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a weighty matter is undetermined? Poor foul! while thou art halting, thou art standing on the brink of the pit, and whether death or life shall be thy lot, whether heaven or hell, is ftill as to thee undetermined. Till thou determine the point to be the Lord's, and to renounce all thy idols, Satan has the hold of thee, and there is nothing between death and thee but one step, thou hangeft over the pit by the long-worn thread of divine patience; and whenever that gives way, thou art loft for ever: John, iii. 36. " He that believeth not the Son shall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

(3.) Do you not wonder, that God has waited fo long upon you, that he has not taken your flights and fcorns for your final answer? Is it not furprifing, that he has not recalled his ambaffadors, and denounced war against you, to be carried on for ever? Ye muft needs wonder that it is not fo, when ye confider the infinite greatness of him who makes fuit to you, the meannefs and vileness of thofe whom he courts, and the abominable competitors which ye prefer to him.

(4) Are ye not afraid left the Lord halt, and proceed no further in feeking after you? that this may be the laft call that ever you may get? Luke, xiv. 24. "For I fay unto you, that none of these men which were bidden, fhall taste of my fupper." Sit this call, and who knows but the Lord may from this time leave you to your lufts? Pfal. lxxxi. 11. 12. "But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Ifrael would none of me. gave them up unto their own hearts lufts, and they walked in their own counfels.” Hof. iv. 17. "Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone" Saying, Ceafe my Spirit, cease conscience, minifters, ordinances, judgements, mercies; give that

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man no more disturbance in the embraces of his lufts, let them hang by him, and he by them, till they fink him into hell, and lie there as a mountain of lead on him for ever.

(5.) Do you not know, the longer you halt, it will be the harder to come to a point for God? the longer ye hold off from the Lord, you will be the more loth to come away: Prov. vi. 10. " Yet a little fleep, a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep." He that is not fit this day, will be unfitter to-morrow; for lufts, through continuance, grow more and more strong, and the devil, that comes at first alone, afterwards his name is Legion, for they are many. I aver, that it had been telling many of us, that they had struck the iron many years ago, when it was hotter than it is now.

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Laftly, Halt as long as you will, you must not only be determined for the Lord, and against all your lufts, but also you must be joined to the Lord, and separated from them actually, else you are ruined for ever. The cafe is plain, Mark, xvi. 16. "He that believeth not fhall be damned.”Ezek. xviii. 30. ❝ Repent, and turn from all your tranfgreffions, fo iniquity fhall not be your ruin." -Matth. xviii. 3. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye fhall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." So, if you have any mind to be free from the wrath to come, unleťo you have a mind to take your hazard with your lufts through all eternity, while God is God, to purfue the quarrel for the flight ye put on him,

you

must come to a point, and be determined for God, and give up with all your lufts.

Now, Sirs, there are two things lying before you this day, of one of which you are to take your choice.

1. You must either give up with God, Christ,

heaven,

heaven, and glory, quit all your part in the covenant of grace, the purchase of Chrift, and his death, freely, and betake yourselves to your lufts, idols, and finful courses, and make the best of them you can to live and die with them. Satan is fond of your making this choice. Or,

2. You must give up with your lufts, idols, and finful courfes, freely quit your part in them, not excepting your darling luft, and betake yourselves to the Lord in his covenant, taking this day God the Father for your Father, God the Son for your Saviour, God the Holy Ghost for your Sanctifier, Chrift for your Prophet, to be led by his word and Spirit; Chrift for your Prieft, to be faved by his obedience and death only; Chrift for your King, to be ruled and governed by him according to his will abfolutely. The Lord is willing that you make this your choice, and kindly invites the worst of you to it: Rev. iii. 29. "Behold, I ftand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and I will fup with him, and he with me." And ch. xxii. 17. "And the Spirit and the Bride fay, Come; and let him that heareth fay, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whofoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Nay, he commands you to make this choice: 1 John, iii. 23. "And this is his commandment, that we fhould belieye on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift." And fo earneft is he in this invitation, that he will pass all your former flights, if you will but now fall in with this offer: Ezek. xviii. 22. "All his tranfgreffions that he hath committed, they fhall not be mentioned; in his righteoufnefs that he hath done he fhall live." Now, there is the choice in both parts, what fay ye to it? Jofh. xxiv. 15. "Chufe ye this day whom ye will ferve."

I demand your anfwer. What answer shall I return? Your final answer, for I cannot say that ever our Master will send me again to you on this errand.― Are there any here,

(1.) Who will give that anfwer, Jer. ii. 25. "There is no hope; no, for I have loved ftrangers, and after them I will go." O, Sirs! take your word again, we are loth to carry back that word; why will you die? why will you deftroy yourselves? If we faw a cup of poifon in your hand, which you would not part with, but would drink, we would flee to you, mix our blood with yours, be fore you fhould get it drunk; but what can we do in this cafe, but cry, O do yourselves no harm! and proteft before God, angels, men, and your own felves, that your blood is on your own head. -Are there any here,

(2.) Who will give that anfwer, Jer. iii. 22. "Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God."-Job, xxxiv. 32. "If I have done iniquity, I will do fo no more." Then, I call heaven and earth to record, you are at a point for our Lord never to go back; that it is an everlasting bargain between God in Chrift and you; that he is yours, and you are his; that although this bargain betwixt our Lord and you has been many times back and fore, it is now fully and finally concluded, you are married now, and there is no room for any other fuitors. O come, then, to your Lord's table with a holy boldnefs, and get the covenant fealed!

Lafly, Is that your anfwer, Acts, xxiv. 25. "Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee?" You fay you will advise upon it. I declare we cannot take that anfwer; our commiffion does not bear us to indulge you even till to-morrow, in advising upon a

matter

matter of fuch importance: Heb. iv. 7. "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Nay, we cannot allow you even another hour or half-hour in hesitation: 2 Cor. vi. 2. " Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of falvation." Give your answer, therefore, inftantly, I peremptorily claim it; if you delay longer, you may be in hell ere to-morrow, nay, next hour, it may be, next moment. What do you hesitate upon?-whether you will obey God or the devil? whether you will caft the kindled coals of hell out of your bofom, or not?-whether you will travel in that narrow road which leads to life, or in that broad road which will land you in destruction ?-in fhort, whether you will live for ever, or perish eternally? Oh! Sirs, be wife before it be too late, halt no longer, I befeech you, betwixt these two opinions To-day, if ye will hear his voice; harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, the day of tentation in the wilderness." When a

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ye, turn

gracious God is now calling you, "Turn ye, why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael?" let the echo of your fouls, and the answer of your tongues, be, "Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God."

END OF VOL. I.

IN Vol. II. will be given the other Sermon on this

fubject.

EDINBURGH, PRINTED BY J. PILLANS & SONS,

NORTH COLLEGE STREET.

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