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"eyes, left they fee with their eyes and hear with their ears, "and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed."

Now collect all thefe fymptoms or appearances into one view, for they ought not to be feparately fixed upon any character, but when the affemblage is applicable to any people or perfon, the danger is great left they fhould perifh forever. If they have been favoured with a faithful miniltry; various fea fons of the out pouring of the divine fpirit; have been the fubjects of ftrong convictions and powerful awakenings; have become reformed, and have formed mighty refolutions; and imbibed a hope upon infufficient grounds, and this falfe and delufive confidence grows ftronger and ftronger; what can be faid of such persons but that their day of grace is past, and that they are given over to ftrong delufion, to believe lies, that they may be damned. A few words upon the

Second head will abundantly fuffice, that this is a state both lamentable and dangerous.-The deplorableness of this cafe will appear from the nature and precioufnefs of the foul; the irrepaiablenefs of the lofs of it; and the dreadful aggravations attending the fame. The foul is above all created things precious. Did not the Son of God lay down his life for its falvation? The lofs therefore mut above all conception be tremendous. The perfon who can measure eternity, and grafp the flames of hell in his hand, let him make the calculation of the damage. The declaration of our Lord upon this fubject has been fo many thousand times reiterated, that daily repetition has blunted its edge, and turned it into all the weakness of dullness. Yet once more it afks your attention and serious conûderation. It never made a more folemn appeal to your hearts, judgments and confciences. "What is a man profi"ted, if he thould gain the whole world," in all the trinity of its powers, its honors, profits and pleasures, "And "lofe his foul, or what can be given in exchange for the foul?"

The bargain has weakness infcribed on the bill of exchange, and its proteft exhaufts eternity to make reparation. The enemy of fouls could not wish for a more bitter lamentation than that which our Lord poured forth over the city of Jerufalem, who had outfat their feafon of grace, and amufed away their space of repentance. "O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that "killest the prophets and stonest them which are fent unto thee, "how often would I have gathered thy children together, even "as a hen gathereth together her chickens under her wings, " and ye would not; behold your house is left unto you de "folate." Despair is your allotment, and destruction your eternal portion. Angels and good men, and all in heaven and earth must bewail in all the anguish of woe your irrevocable fate. You are loft, you are damned forever. Your cry must be couched in all the language of defperation, "The "harvest is over, the fummer is past, and we are not faved." Nothing but the plunge of eternal damnation is before you. Gloomy the apprehenfion, and inexpreffibly more dreadful the twinging experience.

A word of examination and exhortation muft finish this fearful discourse.

Firft, if we are not harder than the nether mill-ftone, let us paufe, confider, reflect, and examine. Is there any hope for us? Is our destiny fealed? The old adage is, while there is life, there is hope? Is it poffible to change the divine decree, and avert almighty vengeance? If you will attend in this day of life and repent and turn, the arm of the Most High is infinitely extended in mercy, and who dare fay, but you may yet obtain falvation? None will be fo hardy as to point out the individual whofe day of grace is paft. Wherefore, as the means of falvation are continued to you, God is forbearing and exercifing patience towards you, who knows but he is waiting to be gra

cious? Hence examine yourselves, look into your own hearts, and fee whether ye may not yet turn unto the Lord. Take to you words and fay, "We have long finned against thee, ❝deafened our ears to the calls of thy gospel, but now after fo "long a time, we will attend to our fouls, hear and return.” This addrefs fhall conclude in a brief advice to aged and middle aged finners. With regard to the old, among which L hold a foremost rank. Our fun fpreads its feeble beams, and is juft plunging beneath the horizon. And we know it is faid, "The finner dying an hundred years old thall be accur "fed." Here it will be afked, whether a finner who has outlived the power of finning can be faved? Surely he can upon the terms of the gofpel. If he hath lived ninety and nine years in fin, even yet the door of mercy is open, if he will repent and embrace that Saviour, who hath declared, "All "manner of fin and blafphemy he will forgive." Here is encouragement and ground of rejoicing for old finners. Let us not even yet despair; but in the closing period of life, let us glorify God by fhewing forth the mighty power of his grace in our conversion, repentance, faith and falvation. The oldest finner who repents fhall be faved. Bleffed declaration! wherefore, let the finner bending to the earth under a weight of years, turn unto the Lord, and receive the rich and free blef. fings of eternity. You will fing the highest notes of grace in the celeftial regions. Some were called at the eleventh hour.

And with regard to finners of middle age there is hope for you. There is grace enough in our Father's houfe and to fpare. Jefus came to call finners to repentance. Are you finners? the merciful call is directed to you. "Return thou "backfliding Ifrael, faith the Lord, and I will not caufe mine anger to fall upon you." "If the wicked will turn from "all his fins that he hath committed, he fhall furely live, he "fhall not die. I have no pleafure in the death of him that

dieth, faith the Lord God, wherefore turn and live. Rent "your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord "your God, for he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger "and of great kindness. Thus, faith the Lord of hofts, turn "ye unto me, and I will turn unto you." There were in Niniveh aged, middle aged and young finners. "They turned " from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he "faid he would do unto them, and he did it not." Let the prayer of all, of every age and of every rank, be, «Turn us,

O God, and caufe thy face to fhine, and we fhall be faved."

SERMON XIX.

God the Author of all Afflictions and Troubles.

Job, v. 6, 7. Although affliction cometh not forth of the duft neither doth trouble fpring out of the ground; yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

THE being and perfections of God lie at the foundation. of all piety and religion. A due knowledge and fenfe hereof is the first and most immediate ground of all true exercises and holy affections. The glorious attributes of Jehovah are the primary objects, to which religion in all its branches has refpect. Not only fo, but the very effence of it confifts, in fentiments, fenfations and feelings of heart fuitable and anfwerable to the beauty, glory and excellency of these perfections, and which, when properly apprehended and realized, are adapted to produce, and will certainly produce in all rational creatures, whofe temper and tafte is as it ought to be. In this correfpondence therefore of the frame, temper and exercifes of the foul to the real character or name of God, confifts much of true religion. Hence fome just and true knowl

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