the Lord is gracious themselves, to long that others may taste also! "Come, see a man which told me all that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" "The Spirit and the bride say, come." Oh! go to Jesus; I found him a merciful and a gracious Saviour.-Matthew, whose bowels now yearn over his former companions, the publicans and sinners, invites them to hear Jesus, that they might also partake of his grace. But see the modesty of his own narrative "as Jesus sat at meat in the house." He does not tell us, that he "made a great feast" for Jesus, at his own house: but Luke tells us so. If true Saints love not to speak of their own excellencies, it is fitting that others who see them should not be silent concerning them. This humility, and this sincere compassion for the souls of former comrades in iniquity, then, are the immediate effects of grace. Who among us know the like? What evidences of conversion like this of Matthew, have we experienced? But "their Scribes and Pharisees murmured "--not against our Lordthere was an awfulness in his character that kept them at a distance, but "against his disciples, saying, why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" This is the true Pharisaical spirit. These holy men were too good to be touched by a publican. They would have thought themselves defiled by such company. They see not the filthiness of their own natures. The least insight into that, will always dispose a man to think no otherwise of himself than as the vilest of the vile; for it inclines a man to think none so vile as himself. Thus when a man is brought quite low in his own eyes, he will thankfully embrace Jesus as his Saviour; glad now to live out of another's life; to act from another's strength, and to rejoice in another's righteousness. And this is that "mystery of godliness, the life of faith in Jesus," which we preach; and which when I forget, as the grand theme of the gospel, call me no more a Minister of Christ. But, oh! this principle of self-righteousness! How strongly does it work in many decent, regular moralists! They may envy the happiness of those gross sinners, whom grace has humbled, and enabled now to live a life of holiness, to which they themselves are utter strangers. They can have no idea of such love of God! Pride, and malice, and self-sufficiency, all under a decent show, and all unknown even to themselves, set them farther from God than the grossest sinners. To such how hard to learn this lesson, that "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," and that they must be saved by mere grace, as much as the greatest criminal in the world. Theirs is a hard case, and very discouraging to think of, if one look at human means and probabilities. But "is any thing too hard for the Lord?" He can make the proudest to feel their vileness; and enable the most haughty and the most stubborn of Pharisees to read, in legible lines, their own character; find themselves vile sinners, and gladly submit to be saved by Christ alone. Saul of Tarsus was one of this stamp: and yet who, more than he, after his conversion, saw into the evil of self-righteousness, and glorified more simply in Jesus Christ? To be plain, we must drop all hope of this kind, I mean from comparing ourselves with others, or we are on a wrong foundation for life, and are not come to Christ. And what think you is the way to bring men thus low in their own eyes, and make either Publican, or Pharisee, gross, or decent sinners, feel their absolute need of salvation by Christ alone? I will tell you by experience: For I surely have reason to know this matter, having been once righteous in mine own eyes. Only be serious, brethren. Whether you rank with Publicans or Pharisees, humbled to the point before us you must be, or never know what rejoicing in Christ means. Do not deceive yourselves with notions of religion. It is a thing that must be felt in the inmost soul. What I was going to tell you, will be done from the words of the text. "And Jesus answering unto them, said, they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Yes, Pharisees, if God make you feel your sickness, and let in light into your souls to know how and what manner of persons you are, no sick man ever applied more earnestly to a physician than you will to Christ. Why does the word come so cold to your hearts? You are not sick: You understand not, you relish not the gospel, because you feel not the pangs of conviction. Pray then to be awakened. Examine your lives by the rule of God's commands, and seek till you do feel and know what vile and condemned sinners you are. The pain and trouble of true conviction is great when God makes a man to know what he is. How foolish, then, foolish as well as proud and wicked, appear his former high thoughts of himself. conviction of sin is not given to be rested on. from the Saviour: it should lead you to him. But It is I trust there are some here who know what peace and rest is, through faith in Jesus. But do not many still remain at a distance, pining away in conviction, or wearing it off and relapsing into a trifling state? Think! The issue should be healing by Christ the physician, and through the application of his blood. That can do for Pharisees and for Publicans what they want, and nothing else can. How long will it be ere many half-earnest professors come to a point in this business, and find healing through the blood of Jesus? Will you go to hell, then, at length with your eyes half open? And will not ye who once knew these things, but whose eyes are now grown dim through sloth and worldliness, return and be revived with grace before you die? And ye who say all is well with you, and who yet are unacquainted with these things--may one ask when began your soul concern? When had you acquaintance with Christ? When experienced his healing power? Go ye and learn what that meaneth, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The spirit of the law is to be preferred before the letter. Self-righteous characters are always nice in trifles, and negligent in the life and soul of religion. Happy for us Christ is not so: He has mercy on poor humbled Publicans. Yes, and on Pharisees also, when they become humbled. Behold! in the text, a lovely picture of grace, condescension, pity, loving-kindness. Sink down in your own sight, ye sons and daughters of men, or you cannot see it. He came to save sinners. The righteous who think themselves so he abhors. Submit yourselves to him and be happy. SERMON XIII. THE HAPPY EFFECTS OF FEARING ALWAY, Prov. xxviii. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischief. THERE is not a more common description in Scripture of godly men than this, that they fear the Lord. In the text the constancy of this fear is recommended: "Happy is the man that feareth alway.” It is never safe, while we live, to be without such fear as causes us to suspect ourselves, and to watch over our steps that we go not astray. The man will be always safe who does this. But he who rushes on without watchfulness and suspicion, will certainly bring himself into great evils, and if he cease not from his folly, into hell at last. "He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief." cases. Such is the general instruction of the text. It is my design to apply it more particularly to several In doing this I see, methinks, four sorts of characters to be attended to.-1. The man of this world, who has no fear of God before his eyes, and who professes no principle of religion.-2. The man, whose religion only affects his head, but never reached his heart.-3. The man, whose heart has |