and live without hope, and without God in the world.

He calls in his elect, only in time, however early, to fit them for his presence in glory. And the work of grace goes on from that time till death. They aim at a perfect obedience to the divine law, and go from strength to strength, till every one of them appeareth in Zion before God. They forget the things that are behind, and reach forth to those things which are before, and press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Hence there cannot be any very long suspension of those exercises, which are essential at the beginning of a course of piety. The heart continues to be penitent, and believing, and obedient, till all sin is removed, and grace is perfected in glory. I close with

REMARKS.

1. Let us compare all this with what is sometimes termed the gospel. How wrong and how ruinous is the advice, that not unfrequently is given to the unregenerate.

We have known when pains was taken to prevent men from becoming alarmed, so as to put the question of the text with earnestness. They must not hear that the heart is desperately wicked, lest they should fear that in all their deeds they have broken the law of God. They must have no suspicion that their prayers are deficient, lest they should

see their need of a Saviour. They must be told nothing of hell, lest they should be afraid of its torments; nor hear of election, lest they learn that men will not accept of mercy, till they are made willing in the day of God's power.

And thus every doctrine, calculated to pour honour upon the divine law, and reflect correspondent shame and reproach upon the transgressor, must be disproved, or concealed, or nutralized; and that perhaps by the very men who have been sent as the heralds of salvation to a lost world. We have seen them afraid, lest without design, they should effect some alarm among the foes of God, Hence the monstrous abuse of that text, when any hard truth had leaked out; "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." Ten thousand consciences, that had been pierced with truth, have thus been healed slightly, by a text which God inspired for far other purpose. But when no soothing opiate would answer, and the sinner could not be prevented from alarm, we have known advice to be given that was the most ruinous possible.

We have known when awakened sinners have had suggested them a train of thought calculated to chase away all alarm, by lessening their respect for the violated law. It is plead that they have misapprehended their guilt; that the law is not so severe as they imagine, and moreover that the mercy of God will not allow him to punish sinners forever.

What parent, say these tender hearted instructors, would cast his child into a quenchless fire? Will God punish eternally the errors of a few years? God will be moved by their tears, and will pardon them, if indeed their grief has not already done away their guilt. Thus their anguish of heart is all soothed, while yet there is no repentance.

We have known when the awakened were told, that they were in a fair way to obtain religion, that they must persevere, and hold out, and they would do well. But unhappily their way was the way to death, and they did persevere perhaps, and their alarms were soon gone, and they are seen in the broad way, or are gone to know the full weight of that curse of the law which once hung over them. Had they been told that there was nothing holy in their terrors, and that they were still insecure, till they applied by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, they might have obtained eternal life. They should have known, that they had not overrated their danger, nor half estimated their guilt, that God was angry as they supposed, that there was a perdition, as deep, and dark, and hopeless as they feared. Then there might have been a prospect that they would flee for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel.

The case is said to have happened when they have been directed to a novel, or a party, to chase away their glooms. A journey in the country, or a visit to their friends, the song and the dance, have

been considered a better specific for their pains, than the atoning Lamb of God. Let it be, that these are extreme cases, still means like these have often been resorted to, in order to do away alarm, and sooth the waking conscience. But it will wake again in the day of death, and gnaw with a still keener appetite from the day of judgment onward.

Finally any instruction given awakened sinners, that they may comply with and still perish, is cruel and treacherous. Say to them as Paul did, and you are safe, and they too, if they follow your advice. And they will be as likely to do their whole duty, as any part of it. Christ will bless only that instruction, which comes up to the standard he has given us. O, let not the lips, that should pour out only truth, that should help the sinner to a full acquaintance with his sins, and press his conscience, till he shall feel that he cannot do an hour without Christ; be employed to stop the progress of conviction, and though a mistaken tenderness, bind up the rankling wound, ere the probe has reached its centre, or it has disgorged its putrescence. When the sinner, under the management of the Holy Ghost, is in a fair way to become thoroughly convinced of his misery and his ruin, let not the work be arrested in its progress, and the ear be assailed with the sound of peace, till heaven is once made

sure.

The prodigal is alarmed for his life, and grieved almost to distraction for his baseness of conduct,

and has his face turned homeward, but a being meets him, pretending to be his father's friend, and sent to guide him in the way to his house, and bears him into a hopeless and returnless exile! He casts a veil over the rags and filth of the vagabond, tells him of his native virtues, admonishes him to make one more effort to live without his father, and the wretch believes, and turns his face from home, and perishes in his profligacy. So many a sinner, just at the moment when he began to think on his ways, when his sins were staring him in the face, when there was seen distinctly the countenance of an offended God, and when there began to be some thought of repairing to a Saviour, has been misdirected and destroyed.

Instead of saying as Paul did, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," we set about making him happy in some other way. He must mend his life, and send up some prayer, and wait at the pool, and hold on his way ;—yes, all this would be well, were he now a believer. But the misery of the case is, he is yet unsanctified, his heart is set in him to do evil, and the controversy between him and God, is yet at its height. He must -stop, and turn back, or lose heaven. He yet knows not enough about his sins to render a Saviour welcome. He still dares to stand on the margin of perdition, and has a disgust for holiness and heaven so implacable, that he will risk all the danger he is in a little longer, rather than give his heart to Jesus Christ.