piety on the domestic altar-that we may be, in our intercourse with the church and the world, more manifestly the epistles of Christ-that we may furnish to ourselves and others more satisfactory evidence that we are maturing and meetening for that state where the best treasure of our heart is in reserve.

These are some of the objects and purposes of our hearing -and wretched beyond all expression-terrible beyond conception will be the end of our hearing if these are not attained.

The contrast between the mere hearer of the word-and that ready hearer, whose hearing ends in obedience--is drawn with inimitable force by the apostle James, Chap. i. Ver. 22-25 inclusive:-"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein— he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work-this man shall be blessed in his deed."

ON THE PRACTICE OF REPENTANCE.

THE principal root of impenitence is unbelief; and this appears in self-righteous persons. Their virtues appear so near to perfection, that, if they have any need of Christ, it is that he may add a little worth to their characters, to render them worthy of heaven. They are righteous in their own eyes, and justify themselves before men. Tell these persons to repent-explain the spirituality and extent of repentance-prove the necessity of it upon pain of their damnation!—What then? Their pride is affronted, the preacher detested as uncharitable, and all the selfvindication of a blind mind proves that they do not believe those testimonies of God's law which discover their guilt and danger. Others, who are convinced of the necessity of repentance, despair of mercy, and exclaim, "Repentance in them is useless."

Their language is, "The promises do not belong to me-Christ did not die for me! I am not one of the elect! My sins are unpardonable !—my day of grace is gone for ever!" Whence this gloomy view of things? Whence this limitation of infinite mercy? Whence this denial of the all-sufficiency of Christ ?Unbelief is the spring-it is this which thus discourages a convinced mind, and so hinders repentance. Conviction of sin, followed by the liveliest horrors of mind, is not repentance. While a soul has no hope, he never repents of his sin, as an offence against God; only as the instrument of his ruin.

An old self-confident professor, who has felt the truth but never loved it, has shed many tears, but none for his sins-this man supposes that he has repented, perhaps, many years ago. He confines repentance to some illness or distress of mind on some worldly account, and thinks it over. It was the sorrow of a sick man after health; or, of a malefactor, grieving over his shame and danger. This repentance is feigned and forced; barren and merely selfish. A fourth person owns his lost condition, and the indispensable necessity of repentance, and assures himself that he will repent. He promises himself safety in the blood of Christ and a sincere sorrow for sin, but fixes no time; and if he does, he still defers it, until (miserable man!) he fulfils his resolution in hell, in the exercise of an eternal and unavailing sorrow; "weeping, wailing, and gnashing his teeth." Go on, thou miserable hypocrite! go on in thy mere resolves, and see the end of them. Resolve this day that you will repent to-morrow ;—when to-morrow comes defer it to the next day; and then, to prevent trouble, delay it until the third day, and so on until you repent a day too late! yes, repent too late, for if you die this night, your to-morrow will be in hell.

Another soul who has repented, and does repent,—a soul over whom angels have rejoiced, fears and weeps lest his repentance should not be genuine and evangelical in its nature, and suffi

cient in measure. He cannot weep and shed such a flood of penitential tears as others do, and fears he is therefore deceived in his sorrow. Such a mourner must be comforted in his sincerity by being informed that tears, whether in a small or large

