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ishment, then in order to continue this rest, the punishment would be protracted; but rest is taken after the labour is done, and the longer the labour continues, the longer rest is defered.

To apply our metaphor, we may observe, that God's love toward mankind is a holy love, and all the desires of that love are righteous. The holiness of his love and the righteousness of its desires sanctify his severest judgments and direct them all to the accomplishment of the desires of love.

The figure of expression used in our text is very strong; it seems to represent the divine Being as being in want of rest from the exercise of his severity and indignation, and as finding that rest in his love toward those whom he had chastised, by pouring on them all his fierce anger, which terminated in their subjection to his will. But the scriptures, without intending to represent the Almighty as being changeable, use such metaphors for the purpose of conveying an idea of the ultimate design and goodness of God, in all his works.

Where we have an account of the creation of all things, we are informed that God proceeded with his work day after day for six days, and when he had ended his work, he rested on the seventh. But here let us remark, that he rested in his love, for he was able, after taking a perfect survey of all his works, to pronounce the whole "very good." If there had been any part of the creation which would not answer the purpose for which it was made, God would not have pronounced it good, nor could he have loved that which was not good, nor could he have rested in his love.

Man was the last work which the divine Creator performed, and man he made in his own image. Man he stiles his offspring, he calls himself our Father, and he directs his providence and grace in a way to provide for us, and to bring us to the enjoyment of himself.

When man had sinned, and God came to him in the cool of the day, he pronounced his judgments with such limitations as to manifest his purpose in the final deliverance of his sinful children from the power of the tempter by the seed of the woman who should bruise his head. Thus we see that God rests no where but in his love.

Had the creator on this occasion, denounced on man the malediction of never ending misery, according to the doctrine of our catechism; and had it been his pleasure to inform them, as the writers of our creeds have informed us, that by this first transgression the whole posterity of Adam and Eve had become liable to the pains of hell forever, we could hardly find how to reconcile this doctrine with the idea that our heavenly Father rests no where but in his love.

It may be profitable in this place, though it be painful, to spend a few reflections on the resting place, which the wisdom of this world has invented for the Father of our spirits. This invention, in order to accommodate our heavenly father with the most perfect and quiet rest, has assigned a great part of his rational offspring to the most exquisite torments which improved imagination has been able to suggest, and has assigned the execution of this torture to him! That parents may not only see this subject, but feel a little by having it represented in subordination to our understanding, we may suppose a similar invention for the accommodation of the parent of a numerous family, to give him the most perfect rest. Thus three quarters of his children are to suffer the most exquisite torments which human invention can devise; and to have this torture so administered as to be protracted for a long time, and the parent himself must execute this punishment!

Parents, would you call this a bed of roses? Do you wish to repose your weary limbs, after carefully nursing and bringing up children, on such

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down as this? Disgusted, you reply, why do you torture our feelings and grate our ears with such unnatural similes?

We deserve to have our feelings harrowed with these thorns, with these briars and thistles, for we have spread them out by our wicked inventions for our merciful and compassionate Father in heaven to rest himself on to all eternity! The creeds of the christian church now contain the invention under consideration, our preachers dwell upon it, and on its different parts, with an earnestness by which they evince their zeal for God, and professors' patiently hear this doctrine proclaimed, and pronounce it wholesome orthodoxy. As long as this remains to be the case, a hope is entertained that people in one way or another, will be made to hear their doctrine applied in a way to make them feel its effects.

However men may err in their inventions, however they may attribute the worst of designs to God, he is of one mind and none can turn him. The love in which he rested on the seventh day, after he had created all things, is the same love which he manifested after man had sinned. This is the love which he has had in view in the administration of all his judgments, and the same which he has manifested through Jesus for the salvation of mankind from sin and death. The hearer will recollect that we have said that in order for one to rest in love, all that love desires must be accomplished. This idea is within your easy comprehension. If one has a desired object, an object of the most affectionate regard in view, but great difficulties and dangers lie in the way of obtaining this object, you know that this condition is by no means calculated to give rest. But if the difficulties become surmounted, and the dangers removed, and the longed for object finally obtained, the successful soul finds rest in love. Thus Joseph the persecuted brother,

tenderly loved his brethren, suffered many things for their profit, overcome all embarrassments and finally received them all under his safe protection and found a calm, a sweet repose in his love. To prove them, to try them, for a season he treated them roughly, and with severity. He accused them of being spies, come to see the nakedness of the land. He kept Simeon bound while he sent the rest to their families. He directed the silver cup to be deposited in Benjamin's sack, he gave orders for his arrest, and greatly tried the hearts of those who had sold him; but during all this time Joseph did not rest in this manifestation of anger. How often did he weep alone with love, pity, and grief for his brethren; but when he had humbled them enough and made himself known to them, embraced them all and granted them forgiveness, he rested in his love. Had he failed in his heart's desire of seeing all his brethren duly humbled, and had two thirds of the whole utterly refused to acknowledge their faults, or submit themselves to him, we may reasonably suppose, that he would not have enjoyed that rest in his love which he did when he fed them al! at his own table.

Let the mind pass from this circumstance to the consideration of the love of God to mankind and to consider the extent of mercy's design as manifested through Jesus. The following passages relate to this subject. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the

Son to be the Saviour of the world." By these passages we learn that the grand design of the Father's love in sending the son into the world was to save the world, and this design must be fully accomplished in order for the Father to rest in his love. My friends, you know that love which desires that which we can never obtain, in room of affording us rest, gives us uneasiness. Now if the design or desire of the Father's love is the salvation of the world, how can he ever find rest in his love if this desire is never accomplished? But he worketh all things after the council of his own will. His judgments and his mercies will be employed and well directed to their object, until the vast design of love is completed in the reconciliation of all things to God, who will forever rest in his love. Thus are the judgments of God explained in the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

The divine economy in the moral system may be represented by a bountiful and benevolent providence, by which our temporal wants are satisfied. Winter, in which appears no promise of bread in future, spring, in which promises but just make their appearance, and summer full of labour and toil precede the bountiful autumn, when rest and festivity cause to forget the labours of the past seasons, and we find that all has happily terininated for good.

This general subject may be contemplated to advantage, by taking into consideration the labors and sufferings of our blessed Redeemer, all which terminate in giving him rest in his love. After the

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