oppofition to this doctrine; we will leave them to the day which fhall try every man's work, of what fort it is; at the fame time being certain that if their hearts and all the exercifes of them do oppofe and reject the God who has foreordained whatfoever comes to pafs, and they live and die with fuch hearts, they will be found to be workers of iniquity, and ranked with them who "know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift."

IV. Let all who believe this doctrine be concerned to live answerable to it, and conftantly fear before this God, and live in the exercife and practice of every branch of true godliness; and not, as many do, hold the truth in unrighteousness, and pervert it to bad purposes.

The Chriftian has learned to unite a conviction and fenfe of entire dependence on God, who orders and works all things according to his unchangeable decree, for every motion and right exercife of heart, with zeal and activity in religion, working out his own falvation with fear and trembling, with felf-diffidence, and a fenfe of his own infufficiency for any good thing, and a humble dependence on God for grace to do his duty; becaufe, he knows that God worketh in him both to will and to do, of his own good pleasure; [Phil. ii. 12, 13.] And the stronger and more fteady conviction he has that God overrules and orders all things for his own glory and the greatest good of the whole, even all the fin and rebellion of men, the more unreafonable and criminal does fin appear to him, as it is in its nature and tendency direct oppofition to this event. And therefore the more does he loathe, abhor and condemn himfelf for his fins, and acknowledge his defert of eternal deftruction: knowing that God's foreordaining whatsoever comes to pafs, leaves the finner as free a moral agent, and as inexcufable and criminal, as if there were no decree in the cafe.

Bleffed are they who understand thefe things, and know the only true God, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working; and Jefus Chrift, whom he has fent, who exerciseth loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. SERMON

Sermon XX.

WRITTEN IN. THE YEAR 1800.

The fins of men are fo under the direction and controul of God, as to glorify him, and fubferve the good of his kingdom, in every inftance of it which he fuffers to take place..

Pfalm lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee the remainder of wrath fhalt thou reftrain.

IN

N this pfalm God's care and protection of his church is celebrated. In the midft of all revolutions, wars and confufions, which take place in the world, and the various and ftrong combinations of wicked men against his people, they are fafe and happy under his care, who will effectually reftrain all their enemies, and finally utterly defeat and deftroy them, and give deliverance, peace and falvation to his church..

In the words now to be confidered, the abfolute and univerfal dominion of God over all creatures and things is afferted, fo that he can and will turn all the oppofition which is made to him and his government, however ftrong and violent, and however long it may continue, to promote his own glory, and anfwer the beft ends poffible; and all the fins which would not fubferve thefe good ends, he can and will effectually reftrain, fo that they fhall not exist.

This very important and useful fentiment will be illuf trated and established by a particular explanation of this paffage of fcripture, and the inferences to be made from it.

"SURELY the wrath of man fhall praife thee.". This is afferted not only as a truth, but as a most evident and certain truth, and of great importance to be believ

ed

ed and relied upon with the greateft confidence and affurance at all times, whatever feeming appearances there may be against it, and though we may not be able to see how it can poffibly be true. This is expreffed by the word furely, with which the fentiment is introduced.

The wrath of man comprehends all the rebellion and fins of men, that ever have or ever will take place, by which their hatred of God and his law and govern. ment, and ftrong oppofition to thefe, is expreffed. Mankind, ever fince they have multiplied on earth, have, in general, been in arms, at war with God, and with each other; and this war has in numerous inftances been carried on with great apparent engagedness, wrath and fury, in fome more directly against God, and in others immediately against each other. All this is comprehended in the wrath of man, in our text: and fo are all the thoughts and exercises of heart and conduct, however private, and more or lefs apparent and strong, which are contrary to the law of God; for all thefe are of the fame nature and kind with thofe finful actions in which men are more apparently, and with greater wrath and violence, combined againft God and each other. And all the fins of good men, whether committed before they were converted or after, are included in this expreffion, as they are as really in opposition to God and his law, as the moft open and avowed rebellion and rage against him, though not fo ftrong and vifible. Thus, all the fins of which men are guilty, whether greater or lefs, more fecret or open, under whatever form or pretence they are committed, are included in the wrath of man, as they are all rebellion againft God, and a violation of his law, and opposition to his caufe, church and kingdom; though the more open and violent oppofition to the divine government, to the church and people of God, and to each other, may be more particularly intended by the expreffion. This is evident and certain, not only as all the fins of men are of the fame nature and evil tendency, but they are all fo united and combined, that if any inftance and

