day. And on some day it will certainly overtake you. He declares Himself to be "a jealous God," "a consuming fire :" One, who in due time will be terrible to his enemies, and will destroy his adversaries: One, who at the appointed period will proceed against all who oppose Him, will bring them into judgment; will denounce on them the severest sentence; will drive them in his fury into everlasting punishment; and will pour upon them through eternity indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish.

Such must be the End of those who continue to have God for their Enemy. He has most solemnly declared, that the Wicked shall not go unpunished; and that He will in no wise spare the guilty. "These mine Enemies, (He says) who would not have me to reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me.

But, my Brethren, if such be the state of things; if at present, by nature and by practice, you are at enmity with God; and if, continuing so, you must perish for ever, what is the best advice which wisdom can give you? What course does she counsel you to take? It is surely this: "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him." Make thy peace with God now without delay. Put an end to ⚫ this hopeless contest with the King of

Kings. Strive no longer with thy Maker, • Kick no longer against the pricks, by which thou canst only wound and hurt thyself.' This is the Language, the Counsel of Wisdom and what is this Language but the very Counsel which the Ambassadors for Christ are commissioned to give you ; "Be ye reconciled to God?" This is the very point on which they are authorized to treat with you. It is, as you have seen, to promote this very reconciliation with you, that I now address you. O that you may be willing to listen to what I shall say; and to follow the Counsel which I shall offer!

I have indeed the most encouraging tidings to announce: for I have authority from the Word of God itself to declare, that He is ready to be reconciled unto you. Though He is the offended Party; the King, whom you have disobeyed; the God, against whom you have sinned; yet He is ready to overlook, to forgive, to forget, all that you have done against Him. He is ready to remit the punishment which you have incurred, to be at perfect peace with you; nay more, to receive you into his favour; to restore to you your forfeited privileges; to take you into covenant with Himself; to engage all his glorious Perfections in your behalf: to bless, protect, and comfort you on earth; and at length to bestow on you everlast

ing life and happiness with himself in Heaven.

Do you doubt the Truth of these Assertions? Do they seem too good to be believed? Do you ask for some proof of their reality? I have one to set before you; one, which carries with it the strongest conviction. I have a Proof to produce, which can leave no doubt upon the mind of the graciousness and sincerity of the divine intentions towards you. God, that He might bring about this Reconciliation with you, has not spared his only son. That he might open a way for making Peace with you, He gave up his only-begotten Son to sufferings and death. When nothing but this sacrifice could answer the purpose, He withheld it. not. Can you then for a moment doubt his loving kindness to you? Can you for a moment doubt, whether He be disposed to shew you mercy and to receive you into favour? What stronger, what clearer, what more convincing proof, could He have given of the sincerity of His Offers, of the Truth of His Promises, of the Riches of His Grace, of His Willingness, His Desire, His Anxiety, to be reconciled to you, than the one which He has thus given? O had you seen Jesus dying on the Cross; had you known that He was the Son of God, who was thus dying for

your sins; surely you could not for one instant have doubted of God's Readiness to receive, to pardon, and to be at peace with you. See then this sight by faith, and be not doubting, but believing. Believe on the Testimony of Scripture, that God gave His only Son to be the Sacrifice for your Sins: and with this fact before your eyes, you must surely believe that He is ready to be reconciled to you. And if you indeed believe that God is ready to be at peace with you, can you be backward at receiving so great a blessing? My brethren, if God be willing to be reconciled to, you, can you refuse to be reconciled to Him? Shall He lay aside His enmity and will you persist in retaining yours? Is He ready to blot out all your sins, and are you determined to continue in the practice of them? Does He hold out His arms to embrace you, and will you turn away from Him in disgust? Shall Christ, who died for you, who suffered, who bled, who poured out His soul in bitter agonies, that He might become your Peace: shall He plead with you in vain? O, if it were some grievous, hurtful, painful thing, which He required you to do, yet even then, you might be well content to do it for His sake. But how much more, when all that he entreats of you is this, Be ye ' reconciled to God. Accept the Peace

which I have purchased for you. Through ⚫ the blood of my Cross receive Forgiveness of sins, and be made Partakers of eternal Life.'

My Brethren, what can I say more? I have faithfully told you the Truth. I have set before you the Terms of Reconciliation. I have reminded you of the Blessedness of being at Peace with God. I have proved to you His Readiness to be at Peace with you. And what can I do more? I can only be seech you, as though He besought you by me, not to forsake your own mercies. I can only pray you in His stead, not to throw away the Blessings which He offers you. By the Mercies of God, by the Love of Christ, by the Consolations of the Spirit, let me entreat you seriously to reflect with yourselves on the folly, the guilt, and madness, of such a conduct. What can prevent you from having God for your Friend and Father? Nothing but your refusing to have Him in that character. And what can induce you to be guilty of this refusal? Nothing but the love of sin and of the world. These are the things, which engage your heart, and keep it in a state of enmity with God. For where these things have possession of the soul, there the soul must be at variance with God. But will you for the sake of these things continue in such a state? For the sake of some sinful gratification,