gression in this life, that others may beware; while the great punishment is reserved for another world. In further confirmation of our position, we need only refer to every transgressor's experience, and bills of mortality.

5. But let us pursue the miserable sinner a little further. See him cast on the couch of suffering. Look at his distorted features! See the wild glare of his eye! 'Tis the look of despair! Hear those awful groans! They are the groans of death! See how he watches the physician! How restless he is! He must die soon! and yet how unwilling he is to die! Hear his loud lamentations! Hear him call for the physician! "Can you not help me!" Oh! I feel the pains of hell in my breast! The very flames of hell are burning me up! Oh! help me if you can! I am going to hell! Oh! the pains I feel! If I could atone for my sins by burning on that fire a thousand years, how the thought would relieve me! But vain thought! There can be no end to my sufferings! Oh! the vengeance of eternal fire!" His looks become more wild! his vision fades, and he is gone!

How true is the Word of the Lord, "the wicked is driven away in his wickedness." Some, indeed, seem to be taken off in a state of insensibility, and know not, until, like the rich man, they lift up their eyes in hell. And others are cut down as in a moment, "and are "suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy."

6. But then, after he is cut off from the earth, how hard is the lot of the transgressor. In this life he would hope for a release from his troubles; but he is now beyond hope. Hope that now comes to the comfort and relief of us all, comes not to him. Dark, sullen, raven-like despair has settled upon his soul, and he looks forward to the agonies that cease not forever! O! what terrors are in that word forever! Such as he never felt before. Previous to his departure, or near the time, he had a sort of dreaming sense of it, but now he dreams no more! Oh! I fancy he wishes he could. Oh! if it were only a dream, how would it relieve him! But, alas! all is fearful, solemn, eternal reality!

Again, while he lived here, there were frequent intermissions in his sufferings; but now there are none! "They have no rest day nor night." "Their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Furthermore, in this life there was much to mitigate even his severest sufferings; but who can mitigate the woes of hell? Nor are these woes complete until the day of judgment.

7. As the body has been the agent of the soul in the commission of crime, so has the Almighty determined it shall suffer with it. And it would seem that, neither the sufferings nor the enjoyments of the soul can be complete without the body. Hence there must be a "resurrection both of the just and unjust," when "God will give to every man according as his work shall be." In order to this, he "will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Oh! how hard the lot of the transgressor, when brought before the righteous Judge, to answer for the crimes he has committed in secret as well as openly, all of which shall be exposed to the open gaze of the universe! And there will be no escape. The poor wretch cannot hide himself from the wrath of the Lamb! He cannot quiet his conscience with opiates, nor benumb his sensibilities by intoxication! No! he must stand before God and bear the whole weight of his guilt, and shame, and the just wrath of a sin avenging God! Then comes the fearful sentence 66 depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." And then the "lake of fire, the second death," and this to all eternity! Surely, all this, and a thousand times more than we can utter, will give weight to my text, "The way of transgressors is hard." 8. And who, I ask, in conclusion, with his eyes open, would choose the way of sin? Are there not hardships and horrors enough about it to deter the stoutest heart? "Who among us can dwell with devouring fire? who can dwell with everlasting burnings?" And yet are there not some among us who are now in the way of the transgressor? You know yourself to be living in a course of rebellion against God; and are you not afraid of the consequences? Oh! remember the battle, and proceed no further! But, perhaps you comfort yourself with the promise of repentance in future. You do not intend to die as you are. No, you intend to be a christian. Oh, man! remember! Thousands have so flattered themselves, long before you, until they have fallen into the pit. Yea, it has become a proverb, "The hoary fool goes on, still counting on to-morrow, till, to-night, he dies!" Oh, look abroad and see the dangers that await you! And if you would not lie down in sorrow, make your escape while there is hope! Fly for your life! A moment's delay may prove your ruin. Arise and call upon God, that you perish not as thousands have done before you. Thank God you are not now in hell. His long

suffering has preserved you until to-day, that you might flee the wrath to come. O, improve the present opportunity. And may our merciful God, extend to you his helping hand, and pluck you as a brand from the fire!