degree

degree of fin is made to praise God, it must do fo in every inftance for the fame reafon; and if it were not fo, the affertion in the words before us would be fo partial as to be attended with great uncertainty, and of little ufe and importance in the application of it, as will appcar in our further attention to the fubject.

"The wrath of man fhall praife thes," that is, fhall honour and glorify thee. The fin of man fhall, in every inftance of it, be the occafion and made the means of the manifestation and difplay of the glorious character and perfections of God, which could not have been made to fuch advantage and in fo great a degree, in any other way, had not fin exifted in every inftance in which it has done, or ever will do. This is not owing to the nature and tendency of fin, confidered in itself; for it tends to directly the contrary, to difhonour him, and is a direct and awful opposition to the moral government, perfections and exiftence of God; but to his power, wifdom and goodness, by which he is able and difpofed to overrule all the rebellion against him, even every fin which is committed, to answer his ends, and promote his own glory.

"The remainder of wrath fhalt thou reftrain:" that is, that wrath and thofe fins of men which are not fuit. ed and neceffary to answer this end, to be fo governed and overruled as to praife and glorify God, he will effectually reftrain, and not fuffer it to exift. This reprefents God as the fupreme, fovereign difpofer of all things and events, ordering what fhall and what shall not exift, from the greateft to the leaft, and directing the will and actions of men in every motion and exertion, fo that all depend upon his will whether they fhall have an exiftence or not; and this includes all the fins of men, as really as any other event whatever. The counfel of God's own will determined whether there fhould be any fuch thing as fin and rebellion, and how much of this fhould exift, even juft fo much as fhould praise him, and no more; which neceffarily includes a determination concerning every inftance or act

of

of fin, whether greater or lefs; as his determining that this earth fhould exift includes a determination how large it fhould be, of what materials it fhould be compofed, and concerning every part, and every grain of fand, &c. of which it should confift. All this is neceffarily implied in the words under confideration. For

in determining that fin should exift, and just so much as would praise him, and no more, there must be a determination concerning every act of fin that fhould take place.

The existence of the wrath of man, the continuance. of it, the height to which it should rife, and all the confequences of it, depended as much upon the will of God, as did the exiftence of man, and of a particular. providence to be exercised with respect to him from the first to the laft, containing the wifeft and best plan, by which God is moft praised and glorified, and the greatest good promoted. Thefe are fo united and blended together, the one implying the other, that all muft exift together, in order to form a perfectly. wife plan, which shall be moft to the glory of God, and the greatest good of the universe. For when it is faid, the wrath of man fhall praife God, it is equally afferted, that all the fin which does or ever fhall take place fhall promote the greateft glory and happinefs of his kingdom, and of all his friends, who fhall dwell in it for ever; for their glory and happiness depend upon the glory of God, the manifeftation and difplay of his glorious perfections, and will keep pace with this for ever, the former neceffarily taking place and rifing in proportion to the greatnefs and increafe of the latter, there being a neceffary and infallible connection between them; fo that whatever praises God, and ferves to manifeft and display his character and glory, equally promotes the happinefs of all who are his friends, and the glory of his everlafting kingdom.

Of all this. there is the greatest affurance and certainty, expreffed by the Pfalmift in our text; but we have other ftrong, corroborative evidence of these fame

truths,