6. We are also to remember, that the Scriptures are the word, by which we shall be finally judged. Whose soever sins ye remit, says our Saviour to his Apostles, they are remitted; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

In other words, "I commission you to publish the terms of life and death to mankind. He, whose life shall be condemned by the terms, which by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost I will enable you to announce, shall be condemned by me in the judgment. On the contrary, him, whose life shall be approved by these terms, I will approve at the final day." All these terms of remitting, and retaining sin, as published by the Apostles, we now have in the Gospel: and they are continually preached in the house of God. How infinitely important is it, that they should be infixed in our understanding, our memory, and our hearts; that we may always know, remember, and feel them; that they may be the source, and the guide, of all our conduct; and that by them we may, in the end, not only be judged, but justified also, and re

warded!

Let every person, then, who is present at the preaching of the Gospel, call to mind, that he is hearing the very terms of his final acquittal, or condemnation. Let him also remember, that one of the grounds of that sentence, which he will receive from the Judge of the quick and the dead, will be, that he is then taking heed how he hears; or that he is refusing, or neglecting, to perform this solemn duty.

7. We are to remember, that God is present, to observe the manner, in which we hear.

This consideration is of infinite moment; and ought with supreme force to come home to every heart. Let me beseech every member of this assembly to think, how great and awful a Being God is. Remember how absolutely you are indebted to him for life, and breath, and all things which you have enjoyed; and how entirely you depend upon him for every thing, which you hope to enjoy either in this world, or that which is to come. Remember how grossly you have sinned against him, by violating his holy Law; and how mercifully He has invited you to repent, and return to your obedience. Think how aggravated will be the guilt of refusing to return, when thus invited; how entirely you are in his hands; and how impossible it is, that you should escape from his power.

Realize that his eye, as a flame of fire, pervades, and enlightens, all the secret retreats of the workers of iniquity; and that He sees, and records, every wandering, stupid, worldly, and disobedient thought. Remember, that He will require you to rehearse before him the manner, in which you hear his Word this day.

How immensely interesting are these considerations to every person in this assembly! Who, in a full and realizing, who, even VOL. IV.

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in the most imperfect and casual view of them, can fail, with su preme solicitude, to take heed how he hears?

8. As all things, contained in the Scriptures, are wise, and right, and good; so we are to remember, that they are worthy of all acceptation.

My audience may remember, that I originally proposed to consider the manner, in which Sinners may hear the Gospel, with rational hopes of being benefited by it. The hearing of the Gospel 1 exhibited as one of the means of grace; and mentioned, that I should discuss it as such, and not as a theme of general investigation. To this view of the subject I have therefore confined myself; and have purposely omitted many observations, which might be usefully made, concerning this subject, to persons who are already Christians. Almost all the observations, which I have made, are indeed, in their full force, applicable to them also. To Sinners they are all applicable; and are all, in every sense, in their power, while they continue Sinners. The last is as truly of this nature, as those which preceded it.

Every Sinner may, antecedently to his regeneration, entertain a full conviction, that the Scriptures are worthy of all acceptation. With this conviction, solemnly impressed on the mind, every sinner may hear the Gospel. Every sinner may, also, feel this truth in a strong and affecting manner. Awakened to a sense of his guilt and danger, he does thus actually feel, antecedently to any essential change in his moral character. But what some sinners do feel, all others may feel. But under this conviction, and this sense, all those are sanctified, who are sanctified at all. With these very views of divine truth upon their minds, the Spirit of God communicates to them, I do not mean to every one who is in this situation; for this I am not warranted to say, nor to believe; but to most of them, perhaps to all who do not voluntarily relinquish their convictions; that change of heart, which is commonly styled Regeneration: a change, infinitely important to every child

of Adam.

Faith, says St. Paul, cometh by hearing. I have endeavoured to describe the manner of hearing, in which it comes. It is to be still carefully remembered, that, unless Faith is actually obtained, and exercised; no mode of hearing whatever will ultimately be of any value. The mode, which I have pointed out, is, in my apprehension, inestimably valuable, as means, eminently useful to this great end.

What is true of hearing the Gospel is substantially true of Reading it; and of Reading, also, other Religious books. The Scriptures particularly, and other religious books generally, are to be read with care; and with all the views, which I have expressed; that we may be able to judge whether those, who preach to us, preach the Truth of God. They are to be read also, that we may keep alive, and in full force, the impressions communicated by

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Preaching. Finally, they are to be read, that we may gain the full advantages of all our opportunities between the returns of the Sabbath; and furnish ourselves with daily instruction, with reproofs for our daily sins, with encouragement to our daily duties, and with powerful motives to a daily progress in the divine life.

