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GOD'S WILLINGNESS TO SAVE.

"WHO will have all men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth." This passage, with many others of a similar import which you will find in the Scriptures, has been considered by many as opposing other parts of the sacred volume. It would be more correct to state that it may be viewed as opposing some of those particular and favourite systems which men have framed, and which they profess to have derived from the Scriptures. This gives me the opportunity of recommending to myself, and to you also, to cultivate a humbleness of mind, and with simplicity, and the hearts and teachableness of children, to accept the statements of Scripture as given by Him who inspired them. I can quote many passages, which will prove that God has chosen men to salvation from the beginning "through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." I can also quote many passages, which prove that God invites all men, without exception, to be saved. But, say you, how can you harmonize it? I am not called upon to do it: my business is to read the Scriptures, and to study them with diligence. And there are two points to which my attention should be directed.-Does this Book rest on evidence which no man can gainsay and refute? And then, if it does, I am to take its statements as I find them. And these two statements to which I have referred as represented in this Book, I can understand both, I can admit them both. When I put them together, I may find much difficulty in harmonizing and conciliating them, but nowhere am I commanded by God and his word to do this. I believe humbly in the doctrine of God's sovereignty; but I believe as firmly that God will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. O for more of that simplicity which Jesus recommended to his disciples in that memorable sentence, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." 'There is no reference to a specific decree to save some; there is no allusion to a purpose to save all; but a simple intimation that God is willing to save all. When we speak of salvation, we must premise that mankind are lost: this is the deplorable condition in which every son and daughter of Adam, without exception, is found. Tell me not of good hearts, and innocent manners, and charming characters, and persons without fault. Tell me not of hundreds and thousands who never heard the Gospel, and who never heard the sound of an evangelical ministry, who live in islands afar off upon the sea, and who are distinguished by moral virtues and pure lives. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Man by the fall has become a subject of guilt, a subject of depravity, a subject of misery, a subject of helplessness, exposed to damnation.-REV. J. CLAYTON.

CHRISTIANS DEAD UNTO SIN AND ALIVE UNTO GOD.

REV. W. JAY,

ARGYLE CHAPEL, BATH, SEPTEMBER 24, 1835.

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."-ROMANS, vi. 11.

THE change that takes place in all the subjects of divine grace is really wonderful. The language of the Scriptures is not too strong when it says concerning it," Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Or when it says, less metaphorically," If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." His relations are new. Satan was his father before-now God is his Father. The wicked and the worldly were his companions before-now he is a companion of all them that fear God; and the saints that are in the earth and the excellent are his delight. His state is new. He was condemned before, but is now justified from all things: he was before a child of wrath-he is now an heir of the glory that is to be revealed. His views, his dispositions, his pursuits, are new: his way, his aim, his life, his death, are all new. He is now "dead"-dead to what? "Dead to sin." He is now "alive"-alive to what? "Alive to God." He was both dead and alive before; but now mark the difference: He was then “dead,” ́ but he was dead unto God; he was then " alive," but he was alive indeed unto sin but now he is "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." This is the judgment, this is the estimation, the Apostle would lead the Romans to form of their character and their condition as Christians. " Thus," says he, "consider-thus estimate yourselves: reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

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Four things, therefore, will require brief notice. First, Christians are Qead indeed unto sin :" secondly, they are "alive unto God:" thirdly, they are dead unto sin, and alive unto God, " through Jesus Christ our Lord:" fourthly, they are willing to consider and value themselves accordingly: "Reckon ye yourselves."

First we are reminded that Christians are "dead indeed UNTO SIN." This supposes nothing less than their avoiding sin, but it implies much more. A man from a fear of loss, or from a hope of advantage, or from a reference to his reputation, may be urged and induced to avoid what he loves and there

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are many (there may be such here this evening) who are ready to wish that it were lawful for them to indulge themselves with impunity in sensuality, in drunkenness, in the profanation of the Sabbath, and in the omission of public worship, and all the means of grace: and the Lord looketh at the heart, and will give them credit for all this. Lot's wife left Sodom, but she was loath to leave it; she was not “dead” to it, her heart was in it still. This led her to look back, and she became a pillar of salt. If all those were to become pillars of salt who profess to forsake the world, while yet they really hanker after it, we should hardly be able to move about. Some of you would be petrified as you came up the aisle; others would be left petrifactions in your pews. What spectacles would the house of God soon produce! And all are transparent in the view of God.

As to Christians, Christians are mortified to sin: they not only leave it, they are dead to it; and they are dead to sin as soon as they are dead to the nature of it, and not to any particular instances of it. The Christian's aversion to sin is natural (I don't mean as to the old nature, but as to the new nature); and we know that all natural aversions and antipathies operate universally. For instance, we know that sheep have a natural antipathy to wolves, but this acts not towards this or that wolf in particular, but against all of the same kind, whether great or small. It is the same with this aversion of the Christian: it is not to some particular vice to which he may have no constitutional propensity, or to which he may have little temptation in his outward calling and circumstances. No; but he prays, "Deliver me from all my transgressions; save me from all mine iniquities." He is willing to cut off a right hand, to pluck out a right eye, to mortify the flesh with the affections and desires, to abandon his bosom lusts, saying, "What have I any more to do with idols?" This is the way, and indeed the only effectual way to preserve us from all sin: other preventions will be sure to fail when the power of temptation combines with opportunity, secresy, and privacy. It is this that serves to secure the believer so effectually under it, and that distinguishes him from every other man. He would not live in sin if he might.

