the vows that should have bound me to thy service; but, blessed be thy name, Thou hast not cut me off, Thou dost not cast me out, Thou dost vouchsafe to receive me again unto Thyself. Then, Lord, thine, thine by thy grace, would I entirely be. Here do I offer and present myself, my soul and body, to be a holy sacrifice unto Thee. Sanctify me entirely to thy service, write thy law upon my heart, mould my will to thine, and let my whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto Thee for ever.

the Lord my God.'

:

Thou art

Dear brethren, I do believe the blessed Spirit of the Lord is enabling many a one among you thus to feel, and thus to speak and I rejoice in the persuasion, for, as I have said, it is the evidence of a soul being saved. None have this faith, none this desire after holiness, but those on whom the gospel of Jesus is taking its effect by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And let me say to those of you whose hearts do join in such language of humble reliance on God's word, and fervent longings for conformity to his will; all of you who now respond to that voice of a heavenly Father which bids you return, and promises to heal your souls; all who do so reply as in our text, "Behold we come unto Thee, Thou art the Lord our God;" rejoice and be thankful; the Lord has wrought his work of saving grace on you; praise and adore his holy name; his seal is on your souls; the seal of his salvation; and now recovered and restored, O may you never "turn again to folly."

C

SERMON III.

JOHN XIV. 6.

JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND

THE LIFE.

OUR blessed Lord had been telling his disciples how that shortly He should be departing out of this world unto the Father. And He had promised them to make it his care to prepare for them, as well as for all his people, mansions, places of abode, in his Father's house, that where He was they might be also. Out of this subject the conversation arose, of which the words in our text are a part. Jesus had said, addressing the disciples, "Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." The Saviour meant,' you ought to know it, you have had it set before you.' But, said Thomas, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?"

The Apostles were yet, comparatively speaking, very ignorant. Their minds were greatly blinded. Thomas was far from comprehending our Saviour's meaning. We neither know,' was his confession, whither it is that Thou art going, nor the path which we must take to follow Thee, and join Thee there.' And then it was that

Jesus replied as in our text: "I am the way, the truth, and the life," adding, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' As though He should say, 'to God it is that I am going, as I before have told you: believe in me, and you shall follow me to glory.' Let us aim however to obtain a more exact understanding of our Saviour's words; and may the Holy Spirit unfold their import to every heart.

"the

the way

I. Saith Jesus, "I AM THE WAY: for you to follow to that blessedness whither I myself shall soon be gone :-the way to heaven : the way to God.

The words at once remind us of a sad and awful truth. They remind us of what is our fallen state. Why do we need a way to God? Is it not because we are far from Him? Sin has placed us at a distance from Him. Yea it has made us flee from Him. We are afraid of Him. His wrath is due to our sin, and we dare not look up to Him, or draw nigh to his presence. What we want is some method of reconciliation. We want to be able to approach Him in confidence and love.

Now this is precisely what a sinner feels, so soon as his eyes are opened to a discovery of his own true condition. He is deeply sensible of a separation between his soul and God. He seems to himself indeed to be like the wayward prodigal son in a far country, famishing at a distance from his father and his father's house. The words of the prophet, spoken to rebellious Israel, seem

to him just to describe his state; "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you." And so long as this is the case, what hope can a sinner have? God, he says, is angry at his sin. He sees nothing but a frown on his Maker's The door of heaven is closed.

countenance.

He is ready to think himself for ever lost.

Beloved brethren, painful and distressing as is such a condition of mind, I could wish you all to know something of it. O, if as yet you have never felt any thing like this, then I do pray that you may be brought to it.

I tremble for men that have had no uneasiness about their state, no anxiety to learn the way of restoration to God. I fear lest they should go on in unconcern, and perish. I fear lest they should remain in that far land of worldliness and sin, where now they lie so thoughtlessly, till the thunders of judgment arouse them from their insensibility, then shall they begin to look around for the way of return, then shall they begin to inquire for the path of life, but, alas, that path will be for ever hidden from their eyes, the gate of mercy shut, the door of heaven barred, barred eternally against their souls.

O my brethren, how solemn is that warning, which Jesus gives us, when bidding us to strive to enter in at the strait gate, and tread the narrow way; for, said He, many, yes

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many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Fain would they then commence the heavenward road, fain would they then return to

God; but it will be too late; they shall not be able.

I trust there are hearts among us that can say, Good Lord, we would, we fain would turn. But how shall we? How shall sinners so fallen, so guilty, so far away, ever be restored? Shew us, gracious Lord, shew us the good and the right way.'

Now to such, Jesus speaks: "I am the way." You feel your guiltiness. You feel your sin. It is sin that stands between you and your God. Had could come to Him at once. you no sin you But it is the sense of sin, that makes you full of doubt and fear. You can see the way sufficiently open for creatures such as angels are, holy, pure, and good; but for yourselves, polluted and burdened with iniquity, you ask, what way remains? Is there any by which such offenders may approach the throne of God, or hope for admission to his face?

Yes,' saith Jesus, 'I will shew you the way. Come by me. Draw nigh in my name. Go not to God as you are in yourselves; that would be to provoke his wrath his hand of Justice then must fall upon you and you die. But remember who I am, and what I have done. I am the Son of God, and I was made man, I lived, I died for sinners, I died to take away their sin, I bare the anger sin deserved, and now I live again, I live to intercede for sinners, I plead for them, for all who come to ask the pardon of their sin, and peace with God, and eternal salvation, resting their hope of all these