whose heart is at their right hand find more happiness in the performance of all their religious, secular, social, dangerous, and self-denying duties, than other men. And this fully explains Solomon's declaration: The ways of wisdom "are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." It is a groundless prejudice, which both young and old sinners imbibe and cherish, that it would destroy their happiness to become religious, and serve God instead of themselves.

6. If a good heart fits men for every duty, then all good men desire to grow in grace. They desire grace, not merely on account of the spiritual enjoyment that grace affords them, but principally because it fits them for every duty towards God and man. They know by experience, that the more grace they have, the more prepared they are for every good work. Paul was sensible, that without Christ, he could do nothing; but, through his strengthening grace, he could do all things. This led him to pray, that when he was weak, then he might be strong; strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. It is the moral weakness of christians to do their duty, that makes them most sensible how very imperfect they are in their attainments in grace. How often do they find their heart at their left hand, when they need it at their right hand! How often are they embarrassed with doubts respecting duty! How often do they shrink from difficult and self-denying duties! How often does their good heart fail them, and their bad heart lead them to negligence and disobedience! Such unhappy and painful effects of their weakness in grace, excites them to read, to pray, and use all the means of growing in grace. Read the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm, in which David prays, in every varied form, for quickening, enlightening, strengthening, and consoling grace. Christ's disciples realized the weakness of their faith, and prayed him to increase it. Good men are not satisfied with the bare performance of mere external service, and therefore feel the need of internal grace to perform every duty.

7. If a good heart fits men for every duty, then those who are destitute of it continually live in darkness. Their evil heart prevents them from desiring to know and from understanding their duty, in a vast many cases. They are generally involved in moral darkness. Hence Solomon says, "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." But when they are not involved in darkness, their evil heart is fully set in them to do evil, and disobey every divine command. This is certainly a very deplorable situation. But who are in this situation? Let all examine; for all may know.

Those whose heart is at their right hand, have found the benefit of it, in discovering duty, and in rendering duty easy and pleasant.

Those who are involved in ignorance and disobedience, may know that their heart never has been at their right hand. But is this a calamitous state? No. Every one may come out of it, if he chooses. Let all choose whom they will serve. Here consider how little good you have done; how much evil you have done; and how much good you may yet do, to yourselves and to others.

SERMON XXI.

REVOLUTION AND REFORMATION.

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING, DECEMBER 2, 1819.

I WILL overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. — EZEK. xxi, 27.

THOUGH this prediction has particular reference to Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, and foretells his utter ruin, yet there is reason to think that it ultimately respects Jesus, the king of the Jews. For Zedekiah had no successor to his throne, as a king of the ten tribes, who were, upon his captivity and death, carried to Babylon, and dispersed all over the world, and still continue in their dispersion. The successor, therefore, to whom God promised to give the government, was undoubtedly the Prince of Peace, whose way God meant to prepare by great revolutions and changes among the nations of the earth. This appears from what the prophet says in connection with the text. "And thou profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: remove the diadem and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him." This is a prediction that the crown, the diadem, and every mark of royal authority should be taken away from Zedekiah, who had forfeited it, and given to him who was to come, and who when he came would have a supreme right to govern not only the Jews, but all the nations of the earth. And who could this be, but the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God had

promised to set as King on his holy hill of Zion? Taking the text in this sense, it leads us to conclude,

That God will bring about the glorious reign of Christ, by overturning all things that stand in the way of it. I shall inquire,

I. What things do stand in the way of the glorious reign of

Christ.

II. By what means God will overturn or remove the things which stand in the way of Christ's reign. And,

III. Why we may confidently expect that he will effect his gracious design.

I. Let us inquire what things do now stand in the way of Christ's glorious reign. These may be comprised in the following particulars.

1. Every species of tyranny stands in the way of the glorious reign of Christ. His reign will be a reign of righteousness and peace, to which every species of tyranny stands diametrically opposed. Both civil and ecclesiastical tyrants always have been and still are hostile to the reign of Christ. As soon as Christ set up his kingdom, all the kingdoms of the world being tyrannical, were unitedly opposed to his subjects and to his kingdom, and employed all their power and influence to prevent its enlargement and establishment. And all pagan and Mohammedan governments are still tyrannical, and still hostile to the kingdom of Christ, and many christian nations are more or less tyrannical, and consequently more or less hostile to the pure and peaceable government of Christ. Civil tyranny in every nation and in every form, stands in the way of the glorious reign of Christ, and so does all ecclesiastical tyranny. This early prevailed in the christian church, and has been carried to a greater height than any civil tyranny ever has been. The christian clergy soon began to usurp unchristian authority, and gradually carried it to higher and higher claims, till the Pope presumed to be the universal and supreme head of the Church, and to exercise a right to govern and put down the greatest kings in christendom. Though such exorbitant ecclesiastical tyranny has been considerably checked and restrained in later times, yet it still predominates in all popish countries, and has no small influence in every part of the christian world. And just so far as it exists, it is entirely hostile to the spread of the gospel, and the approaching reign of Christ. Every species of tyranny in every part of the world, is one thing that stands in the way of the reign of the Prince of Peace.

2. Idolatry, or the worship of false gods, stands directly in the way of the spread and prosperity of Christ's kingdom. This has been, and still is, practiced by the great majority of

mankind in ten thousand forms. All the pagan, Mohammedan and popish nations are idolaters; and their idolatry is generally closely connected and interwoven with their various forms of government; which renders it one of the most powerful and irresistible enemies to Christ and his cause. It has banished christianity from a great part of Europe, Asia and Africa, where it once flourished and prevailed. Men must be cured of their idolatry, before they can or will embrace the gospel of Christ.

3. Infidelity stands perfectly opposed to the universal spread of christianity. Though there are different degrees and shades of infidelity, yet every species of it stands in the way of building up and enlarging the kingdom of Christ. "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" Infidelity has greatly prevailed of late years in France, in Germany, in Britain and America. Though in one way it has been checked, yet in another way it has been cherished and promoted, even by men of profound learning and reputation. German divines are doing much to spread infidelity, and some other divines are paving the way to it. This then is at present a great and growing obstacle to the promotion of the cause and kingdom of Christ.

4. Heresy, or the disbelief of the great and fundamental doctrines of the gospel, has been and still is a great obstacle to the propagation of the christian religion in the world. It alienates the affection, diverts the attention, weakens the hands, and cools the zeal of those who profess to be concerned for the spread of the gospel, and for the coming of Christ in his kingdom. There never was a time, perhaps, when professed christians were more divided in their religious sentiments, and more zealous to proselyte others to their favorite and false opinions, than at this day. This obstacle must be removed before "the Lord shall be king over all the earth, and his name shall be one." Our next inquiry is,

II. By what means we may suppose God will overturn or remove all these things which stand in the way of the glorious reign of Christ. As the things to be overturned, or the obstacles to be removed, are various, so we may suppose God will employ various means to prepare the way for the coming of Christ in his latter day glory. In particular,

1. By public calamities, or desolating judgments. This is plainly intimated by the prophet Isaiah. "Who is this that cometh from Edom; with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save."