This is saying much: but the Apostle says, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man:" and John says, "The world knoweth us not." The world is always making mistakes with regard to Christians; and there are two with regard to this subject it is perpetually making. For, in the first place, the men of the world contend that the doctrines which Christians hold, and their principles, are not favourable to holiness, and good works only lead to licentiousness (and this is a perfect falsehood): and in the next place, they judge of Christians by themselves. Because they love sin and wish to indulge in it, they conclude that Christians also love it, and that therefore they will seek every opportunity in their power to indulge in it. But the Christian does not feel sin to be his pleasure, and therefore he does not deem the opportunity to indulge in it to be his privilege. A person distinguished by neatness and cleanliness would not deem wallowing in the mire a privilege, nor woud he do it if he were allowed. There is a sense, therefore, in which a Christian lives as he lists, because his aversion is on the side of the prohibition of the Scriptures, and because his inclination now falls in with the line of his duty. If it were lawful to say to a mother, "Why you may take your child and throw it out of the window," she would not do it; she could not do it

and why could she not do it? Has she not strength enough to open the window? Has she not arms to throw it out? O! but it would violate every feeling of her nature; it would be impossible. Can she do this to her sucking-child-to the child of her womb? She could not: and this would be a safer prevention than any argument or threatening against it. So the Apostle John says, that the Christian" doth not commit sin "—that is, as others do, and as they once did" for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God."

You see how the apostle treats this matter in the chapter I have been reading, (Romans, iii). There were some who brought forward a charge against him for preaching a doctrine which afforded a tendency, or a permission, at least, to live in sin; and "We be slanderously reported," says the Apostle, "by such as saying, Let us do evil that good may abound." But how does he treat it? Why, with abhorrence: "How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?"-dead to it by profession, dead to it by obligation, dead to it by inclination.

But you will observe, that as no creature can live out of its own element long without compulsion, so it is impossible for the Christian, now that he is regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, to live in sin or to love it. But you will observe also, that negative holiness is not sufficient: it is not enough that the Christian" put off the old man' with his deeds; he must " put on the new man ;" and while he must live soberly, and righteously, and godly, he must not only "abhor that which is evil," but "cleave to that which is good;" not` only "walk not after the flesh," but walk" after the Spirit." Therefore we are reminded,

In the second place, that the Christian is not only "dead indeed unto sin," but " ALIVE UNTO GOD." Says the Apostle to the Ephesians, " You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." And in this chapter he says, "Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life." Nothing characterizes the natural man more than his insensibility and indifference with regard to God. There are some people who deny the fall, and deny the depravity of human nature: but I speak the words of truth and soberness-if there were no instance of immorality in the world, I should want no other proof to convince me that man was a fallen creature than this-his insensibility and indifference towards God, that he does not cherish the thought of him, that he loves not to retain God in his knowledge-that he says unto God," Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." That a subject should be dead to his sovereign that a child should be dead to his father-that the creature should be dead to his Maker-that a privileged beneficiary should be dead to his venefactor; can you imagine that God made man with such a disposition as this Would you make a creature that hated you? Would you make a creature, i it was in your power, that was indifferent and insensible to you? And did God make man thus? Could he have made man thus? No; he "made man upright, but he has sought out many inventions." Now reai religin must commence in the destruction of this insensibility with regard to Goa. The man is convinced of his need; the man feels his desire drawn forth after Goa; ne asks, "Where is God my Maker who giveth songs in the night?" He is

now one of the generation of thein that seek him." Man is now become" alive unto God." That is,

First, alive to his favour. While many ask, "Who will shew us any good?" he prays, "Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me. this will put joy into my heart more than when my corn and my wine is increased This is now the strength of his heart, and his portion for ever. He knows and feels now that "his favour is life," and his "loving kindness better than life. He can draw the conclusion that God loves him. This makes him happy, whatever may be his outward condition, however poor or afflicted. As the Apostle says, he "labours, that whether he wakes or sleeps he may be accepted of him "that is, in life and in death: and he prays that "the words of his mouth, and the meditations of his heart may be acceptable in his sight."

He is alive to God:" that is, he is alive to his presence. His prayer is, "Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." Is the sanctuary now attractive to him? It is principally because it is "the place where his honour dwelleth," where he can see his power and glory, where he can hold communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; and because of the promise, "In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and bless thee." Does he love the retirement of the closet? It is because there he holds communion with his God alone; and we all know that friendship delights much in secresy, and abundantly so does the friendship subsisting between God and the soul. He loves therefore the company of the godly, because they remind him of God, and bring him something of God's presence. Yes, and he considers heaven as the perfection of his happiness-not only as he will be there free from sin, but because he will be for ever with the Lord. He is "alive unto God:" that is, to his glory. It is this that led the Apostle therefore to say, "Whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do, let us do it all to the glory of God." He beholds the transgressors and is grieved; rivers of waters run down his eyes because men keep not God's law, and because he sees his glorious Gospel is undervalued and despised. Hence it is that he sympathizes with the cause of God in all its variations. If professors fall away, and bring a scandal upon it, he is "sorrowful for the solemn assembly," and "the reproach of it" is his "burden." On the other hand, if it succeeds, if the word of the Lord runs and is glorified, if many are added to the church of such as shall be saved, and if believers walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost-in this he rejoices, yea, and will rejoice: for this he has been praying ever since he prayed really at all, that His kingdom may come, and His will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. So when he looks out upon the state of the nations, he regards the various movements and changes that take place, as a Christian rather than as a politician; and he observes their bearing on his interests by a rule of his own; and he considers those the best times in which the best cause flourishes most.

The Apostle reminds us of a third thing-that Christians are not only "dead indeed unto sin," and "alive unto God," but it is "THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD." And this will be found to be throngh him, in four ways:

First, through him as their example. In his principles, in his temper, in his practice, in his life, they see the very character which we have endeavoured to describe, fully embodied. In him there was no sin; in him there were no

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