PART t. SERMON L 11 gion could pretend to furnish themwith; and this is a witness to the truth of christianity. No mere human religion can pretend to tell how this special love of God may be attained, no human religion can ever tell us how long.this love of God shall continue; but the word of God gives us full evidenceand assurance that theworst of sinners who apply tpJesus Christthe Saviour, in the way of humble faith and hearty repentance, shall not only he forgiven and released from theguilt of sinand punishment; but also shall be beloved of God for the sake of Christ, and that this divine love is everlasting. ReadActs iii. 19. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Acts xvi. 31. Believe on the Lord- Jesus Christ, . and thou shalt be saved. And when persons are interested in these promises, who shall lay any thing to their charge? Who shall condemn themwhen God justifies? Who shell separate them from thehaveof Christ ? Shall tribulation or distress, famine or sword? No, by no means ; for in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that has loved us; and we are per- suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God whichis in Christ Jesus our Lord; Rom, viii. 38, &c. When a rational mindis awakened to see the emptinessofall creatures, and their insufficiency to make him happy, and finds nothing but the eternal love of God capable to make a creature truly blessed ; how miserably must that soul be tormented, that knows not whether Godwill lovehim or no, nor howthis love may be attained ; nor, when once attained, how long this love will continue ? But he finds an answer to all these painful questions in the gospel of Christ : For the Father loves the Son infinitely, and loves all those that believe on him for his sake ; they are for over accepted; in him who is first and for ever accepted: and they are beloved in him who is first and for ever beloved ; Eph. i. 6. III. The happiness of eternal life consists in the pleasure that arises from the regular operation of all our powers and passions. This was a great partof the happinessof the innocent man; his reason was the guide to all his meanerfaculties, and his appetites, and his affections in a sweet harmony followed the conduct ofhis reason : And as his understanding and judgment put forth their regular dictates, so-the meaner powers paid a constant obedience, and pursued their proper objects. There was no irregular anger to set his blood on fire ; no intem- perate and corrupt wishes to vitiate his nature, to pollute his pleasures, and disturb his peace; none of those tumults and hur- ricanes in his soul, which we so often feel in our fallen state, and
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