to me, I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37. Is not this enough? Oh! how great the guilt-how awful the danger of those to whom this gracious declaration is addressed, and who, like many of our Lord's hearers, will not, after all, come to him that they may have life! Again he said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Matt. xi. 28. Do you hesitate to come, because you are not sure if you are of those who are here invited? Do not you want rest? Is not this what you are labouring after, and on account of the want of which you are grieved and oppressed? Come, then, to him, for this is what he promises "I will give you rest." Come to him, I say, and come to him now. That The apostles preached the gospel in the same way. delightful summary of it which occurs in 1 Tim. i. 15 is very appropriate here: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save inners, of whom" (said the apostle Paul) "I am chief. Howbeit," he adds, "for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting;" that is, the apostle Paul, though a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, obtained mercy; and this fact is recorded, that none need despair of finding mercy who believes, as he did, on the Lord Jesus. What kind of preparation had the apostle previously to his placing his confidence for salvation in the Lord? Not the shadow of preparation. Was it required of him? Was a course of training prescribed to him? Was any law-work assigned to him? Any period of probation fixed, previously to the expiration of which period, or the performance of which work, it should be considered presumptuous in so great a sinner as he was to hope for mercy? No, no,-he was met by the preventing, the anticipating mercy of God; and from a persecutor, changed into an apostle. But, it may be said, 'The case of the apostle Paul was peculiar.' It certainly was so, in many respects, but not in that point of view in which it is presented to your notice, namely, as an instance of the exercise of mercy instead of being peculiar in this respect, it is, as you see, recorded in the Bible as a pattern, a specimen, for the information of future ages, for the encouragement of those who, in these ages, should believe on the name of the Lord Jesus to life everlasting. Does the reader ask what is meant by coming unto Christ, now that he is in heaven? I will tell him—the same thing as was meant, in general, by coming to him, when he was on earth-that is, believing on him. This he himself explained by aying, as in John vi. 35, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Come then and welcome. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."-" Whosoever believeth shall not perish, but have everlasting life."-" Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man," (the Lord Jesus Christ,)" is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things," (even from those) "from which ye could not have been justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that some upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, Behold, ye despisers," (ye procrastinators too,) and wonder, and perish for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." Let the reader, then, instantly renounce all confidence in himself, which on the one hand, tends to keep him from the Saviour; and all attempts to establish a righteousness of his own, which are both sinful and fruitless: and let him, on the other hand, trifle no longer with the important concerns of eternity; but duly impressed with a sense of his guilt, which requires a sacrifice of infinite value to atone for it, and of his danger, which admits of no delay, let him instantly flee for refuge to the hope set before him in the gospel, believing in Jesus as the beloved Son of God, in whom Jehovah is well pleased. Let him do so Now, not BY AND BY-To-day hear the voice of mercy. To-night may be to the reader the night of death-To-morrow, for him the day of judgment. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Those who may feel disposed to aid the Society in continuing and extending the gratuitous circulation of these Tracts, are requested to give their Subscriptions or Donations to the distributors of the Tracts, or to send them to the Secretary at the Office, 27, Red Lion Square, London. THE ENGLISH MONTHLY TRACT SOCIETY, J. & W. Rider, Printers, Bartholomew Close, London. "Here I'll sit, for ever viewing Mercy's streams in streams of blood; Plead and claim my peace with God!" ONCE more night is o'er the plains of Judea; and the sweet garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the mount of Olivet, is veiled by the deepening gloom. Let us now enter that garden, for thither has Jesus with his disciples gone; after he had for the last time put the cup of wine into their hands, and said, "Do this in remembrance of me." See, in one place there lie eight securely slumbering; and a little farther on three more also heavy with sleep. But where is the twelfth? That false friend is even now bargaining to betray his Divine Master into the hands of his enemies for thirty pieces of silver-and engaging for that worthless price to lead a band of ruffians to seize Him whom his open enemies dare not touch. And where is HE that was the glorious head of the twelve? Behold ONE about a stone-cast farther off-and behold, He is exceeding heavy in soul, and sorrowful even unto death! He casts himself on the ground, and in an agony cries out, "Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me-nevertheless not my will, but thine be done!" He arises, but still he is sad-very sad. Again he casts himself upon the ground, and prays in like manneragain, as before, he arises heavy and sorrowful. An angel of glory now appears to strengthen him-but strengthens him for greater suffering; for now the third time he casts himself on the ground, and whilst he again prays in an agony, his very blood falls in great drops to the earth. O Earth, Earth! this is the blood of Him who once denounced a curse against thee for man's sake-for man's sake he now endures the curse; and these drops may be to thee an earnest that thou too shalt be "delivered from the bondage of that ourse into the glorious liberty of the children of God!" (Rom. viii. 21.) He arises and returns to his friends, his only friends; but heedless of his sufferings, they are fast asleep. -Oh the keen anguish of the words, "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" But hark! the tumult of Judas' ruffian band is heard approaching very near-Jesus goeth to meet them-He stands forth full in the glare of their lanterns and torches they are confused; He saith, "I am He"-and they fall to the ground; for it was He that once said, "Let there be light," and there was light-that gave the word, and an hundred and fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrian host lay at once lifeless on the ground. The courage of hell was in Judas' breast, for Satan was there; and the deadened feeling, the seared conscience, were his too, for he was a hypocrite. He therefore betrayed the Son of man with a kiss; and this signal being given, the multitude lay hold of Jesus, and drag him like a thief or a murderer, before the Jewish council. 66 There, as a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers," so is He dumb; they falsely accuse him, "yet He openeth not his mouth;" but when they adjure him by the living God to declare who he is, He declares himself the "Christ," the "Son of God," the "Judge of the world." Happy for them had they then believed in Him as "the LAMB of God," ere they be compelled to stand before Him as "the LION of the tribe of Judah !" Oh how shall they then tremble, if they repented not! You and I shall stand before Him; "He that trusteth in the Lord shall Have you put your heart's trust in Jesus? They now condemn him for blasphemy; they spit on him, and buffet him; they blindfold and strike Him, and then in mockery say, 'Prophesy who did that?' shall we also tremble? never be confounded." Morning is come-and that sun is arisen which shall not set until he witness a scene, than which, time when it passes into eternity cannot tell of one more awful or sorrowful. Jesus is now dragged before the tribunal of Pilate, there to |