If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we fhall be faved by his life.

T has been debated whether there ever was,

I'

or can be fuch thing in the world as a real atheist in principle; that too many are fuch in practice, cannot be denied or doubted: The great teacher of the gentile Ephefians, fays of them, ye were without Chrift, and "atheifts "in the world." Eph. ii. 12, and reminding the Galatians of the state from which they had in much mercy been called, faith, "howbeit then when

ye knew not God, ye did fervice unto them "which by nature are no Gods." Gal. iv. 8, therefore God even in thefe, did not leave himfelf without witness in their confciences, of his existence. The fame writer observes," that the "invifible things of him from the creation of the "world are clearly feen, being understood by "the things that are made, even his eternal pow

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er

"er and godhead; Rom. i. 20. The power and wifdom of the adorable creator fhine forth with a ftriking magnificence in all the vifible creation, and carry conviction as far and wide as the utmost bounds thereof extend. We are immediately fwallowed up in mystery, and loft in a labyrinth of wonder and furprize, when we begin to contemplate the power of that arm that launched this huge terraqueous globe with it's inconceivable cargo of rocks and defarts, feas and mountains, in liquid air, to float as a fhip on the ocean of waHow ftriking is that interrogation, and how ftrong the idea it prefents us with!"Who "hath meafured the waters in the hollow of his "hand?" Who but this almighty Lord?" and "meted out the heavens with the fpan, and "comprehended the dust of the earth in a mea"fure, and weighed the mountains in fcales, "and the hills in a ballance ?" If xl. 12. This is peculiar to him, of whom it is beautifully faid, he fpake, and it was done, he commanded and "it ftood faft. Pf. xxxiii. 9.

ters.

Nor does his wifdom lefs difcover itself in every part of the vaft and wide creation; "for day

unto day uttereth fpeech; and night unto night "fheweth his unfearchable knowledge. He know"eth the fprings of the fea, and is acquainted "with all the fubterraneous paffages of the deep "waters; hell itself is naked before him, and "" deftruction hath no covering, He knows how "to bind the fweet influences of the pleiades, or "loofe the bands of Orifon, He knoweth the "number of the ftars, and calleth them all by "their names."

But what shall be faid to the discovery of his

grace,

grace, and the manifeftation of his love to finners? Manifefted, what created mind can conceive the tranfcendant greatness thereof, in the finestimable gift of his only-botten Son! For this mystery of myfteries, for the discovery of this everlasting love which was eternally hid in the bofom of the Deity, we are entirely beholden to revelation. Nature, although voluminous in the display of the wifdom and power of God, and his goodness in general as exhibited in all her works; yet is unable to make any particular discoveries of his love and mercy, and although every herb of the field hath a voice, and every ftar in the firmament a tongue to declare and publish the former; yet the cross alone on which our Jefus died, fully and fatisfactorily makes known the latter.

That finners who had rebelled against their king and God, forfeited all claim to his favour, and merited the hotteft hell, fhould be redeemed, and that with blood divine, is a mystery that angels in vain defire to look into. The beloved difciple when meditating on this myfterious mercy manifefted to poor finners, cries out in an extatic strain, "what manner of love is this, the Father hath be"ftowed upon us, that we should be called the "Sons of God." 1 John ii. 1, and a little after in the fame letter, "in this was manifefted the "love of God towards us, because that God "fent his only-begotten Son into the world, that "we might live through him." Ch. iv. 9. This is the important truth holden forth to the world in the word of the gofpel; " he that believeth "on the Son of God, hath the witnefs in him"felf," of that tranfcendant love of God in

When we were without ftrength, (aftbenon) strength lefs, deftitute of all spiritual power whereby to perform any thing pleafing or acceptable to God. Matchlefs mercy that in this enfeebled ftate the Lord fhould favourably look upon us, for a talent of power he had depofited in our hands, and had right to expect his own with ufury; juftly there! fore might he have faid, (fince we had only not improved his talent, not only hid it in a napkin' to prefent to him his own; but had unfaithfully fquandered it away) take this (not only unprofitable, but) wicked and faithlefs fervant, and caft him into outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. But that God fhould look upon us in this state, should entertain kind thoughts of love, yea should commend his love to us; is god-like and marvellous beyond all conception; fuch undeserved goodness man could never have expected, if God had not revealed it. While we were yet finners, (amartolon) a crooked and perverfe generation that made a trade of finning, finned without remorfe, and continued therein, as if we had come into the world for no other end, and to do no other work. It does not appear that we had begun to abate our speed, or lofe our relifh for fin when God commended his love towards us, and made manifeft his mercy; but while yet we refolutely kept the field, and ftood in arms against the God of heaven and earth; while yet we violated his laws, and flighted his mercy, caft his reproofs behind our backs and fhut our ears against him; yet even then, (mirabile dietu) O wonderful goodness! God made manifeft his love, and fpared not his co-equal and co-eternal Son. Sin not only transforms the foul,

and

and defaces the divine image impreffed thereon; but also is in it's very nature oppofite and contrary to the immaculate purity of the divine being; nor it is poffible that God in his holy nature can be reconciled thereto.

Now it must be acknowledged to be a work highly becoming the wisdom, the goodness, and the love of God; to make a way for the falvation of the finner, yet manifeft his displeasure against fin, in fuch wife, that his holiness and juftice cannot be impeached; but he can be just, yet juftify the ungodly. If when we were enemies, What might we justly have expected as the reward of our rebellion? What lefs than that the Lord should fwear in his wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. We were enemies, but the Lord of hofts had nothing to fear from us, for we were without strength. Nor reconciled, had he any thing to hope from us, for we were finners, and had an enmity in our nature to all that was good.

This is the wretched ftate of man, when the mercy of God first moved towards him. He is not a man poffeft of power, by which he performs many virtuous acts, but enfeebled in all his faculties, a valetudinarian in fpiritual exercifes, a finner, aftubborn offender in life, and an enemy to God and godlinefs in his heart.

Now all that is effected in us, for our ftrengthening, pardon, and reconciliation, is by Christ's dying for us; and is therefore by the apoftle oppofed to each of these. Were we without ftrength? Christ died for the ungodly, not for righteous per. fons pretending a claim to heaven for the fake of their own virtues as fuch; but for ungodly finners; that hereby they might become righteous,

and