mankind; and doubtless, he himself is as bad as they." So reasoned the pharisees, concerning him who did no sin, but who went about doing good. And his own lips have taught us to expect, that they whose predecessors called the master of the house Beelzebub, will not be very candid and complaisant to them of his household (a).

True it is, that Christ received sinners and eat with them that he received them with the most beneficent welcome, into the expanded arms of his compassion; and even admitted them to a state of intimate fellowship and friendship. And what he then did, he still does; and will go on to do, until the whole fulness of his mystical body is gathered in by grace, and perfected in glory. He receives sinners in a three-fold respect: (1.) As the donation of his Father, who elected them to salvation. (2.) At the hand of the holy Spirit, in effectual calling. (3.) He receives their souls at the hand of angels, in the hour of death.-To which may be added, that he will receive them in body and soul united, when he himself shall descend to change the living, and to raise the dead.

Christ was not insensible of the calumnies, with which the pharisees laboured to stain his character, for extending his mercy to the helpless, the unworthy, and the abandoned. He spake this parable to them saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Christ is a faithful and watchful shepherd. He will not suffer so much as one of his sheep to be finally lost. If an individual saint wander from the fold, Christ goes after that soul and never ceases from his labour of love, until that soul is found. If you or I happen to lose any thing, on which we set a value; we may find it, or we may

(a) Matth. x. 25.

;

not: our search may issue in the recovery of the lost object, and it may all prove fruitless and unsuccessful. Herein is a very wide difference between God's seeking, and man's seeking. God never seeks in vain. An earthly shepherd may lose many a sheep, and lose them beyond retrieval. But Christ never lost a sheep, which he did not seek; and never sought a sheep, which he did not find.

And, when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. He does not suspend the return of the sheep, on the sheep's own free-will, (which would be very sheepish policy indeed); nor stand expostulating, and giving the sheep, what Arminianism would call, "a gentle pull" by the fleece: but actually lays hold on the wanderer; takes it up in his arms; layeth it upon his shoulders, by main strength; nor lets it go, until he has actually and finally brought it home. As all who seek his favour and an interest in his righteousness, are sure to find both one and the other; so all whom he seeks, are sure to be found of him.

And, when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours; saying, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. Our Lord himself applies and explains this part of the parable, in the words with which I began:

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven, over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.

Those, therefore, whom, in the preceding verse, Christ terms his friends and neighbours; and whom he calls upon to rejoice with him, on account of every conversion which his holy Spirit accomplishes below; are (1.) the elect angels, and (2.) the glorified souls of departed saints.

I firmly believe, upon the warrant of the text, that, as often as divine grace converts a single sin

VOL. III.

R

ner to Christ, the pleasing event is immediately known in heaven; and our great High Priest says, in effect, to the radiant throng that encircle his throne, Rejoice with me, for another of my lost sheep is found.

Indeed, there is nothing in heaven but joy. The peculiar presence of Deity, most eminently manifested there, is an endless and ever increasing source of blessedness, both to the spirits of the just, and to the seraphs that never fell. Where God is possessed; where Christ is seen; where the adorable Trinity pour forth their plenitude of glory, unclouded, on the delighted, undazzled view; where saints, the children of redemption, are the melodious songsters; and angels, the first fruits of creation, are the enraptured musicians; where the grand employ is praise, and Jehovah himself is the exceeding great reward; surely, there the cup of joy must overflow; and only the blest inhabitants themselves can tell, how blest the inhabitants are.

As

Is there then any thing that can heighten the celestial triumph? that can add to the felicity of those who stand in the divine presence, and enhance even their transcendent joy? There is: and we have just heard what it is. It is the regeneration of a fallen soul. It is the renewal of a sinner below. our Lord expresses it at the tenth verse, There is joy, in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth. No sooner is every fresh conversion made known on high, than additional joy is there. The memorable day is, if I may so speak, marked as a festival, in the calendar of heaven. Beatified saints exult, angels clap their wings, and the whole united choir raise their voices and strike their golden harps for joy, that a soul is born of God and made free of the Jerusalem which is above.

Such exalted hosannas would not resound on these occasions, among the inhabitants of the skies,

if the doctrine of final perseverance was untrue. Tell me, ye seraphs of light; tell me, ye souls of elect men made perfect in glory; why this exuberance of holy rapture, on the real recovery of a single sinner to God? Because ye know assuredly, that every true conversion is (1.) a certain proof, that the person converted is one of your own elect number: and (2.) that he shall be infallibly preserved and brought to that very region of blessedness, into which ye yourselves are entered. The contrary belief would silence your harps, and chill your praises. If it be uncertain, whether the person, who is regenerated to-day, may ultimately reign with you in heaven, or take up his eternal abode among apostate spirits in hell; your rejoicings are too sanguine, and your praises are premature. You should suspend your songs until he actually arrives among you; and not give thanks for his conversion until he has persevered unto glorification.

But there are no "election doubters," no perseverance deniers, in the kingdom of heaven. The happy spirits there, are as orthodox as the sun is bright. When a sinner repents they rejoice over him. Knowing, that he could not have repented, if he had not been elected: and that, as surely as he was elected, so surely shall he be glorified.

It is this which occasions the jubilee above. It is this which raises the harmonious concert high; which gladdens the shining hosts already saved; and puts a new song into their mouths, even accumulated thanksgiving unto God. They rejoice when they perceive the Redeemer's interest advanced, and the empire of the cross extended; when the communion of saints is enlarged, and when God's secret purposes of mercy have their open accomplishment in a sinner's visible accession to the kingdom of grace. For they are confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun the good work in that sin

ner's heart, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ (a): and, consequently, that every man or woman upon earth, who repents after a godly sort, is an heir of the grace of life, and shall be their companions in blessedness to all eternity.

It is observable, that our Lord does not say, in general terms, Joy shall be in heaven, over sinners that repent: but, joy shall be in heaven, over one sinner that repenteth; i. e. over each penitent in particular. To show how dear the soul of à returning prodigal is to God; and with what eclats of triumphal joy the news of a conversion is received by the angels and the saints in light. For this, they sing their thanks in strains, sweet as perfect love can dictate, and high as admiring gratitude can wind them up.

Should it be enquired, "How the spirits of those who have died in the Lord, are able to know, and therefore to rejoice at, the penitence of their fellowcreatures on earth? I answer, that there is no occasion for our having recourse to, what some popish writers term, The glass of the Trinity; as if glorified saints literally saw all things in God, as in a lookingglass, or reflecting mirror. Such a conceit savours more of childish fancy, than of solid reason and scriptural authority. I rather suppose, that the departed spirits of believers receive their information, of what passes in this lower world, from the angels of God; who are watchful observers of sublunary events, and, as they were represented in Jacob's vision, are continually (b) ascending and descending, i. e. passing and repassing, from heaven to earth, and from earth to heaven; charged with the performance of the divine commands, and acting as the instruments and commissioners of providence.Hence they are termed, angels, or messengers; which is a name, not of nature, but of office.

(a) Philip. i. 6.

(b) Genesis xxviii. 12.