feelings are derived from the word of God. The Bible is a holy book, and reveals a just and holy God. But does it shut the door of mercy against convinced and broken-hearted sinners? Does it tell them that their condition is desperate? When God proclaims his name, and declares that he is merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; does he set limits to his forgiveness, and say, it can go so far, and no farther? When God says: "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool;" does he point to sins which are more than scarlet and crimson, and which cannot be forgiven? When the Prophet declares that God will multiply pardons; does he say, he will extend his pardoning mercy to so many sins, and then stop? When he pardoned Saul of Tarsus, and others among the chief of sinners; did he signify, that there were any, who rose so much above the chief of sinners, that they could not be pardoned? Tell me, distressed and desponding soul, does not God know his own heart? When he plainly tells you that he is rich in mercy, and delights to forgive; does he say it to mock your miseries? When he promises pardon to all who truly seek it; have you any reason to doubt the truth of his promises? Do you despair of Divine mercy, because any sinner, even the most guilty, ever sought mercy in vain? Are there not multitudes now in heaven, who were once as guilty and wretched and helpless as you are? And is the mercy of God exhausted, so that he cannot pardon and save as he did in days that are past? What more shall I say? Do you not know, that in this world of mercy, where atoning blood has been shed, despairing thoughts are very dishonorable to God? Can you think that you treat your heavenly Father as you ought, when you doubt whether he is powerful enough, or merciful enough to do what he has promised? Remember my friends, that the God with whom you have to do, is a great God-great in power and wisdom and holiness, and great in goodness. He has riches of grace; he has unfath omable depths of mercy, an ocean of love. You may very pro perly ask, who among the children of men, could forgive offences like yours? But you may look to God for compassion and grace which is infinitely higher than any in the heart of man. There is nothing more displeasing to God, than to call in question the greatness of his mercy, or its sufficiency for your salvation. Better doubt the omnipotence of God — better doubt his eternity, or his infinite knowledge, than to doubt the riches of his grace. The work of pardoning and saving sinners through the blood of Christ, is a work on which God has specially set his heart. In this work he intends to do such wonders of mercy as will fill the universe with astonishment and joy. And if you who are so sinful and wretched, will go to the throne of grace, and in your humble confessions present before God a depth of guilt which the human mind can never fathom, and will heartily pray the prayer of the publican-"God be merciful to me, a sinner;" he will say to you, "be of good cheer; thy sins which are many, are forgiven thee." He will certainly do this; and it will be to the praise of the glory of his grace. But my dear friends, whether you will hear, or whether will forbear; whether you will believe the gospel, or die in your sins; -it shall be known to you and to the world, that God abounds in goodness; that his mercy is higher than the heavens; and that whosoever cometh to him, he will in no wise cast out. And if at the last day at the winding up of the present scene of things the Lord grant it may not be so but if at the last day, any of us or all of us, shall fall short of heaven; it will be known to the universe, that it was our own fault, and was not owing to any want of mercy in God. - TWO SERMONS DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, ANDOVER, SERMON I. THE CONVERSION WHICH IS OF MAN. Jeremiah 31: 18.-TURN THOU ME, AND I SHALL BE TURNED; for thou art THE LORD MY GOD. He THE Prophet here speaks in behalf of the Israelites. acknowledges that they have been rebellious and refractory under divine chastisements; and he is aware that they have a pride and stubbornness of heart, which cannot be subdued, except by a power above that of man. With this view of their guilty state, and feeling a deep concern for them as the people of his charge, he offers up the following prayer in the name of each individual among them: "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God." Turn thou me, and then I shall be effectually turned. This prayer expresses a sentiment, which is fully confirmed by the current representations of God's word, and by the experience of those who are effectually enlightened by his Spirit. The sentiment is, that true, saving conversion is the special work of God; and as such the servants of God are to seek it in fervent prayer for sinners. There is evidently an implied contrast between that turning or conversion which is the work of man and which is to be traced to his agency, and that which is God's work, and is to be traced to his agency. I propose to consider these distinctly, in the two following sermons. First; there is a turning or conversion which is man's worka conversion which is accomplished by man's agency, without the sanctifying influence of the divine Spirit. Such a change in sinners is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures. Multitudes heard Christ gladly, and did many things which seemed to be right, who remained unregenerate. In the parable of the sower, a large class of persons are represented by the seed which fell on stony ground, and that which fell among thorns. A remarkable effect is produced. There is an apparent turning from sin. But the change is not permanent and saving. The Apostle Peter speaks expressly of those, who have, in some sense, escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ, but are again entangled therein and overcome; and what he afterwards says implies, that notwithstanding their apparent conversion, they were unchanged in their moral nature. There are spurious conversions at the present time also- conversions which are altogether the work of man. There is much seeming piety, which has its origin in the will and affections of unsanctified sinners. There is an abundance of religion without holiness. My object is to show, that that conversion which is the mere product of the powers and dispositions of unsanctified man falls short of holiness, and that true, saving conversion does not spring from this source. I shall endeavor to set forth in its true light, the religion, the very best religion which is not of God, and shall thus endeavor to take away the hope which sinners are so prone to indulge, that they can attain to repentance, faith and obedience of themselves, without the renewing of the Holy Ghost - a hope which is all delusion, and leads to certain disappointment and ruin. It may assist our contemplations to consider a little what man is; not what he was originally, nor what he should be, nor what those finally will be who are renewed by the divine Spirit; but what man is by nature-what he is in his degenerate, unsanctified state. It is too evident to need proof, that man is a moral, accountable being. He has a rational mind. But his mind is perverted and depraved. In other words, man himself, is depraved; he is without holiness, and inclined to sin. He has conscience, understanding and will. Sinning cannot destroy these faculties. Man's will may be corrupt, and it is so; his reason and understanding may be, and are, under a wrong influence; they are misguided and perverted. But they can never be destroyed. Man has various dispositions and affections. He has self-love; and he has the relative and the social affections. He has desires after natural good. He has hope and fear, love and hatred, joy and sorrow. He is susceptible of the feeling of reverence in view of what is great, of gratitude for kindness, and of respect and admiration for distinguished justice and magnanimity. He is capable of discerning the natural beauty and fitness of virtue, and the deformity of vice, and of feeling approbation of the one, and disapprobation of the other. Such is man. He is a rational, accountable, immortal being, without holiness, and without any disposition to holiness;-with a conscience which approves what is right, and disapproves what is wrong, but with a heart which rejects the right, and cleaves to the wrong; with mental powers of wonderful activity in regard to natural things; and wonderful activity also in regard to things which are moral and spiritual; though his activity is wholly under the influence of a wrong principle, and directed to a wrong end. Now the single inquiry to which I invite your attention is this; what has man accomplished in his present fallen state, when in different circumstances, he has attempted by his own powers of mind, to turn from sin, and to form himself to piety and goodness, without the special influence of the Holy Spirit? It is a question of fact. To what sort of conversion and to what sort of religious character has man actually attained, and to what will he ever attain in this way? |