with equal earnestness and humility, "Sirs! "what must we do to be saved?"And our answer to your question will be the very same which was given by an apostle, like you, himself a prisoner, but not, like you, in bonds for his offences: "Believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and ye shall be saved;"-saved from your present wretchedness of mind-saved from the torment of a guilty conscience--saved from the dread of GOD'S avenging hand-saved from the apprehension of eternal ruin.

"Believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST:" Believe, that He who was in the form of God, became man for your salvation: that he "came, not to call the righteous," or those who vainly imagine themselves to be righteous,

to re

pentance;" but to bring back such poor, lost, wandering sheep, as yourselves, into his flock. "The Son of Man," He says of Himself, "is come to seek and to save such as are lost;" and lost for ever you would have been, because you would in all probability, have lived and died in your sins, if this check had not been given you in your wild career; if your sins had not found you out; and the strong hand of justice had not, by thus separating you from your evil society, given you time and opportunity for reflection, and brought you home to yourselves. We now venture to hope, that, after a certain degree of suffering and restraint, you will be induced to adopt the Prodigal's resolution in the Gospel, and say, "I will arise, and go to my Father, and

will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy Son."

When you feel the force of this example, and are disposed to follow it, you may bless the hour wherein you were brought within these walls; and above all, you may adore the good providence of GOD, which did not cut you off in the midst of your sins; but vouchsafed you a longer space for repentance, and here affords you the best opportunities of performing it.

But perhaps it may be said, and, I fear, it might be said by the greatest part of you, "We

are exhorted to repent, and to believe in "Jesus Christ: alas! we know but little of "the true nature of repentance: and as little "do we know of Jesus Christ, or of the reli"gion which he taught: the name of God we "have seldom had in our mouths, except to

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profane it, in our idle and sinful conversation: how then shall we be able to do what is required of us?"-Your case, I confess, is deplorable, but it is not absolutely desperate: for when, through God's blessing on the endeavours of your teachers, you are convinced that no one can be happy that is in a state of enmity against GOD, neither loving nor being loved by Him; neither knowing Him, nor disposed to serve and to obey Him; when you find that you have made HIM your enemy by your sins, who is able to destroy you for ever, you will be glad to hear, what we are authorised by the

word

word of God to declare, that "if any man have sinned," and confess and forsake his sins, "we have an Advocate," one to plead in our behalf, "with our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous;" who came down from heaven; lived a comfortless life; suffered a miserable and shameful death, though without the least spot or blemish of sin; that for the sake of what He suffered for mankind, every repenting and returning sinner might be pardoned and accepted with GOD. To qualify them for this mercy, He invited sinners, in these affectionate terms, to turn unto Him and be saved: "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden," with the burthen of your sins," and I will give you rest.” His first exhortation, when he appeared with glad tidings of salvation to the world, was: Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" making use of the very same expressions with which his fore-runner, St. John the Baptist had opened his commission, as a preacher of righteousness, and an example of repentance. By this word REPENT, the disciples were to understand, "Return ye from your "sinful ways; put away the iniquity of

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your doings: cease to do evil; learn to do well." This is the true nature of repentance: it is a real change of the heart from the love of sin, to the love of GOD; a change, which only the Searcher of hearts can perfectly discover, and which his Holy Spirit only can effect; a change, which they only can be so happy as to expect,

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who,

who, in the sincerity of humble prayer, beseech GOD to "create in them a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within them."

Hither then are you brought to be persuaded to "return unto GoD, that He may return unto you:" Then on the Highest authority in the world we venture to declare to you, that "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

In the mean time, and as the first step towards this happy amendment, let me recommend to you, an humble, peaceful, quiet behaviour, such as is suited to the nature of your situation, and such as will entitle you to kindness from those that are set over you: resistance of that authority under which you are here placed, will be as unwise, as was the conduct which brought you to your wretched state. Above all, let me intreat you frequently to lift up your hearts to the GOD, against whom you have been living in habits of disobedience and rebellion; and implore those graces of patience and meekness, which your situation particularly demands; and at all times, when you attend in this place of divine worship, let me more especially exhort you to shew a decent, humble, and devout behaviour: every other sort of conduct, on such solemn occasions, argues only the extreme of folly, as well as impiety and hardness of heart.

The most ignorant among you, in a moment of serious reflection, can say, "GOD BE MER

CIFUL

CIFUL TO ME A SINNER!" and we know, that he who said even this, in the sincerity of a penitent heart, and with a determination to forsake his sins, was heard, accepted, and justified in the sight of GOD.

Resolve to begin here, whilst you are out of the reach of temptation, that course of life which it will ever afterwards be your duty and your interest to pursue; and which you will soon find to be so full of comfort and satisfaction, that you will not be easily prevailed with to depart from it, when you are restored to society. You will then take a final leave of this place, renewed in the spirit of your minds; established in diligent and virtuous habits; strongly impressed with a sense of your duty to GOD; and determined, by the aid of his grace, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, for the time to come.

Form in your minds the most solemn resolutions to love Gor, and keep his commandments:" and that you may be enabled to fulfil these good resolutions, pray for his assistance every day in private, and on every Sabbath-day in the public congregation; honour His Holy Name; never profaning it, as you have heretofore done, by blasphemous oaths and curses in your common discourse; never standing forth, by corrupt perjury, from motives of false friendship, to skreen the wicked; nor, by malicious. perjury, from motives of resentment, to injure or destroy the innocent. Resolve henceforth to be respectful to your parents, loyal to your Sovereign,

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