injunctions. But my meaning is, that there are fo many defects, and fo much unfoundnefs of motive in their best actions, that God can have no delight in them, fuch as he has in the obedience of his own people, who are reconciled to him by the great Mediator.

They cannot so far please God as to render their perfons acceptable to him ; nor have. they any promise that this partial obedience of theirs fhall be recompenfed with any favour or reward. The truth of thefe obfervations is confirmed by a multitude of paffages in Scripture. There we are told that the thoughts of the wicked are abominable to him; that the plowing of the wicked is fin; that the facrifice of the wicked is an abomination; yea, he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer, faith Solomon, shall be an abomination unto God. And how can it be well with the man, whose whole life is a perpetual offence to the God that made him? Confider this, ye that now defpife reproof, trample on the blood of Chrift, and refift the motions of his Spirit. In vain do you reft on the favourable parts of your character, as a compenfation for this ungrate

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ungrateful abuse of the divine goodness and long fuffering. In the fight of men, indeed, this balance may be of fome avail to you; but God feeth not as man feeth; in his fight your whole character is depraved, and every part of your conduct offenfive. I fhall only add, in the

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5th and last place, that if you die in this ftate, your perdition is inevitable. "Except a man be born again," faith our Lord, "cannot fee the kingdom of God."-Verily, "Verily, I fay unto you, except ye be con"verted, and become as little children, ye "cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." These paffages are plain and decifive; and I have selected them, among innumerable others to the fame purpofe, for this reason, that they were uttered by the firmeft and tendereft friend of the human race, the truth of whofe warnings we can have no reafon to doubt.

In reviewing what has been faid, the impreffion left is undoubtedly gloomy; and nothing but a fenfe of duty could have prevailed on me to deliver fo harfh a meffage. But that watchman would be very unfaithful to

his

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his truft, who would not call the alarm of fire, because of the unpleasant found it has in men's ears. I have not been fternly delivering truths in which I have no concern myself. We are all embarked in the voyage of life upon the fame conditions. Thefe conditions I have endeavoured to fet before you, according to that commandment of God, "Say ye

to the righteous, it shall be well with him, "for he fhall eat the fruit of his doings; but 66 wo to the wicked, it fhall be ill with him, “neither shall he prolong his days, which are

as a fhadow, because he feareth not before "God." Knowing, therefore, the terrors of the Lord, I have been endeavouring to perfuade you to fly from the wrath to come.

tent;

The way to escape all this mifery is patent even to the chief of finners. The door of mercy is open. God is feated on a throne of grace, ready to receive every humble peniand this is his call to the fons of men, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die.-Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call $6 upon him while he is near.-Let the wick"ed forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto

the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, "and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.-Incline your ear and come unto me, hear and your fouls fhall live; and I "will make with you an everlasting covenant, ત even the fure mercies of David." Amen.

SER

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SERMON X.

REVELATIONS, ii. 5.

Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

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'HESE are the words of our Lord Jefus Christ to the church of Ephesus. They contain a call to repentance and reformation, with a fevere and terrible threatening in cafe of disobedience. In the second and third verses, we have an acknowledgment of what was good in that church, " I know thy works, " and thy labour, and thy patience, and how "thou canst not bear them which are evil "and thou haft tried them which fay they are Apostles, and are not, and haft found "them liars; and haft borne, and haft pa"tience, and for my name's fake haft labour

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ed,