I, the Holy One of Israel, will be thy life and glory I, thy Maker, will be thy husband, and thy all."

And are these, O Sinner, the gracious sayings of God to thee? The compassionate expostulations of God become incarnate for thee? Did God so love thee, as to set forth his only begotten Son, as a propitiation, through faith in his blood, thus to declare his righteousnes for the remission of sins that are past? May the Almighty now be just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus? Is there no difference no respect of persons with him? And is the same Lord over all, rich unto all that call on him? Then shout, ye heavens! triumph, thou earth! and thou, happy Sinner, know the day of thy visitation; be wise, ponder these things, and thou shalt understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Be no longer afraid that it will be presumption in thee to believe, and that God will be offended with thee if thou makest so free with Jesus, as to wash instantly in the fountain of his atoning blood. He not only gives thee leave to believe, but he invites thee to do it freely. Nay, he commands thee to believe, for, "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." He even enforces his precept by a double promise, that if thou believest thou shalt not perish, but have everlasting life. And that nothing may be wanting to stir thee up to this important business, he is gracious enough to threaten the neglect of it with the most dreadful punishment; for "he that believeth not, shall not enter into his rest, and shall be damned;" and he that to the end remains fearful and unbelieving, shall be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. How canst thou doubt then, whether thou art welcome to receive the Son given, by believing on his name?

Come to him just as thou art, and he will make thee what thou shouldst be. When he counsels thee to buy of him the gold of faith, and the garment of salvation, take him at his gospel-word: come without

be an agreement between the faithful Witness, and the father of lies? Shall I sentence him, that loveth a lie, to the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, and be guilty of making one myself? Horrible to suppose! Reject the blasphemous thought, Sinner; it wounds me in the tenderest part,

"No, no, I do not put on a mask of pretended love, to hide a rancorous unforgiving temper: the general invitation that formerly passed my lips, is still the very language of my heart, "Whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely;" and the promise, which I formerly made, is still firmer than the pillars of heaven, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Let these words, like uncorruptible seed, beget thee again to a lively hope, and help thee to stir thyself up to lay hold on me, and my great salvation.

66 I grant that no man cometh unto me, except the Father draw him; but does he not say, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving, kindness, with the cords of a man, with the bands of love, have I drawn thee? Does he not draw thee even now? Who stirs thee up to repentance? Who raises in thee a desire of coming unto me by prayer? Who indulges thee at times with sweet hopes and alluring joys, to encourage thee to come? Is it not my Father, and thine, thou poor starving prodigal? And that nothing may be wanting on his part to make thee come, to drawing does he not add driving? Does he not obstruct all thy prospects of creature-happiness; and blast all thy worldly, yea, and all thy self-righteous, schemes? And while he touches thy heart with the rod of distress, does he not lay the scourge of affliction. on thy back, and put this gracious invitation in thy hand? Away then with thy hard thoughts of my Father: he and I are the flame of eternal love: Land the Father are one.

"Neither say thou in thy heart, This is a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy; the children are.come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. Shall I bring to the birth, and not give strength ac

cording to the day? Dost thou fear that my zeal, my strength, and the sounding of my bowels towards thee, are restrained? Am not I Jesus still? Is my love waxed cold that it cannot pity? Is my hand shortened at all that it cannot save? Is mine ear heavy that it cannot hear? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I clothe the heavens with blackness; and if in the greatest storm I say to the raging billows, Be still! there is a great ealm: fear not then: the zeal of the Lord of hosts my zeal, will do this and more for thy soul; yea, I will do for thee exceeding abundantly above all that thou canst ask or think.

