to sinners as a ground of hope: Trust in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. And as God's power creates a possibility, so his mercy creates a probability, especially that mercy which is manifested in the gift of his Son. There is forgiveness with thee, says the humble penitent, prostrate before the divine throne. I have no merit: thou requirest none. I can do nothing: thou art able to do all. Others have found favour in thy sight: why may I not hope for it? To thee then will I come : at thy feet will I bow: and if I perish, I perish!We proceed now to consider,

III. The cases in which this hope, founded upon a probability of acceptance, may afford encouragement to souls in distress.

1. With respect to prayer. Abraham's intercession for Sodom, in which he discovered such a mixture of benevolence and humility, proceeded upon this principle. "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous. ... Peradventure there shall be forty found there?"-When we pray for ourselves, we may use the same plea as David did in a time of affliction: "Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?" The sentence is pronounced, but perhaps the decree is not gone forth. Prayer has sometimes arrested as it were the thunder out of God's hand. Who knows what it may do now? If concerned for spiritual blessings, as pardon, sanctification, peace and joy, there is encouragement to pray and hope. Thus Peter addressed Simon Magus: "Pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." I cannot assure thee that it will be so, but there is encourage

ment to hope; and if thou art sincere and earnest in thine applications, it may be so. Go then, oh wretched and self-ruined sinner, do as Peter exhorted Simon Magus. Cast thyself at the footstool of divine grace, as one ready to perish. Tell the Lord thy case, spread thy sins and sorrows before bim, plead his mercy, its freeness and sovereignty; plead thine own necessity, the honour of his name, and the merit of his Son; urge every argumeut with which an awakened conscience and the holy scriptures may furnish thee; and who knows but God will forgive thee, not only the evil imaginations of thine heart, but all thine other innumerable and aggravated transgressions? The husbandman plows in hope, and sows in hope, and we also should pray in hope. It is true, all our prayers can lay him under no obligation; but if we know any thing of the power of his anger, or the worth of his favour, the most distant probability of escaping the one or enjoying the other, will be a sufficient motive to fervent and importunate prayer. If it were only us the lot cast into the lap, the disposal of which is of the Lord; yet the importance of these things would fully justify renewed and repeated applications. Many objections lie in the sinner's way, and many discouragements meet him when he would seriously and statedly engage in the duty I am now recommending; yet the consideration expressed in our text, if felt in its full force, will enable him to surmount them all. Who knoweth but he will return, and repent, and leave a blessing behind him. If God have never heard him before, he may hear him now; and if he do not gain by prayer, it is certain he will be no loser by it.

2. With respect to repentance, or turning to God. There is what is called a legal repentance, or distress of mind arising from the terrors of the law, or the dread of punishment; and though it is not such a

repentance as accompanies salvation, not being mixed with faith and love, yet temporal judgments have sometimes been averted, and temporal blessings enjoyed, where this humiliation has taken place. Such was the case with one of the wicked kings of Israel : Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days. Similar to this is Daniel's address to Nebuchadnezzar: Oh king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee! Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy prosperity. He does not assure him that this will be the issue, but intimates the probability of it. However, all this is distinct from that repentance which is unto life, and which we have principally in view. This is properly called evangelical, and flows from a principle of divine life in the soul. And though it is the work of the holy Spirit to produce it, yet he deals with us as rational creatures, using suitable motives and encouragements in order to lead us to repentance, and therefore it becomes us to attend to them. Amongst various other motives, the hope of forgiveness is one of singular importance, and which the scriptures do not fail to urge. 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. The Prodigal son knew that there was bread enough in his father's house, but was not certain that he who had acted so ungrateful and undutiful a part should be suffered to partake of it; yet upon the peradventure of being accepted, he formed that resolution: I will arise, and go to my father. The extremity to which he was reduced impelled him to go, and the possibility of obtaining relief encouraged him. The language of the penitent is like that of Jonah: I am cast out of thy sight! Yet will I look again towards

thy holy temple. A door of hope is opened to me in the gospel; and who know but God will make it an effectual one. Ahab's feigned repentance gained him a reprieve; but true repentance has the promise of pardon. And as Christ is exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel and the remission of their sins, who can tell but both these blessings may be mine! Whilst I think of the unworthiness of the receiver, I will not forget the greatness of the giver, who does wonderful things without number. Thus the Lord reasoned with Israel: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days; should it also be marvellous in mine eyes, saith the Lord of hosts? Zech. viii. 6.

3. With respect to patient waiting upon God in seasons of sore trial, and after long delays. The saints often meet with great trials, and are called to the exercise of much patience. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, oh God of Israel the Saviour-Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Such have been the complaints of good men in times past, and such they continue to be. God seems not to hear sometimes when he does hear, and suspends an answer sometimes when he does not deny it. But there are many wise and gracious ends to be answered by it; such as, to reprove for former neglects. The church had not attended to the voice of her Lord, and therefore had afterwards to complain, I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. My soul fainted when he spake : 1 sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he gave me no' answer. It is intended also to

convince of some secret sin. Hence when Israel turned their backs before their enemies, and the prayer of Joshua could not prevail, the Lord said to him, Get thee up: wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned. . . neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among

you. (Josh. vii. 10-13.) Sometimes it is to excite to greater importunity: I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Hear me speedily, oh Lord, my spirit faileth. (Psal. cxliii. 6, 7.) When God withholds the blessing, it is to render it the more welcome when it comes. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life. The woman of Canaan cried after Jesus, but he answered her not a word. This increased her importunity, and multiplied her pleas, till at length she not only obtained the blessing, but obtained it with commendation: Oh woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Prov. xiii. 12. Matt. xv. 28.

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Yet, whatever be God's designs, his delays are often very distressing; and without some supporting consideration, would issue in despondency. And what can be more encouraging than the words of our text: Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him? Thus also in Ezra x. 2. We have trespassed against our God; yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. It is bad, but it might have been worse, and it may soon be better. Hope is the spring of activity, while despair cuts the sinews of all endeavours. God's people often sit in darkness, and complain that he who should comfort their souls is far from them. I go forward, says the deserted soul, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. This thought then comes to his relief: Who knoweth but he will return! And this will be a powerful antidote against weariness and fainting, in the pursuit of spiritual good. I will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him— Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Isai. viii. 17. Job. xiii, 15,