sides, is it not presumptuous to expect, that the laws of his government, which are established in eternal truth and rectitude, should on our account undergo an alteration? The Almighty exercises a moral administration over all his rational creatures, who are widely dispersed throughout the universe. His kingdom is governed by laws, to which the sanction of rewards and punishments is annexed. To pardon iniquity, therefore, without a satisfaction, would be inconsistent both with the justice and the wisdom of God. And hence, it is obvious, that mere unasisted reason (which could never have found out this satisfaction) can give men no sure hope of a glorious immortality. To them who never enjoyed the light of revelation, the prospect into the world of spirits has been extremely dark and gloomy. Nay, often driven by frightful forebodings, the most avowed patrons of natural religion have plunged into absolute infidelity with respect to a life to

come.

The well-grounded hope of immortal happiness is reserved for the Christian alone. It is clearly brought to light by

the gospel, and by many repeated promises insured to the believer. But how, my brethren, is this hope said to be wrought in us by experience? When af the fliction has produced the happy effects upon our temper and character, which we have already mentioned, that is, e when it has weaned the heart from an immoderate attachment to things seen and temporal,-when it has brought to the soul a full conviction, that nothing short of God can be a satisfying portion to an immortal spirit,-when it has led us to seek his favour and friendship as the first and great object of desire; and to acquiesce with cheerfulness in the method of obtaining it which the gospel reveals, to see and admire the infinite fitness of the blessed Jesus to be our Saviour, to embrace and rely on his finished work as our sole but sure title to salvation ;-when, moreover, faith in him has produced its natural and proper effects in giving purity to our heart and spirituality to our affections, fervour to our devotions, and heavenly mindedness to our conversation ;-when it has led us to activity and zeal in promoting the

glory of God, the interests of religion, and the comfort of our fellow creatures; -then, surely, have we experience (or proof within ourselves) that our afflictions have been sanctified, and that they have been sent in love, as means, in the hand of God, of" working out for us a far more exceeding, even an eternal weight " of glory."

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Such, my hearers, is the experience which worketh hope, not merely the hope of deliverance from our present afflictions, but of the glory and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel. It is the evidence that the believer hath in himself that he is a child of God, and an heir of the heavenly inheritance; and therefore it is that the Christian "glories "in tribulation, knowing that tribulation "worketh experience, and experience

hope, and hope maketh not ashamed; "because the love of God is shed abroad "in his heart by the Holy Ghost, which "is given unto him." And this naturally led the apostle, in the following verses, to consider and establish the grand foundation of the whole, and that is, the amazing extent of the love of God in a

Redeemer. "God commendeth his love "towards us, in that while we were yet "sinners Christ died for us."

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This is the foundation, and the only foundation of the Christian's hopes. It is only in virtue of the atonement made by the Lord Jesus that he dares to hope for the favour of God, and a happy immortality. In the cross of Christ he beholds the noblest display of all the divine attributes; there" justice and mercy meet together, righteousness and peace mutually em"brace." There all the perfections of the divine nature harmonize, and all tend to this point as to a common centre, to display the glory of the great Creator in the salvation of sinful and guilty creatures. What though in yourselves, my friends, you are weak, yet in Christ all fulness dwells! What though your sins are of a crimson colour and a scarlet dye, the blood which was shed on Calvary can wash their deepest stains. It is this which dispels every gloomy thought, raises the dejected soul, and inspires with the noblest joy. Leaning on this anchor, you can enter within the veil into the holy of holies ;-with a filial boldness, you

can approach the very throne of the Most High. Neither outward calamities, nor inward sorrows, can rob you of your Saviour's love. "Who shall separate us from "the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or "distress, or persecution, or famine, or "nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in "all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, "nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, "nor powers, nor things present, nor

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things to come, nor height, nor depth, "nor any creature, shall be able to sepa"rate us from the love of God, which "is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Such, then, are the hopes, such the privileges of the Christian.

It now remains that I offer a few reflections from what has been said. In the

First place, What gratitude ought we to express for the gospel of our blessed Saviour?

The virtuous part of the heathen world, guided solely by the light of nature, could form but very inadequate conceptions of a happier and more per