serpent. The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" John said to sinners, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ?" The Lord Jesus Christ said to sinners, "Ye. serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" He also said to sinners, "Now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." Such is the description which the Holy Spirit has recorded of the malignant depravity, and desperate wickedness of the human heart. And when it is considered that every sinner hates the Lord Jesus Christ, and rejects the glorious salvation of the gospel, it is evident that this description of human depravity, is truly applied to every impenitent sinner. It is truly applied to young sinners, as well as to old sinners. It is truly applied to moral sinners, as well as to immoral sinners. It is truly applied to religious sinners, as well as to irreligious sinners. It is truly applied to enquiring and distressed sin

ers, as well as to thoughtless and careless sinners. It is truly applied to sinners who profess to believe the holy scriptures, as well as to sinners who openly and boldly deny the blessed bible. It is truly applied to sinners who believe there is a God, as well as to sinners who say there is no God. It is truly applied to sinners on earth, as well as to sinners in hell. It is truly applied to the best, as well as to the worst of sinners. However sinners may differ in some respects, they are essentially of the very same moral character. Every sinner hates the Lord Jesus Christ with all his heart, and refuses to come to him for life. For his love, sinners are his enemies. They hate him without a cause. Every sinner of whatever description, and whatever may be his profession or appearance, is truly and justly charged with the most malignant depravity and wickedness.

2. Sinners greatly deceive themselves, when they imagine, that they shall be willing to accept salvation at some future time. The impenitent, who hear the preaching of the gospel, often have some conviction of the great value of salvation. They are also fearful of the endless wrath of Almighty God. They hope to escape the torments of hell, and to be for ever blessed in heaven. Though they now delay and defer a thorough attention to the concerns of their souls, yet they fondly imagine that they shall at some future time, embrace the offers of life. On account of their present circumstances and engagements, or for some other impor

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tant considerations, they suppose they ought not to be blamed, though they now remain in impenitence and unbelief. Sinners are not usually conscious of their enmity against Jesus Christ, and his holy salvation. They really expect at some future time, to perforin their duty, and secure the life of their souls. But by such expectations, they greatly deceive themselves. There is nothing to prevent their present acceptance of salvation, but the enmity and unbelief of their hearts. The longer they delay repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, the more violent will be their enmity against God, and the more malignant their unbelief. Sinners will be no more willing to accept salvation when they are old, than when they are young's when they are sick, than when they are well. They will be no more willing to accept salvátion when they have accomplished their present schemes, than when they are careful and troub led about many things. Sinners will be no more willing to accept salvation in the hour of death, than when the king of terrors is at the greatest distance. They will be no more wil ling to accept salvation next year, than this year; next month, than this month; or to morrow, than to day. They are now unwil ling to be saved, and so long as they remain sinners, they will wholly reject the salvation of the gospel. Though they may now resolve and promise to accept salvation at á future time, and though they now imagine they shall

then be willing to be saved, yet when that time shall come, they will forget or break their promises and resolutions. If they place the least dependence upon their present promises and resolutions, they do wholly deceive themselves. Thousands and thousands have so deceived themselves, and destroyed their immortal souls. Sinners, who are now relying upon their present promises and resolutions of future repentance, have already deceived themselves many times. And if they have done so in times past, why will they not do so in future? "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." And never are sinners guilty of greater and more alarming folly, than when they imagine they shall be willing to accept salvation at some future time, though they are now rejec ting the counsel of God against themselves.

3. Since sinners are unwilling to be saved, if they be suffered to act according to their present choice, they will certainly perish. Sinners are able to perceive the excellence of the divine character, and that the divine law is holy, just and good. They are able to per, ceive the total depravity of their own hearts, and the total sinfulness of all their actions. They are able to see that they deserve the wrath and curse of God for ever. They are able to see the character and the offices of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are able to see the necessity and the efficacy of the atonement which he has made by his death on the cross, They are able to see the conditions on which

salvation is offered to sinners. They are also able to see the weighty and powerful motives, by which sinners are urged and pressed to repent of their sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus. Christ. And they are able to repent of their sins, and to believe on the holy and beloved. name of the great and blessed Redeemer. If they will only comply with the gospel, they shall be forgiven, be blessed and glorious for ever. But if they do not comply with the gospel, they must be accursed, and tormented, and ashamed through eternity. Yet they refuse to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They choose darkness, rather than light. They choose the slavery of Satan, rather than the liberty of the Sons of God. They choose the way to hell, rather than the way to heaven. They choose eternal death, rather than eternal life. They choose sin with its bitter fruits, rather than to be holy and happy for ever. Now since such is the fixed and settled choice of every sinner, if sin ners be suffered to act according to their pres ent choice, their endless damnation is as cer tain as their existence. They who suffer the damnation of hell, are only made to eat of the fruit of their own ways, and to be filled with their own devices. And eternal damnation will be the portion of every sinner, who is now on the earth, if he be allowed to act according to the present choice and purpose of his heart.

4. If sinners are unwilling to be saved, then unless God can change their hearts, there is no