mazement at those treasures of mercy which have already been expended upon us, and the overflowings of that goodness by which we are at this moment supported and preserved. How many of our companions have long ago been fummoned away to receive their doom? yet we still live in the arms of mercy. How often has death been presented to our view, and the sentence (in our own apprehenfion) just ready to be executed, Cut down this cumberer of the ground; when, lo! mercy interposed, and prevailed for a farther respite and trial? - What shall we say then? "He is God, and not man; " and therefore it is that we are not confu" med." O let our fouls, and all that is within us, be stirred up to bless him, because he is good, and hath not executed sentence against our multiplied offences.

Let convinced sinners, in particular, take encouragement from the patience and longfuffering of God. It is one of the deadly artifices of the adversary, who continually goeth about seeking whom he may devour," to discourage the newly-awakened foul, by whispering, that the season of mercy

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(

1

is paft, that the door is shut, and he is come too late. But be not dismayed, you are on the way to the fountain of love and grace; go on, and you shall find more than it is poffible for you to conceive.---You are going to him, " who came to feek and to fave that " which was loft;" - that good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep, by whose merit and interceffion you have been kept alive to this hour; who invites the chief of finners to come to him and hath expressly faid, "Him that cometh to me, " I will in no wise cast out." - He is "the " Lamb of God," meekness and gentleness itself." He will not break the bruised reed,

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nor quench the smoking flax." Did he fpare you, while your heart was as hard as a ftone? and will he destroy you, when, by the convincing influences of his own Spirit, it is foftened, nay broken, with forrow ?-Impossible! - Go forward into his prefence; cast yourself at his feet; implore his protection; and as God liveth, thy foul shall be fafe.

;

To conclude, The patience of God affords the strongest confolation to those who are already already reconciled to him through the great Mediator. He who waited so long upon you, and at length gained your confent, will. moft affuredly keep you, and perfect his own work in your complete salvation. The mercy he is still exercising towards enemies, teacheth his friends what they may lawfully hope to receive. Great are your privileges; but, at the fame time, great and manifold are your obligations. Hath much been forgiven you? then you ought to love the more, and to show the truth and favour of er your love, by an unreferved respect to all his commandments. "Be followers of God, “ as dear children." Remember that nothing is more unfeemly, nothing more offensive, than the provocations of fons and of daughters. See, then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wife;" and let the fame goodness which led you to repentance, be continually present to your minds, that under its sweet, but powerful influence, you may bring forth in rich abundance, all those fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Christ, to the praise and glory

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of God. Amen.

E3

SER

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SERMON III.*

2 CORINTHIANS iv. 5.

We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your fervants, for Jefus fake.

WHEN

HEN God descended upon Sinai to give laws to his ancient people Ifrael, the awful tokens of his prefence, the thunderings and lightnings, the found of the trumpet, and the smoking of the mountain, struck the whole camp with such consternation and dread, that they were conftrained to remove and stand afar off. They could not bear the exceeding lustre of his glory, notwithstanding the thick darkness with which it was veiled; and therefore addressed Mofes in these remarkable words:

Speak thou with us, and we will hear; " but let not God speak with us, left we die." From which authentic piece of facred history, we may justly conclude, that our nature is too weak, in its present state, to sustain an immediate intercourse with the Deity: For which cause, God, in great condefcenfion, is pleased to speak to us by men like ourselves; that, on the one hand, we may not want the benefit of his instruction; and, on the other hand, that we may not be overpowered by the too dazzling splendour and majesty of the Teacher.

Under the old dispensation, befides the stated ministers of religion, God, " at fundry times," sent extraordinary messengers on special errands to the Jewish church; furnishing them with such credentials of their mission, as were sufficient to convince that highly-favoured people, that they came from God; and confequently, that in every thing relative to their particular message so attested, they were bound to hearken to them as unto God himself. This we have no warrant to look for under the gofpel: The whole counsel of God, fo far as it regards the children of men, is clearly re

vealed, and committed to writing,

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