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bar of conscience, you have not yet stood at the bar of God's Judgment. You have not as yet been summoned to that dread Tribunal, from the decision of which there is no appeal. Let conscience condemn, there is mercy still proclaimed. There is hope beaming from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of Divine grace." As selfcondemned, therefore, flee to this only Refuge; and lay hold of the glorious hope which is set before you!

2. How evident is the delusion of many who hope well of themselves!-They hear of the witness of the Spirit, but utterly mistake its nature, and its distinguishing characters. Strangers to genuine repentance for sin, to true faith in the Lord Jesus, to sincere devotedness of heart and life to God, they still imagine themselves secure, and dream of future happiness. Is this the case with any of you? "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." See that your love to the Scriptures evinces your experience of the work of the Holy Spirit on your hearts. And manifest this still more by habitual humility of mind; by self-diffidence, and watchful care; by close walking with God, and increasing holiness in all your spirit and deportment. By no means live under the power of dangerous delusion; for what is its present profit? And "what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?"

3. Let us grow in the grace of the Holy Spirit, and we shall in such proportion enjoy his witness.

Yes, the one is closely connected with the other' He shines on his own work; but if this work be tarnished with sin, and miserably defective by our own carelessness and folly, we must bear the consequence ---we must look for darkness, and expect all the perplexity of fears and doubts! Why go we mourning and complaining? Why is our comfort so precarious and our joy so small? We rest in a low state of religion. Our faith is not vigorous; our love is not fervent; we are not humble and active and holy as we ought to be! If we would rise in scriptural confidence, and in spiritual consolation, we must advance in religious attainments! We must not only have life, but seek to become more lively. We must not be content with faith, but "giving all diligence," must "add unto faith, courage; and to courage, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity." Where these abound, there" the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

* 2 Pet. i. 5-7.

SERMON XXI.

ANGER REPROVED.

JONAH iv. 4.

Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

THIS question was proposed to Jonah.

And

what is the proper answer? Was the Was the anger of the prophet justifiable? It certainly was not; for it rose high against God, and quarrelled with the dispensations of his providence and grace.

A man is known by his temper, as much as by his speech and behaviour. The temper of Jonah was peculiar. He was a man of some goodness: it is evident he was a man of prayer, and a prophet of the Lord: yet his piety was greatly defective, and his virtues were tarnished with much imperfection. His whole history is remarkable. It exhibits a sad picture of pettishness, fretfulness, and impatience. It discovers how much rebellion of heart and untowardness of temper may consist with a principle of spiritual life and grace in the soul. While we contemplate this, may we see the odious nature of that which is evil, the amiable character of that which is good, and be stimulated to cherish with the utmost care, "whatsoever things are lovely and of good report!"—We propose to notice, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE referred to in the next, and THE TEMPER of

THE PROPHET under those circumstances; then to shew that this temper was extremely CENSURABLE.

I. We notice, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE, and THE TEMPER OF THE PROPHET under them.

The Lord said to Jonah, "Doest thou well to be angry?”—On what occasion was this question proposed? Jonah, you recollect, was commanded to go and preach to the Ninevites the preaching which the Lord should bid him. The substance of his message was, to warn the people of approaching desolation as the righteous recompense of their sin"Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.' Jonah refused to obey, and "rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." At length he relented: by singular affliction he was reclaimed to duty, and delivered his message. That message had more success than Jonah expected, or indeed than he seems to have wished. The king of Nineveh profited by the warning, and issued a proclamation enjoining a national fast: his people agreed in its orderly and religious observance; they humbled themselves before the Lord, and deprecated his deserved displeasure; for they said, "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?" Their hope was well founded, and their desire was graciously answered:-"God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not."

What follows in the first verse of this chapter is remarkable: "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." What had offended him?

He was displeased, displeased exceedingly: he was angry, very angry. On what account? That God had accepted the repentance of Nineveh; that he exercised mercy, and turned away his wrath from that numerous people!

Something may be said in accounting for this temper of the Prophet, but it can by no means be justified. Jonah was an Israelite, and some allowance must be made to the feelings and prejudices of one of that nation. He had a false regard to the honour of his country, and to his own credit as a prophet. Nineveh was a "great city" of the Gentiles; but he seems to have had no notion of favour and compassion, except to the Jews;-such was his bigotry. He had predicted the speedy destruction of Nineveh, but that destruction was averted: he seems, therefore, afraid lest he should be accounted a false prophet, and his reputation should sink-such was his selfishness. We cannot acquit him of much that was wrong on this occasion. He was off his guard. He was greatly influenced by a proud and rebellious spirit.

case.

In this spirit Jonah prayed. Had he prayed for its cure, he had done well; and by perseverance he had conquered his sin. This, however, was not the "He prayed unto the Lord." Henry observes, "It is a very awkward prayer." Indeed, what could we expect from a man agitated with such a temper? Instead of seeking the forgiveness of his transgression, and supplicating mercy for himself, he frets and grieves that mercy had been extended to others! Hear his prayer, or rather his expostulation: "I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country?" Did I not foresee, and did I not predict, that if I went and preached

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