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from our lives. Have we sinned in public? If we are believers on the Son of God, it shall be publicly declared at the last day, that God has pardoned all our sin. Have we offended him in secret? Alas! we have, in ten thousand instances. His Spirit shall secretly bear us witness then, that our sins are all forgiven. Oh! let every believer unite in ascribing praise to Him-because he would love. Let each of us say

"O! to grace, how great a debtor,
Daily I'm constrain❜d to be;
Let that grace, now, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering soul to thee."

From what has been said, we learn the infinite evil of sin, which required such a sacrifice as Jesus Christ; and should we not then detest it, and flee from it, as from the face of a serpent? Oh! let us beware of sacrificing the Son of God afresh, and putting him to an open shame, by our guilt and crimes. If there were nothing else to teach us the evil and damnable nature of sin, the blood of Christ loudly proclaims it. Let us not then attempt to excuse our sins; but whilst we are blessing God for the remedy, let us, as long as we live, lament over the disease. Sin must be hateful in the view of every good man; and, depend upon it, that that system of religion which allows sin, in any shape whatever, is a diabolical system-it is from Satan, and not from God-for he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with the least degree of approbation.

Need I say, that we learn from this subject the folly of self-righteous men, who attempt to find salvation apart from Christ. Oh! remember, that nothing but the blood of Jesus is sufficient to atone for the sins of men. All your legal performances amount to just nothing at all, as it respects obtaining your salvation. Oh! why will you not submit to the righteousness of God? Flee, sinners, to the Saviour's blood-wash there, and be clean-so shall you be made eternally happy, and shall be brought to join all the blood-bought race of ransomed sinners, in ascriptions of eternal praise to God and the Lamb for ever. Then shall this triumphant language be the burden of your song"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Amen.

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SERMON II.

PREACHED AT COLLIER'S END, OUT OF DOORS, JULY 19, 1807.

66

ROMANS XIV. 12.

SO THEN EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD."

THESE words were first addressed to the Romans by the apostle Paul: they spoke loudly to them, and bid them prepare for their final judgment. And are they of no importance to us, "on whom the ends of the world are come?" Do they demand no serious attention from us? Ought they not to lessen our attachment to present things, and inspire us with holy boldness and resolution in the cause of God our Saviour? They represent the great Eternal as our Judge, and we all, every one of us, giving an account of ourselves to him. And if the Judge is at the door, how careful should we be to live, not to ourselves; but whether we live we should live unto the Lord, or whether we die we should die unto the Lord; so that, whether living or dying, we may be the Lord's. "For to this end," says the apostle, "Christ both died,

and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." Why then should we judge one another? "for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ." For it is written, "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Oh let the artful hypocrite, the openly profane, and the real believer, hear the solemn language of the text. It is language that concerns them all, and demands from every one of us earnest attention, close examination, and fervent prayer. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." For a few moments then let us lay aside every other concern, and attend to this most important subject. From the text we shall make two plain observations.

I. That at the general judgment, we must give an account of ourselves: and

II. That this account will be rendered to God.

Oh that the Holy Spirit would impress the subject on all our minds, and cause our meditations to be very profitable to all our souls. Observe then

I. That at the general judgment we shall give an account of ourselves.

It is a subject which concerns us all, for it is said in the text, "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice." "I saw the dead, small and great, stand

before God," that is, persons of all ages, states, and degrees of men, will have to make their appearance before the great white throne. The sea shall give up the dead which are in it, and death and hell (that is, earth and the grave) shall give up the dead which are in them, and they shall all be judged, every man according to his works, even from the king on the throne to the beggar on the dung-hill. Then shall the rich and the poor meet together, the Lord shall be the Judge of them both there will be no distinction made on account of former riches or poverty. Both the man of property and wealth, and he who in the sweat of his brow did eat bread, shall be judged at one tribunal. The man of learning and study will receive his sentence at the same tribunal, and from the same tremendous Judge, as the ignorant and illiterate man, who has neither opportunities to be wise, nor desire to be learned. All the various classes of men will stand before God on that solemn day. Then will the minister who laboured, toiled, and spent himself in the service of God, give up his account. Being raised from the long sleep of death, with holy serenity and joyful triumph on his countenance, he approaches the Judge of all the earth. Accompanied with those who were called by his ministry, he exclaims, "Here am I, Father, and the children whom thou hast given me;" thou knowest that I aimed not at the great things of the world, though I was thankful for those conveniences which thou gavest me. I preached not to

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