quantity, are no decisive evidences of the strength of grief. No; even natural sorrow is greatest and most overwhelming when no tear rises in the eye. There are the tears of pity, the tears of love, and the tears of joy. Measure not the degree of thy godly sorrow by the number of thy tears; because, 1st. The circumstances of aggravation in the different sins of the same persons, and of the same sins in different persons, may render the outward expressions of sorrow more strong and visible. Some have been brought up under the eyes of pious parents, and received an education favourable to the interests of their souls. The conversion of such persons is often so imperceptibly gradual, as to baffle all their attempts at tracing the time of their conversion, and even of their conversion itself. Can it be fairly expected that their repentance should appear in effects so great and extensive as those of Saul and Manasseh? Surely not! Besides this, is not repentance a divine gift? Is not the measure regulated by infinite wisdom and love? The Spirit of grace is poured out in different portions, and the effects vary proportionably. Repentance, like faith, is given "according to the measure of the gift of Christ." And a third cause of this variety in the exercise of repentance, in persons equally sincere, is the difference of their natural constitutions. One is naturally cold, another warm. This difference appears in all their engagements: the one pursues important objects with a steady and deliberate pace; the other is warm and vehement in the pursuit of objects much inferior. So when one repents of sin, his conviction may be clear and strong; his humility deep; his esteem of Christ cordial; his prayers acceptable to God; his judgment and dispositions spiritually enlightened and disposed. He may be a true penitent, who expresses his sorrow in his words, temper, and conduct. The other, with livelier passions, with Peter, "goes out and weeps bitterly." Fear not, upright soul. Peace be with you! If the sorrow of thy heart be godly in its kind, leading to God in your will and affections—if it leads to Christ as a Saviour and Lord, as thy portion and pattern, "fear not, for thou hast found favour with God!"

THOMS, PRINTER, WARWICK SQUARE.

NEW SERIES,

ENLARGED AND IMPROVED.

THE EVANGELIST.

EXPOSITIONS,

SKETCHES, AND SERMONS.

XXIII.

EXPOSITION OF PSALM XIX. AND OF REV. XX.

Ver. 1-4. "THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD, AND THE FIRMAMENT SHOWETH HIS HANDY WORK. DAY UNTO DAY UTTERETH SPEECH, AND NIGHT UNTO NIGHT SHOWETH FORTH KNOWLEDGE. THERE IS NO SPEECH NOR LANGUAGE WHERE THEIR VOICE IS NOT HEARD. THEIR LINE IS GONE OUT THROUGH ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD."

YE have here a vast place of worship, a large congregation, amazing preachers, treating on the grandest and most sublime of all subjects: the place of worship, the whole world-the congregation, all nations-the preachers, the heavens-and the subject of the sermon, "the glory of God." We see, therefore, how justly this creation has been considered as a temple, erected to the honour of the divine Majesty, and consecrated for his worship and praise. If any man defile this temple, him shall God destroy, if he repent not.

The heavens are preachers ordained by the infinite Being who filleth all in all. In robes of flowing light they are presented to the notice, and invite and demand the attention, of every intelli

NO. XI.

R

VOL. II.

gent being on the face of the earth. Their words are addressed to all flesh, and none can complain that they are so far from the pulpit that they cannot hear the sermon; for every word they utter goeth to the very "end of the world."

Their discourses are as intelligible as their voice is powerful. They declare glory,-they show forth knowledge, holding it out "as a lamp that burneth;" not concealing it as a mine doth riches. If perspicuity is requisite to good speaking, they are easy to be understood;-if distinct pronunciation, their words may be heard by all. None can complain that they are too late for instruction, for the address is continual. "Day unto day," "Night unto night," they cease not to impart instruction, till day and night come to an end.

The language they speak is universal. Men of all tongues, though uneducated, may understand. It is a language addressed to the eyes of all-a language of signs and visible symbols-an alphabet of large characters, in which every star is a letter, and each letter stands for a whole discourse.

The subject on which all are addressed is "the glory of God." This phrase may import the same as "the being of God;" for this the heavens distinctly declare. In them "the invisible things of Him are clearly seen." Their effulgence shadows forth the brightness of his glory,—their vast extent suggests the immensity of his being,-their regularity is a declaration of his unchangeableness,-their purity reminds us of his holiness,their order is an expression of his wisdom,-and their whole structure, furniture, usefulness, and glory, express a loud and comprehensive proclamation of his all-sufficiency. Who but a God, boundless in all perfection, could have spread abroad that beautiful and shining canopy? What but adorable benevolence could have rendered the sky so beneficial to the world? The heavens cherish in their bosom the earth which is the common mother of us all. There are opened the fountains of light;there play the winds;-there rolls the majesty of the thunder;they are the laboratory and storehouse of the vital air, and they diffuse the fertilizing rains and the balmy dews on the pastures and plains below. There lightnings flash around the chariot of