to be, in order to fuch a state of endless felicity.

Permit me, therefore, in speaking from it, to be in earnest with your fouls-to address you as immortals, just upon the verge of eternity, within a few days of that never-ending ftate which will affuredly be your lot in the next life; for it is more than barely probable that fome one, or more, now prefent, may in the short space of a very few days, be an unbodied spirit in that world to which we are all fo rapidly moving. Hear, then, what our text fays concerning those who are the fubjects of happiness. Thy people fhall be all RIGHTEOUS: they fhall in" herit

S