Section I. — Despair opposetli God in tlie greatest of all liis commands. The greatest command, beyond all comparison, in the whole Bible, is to believe. When those .Tews asked our Lord Jesus, Jolin vi. 28, ' What shall we do that we might work the works of God?' mark the answer, ver. 2i), 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' As if he had said. The most compendious way, that I am able to give you, is to receive me into j'our hearts by faith ; do this and you do all in one. 'This is the work ;' that is, iiiHlnr omiiinm, all you do is undone, and yourselves also, till this be done, for which you shall have as much thanks at God's hands, as if you could keep the whole law ; indeed, it is accepted in lieu of it. ' To him that worketh not, but bclieveth on him that justiiieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righ- teousness,' Rom. iv. 5. Where, by he that worketh not, is not meant a slothful, lazy sinner, who hath no disposition to work; nor a rebellious sinner, whose heart riseth against the work, which the whole law of God would employ him in ; but the humbled sinner, who desires and endeavours to work, but is not able to do the task, which the law as a covenant sets him, and therefore is said, in a law sense, not to work, because he doth not work to the law's purpose, so as to answer its demands, which will accept nothing short of perfect obedience ; this man's foith on Christ is accepted for righteousness ; that is, God reckons him so, and so he shall pass at the great day by the Judge's sentence, as if he had never trod one step out of the path of the law. Now, if faith be the work of (iod above all other, then unbelief is the work of the devil, and that which he had rather thou shouldst do, than any other sin ; and despair is unbelief at the worst. Unbelief among sins is as the plague among diseases, the most danger- ous ; but when it riseth to despair, then it is as the plague, with the tokens ap- pearing, that bring the certain message of death with them. Unbelief is despair in the bud ; despair is unbelief at its full growth.
Section II. — Despair hath a way peculiar to itself of dishonouring God above other sins. Every sin wounds the law, and the name of God through the law. But this wound is healed when the peni ent sinner by faith comes to Christ, and closeth with him. God makes account that reparations now are fully made, through Christ, whom the believer receives for the wrong done to his lav/, and his name vindicated from the dishonour cast upon it by the creatui'e's former iniquities ; yea, that it appears more glorious, because it is illustrious, by the shining forth of one title of honour, (not the least prized by God himself,) his forgiving mercy, which could not have been so well known to the creature, if not drawn forth into action upon this occasion. But, what would you say of such a prodigious sinner, who v/hen he hath woimded the law, is not willingto have it healed; — when he hath dishonoured God, and that in a liighly provoking manner, is not willing that the dirt he hath cast on God's face should be wiped offi Methinks your colour rises at the reading of this, against such a wretch, and you are asking, as once Ahasuerus did Esther, ' Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?' Esther vii. .5, Would you know ? Truly the adversary and enemy is this wicked despair. The despairing soul is the person that will not let Christ make satisfaction for the wrong which by his sins he hath done God. Suppose a man should wound another dangerously, in his pa.ssion, and when he hath done, will not let a surgeon come near to ciu"e the wound he hath made ; every one would say, his last act of cruelty was worse than his first. O my soul, saith faith, thou didst ill, yea, very ill, in breaking the holy laws of God, and dishonom-ing the name of the great God of heaven and earth thereby ; let thy heart ache for this. But thou dost far worse by thy despairing of mercy. In this act thou rejectcst Christ, and keepest him from satisfying the justice of the law that is injured by thee, and from redeeming the honour of his name from the reproach thy sins have scandalized it with. What language speaks thy despair, but this ? Let God come by his right and honour as he can, thou wilt never be an instrument active in helping him to do it, by believhig on Christ, in whom he may fully have them with advantage. O what shame would despair put the mercy of God to in the sight of Satan, his worst enemy? He is overjoyed at this, to see all the glorious attributes of God served alike, and divested of their honour. This is meat and drink to him. That cursed spirit desires no l)etter music than to hear the soul ring the promises, like bells backward, — nuike no other use of
510 ADOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.