the peculiar work of God himself; which was the second observation I proposed to illustrate.

The natural man, as I just now said, may change the object of his devotion ; and having experienced the vanity of any particular idol, he may say concerning it, « What have I to do any more with thee ?” Such a change as this is abundantly common, it is easy, nay it is necessary: it requires no exertion of strength; weakness itself is sufficient to produce it, being no other than the natural, the unavoidable, consequence of satie. ty and disgust. But amidst ten thousand changes of this kind, the man is only turning from one idol to another; and though he may pass from grosser ones to others more refined; from mere bodily indulgence to the amusements of science; or, perhaps, from the gratification of selfish and turbulent passions to the cultivation and practice of some public and social virtues; yet still he stops short of God: all the objects of his pursuit belong to the present state of things; and he aspires to no bigher felicity than may be gathered from the materials of this earth which he inhabits.

Accordingly, the conversion of a sinner, or the turning him from idols to the true God, is every where throughout the Scriptures represented as the effect of omnipotent creating power. It is called a new creation, a being born again, a resurrection, a passing from death to life. Nor are these expressions metaphorical, but strictly just; they are the words not of truth only, but of soberness. The apostate creature is really dead, in the truest and most important sense of that word. For what is natural death, as it is commonly styled ? The soul, when separated from the body, doth not cease to exist; and though the body itself moulders into dust, yet no particle of that dust is annihilated or lost. The

principal effect of that humiliating event, is to put an end to the creature's connexion with a present world; the man ceases to be any more an inhabitant of this earth; and when we say he is dead, this is all we commonly mean to express.

Now sin hath broken our connexion with the spiritual world, as really as the separation of the soul from the body will break our connexion with this material world; and therefore, without any metaphor, sin is the death of the soul or spirit of the man, whereby it is cut off from the source of life, and utterly disabled to relish those em. ployments or pleasures which alone can render a spiritual being happy. And in this state it must remain, till the same power that gave it existence at first shall create it anew, and restore those faculties which sin had destroyed, of acting and enjoying according to its true and proper nature.

The use of this observation is twofold; first, That those who are turned from idols may, with humble gratitude, give God the glory, and cheerfully trust in him for perfecting the change his grace hath begun; and, secondly, That they who are conscious that they are still joined to idols, may immediately, and without any circuit, go directly to the Fountain of life, even the Father of spirits, who is in Christ Jesus reconciling the world unto himself, and cry as they can, for new life, from bim who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those tbings that be not as though they were.

But how doth God quicken the dead in trespasses and sins, and separate the sinner from his idols?

III. My third observation is the answer to this question. He doth it by the discovery and application of his pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace. I join these together, because they are so inseparably connected, that neither of them can exist apart; “ for whom God justifies, them he also sanctifies.” And both of them are expressly mentioned in the context, as the means by which Ephraim should be disposed and enabled to say, What have I to do any more with idols?

The discovery of pardoning mercy is the first means employed for working this change. Fear is the immedi. ate consequence of guilt, which soon degenerates into hatred, or that enmity against God which is the distinguishing characteristic of the carnal mind. No sooner had Adam sinned than he became afraid of his Maker, and preposterously endeavoured to flee from his presence. This fear is the natural inheritance of bis chil. dren. God appears as an enemy to the guilty soul; and so long as he is viewed in that light, it is impossible that he can be the object of its love. But the report of pardoning mercy presents him in a light so suited to the necessities of the apostate creature, that in proportion as it is believed, the sinner is encouraged to look to him with hope. And when the evidence of this report is so fully seen, as to vanquish distrustful, tormenting fear; when that blessed record gains entire credit, “that God hath given to us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son,” whom he hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in bis blood; that, without staining the honour of his justice, a way might be opened for the free exercise of mercy to the chief of sinners; then God becomes the object both of love and confidence, and appears so completely amiable, that, in comparison of him, those fdols which the soul formerly desired, stripped of their delusive charms, are regarded with contempt, nay, renounced with abhorrence.

Now, if the believing views of God's pardoning mercy have this effect, how powerful must the experience of it be, when accompanied, as it always is, with his sancti. fying grace? When the soul hath not only seen, but tasted, that the Lord is gracious, and that in bim the fatherless findeth mercy; when God saith, (as in verse 4th) “I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away;" especially when, as it follows, he becomes “as the dew unto Israel," causing the influences of his Spirit to descend upon the soul, whereby the barren wilderness is turned into a fruitful field; above all, when the great Lord of the vineyard comes into his garden, to eat his pleasant fruits; or, to drop the allusion, when the soul, washed, and sanctified, and justified, hath experienced the ineffable delights of fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, through the Spirit;—then the victory over the world is completed, and the person will be enabled to say without any reserve, What have I to do any more with idols?

IV. My fourth and last observation was, that these words of Ephraim, in their most extensive meaning, will and must be adopted by all, without exception, upon whom God hath been pleased to confer his

pardoning mercy, and his sanctifying grace. For these im. portant blessings are not only the means by which the sinner is separated from idols, but they are means which can never fail to produce the effect. This happy change is not only their natural, but their necessary consequence; and therefore, if we be not turned from idols, however just and orthodox our speculative opinions con. cerning these points may be, it is certain, that we have not yet tasted that the Lord is gracious; for thus it is written, (Gal. i. 4.) that Christ " gave himself for our

66 sins,” according to the will of God, “ that he might deliver us from this present evil world;" and it is mentioned as the distinguishing character and real attainment of all his redeemed ones, (Gal. v. 24.) “ They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.”

By this time you will have discovered your concern in the subject, and the use you ought to make of it. I have showed that man, in his natural state, is joined to idols; that it is God alone who can separate him from them; and that he doth it by means of his pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace. Now it is by faith in the Redeemer that any of the children of Adam come to be interested in these great and inestimable benefits. Here then you are furnished with a plain decisive test, whereby you may judge of your Christian profession, and examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. If idols reign with full power in your hearts, the conclusion is unavoidable, that as yet you have neither part nor lot in the Saviour; you are utter strangers, both to pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace. On the other hand, though their dominion be taken from them, so that they cannot be said to reign within you; yet, in whatever degree their influence remains, you may certainly conclude, that so far your faith must be weak in proportion. Only this is your comfort, that he who hath begun the good work will carry it forward to perfection; for “ he is the rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are judgment.” He who is the author, is likewise the finisher of his people's faith. To him therefore let your humble prayer be addressed. Say to bim as the disciples did,

Lord, increase our faith.” And you may do it in the assured hope of being heard; for he hath promised the Spirit to them that ask it. Let us then ask and receive, that our joy may be full.

From all that hath been said, we learn,