SERMON LXVIII.

BY THE LATE REV. DANIEL A. CLARK.

THE FATAL TENDENCIES OF UNBELIEF.

To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not. Hebrews iii. 18.

THIS text may be taken as setting forth the fatal tendencies of unbelief. The question is asked with regard to ancient Israel, but is equally applicable to sinners of all ages and all nations. Mankind are wont to attribute the loss of the soul to other causes than the sin of unbelief.

I. I proceed to mention a few of these alleged causes, with a view to show that the soul's loss is not justly due to them.

1. In the first place, I remark, that sinners do not perish for want of fullness in the atonement. This is ample for the salvation of the whole world. The invitation is universal. "Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, and buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk, without money and without price." "Whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely."

2. Neither do they perish for any want of benevolence on the part of God in the application of the atonement. After God gave his only begotten Son to die for sinners, men never had occasion to doubt his readiness to save.

3. Neither do they perish from any inability to accept of the

provisions of the atonement. The terms of salvation are adapted to the very nature of the corrupt and ruined sinner, and are such that if he will, he may look and live. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so has the Son of Man been lifted up.

4. Neither do they perish for want of sufficient evidence of any truth which God requires them to believe. God has furnished us a fullness of testimony. Unbelief itself implies a sufficiency of evidence, and the very iniquity of unbelief consists in rejecting that evidence.

5. Neither do they perish by reason of any old decrees of God. God could never make any decree clashing with his present purposes of mercy. His purposes are ever fresh and vigorous like himself.

6. Neither do they perish on account of any necessity in the government of God, except such as is created by the sinner's unbelief. This pours contempt upon his character and authority. In Jesus Christ his justice, truth and righteousness, can be honored. In him "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

II. It must be admitted that none of the above-mentioned things are able to destroy the soul without the intervention of the damning sin of unbelief.

This only removes the soul beyond the possibility of a cure. Faith appropriates the gift of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Without it, it is impossible to please God. If he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, how can he come acceptably whose heart is full of unbelief? If faith is the only key which opens heaven, how will he gain an entrance who is destitute of this saving principle? The sick man who locks the door of his chamber because he distrusts the physician's skill, may perish in his bed, although the physician, once admitted, might bring remedies that would effect a cure. So the sin-polluted soul may perish within reach of the balm of Gilead, through distrust of its saving power.

REMARKS.

1. We see that sinners may be ruined by unbelief, and yet not be immediately sent to perdition. Some who perished in the camp of Israel lived nearly forty years after God had sworn that they should not enter into his rest.

2. Every sinner perishes a suicide. Nothing bars the gates of heaven but his own wilful unbelief, the sin for which he has the least shadow of an apology.

3. We see why unbelief is placed in the van of those sins which damn the soul. It is a sin against the remedy. It is an attempt to destroy the very life-boat which is sent out to save the ship wrecked multitude. It shuts, and holds to, the only door of hope and mercy.

4. God's glory will be untarnished in the ruin of the lost. It will appear that he did every thing to save sinners that needed to be done; yea, more-he gave them more than they needed. They had the Spirit's agency to resist, they had evidence to trample upon. They perished because they would not believe. Their ver dict will stand throughout eternal ages. "Ye would not come unto me that ye might have life." And when at last the earth shall have opened and swallowed up the multitudes of the ungodly, it will be seen written in capitals of fire on the clouds of that devouring pit-" They could not enter in because of UNBELIEF."

SERMON LXIX.

MELCHISEDEC'S PRIESTHOOD A TYPE OF THE SACRIFICE AND MEDIATORSHIP OF CHRIST.

For this Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but, made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest contin ually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham gave the tenth of his spoils. Hebrews vii. 1-4.

THE Epistle to the Hebrews is a luminous and powerful com mentary on the law of Moses, and an unanswerable defence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We may suppose St. Paul regarded himself, in writing, as engaged in controversy with an intelligent Jew, to the dismay of whom he intended to demonstrate these four points:

1. That Jehovah, the author of the Jewish dispensation, was also the author of the Christian dispensation.