SERMON XI.-CONSTANT JOY IN GOD THE DUTY OF CHRIS- REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAY; AND AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE. PHILIPPIANS, IV. 4. SERMON XII.-SAINTS DESIRE GOD TO PUNISH SINNERS. GIVE THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS, AND ACCORDING TO THE WICKEDNESS OF THEIR ENDEAVORS; GIVE THEM AFTER THE WORK OF THEIR HANDS; RENDER TO THEM FOR I, THE LORD THY GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD; VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN, UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME; AND SHOWING MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT LOVE ME AND SERMON XVII.- NEUTRALITY RESPECTING CHRIST IMPOSSIBLE. HE THAT IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME; AND HE THAT GATHERETH NOT WITH ME, A BRUISED REED SHALL HE NOT BREAK, AND SMOKING FLAX SHALL HE NOT QUENCH, TILL HE SEND FORTH JUDGMENT UNTO VICTORY.-MATTHEW, XII. 20.. SERMON XX.-THE MORAL IMPERFECTION OF CHRISTIANS 0, WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO SHALL DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS SERMON XXII.—THE HOPELESS STATE OF THE HEATHEN. THE WICKED SHALL BE TURNED INTO HELL, AND ALL THE NATIONS THAT FORGET GOD. SERMON XXIII.-THE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. FOR IF THE CASTING AWAY OF THEM BE THE RECONCILING OF THE WORLD, WHAT SHALL THE RECEIVING OF THEM BE, BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD?-ROMANS, XI. 15.. ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED OF THE LORD, THAT WILL I SEEK AFTER; THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, TO BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, AND TO INQUIRE IN HIS TEMPLE. PSALM XXVII. 4. SERMON XXVI.-THE TRIAL OF ABRAHAM. AND HE SAID, TAKE NOW THY SON, THINE ONLY SON ISAAC, WHOM THOU LOVEST; AND GET THEE INTO THE LAND OF MORIAH; AND OFFER HIM THERE FOR A BURNT OFFER- ING UPON ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS WHICH I WILL TELL THEE OF. GENESIS, XXII. 2..339 AND ONE OF THE MALEFACTORS WHICH WERE HANGED, RAILED ON HIM, SAYING, IF THOU BE CHRIST, SAVE THYSELF AND US. BUT THE OTHER ANSWERING, REBUKED HIM, SAYING, DOST NOT THOU FEAR GOD, SEEING THOU ART IN THE SAME CONDEMNATION? AND WE INDEED JUSTLY; FOR WE RECEIVE THE DUE REWARD OF OUR DEEDS: BUT THIS MAN HATH DONE NOTHING AMISS. AND HE SAID UNTO JESUS, LORD, REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM. AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TO-DAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE. — LUKE, XXIII. 39-43. .420 SERMON XXXIII.—THE GIVER MORE BLESSED THAN THE RE- I HAVE SHOWED YOU ALL THINGS, HOW THAT SO LABORING YE OUGHT TO SUPPORT THE WEAK, AND TO REMEMBER THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS, HOW HE SAID, IT IS AND SIMEON ELESSED THEM, AND SAID UNTO MARY HIS MOTHER, BEHOLD, THIS CHILD IS SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING AGAIN OF MANY IN ISRAEL, AND FOR A SIGN THAT SHALL BE SPOKEN AGAINST; (YEA, A SWORD SHALL PIERCE THROUGH THY OWN SOUL ALSO,) THAT THE THOUGHTS OF MANY HEARTS MAY BE REVEALED.— LUKE, II. 34, 35.. 448 SERMON I. THE SUPREME BEING THE ONLY PROPER OBJECT OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP. AND I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; worship God. - REVELATIONS, Xix. 10. THE apostle tells us in the beginning of this chapter, that he had a vision of heaven, where he heard a voice which came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write, blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." The apostle, it seems, supposed that the person, who had been revealing to him the future glory and prosperity of the church, was Christ himself in his glorified state. Accordingly, in a transport of joy and gratitude, "he fell at his feet to worship him." But the person perceiving his mistake, justly reproved him for his well intended, but misapplied worship. "See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus." This was as much as to say, "I am a mere creature, and, though of the angelic order, yet thine equal in office. I am appointed to deliver these messages of God to thee, as thou art to deliver the same messages to thy fellow men; and, in this respect, we are brethren and fellow servants, and neither of us is a proper object of religious worship, which is due to the VOL. VI. 2 Supreme Being alone: Worship God." The plain and full import of the text is, That God is the only proper object of religious worship. This is the important point, which I shall endeavor to establish in the present discourse. This will appear, if we consider, I. That the scripture represents God as the only proper object of religious worship. God directed Moses to say to his people, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." David taught the same doctrine that Moses did. He said, "The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Here David represents God as the Creator, and as above all other beings who had been worshipped in any part of the world; and requires his people to give unto the true God that religious and supreme worship and glory, which are due to him alone. God says himself, "I am the Lord; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." And our Saviour said to Satan, one of the greatest of created beings, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." I might cite a great many more passages of scripture of the same import; but all who have read the Bible know that the inspired writers uniformly represent God as the only proper object of religious worship. This will farther appear, if we consider, II. The absolute supremacy of God, in all his great and essential attributes. David represents him as worthy of the highest homage on account of his absolute supremacy. He says, "The Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” The Creator of all things must be the Supreme Being; and the Supreme Being must be the only proper object of religious worship. Here then it seems necessary to observe, |