REMARKS

1. From these Observations it is evident, that those, who do not hear in the manner which has been described, are, even according to their own principles, wholly inexcusable.

All persons, present at the preaching of the Gospel, can, if they please, solemnly remember, that it is the Word of God; that they are sinners, who infinitely need salvation; that in the Gospel only, the terms, and means, of salvation are published to mankind; that these, in order to be of any use to them, must be understood by themselves; that their opportunities of hearing it are few; and that the present is the best, and may be the last, which they will ever enjoy : that the Scriptures contain all the rules of life, by which they will be judged; that God is an eye-witness of the manner, in which they hear; and that the Gospel is worthy of all acceptation, and ought, therefore, to be received with the heart, as well as with the understanding. To hear in this manner, demands no especial communication from God: and he, who does not thus hear, is stripped of the pretence even of self-justification. It is, indeed, equally the duty of every man to hear with Evangelical Faith. But as this Faith is the gift of God, unrenewed men are ever prone to feel themselves, in some degree, excusable in neglecting to hear with this exercise of the heart. This apprehension is, I acknowledge, entirely without foundation. Still it exists. But in the present case, on their own ground, no plea can be offered, which will even satisfy themselves. Let them therefore, when guilty of this negligence, lay their hands upon their mouths, and their mouths in the dust, and confess their guilt before God.

Of this miserable class of sinners not a small number are, Sabbath by Sabbath, seen in this house. Almost all who assemble here, are in the morning of life; when, if ever, the heart is tender, and easily susceptible of divine impressions from the word of God. Almost all enjoy, also, the peculiar blessings of a liberal and religious education, and the best opportunities of knowing their duty, and their danger. Still, in defiance of the solemn commands of Religion, and the authority of God, as well as of common decency, there are those, who quietly lay their heads down to sleep, when the prayer is ended, or the psalm read. These persons are indeed present in the house of God. But they are present, only to insult him; to cast contempt upon the Cross of Christ; and to grieve in the most shameful manner the Spirit of Grace. They can hardly

be said to hear at all. They come into the presence of God, merely, to declare to Him, and to all who are present, that they will not hear, nor obey, his voice; and to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the Judgment. Let them remember, that the God who made them, and in whose hands their breath is, is here; and that his All-Searching eye is fixed with an intense and dreadful survey upon their conduct and upon their hearts. Let them remember, that He hath said, Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and ye have not regarded: but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction as a whirlwind. Then shall ye call, but I will not answer. Ye shall seek me early, and shall not find me: because ye hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

Let those also, who with more decency, and more momentary wisdom, really hear, and yet with the slightest temptations forget what they hear; vessels, into which the water of life is poured, only to be poured out again; remember, that they hear to no valuable end. The true end of this privilege is Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. This end they prevent in themselves by an absolute destitution of serious and deep concern for their salvation. In their final ruin they will find little comfort in remembering this frail, feeble attention to the Word of God. It will be a melancholy support in that terrible day, to say to their Judge, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence; and thou hast taught in our streets; when they hear him reply, Depart from me, for I know you not, ye workers of iniquity.

2. How infinitely desirable is it, that we should hear with good and honest hearts!

This, and this only, is obeying, in the proper sense, the command of our Saviour. As the Gospel is plainly worthy of all acceptation; to accept it in this manner is the indispensable duty of every man, to whom it is preached. To this end, we should remember, that our all is depending; our virtue, usefulness, and peace in the present life; our hope and support in death; our acquittal in the judgment, our escape from final perdition; and our introduction to eternal glory in the kingdom of our heavenly Father. What dreadful emotions must every careless, stupid sinner, experience on a death-bed, when he calls to mind, that he squandered, with infinite prodigality, all his opportunities of gaining Salvation; and cast away the blessings of comfort and hope for ever! Amid the solemn scenes of such a bed, when life is trembling, and fluttering, over the abyss of destruction; the pulse forgetting to beat; the soul struggling, and clinging to its tenement of clay, with awful anticipations of the Judgment; how overwhelming must it be to remember, that every prayer and sermon,

that the Gospel itself and all the blessings which it contains, although so frequently offered by God with infinite kindness, were only despised, neglected, and forgotten! But the lamp is now gone out; the oil expended; and the door shut. Nothing, therefore. remains to the infatuated votary of sense and sin, but the blackness of darkness for ever!