ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness. Gladly did he learn, under God, to believe this record for himself, and to find through his Surety a righteousness perfect and spotless. He now looks on death as a friend, and looks forward to God as his Father. He knows, with Paul, that "if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, he has a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." I say, he knows nothing less than this assured knowledge can content a soul awakened like his.

And, now, how fitted is this doctrine to answer the end of the Gospel in delivering men from fear of death! He says, with Paul, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Here is a rational foundation for joy and triumph in death. And why should he not be sure? God is faithful in his record, and there he trusts. He knows, indeed, that no man but he who is holy, and renewed in his mind, or born again, can enter into heaven. He who never felt in his soul such a work as this, may well be uneasy in death. But this man has felt it; and his hope maketh him not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. He dies, then, in peace, and is received to glory.

SERMON III.

THE WICKED SALTED BY FIRE, THE RIGHTEOUS BY GRACE.

MARK ix. 49.

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

THE true meaning of this passage can scarce be ascertained without referring to the preceding words. Our Saviour was shewing the absolute necessity of crucifying the affections and lusts. Every man, who sets out for the kingdom of heaven, will find something or other which offends him; some favourite passion or idol, which directly stands in his way, and forbids his progress. Conscience points out the necessity of parting with it. Strong inclination says, Spare it, spare it; and specious reasonings are sought out to vindicate the indulgence. But, if it be like a hand, a foot, or an eye, it must be cut off, it must be plucked out. Christ brings the matter into a very close compass, and reduces us to a dilemma: either part with it, or go into hell-fire. Whether is the better way? Mankind are slow to believe this. If it be possible to make his meaning appear

different, they will attempt it. Christ knows this; and therefore, in several verses before the text, he repeats (we may suppose very probably for this very reason) the same thought several times, to the end that no man, unwilling to part with his sins, may flatter himself with hope of salvation. And, to cut off all hope of being saved in the next life, he repeats again and again, that the worm shall never die, and the fire shall never be quenched. Opinions, which I may justly call damnable ones, against the eternity of hell, he knew would be broached by men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. And could sinful men verily believe that this would be the case; that, even after many years' punishment in hell, they might still be delivered from torment, the consequence would doubtless be this, that they would venture with still more greediness to sin. And I seriously apprehend, that if such sentiments prevailed, much, very much as wickedness now abounds, it would extend itself still more, and men would know no restraints in sinning. Indeed, experience shews that this is the case. Look at the lives of those who treat with contempt the awful threatenings of God against sinners, and talk of the mercy of God as too great to send any sinner into a place of eternal torment. Such men, having lost all idea of the Divine justice and purity, and scorning the real mercy of God, which the Gospel of Christ exhibits through his atoning blood, live in sin

unchecked and unrestrained. And it is observable, that sensual and unclean lusts particularly domineer over such men; and these very charitable persons are the pests and plague of their fellow-creatures, filling towns and families with all the evils necessarily attendant on lasciviousness. It is not only, therefore, necessary for the ideas of the next life, but also for the benefit of society in this, that the real Scripture truth on this subject be attended to seriously by men. And when men of wicked and impure lives, and unconverted persons in general, are once made sensible of these things, and feel the truth of our Saviour's words, and are awakened in good earnest to flee from the wrath to come, then it is proper that the comforts and motives and encouragements and promises of the Gospel should be laid before them, that they may be quickened, and drawn effectually to God.

The fire spoken of in the text is the fire of hell, which our Lord has repeatedly brought into view in the foregoing verses. And here is an allusion to the law of Moses, the ideas of which are quite familiar in the New Testament. Every sacrifice offered to the Lord by fire was to be salted with salt, in order to be acceptable to God. The quality of salt, in preserving meat and keeping it from putrefaction, is well known; and therefore, in this shadowy dispensation the instruction is this, that whatever is offered to God should be clean and pure.

This is sufficient for the explanation of the latter clause of the text, "every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." All really converted and purified persons,-men who through grace have really mortified the old man with his lusts, and cut off the hand and foot, and plucked out the eye, all these are as so many sacrifices salted with salt. The savour and the purity-(both these qualities of salt are obviously alluded to)—the savour and the purity of real sacrifices, acceptable to God, are what our Lord here means; and such persons, having now their whole hearts given up to God, shall serve and enjoy their God for ever; and by the salt of grace which is in them, shall be preserved from the destruction which will seize other men. It is not so with the wicked. Those who live and die with lusts unmortified and indulged, every one of these (and this is the former clause of the text) "shall be salted with fire." They would not receive the salt of Divine grace, to purify them and fit them as sacrifices acceptable to God: they shall therefore be salted in another manner, dreadful beyond thought; they shall be salted with hell-fire. This shall preserve their being for ever-in this respect it has the quality of salt, which is of a preserving naturebut, while it preserves their being, it consumes them body and soul, and will do so for ever. This I take to be the true meaning of the former part of the text, "For every one shall be salted with fire ;" and this is perfectly agreeable to