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The individual above named is affectionately reminded, tha he now owes at this office, (exclusive of reasonable interest,) the sum of four dollars, for the numbers from June 1830 to the close of the present volume, and that the state of the office urgently demands a settlement of its accounts. enlightened and pure conscience can not surely be offended at this notice, after so long delay, nor object to a prompt and cheerful payment. The law of the LORD is perfect," Ps. xix, 7. "Owe no man any thing, but to love and good works," Rom. xiii. 8. "He that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much," Luke, xvi. 10. "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them," Ps. cxix. 165. "To obey is better than sacrifice," 1 Samuel, xv. 22. Men of principle, who value a quiet conscience, it may be hoped will yield to these considerations, and not wait a "Special Mandate."

THE AMERICAN

NATIONAL PREACHER:

OR ORIGINAL SERMONS FROM LIVING MINISTERS.

MONTHLY.

No. 4.

SEPTEMBER, 1832.

EDITED BY REV. AUSTIN DICKINSON, NEW-YORK.
Office, 150 Nassau-Street.-J. S. Taylor, Agent.

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1832.

Vol. VII.

JONE SHEET,

ON

TEMPERANCE.

BY A. DICKINSON.

Of this Sermon about thirty thousand copies have already been distributed. It is stereotyped, and such arrangements are made that any quantity will be furnished at $25 a thousand, on application to the Editor, 144 Nassau-street, N. Y., or to A. Russel, 5 Cornhill, Boston, or B. Wells, 17 Franklin-Place, Philadelphia.

Says the N. Y. Evangelist; "It is admirably adapted to tell upon the churches generally, and ought to be universally circulated." Says the Journal of Humanity; "The author's Appeal to American Youth, on the same subject, has had an unprecedented circulation: we commend this pamphlet to equal patronage." Says the Journal of Health; "It contains an appeal to all sects and denominations, and ought to be in every family throughout the land.”

CONTRIBUTORS.

UPWARDS of fifty Clergymen, of five Christian denominations, and belonging to sixteen different States, most of whom are well known to the public as Authors, have furnished, or encouraged the Editor to expect from them, Sermons for this Work; among whom are the following:

Rev. Dr. Richards, Professor in the Theological Seminary at Auburn; Rev. Dr. Proudfit, Salem, and Rev. Mr. Beman, Trey; Rev. Drs. Mason, Milnor, Mathews, Spring, Woodbridge, and De Wit, New-York City; Rev. Dr. M.Dowell, Elizabethtown, N. J.; Rev. Drs. Alexander and Miller, Professors in Princeton Theological Seminary; Rev. Professor M'Clelland, Rutgers College, New-Jersey; Rev. Drs. Green, Skinner, and Bedell, Philadelphia; Rev. Dr. Taylor, Professor in New-Haven Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. Fich, Professor of Divinity, Yale College; Rev. Asahel Nettleton, Killingworth, Con.; Rev. Dr. Wayland, President of Brown University; Rt. Rev. Bp. Griswold, Salem, Ms.; Rev. Dr. Griffin, President of Williams College; Rev. Dr. Humphrey, President of Amherst College, Ms.; Rev. Dr. Beecher, Boston; Rev. Professors Porter, Woods, and Stuart, of Andover Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. Fisk, President of the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct.; Rev. Daniel A. Clark, Bennington, Vt.; Rev. Dr. Rates, President of Middlebury College; Rev. Dr. Matthews, Hanover Theological Seminary, Indiana; Rev. Dr. Rice, Union Theo. Sem., Virg. ; Rev. Dr. Tyler and Rev. Dr. Payson, Portland, Me.; Rev. Dr. Lord, President of Dartmouth College; Rev. Dr. Church, Pelham, N. H.; Rev. Dr. Leland, Charleston, S. C.; Rev. Dr. Coffin, President of E. Tennessee College; Rev. Prof. Halsey, Western Theo. Seminary. Rev. Dr. Hawes, Hartford, Conn.

GOD'S CLAIMS, AND THE SINNER'S IMMEDIATE DUTY.

1 SAMUEL, XV. 22.-Hath the Lord as great delight in burntofferings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams.

THE text may be regarded as clearly warranting the sentiment, that the performance of no external religious duty can merit the Divine approbation, while connected with allowed disobedience to a known and positive requirement.

The truth of this position, in its application to the impenitent sinner, it is proposed to illustrate in the present discourse. The point of duty to which our attention will be confined, is the immediate compliance, on the part of the sinner, with the terms of salvation. This God authoritatively and unqualifiedly demands: demands of every individual, within the reach of the proclamation of mercy; and until he does yield compliance, not a single external religious duty, which he may perform, can merit the Divine approbation. In the elucidation of the subject it will be necessary to glance for a moment at the positive character of God's claims on this point,-the amount, the reasonableness, and the pressing urgency of what he demands.

The amount of what God demands of the sinner, as a condition of salvation, may be expressed in one word, viz. LOVE-supreme love to God. This is the fulfilling of the law, and secures

a compliance with the terms of the gospel. Although love is not the only exercise necessary to salvation, still it is the foundation of all the rest. The sinner who loves God will repent of sin, and rest his whole expectation of salvation upon the merits of a once crucified, but risen and reigning Savior. This constitutes a compliance with the terms of mercy-of life. And this is the amount which God demands of every sinner.

The reasonableness of this demand is obvious. The claim which God made upon man in innocence, was, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." This has never been repealed, and is therefore binding upon every child of Adam. The fact that he can never be justified by the deeds of the law, having been guilty of transgression, and fallen under the curse, does not prove that the law ceases to hold its claims over the sinner. Nor does the fact, that men have transgressed the divine law free them from obligation to yield obedience, any more than the transgression of human law frees the transgressor from its claims, or gives him a right to disregard it. If, then, God ever demanded the supreme love of his intelligent creatures, he demands it still; and as God demands, so he deserves their supreme love. And he deserves it, no less after they have rebelled against him than before. No act of his creatures can ever affect God's character, or make him unworthy their eternal love and gratitude. If, then, God has not repealed his law requiring supreme love, and if rebellion can never free men from their obligations, and if God is still deserving of love, his claim surely is a reasonable one.

Such being the amount and reasonableness of what God claims as a condition of salvation; we have only to advert, in one word, to the pressing urgency of his claims. "He NOW commandeth all men everywhere to repent." This exercise implies the existence of every other which is demanded. It is the giving up of the controversy which the sinner is waging with the claims of his Maker. It is a practical acknowledg ment that God is right, and the sinner wrong-totally and entirely wrong that the whole blame for SIN is on himself; for it is the voluntary withholding from God of that which was his due;