may be sustained in their feelings of hostility, to God and his truth. Now as this is their own chosen way, can they complain, if God should suffer them to go on, and stumble, and fall, and perish ?

2. Sinners are as voluntary in rejecting Christ, as they would be, or could be, if not one of the human family had ever been ordained to life. This they cannot but know. Nay, it is virtually acknowledged by the feelings of heart which they indulge, with regard to this subject; and in the diversified, and opposite means they employ, to rid them selves of a sense of obligation, and to quiet their consciences in sin. Do they wish to deny the doctrine of creature responsibility, that they may be relieved from the dreaded apprehension of future wo? They become such high toned advocates for predestination, and election, that they might dispute the claim for precedency, with the stoicks, in their absurd notions about eternal and irresistible fatality. Do they desire to disparage the Bible, and to cherish their feelings of independence on God? They will affirm that the doctrines of eternal decree, and election are incompatible with the moral freedom, and responsibility of creatures, and are thence both absurd and inconsistent.

That some are chosen to life, and are made willing to embrace the overtures of mercy, does not at all affect the liberty of others. The great things that stand connected with the salvation of the soul, are as open to them, as if no such appointment unto life existed, in favour of any. This makes it, neither more, nor less difficult, nor easy for them,

to embrace, or reject Christ. They could not reject him more freely than they do, nor more with all their hearts, if every son and daughter of Adam, were left to perish. They act out, as fully, and entirely, the unconstrained feelings of their hearts, as if there never had been an election according to grace. They cannot be laid under a necessity of hating God, because their friends, and neighbours about them, love him. It might reasonably be supposed, that in the fact, that others love him, they would find an inducement to love him themselves, instead of a ground of complaint, and a reason that they should hate him the more.

Why do any of you, my dear impenitent friends, oppose the sentiment, that gives to God the prerogative, of imparting his saving Spirit, to whomsoever he pleases? The broad principle, is almost universally granted, that if any are ever saved, it must be, by the rich, and special favour of God: And can his creatures have a right, so to interpose, as to lay him under an obligation, to bestow his grace upon all, or upon none? Who would presume, unblinded by prejudice, and uncontroled by the influence of a corrupt, and selfish heart, thus to dictate his Maker, and mark out the course which he must pursue, to maintain the dignity, and impar tiality, and consistency of his character? How do you know, but that in the counsels of God's electing love, your salvation may have been determined on? This is certainly possible; and the simple fact, that it is possible, renders it certain, that you are resisting, what may eventually, prove your own bighest, and eternal good. Whilst you reject the Lord Jesus

Christ, and cavil with Bible truth, you give evidence, that you are not of the number of God's chosen; and your opposition, as it renders your characters more odious, in the eyes of the holy and perfect God, has, also, a solemn, and tremendous bearing, upon the future, endless destiny of your souls. Being among the number of those who are called to repentance, have you ever made the experiment, by seeking to humble yourselves before God, that you might learn, whether you are not also, among the number of the chosen? Conscious, as you must be, that you ought to love God, and that he will not cast off any that fear him, have you ever set out, in earnest, to seek him with all your heart? or, have you not rather, kept yourselves busy, about concerns foreign to your salvation, and turned off your attention from yourselves, and your soul's eternal destiny, by constantly cavilling, with those great truths of the Bible, on which his people have founded their everlasting hopes? Look seriously, now, I entreat you at this inquiry, as it will, most assuredly, constitute a subject of solemn thought, in the day, when you shall stand before your Judge.

But it may be that you will say, that the sentiments now exhibited, are unfavourable to the use of means. This, however, cannot be, if they are true, because God, by most solemn methods, urges the use of means upon us. The Bible presents these sentiments, and the most active efforts of creatures, in a combined view. "Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling, for it is God who worketh in you, both to will, and to do, of his good pleasure." Here

the encouragement to exertion, is founded on the fact, that God works in man, "both to will and to do." And this, indeed, furnishes the only sure ground of hope, in the use of means, if it be true, that none of the human family would be disposed to seek salvation, and thus would perish eternally, if God did not graciously interpose to rescue some.

Let it be remembered, that with these sentiments, full in his view, God has said, "Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." By your opposition to the Bible, therefore, by your rejection of the Saviour, whatever may be the state of facts, in relation to those truths of revelation, which you oppose, you are establishing your own character and destiny, with a most fearful, and tremendous certainty, for final ruin. You know, after all, my dear friends, that you are free to choose for yourselves, the course you will take; and your deep seated consciousness of guilt, tells you, that if you perish, the blame of your ruin will lie, for ever, upon yourselves. You know, that nothing hinders you, from obeying the gospel call, but your own unwillingness; and if, under all the light, which heaven has poured upon your path, and under all the privileges you enjoy, you persist in sin, in the day when God shall rise up, and visit, you will be speechless; and when he shall say, "bind them hand and foot, and cast them into utter darkness," the holy throng around his throne, following you with their eyes, to the place of your wo, will lift up their voices, and say " "AMEN! ALLELUIA! THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH.'