"Every man is brutish by his knowledge." "I am more brutish," saith Agur, " than any man," Prov. Xxx. 2. Yea, the whole human race are emphatically called beasts; as it is written, "That God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts," Eccl. iii. 18. These were the beasts represented to Peter in this sheet; four-footed beasts. Some sinners are also called dogs, as Christ called the Gentile woman, Matt. xv. 27. Some are called swine, Matt. vii. 6. Some are called wolves, Matt. x. 16. Some lions, Zeph. iii. 3. Some calves, Mal. iv. 2. But "the wolf shall dwell with the Lamb [of God], and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child [or babe in grace] shall lead them," Isaiah xi. 6. That sheet contained all the elect from eternity, and is their rest and divine solace when grace has tamed them, as is represented by their lying down with the Lamb.

There were creeping things also in the sheet, as well as beasts; some sinners are called serpents, some vipers, Matt. iii. 7; and some are called worms, Micah vii. 17. And there were fowls of the air in the sheet also; mark, the elect are called doves, Isaiah lx. 8; eagles, Isaiah xl. 31; and speckled birds, Jer. xii. 9. These were the living creatures in Peter's sheet; And there came a voice to him, saying, Peter, kill and eat; take the sword of the Spirit, and kill them to all hope in the law; crucify them to the world, that they may be dead

unto sin, Rom. vi. 2; kill them to all confidence in the flesh, that their old man may be crucified with Christ; that they may become dead to the law, and be married to another, Rom. vii. 4; Arise, Peter, kill and eat."

'I told you, at the well of Samaria, that I had meat to eat that ye knew not of, and that my meat was to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work, John iv. 32, 34. I have made thee, Peter, a minister, and the conversion of these sinners must be the meat and drink of thy ministerial appetite, or thirst for souls.

Mine elect in this world are compared to fish in the great sea, Ezek. xlvii. 9-11. And I told thee, Simon, I had made thee a fisher of men, Mark i. 17. Suck therefore of the abundance of the seas, Peter, for that is the food of the minister, Deut. xxxiii. 19. For the abundance of the seas shall be converted unto me; the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto me, Isaiah lx. 5. Mine elect are a treasure hid in the sand, Deut. xxxiii. 19. Though Israel be as the sand of the sea; yet a remnant shall return," Isaiah x. 22. "Arise, Peter, kill and eat;" "suck of the abundance of the sea, and of the treasures hid in the sand," Deut. xxxiii. 19. "Thou shalt also suck the milk

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of the Gentiles," Isa. lx. 16. "And in their glory shall you boast yourselves," Isa. lxi. 6.'

Arise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said ; "Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean." Oh wretched con

"And the

struction! too carnally understood. voice spake unto him the second time, What God hath cleansed [mark that, it is spoken in the past tense], that call not thou common." Peter's last comment on the vision proves what I have asserted, when he says; "But God hath shewed me that I should not call any man [mark here, these beasts and creeping things are called men] common or unclean," Acts x. 28.

Let it be observed that, when this sheet was let down, all these beasts were in it. It was let down from heaven, and the beasts were in it, to shew their election and eternal union with Christ in the bond of everlasting love; represented to Peter by the sheet. And afterwards these beasts were drawn up again in the sheet, to shew their safe arrival in glory, in the same sheet or bond of eternal love.

And, though they are compared to beasts, yet they were all in the sheet, and said to be cleansed, though they were not called by grace; for they were not dead to the law, nor were they alive by faith; no, they were to hear the word from Peter by which they might live. And the sheet was let down thrice; to shew, first, their eternal union with Christ in the bond of everlasting love; and therefore they are said to be "preserved in Jesus Christ, and called," Jude 1. Secondly, this sheet is let down at conversion, as appears by the Holy Ghost falling on them when Peter spake to them. And, thirdly, it shall be let down again at the

general resurrection for their bodies; for their bodies, as well as their souls, were represented by four-footed beasts, if not more so; and, though they snuffed up the wind at their pleasure, like a wild ass in the wilderness, Jer. ii. 24, yet they were let down from heaven in this sheet, and cleansed in Christ, who is their sanctification, and who sanctifieth them; "For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one," Heb. ii. 11.

Some of these four-footed beasts were knocking at Peter's door at the same time that the vessel was drawn up to heaven again; "Now, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, and called, and asked whether Simon, which was sirnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision the Spirit said unto him, Behold three men seek thee; arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them," Acts x. 17-20.

Thus this love extended itself in its administrations far and wide, until it gathered some from the east, some from the west, some from the north, and some from the south; and will bring them at last to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, Matt. viii. 11. God gave the word, and great were the company that published it. Even when the devil raised a per

secution against the apostles of God, this was made an instrument, in his wisdom, for promulging his divine law; as it is said, They went every where preaching the gospel. Legions of poor souls got hold of these sweet cords of the everlasting love of the Trinity. And some ran one way with it, some another, until they fulfilled this prediction; "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited," Isaiah liv. 2, 3.

And this eternal love in its breadth shall never leave the earth till "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ," Rev. xi. 15. And then "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," Hab. ii. 14.

I now come to the fourth head proposed, viz. the depth which is mentioned in my text..

The profound depth of the love of Christ may be subdivided into three heads. It was deep in the eternal counsel of God; it was a mysterious depth in the agonizing sufferings of Christ; and deep in the manifestation of it to poor mortals who were deeply fallen.

First, it is deep as considered in the eternal counsel of God; deep, because it lay hid from everlasting, until it was made known to God's