nor can it, in its deepest and most painful researches give us ASSURANCE or certain ground of Hope, that even if we should return to duty and obedience, our OrFENCES Will be PARDONED, or our SERVICE ACCEPTED---On the contrary, it clearly demonstrates, that in STRICT JUSTICE no degree of FUTURE OBEDIENCE can make ATONEMENT for FORMER OFFENCES, because a perfect obfervance of the Divine Will is at all times required, and the utmost we can do at any particular time is no more than we are bound to do.---For DeliveRANCE then from this melancholy state of ignorance and misery, in which fin has involved us, and which the light of nature discovers but cannot difpel, we are indebted to the CHRISTIAN REVELATION, which without lowering in our minds the JusTICE of GOD or his other attributes, exalts his MERCY above all human conception,

and

and proclaims FORGIVENESS of fin and effectual means of RESTORING man, if he will make proper use of them, to the original PURITY and PERFECTION of his nature, and to HAPPINESS, by the administration of a mighty LORD and SAVIOUR, who, in order to accomplish the glorious work he had undertaken, UNITED (in a manner incomprehenfible to us) OMNIPOTENCE and every other ATTRIBUTE OF CHARACTER of the DIVINE NATURE with the HUMAN FORM.

How unbounded the love of God! How myfterious his wifdom!

That mighty LORD and SAVIOUR, who in the beginning was God, and was with GOD, became an humble inhabitant of this corrupt and abominable EARTH, and fubmitted to all the pains and miseries of our

mortal state, in order to redeem, and reclaim, and conduct us to HEAVENS, A

He that is wife will ponder these things -he will revere and fcrutinize the evidences of a doctrine, which accompanied with credentials vifibly derived from Hea ven, propofes to offenders here on earth terms of falvation, urged and enforced fo conftantly and cogently by an awful alternative of endlefs happiness or endless mifery, that the impenitent can no longer take refuge or find comfort in the opinion, that either there will be a NEUTRAL STATE between happiness and mifery, if fuch a thing be poffible, or that DEATH will be a PERPETUAL SLEEP.

Góp has declared, that the idea of ANNI. HILATION, as a means of efcaping his jus-: TICE, is vain and delufive.

The

The POWER of DEATH is fubdued !--

!---The

CHRIST IS RISEN from the dead!--

GRAVE therefore must yield up its PRISONER to JUDGMENT

While the external evidences of the Christian doctrine thus enlighten man's understanding, its internal operations, if he encourages them, and putting forth his own ftrength, co-operates fincerely with the ASSISTING SPIRIT OF GOD, will influence his will, and purify and delight his heart. His whole nature will affume a new and a better form.---His evil defires will become lefs violent.---His good difpofitions will be cherished.---HiS REASON will be gradually restored to its ORIGINAL OFFICE OF DISCRETION and CONTROUL.---His prefent condition will be rendered more tolerable, and his profpects of perfect hap

piness

pinefs in a future ftate will be brightened

and enlarged.

2

hovolled

If I feel on this occafion more than I am able to utter, I ought not to be furprised--for mere HUMAN ELOCUTION is feldom fufficient to communicate our conceptions of things, that are inward and fpiritual;---but its imperfections are amply supplied by the LANGUAGE of INSPIRATION, which abounding with just and sublime images, fully expreffes every thought and emotion of the penitent heart, bowed down before the throne of mercy, and pouring forth with pious extacy at the fame moment of time its forrows and its joys.

The NEVER-CEASING TORMENT, for instance, of the guilty and irreclaimable, is in the written word of God, the WoRM

THAT