heads. It is not the minister's loss, provided that he gives no just ground of offence or prejudice. This is a truth which seems to be but little understood in these days. Too many act as if they supposed that they are conferring upon their spiritual instructor some great favour by coming to church; or inflicting upon him some grievous injury by withdrawing from his ministry. But this supposition must be erroneous. Whose profit or whose loss is it, when men appreciate or despise the ministration of the word and sacraments? Is it not their own? Surely it is. It is their own benefit to be faithfully instructed in the true way of happiness, both in this world and in that which is to come. If the people refuse to hear the truth, turn their backs on the house of God, "neglect so great a salvation," and perish through wilful ignorance, it is their own loss. "If thou warn the

wicked, and he turn not from

his wickedness, nor

from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."

"We persuade MEN." Not angels but men: not the fallen angels; but fallen men. To the fallen, guilty race of Adam is the overture of mercy made," the word of this salvation sent."" The originally inhabitants of heaven, having forfeited their primeval glory, were passed by; and man

1. Ezek. iii. 19.

2 Acts xiii. 26.

created out of the dust of the earth, but in the moral and happy image of his great Creator, though fallen by transgression, has been selected as the object on whom divine grace and mercy might be bestowed, and bestowed consistently with the full exercise of divine justice. Yes, my brethren, to us is made, and that "without money and without price," the offer of pardon, peace, reconciliation with God, eternal life, a forfeited kingdom; in a word, all the rich and varied blessings of the covenant of grace. What reception do we give to this offer? O! if a messenger were commissioned to stand and proclaim upon the verge of the bottomless pit, and within the hearing of every lost creature, condemned to eternal torment, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without

price," ,"3 how, think ye, would the message be heard? Surely, not with that apathy, neglect, and disdain with which mankind too generally hear that and similar invitations. And what shall be their doom, how shall they escape, who neglect this great salvation ! Alas! every warning unheeded, every offer of mercy despised, every opportunity unimproved, every sabbath profaned, every means of

3 Is. lv. 1.

C

grace neglected, will form so many items of account on the judgment-day, and so many bitter ingredients in the cup of sorrow and woe which the damned will be constrained to drink through eternity! "Knowing therefore" these things, "we persuade men."

In laying before you, from time to time, these and other divine truths, "we have not followed cunningly devised fables;" but we are fully persuaded of the truths delivered unto you. We have not, we trust, sought to gratify your ears or to elicit your praises of us, “with enticing words of man's wisdom;" but have laboured to "persuade" you to embrace the truth in the love thereof.

one

To some of you, the word of God has, I hope, been effectual; and you can set to your seal that the word is true. You have the testimony of your own conscience, your own experience, that the word "is the power of God unto salvation to every that believeth:" that word, you discovered, describes your own character, your true state; and brings to light the hidden things of your heart. In describing the corrupted, miserable, guilty state of man, you found that the word was describing your own; and in offering to you the healing balm of the blessed gospel, you found it to be what you just required. For these discoveries you are in

debted to "Him who worketh all things after the .counsel of his own will." To Him alone ascribe the praise and the glory.

But we fear that to many of you, the gospel of Jesus has been as yet but a dead letter,-an empty sound dying on your outward ear. You have listened, but you have not believed; you have been invited, but you have not come; you have been exhorted, but not effectually persuaded "to flee from the wrath to come," and "to lay hold upon the hope set before you" in the gospel. Sabbath after sabbath, and year after year have glided away, and borne you on their wings nearer eternity; but, alas! not nearer heaven. The maturity of age has overtaken you; but by your neglect, abuse, if not contempt of privileges, by your increased hardness of heart, you have grown riper for eternal ruin and you have added to your guilt, and consequently aggravated your condemnation. Divine wisdom has called; but ye have hitherto refused; she has stretched out her hand; but ye have not regarded. May the Lord in his mercy arrest you in this mad career, and turn you from the error of your way, that iniquity may not be your ruin.

28

SERMON III.

ON THE SINFUL CONDITION OF MAN.

GAL. iii. 22.

"The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

THE testimony of scripture, respecting the condition of man since the fall, has, in all ages, been fully verified. Though that testimony is so strongly supported by facts, yet, multitudes, while they profess to believe the scriptures, will not believe that the state of man is so bad, so deplorable, so helpless, as it is represented to be in the word of God. This mistaken view of our fallen condition, must originate in ignorance of the character of God, the extent and spirituality of his holy law, the inflexible, uncompromising justice of God, and the defilement and demerit of sin. Under the influence of this ignorance, men vainly imagine that the performance of a few external acts of religion, with what they esteem a tolerably correct life, or a life free from