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God forbid that any of you should be found thus fatally to have received his grace "in vain!"

Let us all, then, in the language of our scriptural church, "beseech that almighty and gracious God, who hateth nothing that he hath made, and doth forgive the sins of all them that are penitent, to create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of him, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

SERMON V.

ON THE EQUITY OF GOD'S DISPENSATIONS.

EZEKIEL XXXIII. 11.- "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live."

FROM these words, addressed by the prophet Ezekiel to the Israelites, in vindication of the divine conduct, with which they were dissatisfied, I shall first notice some objections which have been urged against the equity of God's dispensations; and then, by divine aid, prove the truth of the solemn declaration here given by the Almighty himself. In vindicating the ways of God, we cannot but observe with the wise king that "the foolishness of man too often perverteth his

way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Thoughtless persons are prone to charge God most unwisely; as if blame could attach to him, who doeth all things well; blame, on account of the apparent unequal distributions of his providence, and the seeming partiality of his government. When such persons experience the just effects of God's displeasure against sin,

they are apt to impugn his administration; and, under the pressure of perhaps merited suffering, to imagine that he deals harshly with them. This reprehensible conduct was frequently exemplified by the Jews, who complained that the calamities which befel them were occasioned by the sins of their forefathers.

So extensively indeed did this persuasion prevail, that it became a common proverb among them," the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge;" impiously affirming that the procedure of the Most High was not just and equitable. They presumed to say, "the way of the Lord is not equal." To repel this groundless charge, and to shew the perfect righteousness of his dispensations, the Almighty was graciously pleased to commission his servant Ezekiel to assert the rectitude of his providence. Hence we find the prophet, from time to time, in the exercise of this duty,-employed in refuting the objections which the Jews brought forward against the wisdom and justice of Jehovah.

In the verse immediately preceding the text, the prophet convicts them of having said, "if our transgressions and sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?" He then proceeds to give a satisfactory reply to so strange an inquiry, in the verse selected for our present meditation. This unbecoming conduct

towards God, for which the Jews were notorious, has not been without a parallel in every age; and still unhappily exists in our own. It must be acknowledged that, to our imperfect, limited view, the ways of Divine Providence toward societies, as well as individuals, often appear to be involved in great obscurity. Concerning them, clouds and darkness are round about the Almighty; yet righteousness and equity are ever the habitation of his seat.

To the attentive reader of scripture many instances of this sort readily present themselves, which give occasion to thoughtless people of superficial discernment, to suppose that God is a respecter of persons; and that the world is not governed according to the laws of consummate righteousness; nay, some have even been induced to call in question this fundamental truth, “that the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

Men of this description sometimes cavil at the unequal distribution, both of spiritual and temporal blessings, and urge this as a proof of partiality in the great Dispenser. Comparatively, they say, but few are the favourites of heaven; but few possess great mental abilities, personal vigour, extensive property, and elevated stations; whilst many, under a kind of pre-determined malediction, hated of God, and despised among men, languish through weak

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ness and want, exposed to neglect and contempt. Little do men of this captious disposition consider, that God's blessings, both temporal and spiritual, like his sunshine and his showers, are shed on the evil and on the good; that all spiritual gifts, to be effectual, must be improved by piety and prayer; and that all earthly enjoyments are uncertain and perishing, not unfrequently attended with vexation of spirit; that they profit not in the day of wrath, and are unworthy to be compared with the more excellent benefits which God ever confers upon his faithful servants. Sometimes they complain of distressing disappointments, which have frustrated the best designs and defeated the most sanguine expectations, even after the most proper means have been employed to attain the desired objects. Now, such events, which it must be acknowledged are not of uncommon occurrence, only shew that, without the concurrence of God's providence and blessing, all human efforts shall prove abortive; whilst they serve to correct proud presuming men for the unwarrantable confidence they place in human means and instruments. Sometimes such persons murmur at those retributions which, to their finite perceptions, seem disproportioned to the services performed; as did the labourers, represented in the parable, who accused their lord of partiality in giving them their hire: nor have there been

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