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ality, though earthly-mindedness has overfpread you like a leprofy, his right-hand and his holy arm will get him the victory. He is able to create you anew unto good works; and, as you are already monuments of his patience and forbearance, to make you to eternity the happy monuments of his fovereign and almighty grace. Is there now any remaining objection? Is there yet any room for farther delay? Hath not time fhed its hoary hairs upon your heads, and drawn its furrows upon your brows? Make hafte then, and fly for your lives, left you lie down in forrow, and make your bed in hell.

5. Let me preach the gospel to the Selfrighteous. By the self-righteous, I mean those who truft in an outward, lifeless form of duties, in a character formed upon worldly prudence, and a few of the most common offices of civility between man and man; especially thofe, if any fuch have perfifted in reading this difcourse to the close, who defpife the doctrines of the grace of God. Do any of you lean to the fafhionable scheme of irreligious, pretended morality; and when you are at liberty, treat the doctrine of free grace, and of Christ's righteoufnefs and merit, with contempt and fcorn. As the full foul lotheth the honeycomb, fo the felf-righteous foul fpurns at the riches of di

vine mercy, and likes not the inceffant repeti

tion of the name of Chrift.

Your guilt is of
Your danger it is

the darkest and deepest dye. impoffible to conceive or exprefs. What views have you in drawing near to a holy God in folemn worship? Or what meeting do you expect with God, when he fitteth upon the throne of his holiness in the day of judgment? Do you ever, tho' in the flightest manner, make confcience of the duty of felf-examination? May I not have fome hold of you by that quarter? What fatisfac tion have you in your own hearts? Dare you tell us now what paffes there? O the power of felf-deceit ! You would be covered with confufion, did but the world know the foul pollution that lodges within you: how much less fhall you be able to ftand, the ftrict and impar tial judgment of the great Searcher of hearts 2

Do but open the book of God, and what page will not condemn you? This fentence ftands uncancelled against you, "Curfed is every (6 one, that continueth not in all things that are

written in the book of the law to do them. "Out of your own mouths will you be judged, ye wicked fervants. Thou that makest thy boaft of the law, through breaking the law, "difhonoureft thou God?" Bring forth your boasted morality, and let it be put to the trial. Will you, or dare you fay, "I have loved the 66 Lord

"Lord with all my heart, with all my foul, "with all my mind, and with all my ftrength?" Will you fay, I have loved his worship, and served him in public, in my family, and in fecret, and I hope he will accept of it? I think I am authorised to anfwer in his name, Was "it worshipping me to be finging pfalms with. "your mouths, and not once remembering "their meaning? to be thinking of an hundred "vain things when you were in the house of "God? To be praifing without thankfulness, "confeffing without forrow, and asking bleff

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ings without defiring them; and to be more ❝ attentive to the faces and dreffes of others ❝ around you, than to the frame of your own "hearts? Was it hearing my word, to be

criticifing the file and manner of the speaker, "and laying hold, with the utmost eagerness, "of every improper motion or ill-chofen ex"preffion, as a fund of entertainment for your"selves and your companions over your cups "and bowls? Or do you call your careless, "hafty, drowsy prayers, with long intermif"fions, worshipping me in fecret?"

But perhaps you will rather choose to truft to the duties of the fecond table, and what you owe to your neighbour. Perhaps you will fay, I have been honeft in all my dealings, and never wronged any man: nay, I have been kind and charitable

charitable, have dealt my bread to the hungry, and fupplied the wants of the afflicted and poor. I answer, in the name of God, "Many have been 66 your defects even in these duties; but supposing "it to be fo, you have not feared me. It might

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be from pride, from fear of cenfure, from "prudence; but it was not in obedience to 66 me, for I was not in all your thoughts. Was it your duty to your neighbour, to make a mock at his fins, to lead him into intemperance, to "defpife him in your hearts, and ridicule him "in your converfation?" In one word, do but examine all your "righteousneffes," they will "be found as filthy rags before God." Truft not in fuch a 66 refuge of lies.-The bed is "fhorter than that a man can stretch himself on "it, and the covering narrower than that he himself in it *." Believe it, there is no falvation in any other than in Chrift. His atoning blood will reconcile you to God: his grace and love will captivate your fouls: his holy and bleffed Spirit will write his laws in your hearts. Believe în him, and you will be more holy than ever, and yet ftand astonished at your profane and blind pride and vanity. He will create in you a clean heart, and you will then blush at the thoughts of your remaining pollution. You will apply yourselves to his fer* If. xxviii, 20.

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vice with zeal and diligence, and yet still fay you are unprofitable fervants. One view of the crofs of Chrift will make fin more odious than a thousand fine descriptions of the beauty of virtue, which commonly ferve only to nourish and fortify the pride of man. If ever you defire to fee the face of God in mercy, or to dwell in his prefence, believe in Chrift, for there is no other way to the Father.

me to preach the

It is the glory of to the uttermost

6. In the last place, fuffer gospel to the Chief of Sinners. our Redeemer, that he faves "all that come to God by him." The dignity of his perfon, the greatnefs of his fufferings, and the infinite value of his atonement founded on both, makes him "mighty to fave." Let fuch finners attend to this, who are without excufe, whofe hearts have been a fink of the greatest impurity, whofe lives are stained with the fouleft and the groffeft crimes, whose fins have been numerous, and hainous, and fcandalous; who have no plea to offer, but are fenfible that they have juftly merited the wrath of God in its utmoft rigour. Let fuch attend to this, as are trembling at the thoughts of a righteous judgment, and faying, "It is a fear"ful thing to fall into the hands of the living "God.-Men and brethren, what fhall we "do?" Behold, I bring you good tidings of

mercy

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