short your day, and causing your sun to go down in endless night. "Is it not therefore high time to awake out of sleep, and turn to the strong holds while you are prisoners of hope?" With many of you possibly; with some of you "probably the night is far spent, and the day is at hand, the day" of righteous retribution when the Lord God "will render to every man according to his works," and fix his state for eternity? "He who now waits to be gracious" may shortly summon you to his judgment-seat.-" He who is now exalted to shew mercy" may speedily execute the curse denounced, and

swear in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest;" and yet will you dare to be asking "a little more sleep, a little more slumber?" Is it prudent, is it becoming the dignity of your nature; is it consistent with that friendship which you owe your better part, your immortal souls, still to prostitute your precious opportunities? Must all your concern be confined to the body which is mortal; which will soon be as though it had never been? Will you reserve no time, or devote no attention to the interests of that spirit which never, never dies; which must shortly be translated to an endless, unchanging state of existence? "The stork in the heavens knows his appointed time" and diligently improves it, and shall man who was framed "after the image of God," and elevated to a dignified rank among the creatures of his hand, shall man "suffer his VOL. 4. C 2

harvest to pass, his summer to end without any fore thought" about his future, everlasting concerns? Do you believe that death is approaching, and yet unanxious about that solemn, interesting event? Do you believe that there is "a judgment to come," and yet not concerned whether you shall be acquitted or condemned on that occasion? Surely, if you had the prospect of a trial at a human bar; a trial in which your character, or property, or life were depending, you would be often thinking of it; you would be anxiously preparing for it; you would employ the best counsel, and make every exertion to secure a favorable issue; and have you no solicitude about your appearance before the "judgment-scat" of Jehovah; is it uninteresting whether you shall then be doomed "to everlasting punishment," or awarded "to life eternal ?"

Notwithstanding all that is past; although another year has been prostituted "in fulfilling the desires of the flesh," and following after the vanities of the world, a forbearing God continues to expostulate, "when wilt thou awake out of thy sleep?" In the immensity of his compassions he is still entreating, "how shall I give thee up Ephraim? Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die O house of Israel?" In God's name I ask you, WHY WILL YOU DIE? Is hell to be chosen in preference to heaven? Is the wrath of the uncreated, omnipotent Majesty more desirable than his loving kindness? Is the

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society of evil angels and unbelieving, impenitent men "with the blackness of darkness for ever" more eligible than the fellowship of God, of Jesus, of elect, ransomed men, of elect, unsinning angels "with glory, and honor, and immortality?" WHY WILL YOU DIE? Has not the Lord God afforded every possible assurance "of good will to you" and his readiness to receive you? Is he not passing before you this moment through the mediation of his Son, and in the light of his gospel as "merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth?" As if he had said, "come and let us reason together, are you miserable, involved by transgression in ruin and woe? I am the Lord, the Lord God MERCIFUL: will be MERCIFUL to your unrighteousness, your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more. Are you undeserving? Have you by wilful, repeated acts of rebellion forfeited every claim to my friendship, and exposed yourselves to my wrath? I am the Lord, the Lord God GRACIOUS; I am ready upon your return not merely to pardon your offences but to honor you with the adoption of sons, and give you a title to all the joys and glories of my kingdom." A free, a full, an everlasting salvation is "now brought near" in the ministry of reconciliation. Commissioned by the King of kings I reach forth the sceptre of grace, and invite you to draw near and touch it, and be reconciled, and live for ever. I stand in this

pulpit and offer the righteousness of the infinite Jesus to every sinner in this assembly; it is tendered to all without exception arising from character, or colour, or any other consideration. The boundless blessings of the covenant; all the treasures of grace and glory are offered to you "without money and without price." They are free as the water which rises in the fountain, or as the dew which distils from the clouds, or as the light which beams from yonder sun.

"Dear God, the treasures of thy lore

Are everlasting mines,

Deep as our helpless miseries are,,
And boundless as our sins.

Rivers of love and mercy here
In a rich ocean join,
Salvation in abundance flows,

Like floods of milk and wine..

Ho, ye that pant for living streams,

And pine away and die;

Here you may quench your ardent thirst,.
With springs that never dry."

And now, dearly beloved, are pardon, and grace and glory offered freely through the mediation of the Son of God, what hinders you to receive these unspeakable blessings? Are you sensible of your miseries but unable to believe? Have you no ability to approach the Lord Jesus Christ, and rest your souls on him for salvation? He himself is the "Author and finisher of faith." who "brings near this robe of righteousness" in the everlasting gospel is gracious to strengthen the "withered hand," and enable

He

you to receive it. That God, who in his mercy provided a Saviour for our world, has also indited the promise, "In his name shall the Gentiles trust: Men shall be blessed in him; in the Lord shall the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."

Art thou unable to repent of thy past transgressions? Is thy heart obstinate, unrelenting, unmelted by all the dishonors done to a forbearing God, and all the sufferings undergone by a compassionate Saviour? "I will pour upon you," is his divinely gracious promise, a promise more certain than the revolution of the day and night, of summer and winter, "I will pour upon you the spirit of grace and supplication, and ye shall look upon me whom you have pierced, and nourn for him." That Jesus, "who gave his life" upon the cross "a ransom for many, is now exalted" upon the throne" to be a prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and the remission of sins." Commit thy soul with all its obduracy, and impenitence to his softening, sanctifying influences. He can make water to flow out of the rock, and the oil of grace out of the flinty rock of the human heart.

Hast thou no real love to God? Is thy spirit "carnal, earthly, sensual," prone to the low gratifications of the flesh without any ardent desires after Jesus, or delight in hiur as thy portion? The grace of love is absolutely promised. "The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart to love him. "A new