"I see what passes in thy heart, O thou unwise and slow of heart to believe all that I and my prophets have spoken; I read thy new excuses. Thou sayest thou dost not suspect me, my faithfulness, and my power; but thyself, thy helplessness, and the treachery of thy own desperately wicked heart.-What, shall this sore evil hinder thee from coming to me, who alone can remedy it? Wilt thou pray to be excused from believing, on such an account as this? O drop this last, this most absurd plea; and walk in the steps of the faith of thy father Abraham, Rom. iv. 16, Consider not the deadness and hardness of thy heart, but the reviving softening love of mine; not thy want of power, but my omnipotence; not the suggestion of Satan, but the declarations of my gospel. Wrestle not only against flesh and blood, but against the powers of internal darkness, and the spiritual wickedness of an unbelieving thought. Strive to enter in at the strait gate of faith. Against hope believe in hope, that I quicken the dead, and call the things which are not as though they were. Stagger no more at my promises through unbelief; but be strong in faith, and give glory to God, by being fully persuaded that what I promise, I am able and willing to perform.

"In me thou mayest find the richest and readiest supply of all thy wants: I am both the Resurrection

regarding thy stuff; the poorer thou art the better: the oil of his grace flows most abundantly into empty vessels: his charity is most glorified in the relief of the most miserable objects: his royal bounty scorns the vile compensation of thy wretched merits: he sells like a king, like the King of kings, without money and without price. Ask and have, and, Take freely, are the encouraging mottos written upon all the unsearchable treasures of his grace.

Be of good comfort then, rise, he calleth thee: stretch out thy withered hand, and he will restore it: open thy mouth wide, and he will fill it: bring an empty vessel, a poor hungry heart, and he will give into thy bosom good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

And now what meanest thou, sleeper? Why tarriest thou? Arise, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Lose not time in conferring with flesh and blood; much less in parleying with Satan, or consulting_thy unbelieving heart: here delays lead to ruin the Philistines are upon thee, instantly shake thyself. If thou art not altogether blinded by the god of this world, and led captive by him at his will; this moment, in the powerful name of Jesus, burst the bonds of spiritual sloth-break, like a desperate soul, out of the prison of unbelief-escape for thy life-look not behind thee-stay not in all the plain. This one thing do; leaving the things that are behind, Sodom and her ways, press forwards towards Zoar, and escape to the mount of God, lest thou be consumed. By the new and living way consecrated for us, in full assurance of faith, fly to the Father of mercies-pass through the crowd of Laodicean professors -press through the opening door of hope-take the kingdom of heaven by violence.

With halting, yet wrestling Jacob, say to the Friend of sinners, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. If he makes as if he would go farther, with the two mournful disciples constrain him to stay; or rather, with the distressed woman of Canaan, follow him

whithersoever he goeth-take no denial-through the vail, that is to say, his flesh, toru from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet-through this mysteri ous vail, rent from the top to the bottom, rush into the blood-besprinkled sanctuary-embrace the horns of the golden altar-lay all thy guilt on the head of the sin-atoning victim-read thy name on the breast of thy merciful High-priest-claim the safety, demand the blessings, receive the consolations bestowed on all that fly to him for refuge-and begin a new de"lightful life, under the healing and peaceful shadow 11 of his wings.

S" But perhaps thou art now devoid of active power, and broken in spirit. The hurry of thy self-righteous nature subsides. Wounded and half dead, thou liest in the way of misery, waiting for the passing by of thy "deliverer. Thou hadst set thy heart upon being bless"ed in one particular manner, and God in his wisdom thinks it best to bless thee in another. Thou wouldst /scale the New Jerusalem, and storm heaven; but he chuses it should come down into thy soul, as a fruitful 'shower descends into a fleece of wool. Be still then, and know that he is God. Let him break thy selfwill, which hides itself under godly appearances; and let him practically teach thee, that salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who showeth mercy.

Meekly dive into the amazing depth of these words, In quietness and rest shall be your strength. Stand still, and see the salvation of God.". The fire, the earthquake, and the rending of the rocks, are over Tsilence takes place; the still small voice will soon follow. Thou art for a time taken from the foaming billows of self-agitation, and laid by the still waters: a calm succeeds the impetuous storm, and a passive waiting thy restless, fruitless endeavours. Thou art in the case of one fallen into the sea, who having struggled long and hard to escape drowning, is obliged to yield at last. Yield, then, weary sinner, yield to thy happy fate. Fully surrender to the God of thy life,